Padel Tribe’s top tips for buying padel shoes
Guide to buying padel shoes
by David Capper, Padel Tribe
Padel equipment. We search social media, read forums, scour reviews and try friends’ rackets in the quest to find the best. But what about the second most important item on the padel kit list?
Shoes.
Walk into any high street sports shop or visit online stores and there are literally thousands of trainers to choose from. All look fantastic and super comfortable but are, unfortunately, mostly not the best choice for padel!
I see a lot of people arriving at court in running or gym-type trainers. No doubt super comfortable and great for a 10K run or work-out but for padel these type of trainers will probably not provide the lateral support for quick changes of direction (running shoes are, remember, designed for going forward!).
Some non-padel shoes don’t have the necessary grip, leading to slips and falls, or too much grip that can lead to potential ankle and knee injuries. And they aren’t made for padel courts, with their synthetic grass surface and differing levels of sand.
In order to offer the correct support and traction when playing on a padel court a padel shoe (or clay court tennis shoe) is essential. But why? And what makes a padel shoe a padel shoe?
Tread
Padel courts have a unique surface of sanded artificial turf. It’s not grass, it’s not hard court and it’s not an indoor court surface, which helps make sense of investing in padel-specific shoes. If you have clay court tennis shoes you can get away with using these because they should have a herringbone tread sole, the key component of a padel shoe, although padel shoes may have a deeper tread for better traction and limited sliding.
Many shoes now have the herringbone grip (and other variants) running in different directions across the sole and include smooth, round ‘pivot points’ under the toes. Some players may prefer one or both of these features while others will stick with a constant herringbone pattern right across the tread. It’s a personal choice.
Padel shoe treads do vary between manufacturers but the basic requirement is a herringbone pattern. Some padel shoes also have pivot points, designed to allow easier and quicker turns. (images courtesy Padel Shack).
Cushioning
This is an important feature for padel shoes as for any other sport footwear. Cushioning is the absorption capacity they have to reduce the effect of impact with the ground on the body, particularly joints in the leg. Generally, shoes have a midsole made of a soft and absorbent material such as EVA foam or the more expensive phylon. You can also find models that include additional components such as shock-absorbing insoles, air or gel units.
Stability & support
Essential for padel shoes given the game is intense and requires fast, lateral movements, jumps and heavy footwork. That’s why we prefer shoes that have systems or materials designed to stabilise and support your stride. Luckily many of the shoes made by well-known padel brands include components that have the objective of delivering stability. Some of the most common ways of achieving this are rigid materials such as plastic or TPU in various areas of the upper. There are also brands such as Babolat that incorporate external straps to hold the foot in place.
Flexibility
Because padel moves can be quick, your shoes need to be flexible (in the right places, of course). In its padel shoe guide, The Padel School recommends flexing shoes at the midsole point and toe to making sure they aren’t too stiff.
Price
Probably the most expensive padel shoes are the Head men’s Motion Pro Boa, the first padel shoes with the Boa fitting system (see below). RRP is around £185 but, as with buying any padel equipment, it’s worth shopping around for the best price, just check returns policies; some retailers are based outside the UK which can make returns a pain.
Ladies with smaller feet may find good deals with children’s padel shoes and buying previous years’ models usually offers decent savings. If you know exactly what size you need in a specific brand then eBay and Vinted are good places to look.
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