Best Shoes for Pickleball Traction: 10 Picks Compared

Our verdict

Our Top Picks: Pickleball Shoes for Traction

Traction comes from the bottom of the shoe: the rubber (or, in one case, polyurethane) the outsole is made of, the tread pattern cut into it, and the court surface the maker designed it for. This guide compares ten court shoes whose makers state all or part of that, and quotes each maker’s words. Where an independent lab or tester has measured or described the grip, the review says what they found, including where they disagree with the maker. Weights appear only with the size they were measured at and their source.

Every pick was new and in stock on Amazon when we checked on October 25, 2026, and each review names the exact size, colour and gender we link. For an all-round guide that is not built around grip, see our pickleball shoes compared; for the wider buying basics, our guide on how to choose pickleball shoes.

Compare the picks

Compare the 10 shoes for traction

The outsole and court words are the makers’ own (ASICS’s from its Amazon listing text, because asics.com refuses our reader). “RunRepeat friction” is the coefficient RunRepeat’s lab recorded by brushing the shoe’s forefoot against concrete; as of October 2026, its average across 45 tennis shoes is 0.76, and “not tested” means RunRepeat has no reading for that model. Weight is for the size and from the source shown; the sources weigh different sizes, so the figures are not a ranking.

Which grip for which court

• Outdoor hard courts, where you want the shoe to bite: Babolat Men’s Jet Mach 4 All Court, ASICS Men’s Solution Speed FF 4, Mizuno Men’s Wave Exceed Tour 7 AC and ASICS Men’s Gel-Resolution X each measured above RunRepeat’s 0.76 average in its concrete friction test. All four are tennis shoes. Our outdoor pickleball shoes guide covers outsole durability on rough courts.
• Silica grit pickleball courts: Tyrol Women’s Drive V, whose Vibram outsole Tyrol tunes for them.
• Indoor gym floors: K-Swiss Women’s Hypercourt Express 3 Indoor with its gum rubber outsole; Tyrol’s Amazon listing also names indoor gym floors for the Drive V. More choices are in our indoor pickleball shoes guide.
• Players who like to slide a little: Mizuno Men’s Wave Enforce Tour 2 AC, which RunRepeat found “not too tacky”; K-Swiss Men’s Hypercourt Supreme 2, sold for a “balance between grip and slide”; and Nike Men’s Vapor 12 Hard Court, which RunRepeat found less sticky.
• A pickleball-built shoe for any court: Selkirk Men’s Legacy Pro and its polyurethane InfiniGrip outsole.
• Men’s or women’s: most models here come in both; this guide links whichever version was in stock at or below the maker’s price. For grip plus fit by gender, see our men’s pickleball shoes and women’s pickleball shoes guides.

Picks: Babolat Men’s Jet Mach 4 All Court, Tyrol Women’s Drive V, K-Swiss Women’s Hypercourt Express 3 Indoor, Mizuno Men’s Wave Exceed Tour 7 AC, ASICS Men’s Gel-Resolution X, ASICS Men’s Solution Speed FF 4, Selkirk Men’s Legacy Pro, Mizuno Men’s Wave Enforce Tour 2 AC, K-Swiss Men’s Hypercourt Supreme 2, Nike Men’s Vapor 12 Hard Court.

What gives a court shoe its grip

The compound. Makers name their outsole rubber because it is what touches the court: Babolat uses Michelin Premium, Mizuno its DX Rubber on one shoe and DuRubber on the other, ASICS AHARPLUS and ASICSGRIP, K-Swiss Dragguard 7.0, and Tyrol a Vibram outsole with an X Abrade compound. Two outliers: K-Swiss uses gum rubber on its indoor shoe, and Selkirk’s InfiniGrip is a cast polyurethane rather than rubber. A retailer guide from Pickleball Warehouse, a shop that sells pickleball shoes, explains the indoor case: “An indoor pickleball shoe will feature a softer outsole rubber compound, sometimes referred to as “gum rubber”, which provides both good traction on laminate flooring and also complements the midsole’s level of cushioning.”

