Padel involves a lot of direction changes and fast movement, so proper shoes are essential for the player. With good shoes, a player can move with more confidence and precision and reduce the risk of injury. This also improves the performance of the player’s game.
Finding the right shoes depends on many factors, including the player’s playing style and skill level.
In this article, we will go through the different types of padel shoes to help you find the right shoes for you.
This article contains affiliate links (these links are marked with *-symbol)
What is Padel?
Padel is a tennis-like racket game played on a smaller artificial grass court surrounded by glass walls. It is usually played as doubles where players use smaller, solid rackets and a tennis ball-like ball.
The goal of the game is to hit the ball over the net and into the opponent’s court without the opponent being able to return it. Players can also use walls to play the ball and score points. The game is won by the team that wins the most games, and the match usually consists of three or five sets, as in tennis.
Padel is a fast-paced and exciting sport that is easy to learn and can be enjoyed by people of all ages and sporting backgrounds. It is particularly popular in Spain and Latin America but is growing in popularity in many other countries.
How to Choose Padel Shoes?
When choosing the right padel shoe for you, it is important to know your playing style and the requirements for the shoe.
For a beginner player cheaper shoes are fine while a more active player should buy more expensive shoes that withstand more wear. The following section identifies the different criteria for padel shoes.
Weight of the Shoe
The first important criterion for choosing a padel shoe is the weight. In the same way as when choosing a tennis shoe, the weight of the shoe matters.
A heavier shoe provides more support for the player’s foot but slows down the movement. A lighter shoe allows you to move faster but offers less support.
Heavier Shoes (>350 grams / 12,35 ounces)
Heavier shoes are suitable for defensive or bigger players who like to move laterally a lot.
Lateral movements and sudden stops put a lot of stress on the player’s ankle, increasing the risk of injuries such as sprains and strains.
This is why heavier shoes are a good choice for these players, as they offer better ankle support.
With good ankle support, the risk of injury is reduced and the player is able to move around the court with greater confidence and accuracy.
Heavier shoes also tend to be better cushioned and offer better playing comfort.
Examples of Heavier Padel Shoes
| Shoe Model | Weight in Grams | Weight in Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| Bullpadel Comfort 23V | 425 | 14.99 |
| Head Motion Pro Padel Black | 378 | 13.33 |
| Bullpadel Hack Hybrid Fly 22V | 370 | 13.05 |
Lighter Shoes (<350 grams / 12,35 ounces)
The lighter shoes, on the other hand, are well suited to attacking players or players who are lighter in weight.
Lighter shoes allow for faster movements on the court, which is especially helpful if your playing style involves back-and-forth movements such as getting to the net.
However, it is important to bear in mind that the weight of the shoes does not cancel out their intended use. Even in the heaviest shoes you can move well in the depth direction and get to the net.
Examples of Lighter Padel Shoes
| Shoe Model | Weight in Grams | Weight in Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| Mizuno Wave Exceed Light Padel | 325 | 11.46 |
| Wilson Bela Pro Padel | 326 | 11.50 |
| Babolat Jet Premura 2 Padel | 331 | 11.68 |
Shoe Size
For padel shoes, as for tennis shoes, it is advisable to buy shoes one size larger, as the foot tends to swell a little during the game.
A little extra space in the shoe ensures that your toes can move naturally during quick stops and in changes of direction, saving you from extra abrasions and injuries.
Padel Shoe Price Ranges
Padel shoes are available in a wide price range. Padel shoes are available at a wide range of prices. Beginners’ shoes are cheaper, but they also wear out faster. Active player’s shoes are more expensive, but they last longer and support the foot better.
The price of adult padel shoes ranges from around 60 to 200€ (65 – 190 $). Junior players’ shoes are cheaper, ranging from 40 to 90€ (45 – 95$).
Affordable Padel Shoes (<90€ / <95$)
These affordable shoes are ideal for beginners and occasional players who play on average once a week. They are not as durable as more expensive shoes but offer enough support and traction on the court.
