The short answer
The TYR CXT-2 Court Trainer (check price) for unisex sizing, the Notace Koto 1 Women’s (check price) for zero drop, and the Reebok Nano Court Women’s (check price) from Reebok’s Nano training line.
Our Top Picks: Shoes for the Gym and the Pickleball Court
Our own rule: a shoe qualifies only if its maker’s product text sells it for both court play and gym use. More guides are under pickleball shoes.
Related guide: Best Pickleball Shoe Brands (2026): One Shoe From Each
Related guide: Best Pickleball Shoes Under $100 (2026): 4 Strict-Cap Picks
Find a shoe for the gym and the court
Pick a sizing and what you want to spend. The suggestion is our editorial starting point, drawn from the eight shoes below, not a test result.
Compare the 8 shoes for gym and court
TYR CXT-2 Court TrainerUnisex court trainerFor men, for women, indoor courtsIndoor surfacesWidth not stated$115.75 Prime
Evidence: maker specs only, no independent test
Notace Koto 1 MMen's court-to-gym shoeFor men, zero dropHard courtsOne width on notace.com$165.00
Evidence: Barefoot Shoe Guide played the women's Koto 1 (US 8); men's version linked
Notace Koto 1 WWomen's court-to-gym shoeFor women, zero dropHard courtsOne width$165.00
Evidence: Barefoot Shoe Guide, this exact model
Reebok Nano Court WWomen's all-court trainerFor women, all court sportsAll court sportsWidth not stated$101.33 Prime
Evidence: RunRepeat lab-tested the men's Nano Court (US 9); women's version linked
Xero 360 Rally MMen's barefoot court shoeFor men, zero dropCourt not statedWidth not stated$129.99
Evidence: BarefootRunReview, US 9 / EU 42; gender version not stated
Xero 360 Rally WWomen's barefoot court shoeFor women, zero dropCourt not statedWidth not stated$129.99
Evidence: Barefoot Shoe Guide, usual US 7.5; gender version not stated
Avia Avi-Verge MMen's cross-trainerFor men, wide sizesTennis and pickleballMedium to Extra Wide$53.99
Evidence: maker specs only, no independent test
Avia Verge WWomen's cross-trainerFor women, wide sizesTennis and pickleballMedium and Wide$43.00
Evidence: maker specs only, no independent test
Price tiers: $ lowest, $$ middle, $$$ highest third among these eight.
Which shoe for which player
- Women or men. See women’s pickleball shoes and men’s pickleball shoes; Reebok’s men’s Nano Court Sport is in our outdoor pickleball shoes.
- Gym floors. Picks: TYR CXT-2 Court Trainer, Avia Avi-Verge Men’s. Indoor-only shoes: indoor pickleball shoes.
- Wider feet. Avia sells wide sizes; see wide toe box pickleball shoes.
- Court shoes without the gym rule: best pickleball shoes.
Court Shoe, Cross-Trainer or Both?
“Gym” means the weight room or the wooden gym floor. That Fit Friend, which reviews training shoes, writes: “I wouldn’t suggest using a thicker and softer foam midsole cross-training shoe for pickleball, but many cross-training shoes with reinforced layers/sidewalls, denser midsoles, and extended outsole wraps work fine for casual pickleball.”
From the makers’ text:
- Shoe type: court shoes (TYR, Reebok, Notace, Xero) or a cross-trainer (Avia).
- Lateral stability: a TPU stability wrap (TYR), an outsole that wraps up the sides (Reebok’s Amazon listing), multidirectional control (Notace).
- Court type: indoor surfaces (TYR’s Amazon listing), hard courts (Notace’s tennis text), all court sports (Reebok’s Amazon listing), the gym floor (Avia’s Amazon listing); Xero names none.
- Non-marking soles: Notace and Avia use the word; TYR, Reebok and Xero do not. See indoor vs outdoor pickleball shoes.
Detailed Reviews
TYR CXT-2 Court Trainer, Unisex court trainer
men's 9 / women's 10.5 · Indoor surfaces
Players who want one unisex shoe for indoor courts and studio classes.
$115.75 from AmazonAs of Nov 12, 16:21 UTCTYR’s Amazon listing says: “Built for stability and agility, the CXT-2 supports quick lateral movements—perfect for pickleball, tennis, or dynamic studio workouts”. TYR’s site lists a nylon shank and a TPU stability wrap.