The tread. Herringbone (rows of short zigzag grooves) is the pattern the makers name for two picks here: K-Swiss on the Hypercourt Supreme 2 and Nike on the Vapor 12. The other makers describe the rubber but not the pattern; RunRepeat describes the Wave Exceed Tour 7’s tread as a mix of razorblaze and herringbone treadlines, the Wave Enforce Tour 2’s as a full-length herringbone, and the Solution Speed FF 4’s as a basketweave Precision Sole. Tread depth matters as well as shape: Tennis.com found the Hypercourt Supreme 2’s herringbone “fairly shallow”, which suited hard-court slides but not clay.

The court. An outsole is built for a surface. PickleRage, which runs indoor pickleball courts, puts it this way: “Indoor court shoes have softer, non-marking rubber soles to maximize traction on gym floors, while outdoor models feature tougher outsoles that withstand rougher surfaces like asphalt or concrete.” That is why the court column above matters as much as the rubber.

What a lab figure tells you. RunRepeat measures forefoot friction on concrete, so its readings speak to hard courts more than to gym floors. A higher number means a stickier shoe, not a better one for everyone: RunRepeat notes on the Jet Mach 4 that a lot of grip leaves less give for sliding, and that the right amount depends on your preferences and playing style. It describes the Vapor 12, at 0.55, as a shoe for players “who love a good give for pivoting, sliding, and smooth gliding on the court”.

How we chose shoes for grip

What every pick had to show

• The maker’s own traction statement. Each maker names the outsole compound, the tread pattern or the court type on its product page or in its own Amazon listing text, quoted in the review. A tester calling a shoe “grippy” was not enough on its own.
• A court shoe. Pickleball, tennis or indoor court shoes with court outsoles; no running or walking shoes.
• On Amazon, new, in stock, at or below the maker’s regular price. Amazon.com held two of the offers, the makers’ own storefronts three, and five were held by other sellers, named in their reviews. Sellers rotate by size, so read the listing before you buy.
• Weight only with its size and source. We do not compare the shoes by weight.
• Independent grip evidence where it exists. Six picks have a RunRepeat lab reading, one has a published test and one has an owner’s report; two have only the maker’s description.
• Not already a pick in our other shoe guides, where we could. Three picks here are the same model and version as a pick in another of our shoe guides, and each of those reviews says so.

Where the grip evidence comes from and what r/Pickleball players say about grip

Where the grip evidence comes from

Each review has an evidence line. “Same series” means an independent publication tested the model, but not necessarily in the size, gender or colour we link, or tested an earlier version. RunRepeat’s lab tests cover the Jet Mach 4, Wave Exceed Tour 7, Gel-Resolution X, Solution Speed FF 4, Wave Enforce Tour 2 and Vapor 12, and Tennis.com reviewed the Hypercourt Supreme 2. “Owner reports” means a player’s own blog or forum posts. “Maker specs” means we found no independent test.

One shoe two reviewers singled out for traction is not here: Pickleheads wrote that “The Franklin ACV Pros give you the best traction of any shoes we’ve tested – great if you want to play an explosive game with quick movements.”, and The Dink’s 2026 women’s test lists the Franklin ACV Pro as “Best for: Traction”. When we checked, the in-stock Amazon offer we found was above Franklin’s own price, so it does not meet our seller rule and we do not link it.

What r/Pickleball players say about grip

In a long r/Pickleball thread from a player who had bought many pairs of pickleball shoes, the poster (a blogger who uses discount codes) rated each pair on “Grip and Movement”. Replies raised the trade-off between grip and wear: one player wrote, “The babolats were good but I burned through the sole in 3 months.” (model not named), and another, about the New Balance 996v6, “Traction is great and also is the very breathable so my feet don’t get too hot.” In another thread asking for shoe recommendations, a player using basketball shoes wrote: “In general the rubber soles are a bit softer (they have to work on indoor gym surfaces as well as outdoor) so they don’t last as long as real court shoes.” These are individual reports, so the reviews below set them beside the makers’ claims.

