After paddles, the next gear question new players usually ask is about footwear: do you actually need pickleball-specific shoes, or will whatever's in the closet do the job? Here's the honest answer, plus what to look for if you do decide to upgrade.
Can you start in running shoes?
Yes, for your first few sessions. Running shoes are built for forward motion — heel-to-toe, straight-line movement — which is a big part of why they're not ideal long-term for a sport that involves constant side-to-side shuffling, quick direction changes, and short sprints to the kitchen line. The soft, cushioned soles on most running shoes also tend to have less lateral (side-to-side) stability, which matters more than people expect once you're moving quickly across the court.
If you're just trying pickleball out for the first time, don't let not owning "proper" shoes stop you. Come in whatever supportive flat-soled shoe you've got and see if you enjoy it first.
Why court shoes exist as their own category
Court sports — tennis, badminton, squash, pickleball — all share a common movement pattern: lateral shuffling, quick stops, and pivoting. Court shoes are built with reinforced sides for lateral support, flatter and firmer soles for stability during quick direction changes, and outsoles designed to grip indoor and outdoor court surfaces without gripping so hard you risk rolling an ankle on a sudden stop.
Tennis shoes and pickleball-specific shoes are close enough in design that either works well — you don't need to buy pickleball-branded shoes specifically if you already own a decent pair of tennis shoes.
What to actually look for
A few things matter more than brand name or price tag:
Lateral support — reinforced sides that stop your foot sliding within the shoe during side-to-side movement. This is the single biggest difference from running shoes.
Non-marking soles — most indoor courts (including ours) require non-marking soles to protect the surface. Check the sole before you buy if you're playing indoors regularly.
Low to moderate cushioning — you want enough to protect your joints over a long session, but not so much that you lose stability when planting and pivoting quickly.
Durable outsole tread — pickleball involves a lot of quick stops and shuffling, which wears through soft-soled shoes faster than steady-state running does.
Indoor vs outdoor soles
If you're only ever playing indoors, an indoor court shoe with a gum rubber sole gives the best grip without marking the floor. If you're mixing indoor and outdoor play, look for a shoe rated for both — usually described as an "all-court" shoe — since a pure outdoor sole can be too aggressive and grippy for an indoor surface, and vice versa.
Bottom line
You don't need to spend big or buy anything before your first session — just show up in flat, supportive shoes and see if you love the game first. If you end up playing regularly, a proper court shoe is one of the more worthwhile upgrades for both performance and injury prevention, since ankle rolls are one of the more common pickleball injuries and usually come down to footwear, not fitness.
Come try a session and see how you go — book in here, and we'll see you on the court.