Specs (men’s 9 / women’s 10.5, White)
- Court: indoor surfaces (TYR’s Amazon listing)
- Drop: “7mm effective heel to toe drop” (TYR)
- Outsole: TYRTAC (TYR); rubber (TYR’s Amazon listing)
Pros
- A court shoe from TYR’s training line, sold for pickleball and studio workouts
Cons
- Four sizes on Amazon, men’s 9 to 11
Who should buy it
Players who want one unisex shoe for indoor courts and studio classes.
Notace Koto 1 Men’s, Men’s court-to-gym shoe
Men who want a cushioned zero-drop shoe for both settings.
$165.00 from AmazonAs of Nov 12, 16:21 UTCNotace writes: “Koto is a court to gym shoe designed for unrestricted movement, multidirectional control, and grounded stability across court sports and training.” Barefoot Shoe Guide played pickleball in the women’s model (same series, #3): “The non-marking rubber outsole performed well.” The site posts a Notace discount code. Sold by Grivet Outdoors (third-party retailer).
Specs (men’s size 10, Navy/Cream)
- Court: hard courts, in Notace’s tennis text
- Outsole: non-marking rubber, herringbone tread (Notace)
- Weight: 10.2 oz (290 g), men’s 9 (Notace)
- Stack and drop: 19 mm, 0 mm (Notace)
- Width: one width on notace.com (no width option; wide toe box); Amazon labels many Black, Red and White/Green sizes “Wide”, our linked Navy/Cream 10 is not
Pros
- Zero drop on a 19 mm stack, sold for court sports and training
Cons
- The test was of the women’s model
Notace Koto 1 Women’s, Women’s court-to-gym shoe
Women who want the Koto's cushioning without a raised heel.
$165.00 from AmazonAs of Nov 12, 16:21 UTCThe women’s version of #2 (same series), with the same sentence on Notace’s women’s page. Barefoot Shoe Guide wrote: “I’m wearing a women’s US 8 based on my 23.3cm foot length.” On an outdoor court it wrote: “No slipping during quick direction changes or lunges on an outdoor court.” The site posts a Notace discount code. Sold by Grivet Outdoors.
Specs (women’s size 9, Black/Black/Black)
- Court: hard courts, in Notace’s tennis text
- Weight: 10.2 oz (290 g), women’s 10 (Notace)
- Stack and drop: 19 mm, 0 mm (Notace)
- Width: one width, wide toe box (Notace)
Pros
- Zero drop on a 19 mm stack, played in the women’s model by a reviewer
Cons
- The reviewer had not played it indoors when it wrote
Reebok Nano Court Women’s, Women’s all-court trainer
women's 8.5 · All court sports
Women who want a court shoe from Reebok's Nano training line.
$101.33 from AmazonAs of Nov 12, 16:21 UTCReebok’s Amazon description says: “Step out of the gym and onto the court in these Reebok training shoes.” It continues: “The Nano Court was created for any game you play on the court, whether that’s tennis, pickleball, padel, racquetball, badminton or volleyball.” RunRepeat lab-tested a men’s US 9: “Having tested the side-to-side stability of the Reebok Nano Court, we would describe it as solid.”
Specs (women’s size 8.5, Chalk/True Pink/Golden Haze)
- Court: all court sports (Reebok’s Amazon listing)
- Outsole: herringbone Griptonite rubber that wraps up the sides (Reebok’s Amazon listing)
- Drop: 14 mm (Reebok, per RunRepeat); 14.7 mm measured (RunRepeat)
- Weight: 13.6 oz (385 g), men’s US 9 (RunRepeat); Reebok publishes none
Pros
- A side-wrapped rubber outsole for lateral stability, in Reebok’s words
Cons
- A high heel-to-toe drop for a court shoe, per RunRepeat
Xero Shoes 360 Rally Men’s, Men’s barefoot court shoe
Men used to barefoot shoes who want one pair for lifting and play.
$129.99 from AmazonAs of Nov 12, 16:21 UTCXero writes: “Inspired by our X1 basketball shoe, the 360 Rally brings court performance and barefoot advantage to your next session, whether it’s a gym day or a league night.” BarefootRunReview, whose tester wears a US 9 (gender version not stated), wrote: “In short, the Xero Shoes 360 Rally is a solid gym and court shoe that doubles as a comfortable casual option — just don’t expect a running shoe.” Sold by Orva Stores (third party). Also in our barefoot pickleball shoes.