Detailed Reviews

Babolat Men’s Jet Mach 4 All Court, Michelin rubber, all court

Babolat’s Jet Mach 4 All Court page puts traction in its own section: “To get off to a flying start, the JET Mach 4 sole is equipped with Michelin Premium formulation. Thanks to Michelin’s expertise in ground contact, the tread offers exceptional traction for superior braking performance.” Its technical characteristics read “Fit Standard”, “Drop 10 mm” and “Surface Type All Court”. Babolat does not name the tread pattern. It is a tennis shoe; Babolat sells separate pickleball models.

What the lab found: RunRepeat wrote, “Using Michelin Premium formulation for its outsole, we expected nothing less than premium grip from the Jet Mach 4, and that’s exactly what the shoe delivered!” Its friction reading of 1.11 is what RunRepeat calls “a record-setting friction coefficient” in its lab, against a 0.76 average; RunRepeat’s test of the ASICS Solution Speed FF 4 (pick 6) recorded the same 1.11. RunRepeat adds that so much grip leaves less give for sliding, so it suits players who stop hard rather than slide. RunRepeat does not say which size or colour it tested; we link the men’s 10. The Wide version of this shoe is in our men’s wide pickleball shoes guide; the standard width we link is not. Tennis Express, a tennis retailer, sold the pair we link, shipping its own stock.

Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. RunRepeat lab test: Jet Mach 4, size and colour not stated.

Specs (men’s 10, Black/Aero)

• Outsole: Michelin Premium rubber; tread pattern not named (Babolat)
• Court: All Court (Babolat)
• RunRepeat friction: 1.11 (RunRepeat average 0.76)
• Fit: Standard; drop 10 mm (Babolat)
• Weight: not published with a size (Babolat gives none; RunRepeat’s figure names no size)

Tyrol Women’s Drive V, Vibram for grit courts

Tyrol’s Women’s Drive V page says: “The Vibram outsole is tuned for silica grit treated pickleball courts, giving durable grip where you need it while still working well across a range of surfaces.” Its outsole section adds that Vibram “formulated an X Abrade compound specific to use on painted silica grit treated pickleball courts to ensure performance grip, stability, and durability.” The Amazon listing says the outsole “grips painted silica grit pickleball courts and performs beautifully on indoor gym floors, outdoor acrylic, and hard courts.” Tyrol does not describe the tread pattern.

Why it is here: the outsole is designed around the pickleball court surface itself. We found no independent test of the women’s Drive V, so the evidence is Tyrol’s description. Tyrol says the Drive V shares its construction and performance features with its Striker Pro V line. The men’s Drive V is in our wide toe box pickleball shoes guide; the women’s version we link is not. Charm City Run, a running-shoe retailer, sold the women’s 8 we link.

Evidence: No independent test; maker specs. Source: Tyrol’s own page.

Specs (women’s 8, Blue/Grey)

• Outsole: Vibram, X Abrade compound (Tyrol)
• Court: painted silica grit-treated pickleball courts; “a range of surfaces” (Tyrol)
• RunRepeat friction: not tested
• Weight: not published

K-Swiss Women’s Hypercourt Express 3 Indoor, Gum rubber for indoors

K-Swiss’s Hypercourt Express 3 Indoor page calls it “the update of the top selling Hypercourt Express 2 Indoor model” and says: “Keeping its trademarks of being a lightweight, breathable shoe with a generous fit in the forefoot, the Hypercourt Express 3 Indoor, with its gum rubber outsole, is the ideal choice for all wood court sports.” The K-Swiss storefront’s Amazon listing adds DragGuard 7.0 “in the high wear areas of the toe and heel”. K-Swiss does not name the tread pattern, and files the shoe with its tennis range.

