Court shoes and avoiding falls
The most common pickleball injury isn’t tennis elbow, a rolled ankle, or a pulled muscle. It’s a fall — and for players 55 and older, falls account for the majority of pickleball-related emergency room visits. The good news is that the single most effective way to prevent falls costs less than $100 and has nothing to do with your skill level: wear court shoes, not running shoes.
Why running shoes are dangerous on a pickleball court
Running shoes are built for one kind of motion: straight ahead, heel to toe, at a steady rhythm. Everything about them — the thick cushioned heel, the rounded sole, the soft foam — is optimized for forward running and absorbing impact on one axis.
Pickleball is nothing like running. It’s side-to-side, start-and-stop, with sudden direction changes and frequent lateral reaches. When you plant your foot sideways in a running shoe, the shoe isn’t designed to grip — the sole rolls, the foam compresses unevenly, and your ankle is left trying to hold everything together. That’s how ankles roll and how people fall.
Court shoes — the kind sold for tennis, pickleball, squash, volleyball, or badminton — are built for exactly the kind of movement pickleball requires. They have flatter, wider soles, firmer sides to prevent the foot from rolling, herringbone or similar tread patterns designed to grip under lateral load, and much less heel stack. They feel stiffer than running shoes because they are. That stiffness is protecting you.
What to look for in a court shoe
You don’t need an expensive shoe. You need a court shoe. Here’s a quick checklist:
- Sold as a “court shoe” or “tennis shoe.” Not a running shoe. Not a cross-trainer with a squishy sole. Not a walking shoe. If the box doesn’t say tennis, pickleball, or court, put it back.
- Flat, wide sole that doesn’t rock side to side when you press down laterally.
- Herringbone tread pattern on the bottom is ideal for outdoor courts. Indoor shoes often have a smoother gum-rubber sole that grips wood floors.
- Low to the ground. High-stack shoes feel cushy but make your ankle work harder on direction changes.
- Reinforced toe. You’ll drag your lead foot on some shots, especially reaching for low balls at the Kitchen line. Without a reinforced toe, shoes wear through fast.
Outdoor courts wear shoes out faster than indoor. Expect to replace an outdoor pickleball shoe every 6–12 months depending on how much you play.
Indoor vs. outdoor courts
The two major court surfaces are outdoor (usually concrete or asphalt with a painted/textured coating) and indoor (typically wood or rubberized sport floor). They call for slightly different soles:
- Outdoor: Herringbone or dense rubber tread. These shoes are also legal on indoor courts, though they can feel grippy to the point of slowing you down.
- Indoor: Smoother gum-rubber soles designed for wood and rubberized surfaces. Wearing indoor soles on an outdoor court wears them out in days and is also slippery — avoid it.
If you only play in one setting, buy for that setting. If you play both, many players own two pairs.
Other fall-prevention basics
Shoes are 80% of the battle, but not everything. A few more habits that matter:
Keep the court clear
Loose balls on the court are the second most common fall cause. Before every rally, look around your feet and your partner’s feet. If there’s a ball within a few steps of where you might move, roll it to the fence. This sounds obvious; most players don’t do it.
Don’t backpedal for lobs
Running backwards is how adult athletes break wrists and hips. When a lob goes over your head, don’t backpedal — turn sideways and shuffle or run forward at an angle. It’s slower but dramatically safer. If you can’t get to the ball safely, let it go. A point is not worth a broken bone.
Stay balanced at the Kitchen line
Most Kitchen-line falls happen when a player is reaching forward at full stretch for a ball they shouldn’t have tried to volley. If you’re off-balance, let it bounce. A lost point is always a better outcome than a fall.
Warm up your ankles and hips
Five minutes of light movement before play — a few side-shuffles, some gentle lunges, easy rotations — makes a real difference. Cold muscles and stiff joints don’t respond well to sudden direction changes.
The bottom line
Court shoes are the cheapest, easiest, and most effective safety investment in the sport. If you’re playing pickleball in running shoes, stop reading this article and go buy court shoes before your next session. Your ankles will notice the difference on the very first game.
Sources
This article draws on injury data from peer-reviewed studies of pickleball-related emergency-room visits, which consistently find falls as the leading injury mechanism in players over 55. For specific product recommendations, talk to your local pro shop or a specialty racquet-sports retailer — they’ll know which current models fit your foot and playing style.