Specs (men’s size 10, White/Asphalt)
- Court: Xero names no court type
- Outsole: full rubber, for omni-directional traction (Xero)
- Drop and stack: zero drop (Xero); 9.5 mm including the insole (BarefootRunReview)
- Weight: not published (Xero)
Pros
- A thin, flexible zero-drop sole sold for court and gym days
- Xero’s 5,000-mile sole warranty
Cons
- An upper BarefootRunReview found too flexible for hard lateral cuts
- BarefootRunReview sizes up half a size
Who should buy it
Men used to barefoot shoes who want one pair for lifting and play.
Xero Shoes 360 Rally Women’s, Women’s barefoot court shoe
Women who want a barefoot-style shoe for the gym and the court.
$129.99 from AmazonAs of Nov 12, 16:21 UTCThe women’s version of #5 (same series), with the same gym-day sentence on Xero’s women’s page. Barefoot Shoe Guide, whose tester usually wears a US 7.5 (gender version not stated), wrote: “I tried these on both an indoor and outdoor court and never felt like I was going to lose my footing.” It found they fit true to size, unlike BarefootRunReview. Sold by Orva Stores.
Specs (women’s size 8, White/Fuchsia Pink)
- Court: Xero names no court type
- Outsole: full rubber, for omni-directional traction (Xero)
- Drop and stack: zero drop (Xero); 9.5 mm including the insole (Barefoot Shoe Guide)
- Weight: not published (Xero)
Pros
- Xero’s 5,000-mile sole warranty
Cons
- A thin sole for players new to barefoot shoes, per Barefoot Shoe Guide
Avia Avi-Verge Men’s, Men’s cross-trainer
men's 10 · Tennis and pickleball
Men who want an entry-tier pair for workouts and casual games.
$53.99 from AmazonAs of Nov 12, 16:21 UTCAvia writes: “Use them for work, walking, workouts, travel, tennis, and everyday activities for all-day comfort and style.” Its Amazon listing adds: “Perfect as tennis court or pickleball shoes.” and “Leave your mark on people, not on the ground or gym floor!” Sold by BrilliantGreen or EZDealz100 (rotating third-party stores).
Specs (men’s size 10 Medium, White/True Navy)
- Court: tennis (Avia); tennis court or pickleball (Avia’s Amazon listing)
- Outsole: non-marking TPR (Avia)
- Widths: Medium, Extra Wide (avia.com); Wide also on Avia’s Amazon listing
Pros
- A non-marking sole Avia names for the gym floor
Cons
- A cross-trainer first; avia.com lists walking ahead of tennis
- No independent test found
Avia Verge Women’s, Women’s cross-trainer
women's 8.5 · Tennis and pickleball
Women who want an entry-tier shoe for gym classes and casual play.
$43.00 from AmazonAs of Nov 12, 16:21 UTCThe women’s version of #7 (same series), with the same sentence on Avia’s women’s page. Its Amazon listing says: “Ideal for court sports like tennis, pickelball and volleyball or as everyday comfy womens walking shoes or trainers.” (Avia’s spelling). Sold by BrilliantGreen (third party).
Specs (women’s size 8.5 Medium, Bright White/Bijou Blue/Silver/Alloy)
- Court: tennis (Avia); tennis, pickleball, volleyball (Avia’s Amazon listing)
- Outsole: non-marking TPR (Avia)
- Widths: Medium, Wide (Avia)
Pros
- A non-marking TPR sole on an entry-tier cross-trainer
Cons
- On avia.com, walking comes ahead of tennis
- No independent test found
Who should buy it
Women who want an entry-tier shoe for gym classes and casual play.
How We Chose Court-and-Gym Shoes
How this guide was built
Built from manufacturer documentation, published third-party reviews and owner reports; we have not tested these products ourselves.
Our price rule
- Price: the new, in-stock Amazon offer was at or below the maker’s regular (compare-at) price on November 9, 2026 (Reebok lists none).
Shoes that did not make it
Shoes that did not make it
That Fit Friend’s top pick, the NOBULL Court Trainer, has no Amazon listing we could find. ASICS sells the Gel-Rocket 12 as a volleyball shoe; see our ASICS pickleball shoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can you wear cross-training shoes for pickleball?
That Fit Friend also writes: “A good pair of court shoes will always beat cross-training shoes when it comes to pickleball specificity.”
Q. What do players wear on indoor gym floors?
In a Reddit thread, one owner wrote: “I use my regular court shoes or basketball shoes”
Final Verdict
For zero drop, Notace or Xero; for wide sizes, Avia.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