Why it is here: gum rubber is the softer compound that the Pickleball Warehouse guide above describes for laminate gym floors. We found no independent test of the Indoor version; the Hypercourt Express 3 reviews we found cover the standard shoe. The standard Hypercourt Express 3 is in our cushioned pickleball shoes and wide toe box guides; this Indoor version is not. The K-Swiss storefront sold the women’s 8 we link, with only a few left.

Evidence: No independent test; maker specs. Source: K-Swiss’s own page.

Specs (women’s 8 M, Egret/Whitecap Gray)

• Outsole: gum rubber; DragGuard 7.0 at the toe and heel (K-Swiss)
• Court: wood court sports, indoor (K-Swiss)
• RunRepeat friction: not tested
• Weight: not published

Mizuno Men’s Wave Exceed Tour 7 AC, DX Rubber, all court

Mizuno’s Wave Exceed Tour 7 AC page says: “The new DX Rubber outsole allows for effortless sliding, stopping and pivoting, all while offering a 6-month outsole guarantee for long-lasting performance.” It lists “DX RUBBER: Maximum durability outsole material providing professional-level maneuverability for explosive movements.” and names “advanced tennis and pickleball players” as its audience. AC means All Court. The guarantee’s terms are on Mizuno’s outsole warranty page.

What the lab found: RunRepeat wrote: “Swapping DuRubber for a new DX Rubber outsole, Mizuno brought the Exceed Tour 7’s outsole traction up a notch. Recording the shoe’s friction coefficient at a high 1.04, we were impressed with the tacky grip it offers on hard court!” It describes the tread as “two separate rubber pods with a mix of razorblaze and herringbone treadlines to support multi-directional movement” and weighed 12.1 oz in a men’s US size 9. Mizuno’s own words stress sliding as well as stopping, while RunRepeat found the shoe tacky. This exact pair is also a pick in our men’s pickleball shoes and tennis and pickleball shoes guides. Amazon.com sold the men’s 10 we link.

Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. RunRepeat lab test: Wave Exceed Tour 7, men’s US 9 weighed; colour not stated.

Specs (men’s 10, Black-Glowing Apple)

• Outsole: DX Rubber (Mizuno); razorblaze and herringbone treadlines (RunRepeat)
• Court: All Court (Mizuno)
• RunRepeat friction: 1.04 (RunRepeat average 0.76)
• Outsole cover: 6-month outsole guarantee (Mizuno; terms on Mizuno’s warranty page)
• Weight: 12.1 oz, men’s US 9 (RunRepeat)

ASICS Men’s Gel-Resolution X, AHARPLUS rubber outsole

ASICS’s product text on the Amazon listing (asics.com refuses our reader, so this is the fallback) names an “AHARPLUS outsole rubber” and says it “Improves durability”. The same text warns: “Fit Note: This shoe runs large, we recommend sizing down a half size.” ASICS sells a separate Gel-Resolution X Clay, so the version we link is the non-clay shoe; we could not read ASICS’s own court-type wording for it.

What the lab found: RunRepeat wrote: “ASICS shoes have repeatedly shown exceptional grip in our lab tests, and the Resolution X continues this trend.” and “The shoe’s AHARPLUS rubber generated a lot of traction in the forefoot, resulting in a high friction coefficient of 0.89. As a result, the shoe kept us planted during hard cuts and quick stops, and bit onto the court instantly during push-offs.” RunRepeat weighed it at 14.7 oz in a men’s US size 9. We link a men’s 11. The women’s Gel-Resolution X is in our women’s pickleball shoes and women’s extra-wide pickleball shoes guides; the men’s version we link is not. Tennis Warehouse, a tennis retailer, sold the pair we link, shipping its own stock.

Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. RunRepeat lab test: Gel-Resolution X, men’s US 9; colour not stated.