Examples of Affordable Shoes
| Shoe Model | Price in Euros | Price in Dollars |
|---|---|---|
| BULLPADEL NEXT | 80,00€ | $85,00 |
| Lotto Superrapida 400 Padel | 75,00€ | $80,00 |
| Asics Gel Padel Pro 5 Light Sage | 80,00€ | $85,00 |
Medium-Priced Padel Shoes (90-120€ / 95-125$)
Medium-priced shoes are well-suited to advanced and active players. They offer good support and traction on the padel court and last much longer than cheaper shoes.
Examples of Medium-Priced Shoes
| Shoe Model | Price in Euros | Price in Dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Lotto Superrapida 200 Padel | 100,00€ | $105,00 |
| BULLPADEL VERTEX GRIP 22V | 110,00€ | $115,00 |
| Asics Gel Challenger 13 Padel | 120,00€ | $125,00 |
More Expensive Padel Shoes (>120€ / >125$)
The most expensive shoes are well-suited to active players and competitive players who play several times a week. They are designed for demanding use and therefore offer excellent support and durability.
The most expensive shoes are not significantly different from mid-priced shoes, but they do offer a little extra advantage to your game.
Examples of more Expensive Shoes
| Shoe Model | Price in Euros | Price in Dollars |
|---|---|---|
| AT10 LUX Padel Shoes | 140,00€ | $150,00 |
| Babolat Jet Premura 2 Padel | 155,00€ | $165,00 |
| Head Motion Pro Padel | 160,00€ | $170,00 |
Shoe Recommendations
This chapter contains shoe recommendations for men, women, and children. The recommendations are based on the popularity, quality, and characteristics of the shoes.
The prices of these shoes may seem high, but you can usually always find them at a discount in the major online tennis stores.
Shoe Recommendations for Men
| Shoe Model | Price in Euros | Price in Dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Adidas Adizero Cybersonic | 180,00€ | $190,00 |
| Asics Gel Challenger 13 Padel | 120,00€ | $130,00 |
| Babolat Jet Premura 2 | 155,00€ | $165,00 |
Shoe Recommendations for Women
| Shoe Model | Price in Euros | Price in Dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Asics Solution Swift FF | 120,00€ | $130,00 |
| Babolat Jet Ritma Padel | 155,00€ | $165,00 |
| Bullpadel Flow Hybrid Fly | 140,00€ | $150,00 |
Shoe Recommendations for Children
| Shoe Model | Price in Euros | Price in Dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Babolat Jet Mach III Clay | 75,00€ | $80,00 |
| Asics Gel-Padel Pro 5 GS | 55,00€ | $60,00 |
| Asics Gel Game 8 GS | 55,00€ | $60,00 |
Where Should I Buy Padel Shoes?
You can buy padel shoes from online stores such as:
US 🇺🇸
EU 🇪🇺
UK 🇬🇧
Padel Shoes vs. Tennis Shoes
Padel and tennis are similar sports and a popular question is whether padel can be played with tennis shoes. Tennis shoes are generally well suited to padel and provide enough traction on the padel court.
Compared to tennis shoes padel shoes are designed for more lateral movement than tennis shoes, so they have stiffer soles than tennis shoes.
However, for more slippery and sandy padel courts, shoes with more grip, such as padel shoes or tennis clay court shoes, are recommended.
Clay court shoes are very much like padel shoes, but with shallower grooves in the soles.
However, the AC or All Court shoes used in tennis are not well suited to padel as they do not have deep grooves for traction.
In general, tennis shoes, especially clay court shoes, are well suited for padel.
It is worth bearing in mind that the sandy surface of the padel court wears down the soles of the tennis shoe more and it is always a good idea to clean the soles of the shoe from sand after playing padel.
FAQ
Can I play padel with running shoes?
— Padel is not recommended to be played in running shoes, as they do not provide enough support and grip on a slippery court.
Running shoes and their soles are designed for vertical and steady movement rather than rapid changes of direction and lateral movements.
What does the word “Clay” mean in tennis shoes?
— Clay indicates that the shoe in question has characteristics intended for a clay court. Such shoes are also well suited for padel.