Specs (men’s 11, Grey Blue/Pistachio)

• Outsole: AHARPLUS rubber (ASICS’s Amazon listing text)
• Court: not stated in the ASICS text we could read; a Clay version is sold separately (ASICS)
• RunRepeat friction: 0.89 (RunRepeat average 0.76)
• Fit: “This shoe runs large, we recommend sizing down a half size.” (ASICS)
• Weight: 14.7 oz, men’s US 9 (RunRepeat)

ASICS Men’s Solution Speed FF 4, ASICSGRIP rubber outsole

ASICS’s product text on the Amazon listing, which ASICS’s own storefront sells (asics.com refuses our reader, so this is the fallback), says: “PRECISION SOLE with ASICSGRIP: Offers excellent traction without sacrificing grip and durability.” It adds: “SPEEDTRUSS technology: Improves quickness and cutting motions.” ASICS sells separate OC and Clay versions of the shoe, so the one we link is the standard version; we could not read ASICS’s own court-type wording for it.

What the lab found: RunRepeat wrote: “Featuring the brand’s premium ASICSGRIP outsole rubber, the Solution Speed FF 4 showed us what tacky really means!” and “With a whopping friction coefficient of 1.11, the shoe offers unmatched traction on hard cuts, push-offs, and quick stops.” That matches the Jet Mach 4’s 1.11, the top reading on RunRepeat’s chart, against a 0.76 average. RunRepeat describes the outsole as “an updated basketweave Precision Sole” with a split-sole design, and lists a “Low toebox height” and a “Serious lack of breathability” among the cons. RunRepeat does not say which size it tested, so we print no weight; we link the men’s 9. ASICS’s own Amazon storefront sold the pair we link.

Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. RunRepeat lab test: Solution Speed FF 4, size and colour not stated.

Specs (men’s 9, White/Black)

• Outsole: ASICSGRIP rubber, Precision Sole (ASICS’s Amazon listing text); basketweave pattern (RunRepeat)
• Court: not stated in the ASICS text we could read; OC and Clay versions are sold separately (ASICS)
• RunRepeat friction: 1.11 (RunRepeat average 0.76)
• Weight: not published with a size (RunRepeat’s figure names no size)

Selkirk Men’s Legacy Pro, Polyurethane outsole

Selkirk’s Legacy Pro page describes the InfiniGrip outsole as “A cast polyurethane outsole that grips aggressively on any court surface for confident stops and starts. Compared to traditional court-shoe rubber, InfiniGrip™ is up to 40% more abrasion-resistant and better engineered to withstand heavy court wear — backed by a 6-month outsole warranty.” It also says: “As you break in your shoes, the InfiniGrip™ outsole settles into its optimal traction.” Selkirk does not name a tread pattern.

What an owner found: a player who reviews shoes on bepickleballer.com and earns a commission on their Selkirk code wrote: “One of the biggest highlights is Selkirk’s InfiniGrip outsole. The traction felt controlled and predictable, whether I was pushing off for a wide forehand, stopping quickly at the kitchen line, or trying to recover after getting pulled out of position.” They added: “What I liked most was that the outsole didn’t feel overly sticky or restrictive.” and “As the shoes broke in, they also seemed to feel more connected to the playing surface.” The same player would still grab Selkirk’s CourtStrike 3.0 more often. The women’s Legacy Pro is in our wide toe box pickleball shoes guide. The Selkirk Sport storefront sold the men’s 10 we link.

Evidence: No independent test; owner reports. bepickleballer.com (Selkirk influencer): Legacy Pro, gender and size not stated.

Specs (men’s 10, White Pine)

• Outsole: InfiniGrip cast polyurethane; 6-month outsole warranty (Selkirk)
• Court: “any court surface” (Selkirk)
• RunRepeat friction: not tested
• Weight: not published

Mizuno Men’s Wave Enforce Tour 2 AC, DuRubber, grip and give

Mizuno’s Wave Enforce Tour 2 AC page says the shoe is “Designed for the advanced tennis or pickleball player” and that “The DuRubber outrigger outsole supports forceful rotational movement, maximizing stroke power and footwork stability, and works in conjunction with a unique upper blend of CPU and mesh to produce a professional level of durability.” The page lists a “6-MONTH OUTSOLE WARRANTY (Canada Excluded)”, with terms on Mizuno’s outsole warranty page. AC means All Court. Mizuno does not name the tread pattern.

What the lab found: RunRepeat wrote: “Even though its coefficient of friction (0.71) turned out to be slightly lower than that of the v1 (0.82), we found the Enforce Tour 2’s on-court traction to be just as strong. Gladly, it’s not too tacky either and hits a perfect balance between grip and give.” It describes “a full-length herringbone tread pattern” and weighed the shoe at 13.3 oz in a men’s US size 9. So the lab reading sits below RunRepeat’s 0.76 average while its testers found the on-court grip strong; both are stated here. The women’s Wave Enforce Tour 2 AC is in our women’s pickleball shoes and tennis and pickleball shoes guides; the men’s version we link is not. Amazon.com sold the men’s 10.5 we link.

Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. RunRepeat lab test: Wave Enforce Tour 2, men’s US 9 weighed; colour not stated.

Specs (men’s 10.5, Black-Glowing Apple)

• Outsole: DuRubber outrigger outsole (Mizuno); full-length herringbone (RunRepeat)
• Court: All Court (Mizuno)
• RunRepeat friction: 0.71 (RunRepeat average 0.76)
• Outsole cover: 6-month outsole warranty, Canada excluded (Mizuno)
• Weight: 13.3 oz, men’s US 9 (RunRepeat)

K-Swiss Men’s Hypercourt Supreme 2, Grip-and-slide tread

K-Swiss’s Hypercourt Supreme 2 page says: “The Dragguard 7.0 rubber outsole is designed with a herringbone tread pattern for excellent balance between grip and slide on all court surfaces.” The K-Swiss storefront’s Amazon listing says the “Herringbone tread balances reliable traction and smooth sliding” and lists Aosta 7.0 high-density rubber in high-wear areas. K-Swiss’s own site files it with tennis; its Amazon title adds “Pickleball, Hard Court, All-Court”.

Where the tester disagrees: Tennis.com’s reviewer wrote: “The high-density rubber outsole is fashioned with a fairly shallow herringbone pattern. It starts out grippy but doesn’t take long to get slick enough for hard court slides. Durability is first-rate, with DragGuard strategically located in high wear areas to combat abrasion.” On K-Swiss’s all-surface claim: “Lastly, the shoe purports to be an all-surface performer, but the Supreme 2 is probably best-used on a hard court. The tread isn’t deep and doesn’t reliably dig into and channel through clay, making for some uncertain maneuvering.” Tennis.com weighed 13.9 oz in a men’s 9 and listed no outsole warranty. This exact pair is also a pick in our outdoor pickleball shoes guide. Tennis Warehouse, a tennis retailer, sold the pair we link.

Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. Tennis.com: Hypercourt Supreme 2, men’s 9 and women’s 7 weighed; colour not stated.

Specs (men’s 10.5 M, Soft Neon Green/Black/Neon Lava)

• Outsole: Dragguard 7.0 rubber, herringbone tread (K-Swiss); Aosta 7.0 in high-wear areas (K-Swiss listing)
• Court: “all court surfaces” (K-Swiss); “probably best-used on a hard court” (Tennis.com)
• RunRepeat friction: not tested
• Weight: 13.9 oz, men’s 9 (Tennis.com)

Nike Men’s Vapor 12 Hard Court, More give for sliding

Nike’s Vapor 12 page sells it as “Men’s Hard Court Tennis Shoes” and says: “With a reworked upper and traction pattern, it’s lighter and more responsive than the 11.” Nike’s product text on Amazon adds: “The herringbone traction pattern is made of our new rubber compound that’s lighter than Vapors of the past.” Nike also offers a clay version; we link the Hard Court.

What the lab found: RunRepeat wrote: “Brushing the shoe’s forefoot against concrete at a consistent angle and force, we recorded a pretty low friction coefficient of 0.55.” and: “We found that it bites the court rather well, but it’s just not as sticky as some of the other hard court options. The Vapor 12 caters to athletes who love a good give for pivoting, sliding, and smooth gliding on the court.” RunRepeat weighed it at 13.8 oz in a men’s US size 9. This exact pair is also a pick in our tennis and pickleball shoes guide. ISOMETRIX L.L.C, a third-party seller, sold the men’s 10.5 we link, shipping its own stock in two to three days.

Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. RunRepeat lab test: Vapor 12, men’s US 9; colour not stated.

Specs (men’s 10.5, Light Liquid Lime/Mean Green/Sapphire/Black)

• Outsole: herringbone traction pattern, new rubber compound (Nike’s Amazon listing text)
• Court: Hard Court (Nike)
• RunRepeat friction: 0.55 (RunRepeat average 0.76)
• Weight: 13.8 oz, men’s US 9 (RunRepeat)

Checks before you buy for grip

• Match the outsole to your court. Gum rubber (K-Swiss Hypercourt Express 3 Indoor) is for indoor wood floors; Tyrol tunes the Drive V’s Vibram outsole for silica grit courts; Babolat, Mizuno and K-Swiss rate their shoes All Court; Nike’s Vapor 12 is a Hard Court shoe.
• Decide how much slide you want. K-Swiss sells the Hypercourt Supreme 2 for “grip and slide”, Mizuno says the Wave Exceed Tour 7’s outsole allows “effortless sliding”, and RunRepeat found the Wave Enforce Tour 2 “not too tacky”. If you stop hard rather than slide, a higher RunRepeat reading suits you; if you slide, look at the lower ones or the shoes sold for grip and slide.
• Check whether the maker says non-marking. PickleRage lists “Non-marking rubber outsoles for indoor courts” among what a good pickleball shoe has. If your gym asks for non-marking soles, look for that word in the maker’s description before you buy.
• Read the outsole cover. Mizuno offers a 6-month outsole guarantee on the Wave Exceed Tour 7 AC and a 6-month outsole warranty on the Wave Enforce Tour 2 AC, and Selkirk a 6-month outsole warranty on the Legacy Pro; Tennis.com lists none for the Hypercourt Supreme 2.
• Expect the feel to change. Selkirk says InfiniGrip settles into its traction as it breaks in, and Tennis.com found the Hypercourt Supreme 2 “starts out grippy” before it gets slick enough to slide.
• Check the size note. ASICS says the Gel-Resolution X runs large and recommends a half size down.

For the rest of your kit, see what to wear for pickleball.

Shoes we left out

These shoes have a maker’s traction statement that fits this guide, but they are not picks here:

• Diadem Court Burst: featured in our other shoe guides. This listing is a pick in our tennis and pickleball shoes guide, and other colourways are in our indoor and ankle support guides. Diadem says its outsole grips hard courts indoors and out.
• K-Swiss Women’s Ultrashot Light Indoor: featured in our other shoe guides, as a pick in our indoor pickleball shoes guide. K-Swiss’s gum-rubber Hypercourt Express 3 Indoor takes the indoor place here.
• Skechers Women’s Viper Court Pro 2.0: featured in our other shoe guides, as a pick in our women’s pickleball shoes and wide toe box pickleball shoes guides. Skechers builds its Goodyear Gold outsole for controlled slides.
• Tyrol Men’s Velocity V: featured in our other shoe guides, as a pick in our ankle support pickleball shoes guide. Tyrol’s Women’s Drive V, with a Vibram outsole for grit courts, takes that place here.
• Franklin ACV Pro: the in-stock Amazon offer we found was above Franklin’s own price (see how we chose shoes for grip).

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on your court and on how much you slide. For hard courts where you want the shoe to bite, the Babolat Jet Mach 4, ASICS Solution Speed FF 4, Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 7 AC and ASICS Gel-Resolution X recorded RunRepeat lab readings of 1.11, 1.11, 1.04 and 0.89 against a 0.76 average. For indoor wood floors, the K-Swiss Hypercourt Express 3 Indoor has a gum rubber outsole. For grit-treated pickleball courts, Tyrol tunes the Women’s Drive V’s Vibram outsole for that surface.

Of the shoes RunRepeat measured that are in this guide, the Babolat Jet Mach 4 and the ASICS Solution Speed FF 4 share the top reading on RunRepeat’s chart, 1.11, as of October 2026. That is one lab’s concrete test, and it does not cover the shoes marked “not tested” in the table. Pickleheads, which runs its own on-court tests, gave its traction award to the Franklin ACV Pro, which is not linked here because the Amazon offer was above Franklin’s price.

Both use court outsoles, and eight picks here are sold as tennis shoes, one of them for indoor courts. Pickleball-specific shoes such as the Selkirk Legacy Pro and Tyrol Women’s Drive V have outsoles their makers describe for the pickleball court; Tyrol names silica grit courts. Our guide to whether you can wear tennis shoes for pickleball covers the rest, and our tennis and pickleball shoes guide lists shoes for both sports.

The makers here suggest it depends on the outsole. K-Swiss sells its gum-rubber Hypercourt Express 3 Indoor for wood courts; PickleRage, an indoor-court operator, says indoor shoes have “softer, non-marking rubber soles” while outdoor ones are tougher. Some shoes are sold for more than one surface: Selkirk says InfiniGrip grips “any court surface”, and the Tyrol Drive V’s Amazon listing names indoor gym floors as well as grit courts.

No single answer fits everyone. RunRepeat notes that very high grip leaves less give for sliding and that the right amount depends on your playing style, and it describes the lower-friction Vapor 12 as a shoe for players who like to pivot and slide. K-Swiss and Mizuno each describe some slide as well as grip, and RunRepeat found the Wave Enforce Tour 2 balanced “between grip and give”.

Shoes without a court outsole. PickleRage contrasts running shoes, which it says are designed for forward motion, with pickleball shoes built for lateral stability and grip. One r/Pickleball player who plays in basketball shoes found their softer soles wear faster than court shoes.

No source we read counts that. In the r/Pickleball threads above, players name shoes from Selkirk, ASICS, K-Swiss, Babolat, Diadem, Mizuno, New Balance, Wilson, adidas and Montis, plus basketball shoes. For a broad lineup, see our pickleball shoes compared.

The bottom line

Final Verdict

For a shoe RunRepeat’s lab found very sticky on concrete (1.11), start with the Babolat Men’s Jet Mach 4 All Court (check price) and its Michelin Premium outsole, or the ASICS Men’s Solution Speed FF 4 (check price) and its ASICSGRIP outsole, which recorded the same reading; the Mizuno Men’s Wave Exceed Tour 7 AC (check price) and ASICS Men’s Gel-Resolution X (check price) also measured above RunRepeat’s average on concrete. On silica grit pickleball courts, the Tyrol Women’s Drive V (check price) has a Vibram outsole Tyrol tunes for them. For indoor wood floors, take the gum-rubber K-Swiss Women’s Hypercourt Express 3 Indoor (check price). The Selkirk Men’s Legacy Pro (check price) has a polyurethane outsole that Selkirk says grips any court surface, with an outsole warranty. If you like to slide, the Mizuno Men’s Wave Enforce Tour 2 AC (check price), K-Swiss Men’s Hypercourt Supreme 2 (check price) and Nike Men’s Vapor 12 Hard Court (check price) are built or measured for more give. For choosing beyond grip, our guide on how to choose pickleball shoes covers fit, support and sizing.

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