A recent injury scare has made me very serious about wearing proper shoes when I play pickleball.

It happened a few weeks ago when I left my court shoes in the car and decided to play in my regular sneakers. I figured it wouldn't be a problem; after all, I'd played in regular shoes before.

Unfortunately, I learned immediately how much of a terrible idea that was.

You should always wear pickleball court shoes

My opponent dinked out wide to my left, and when I went for the ball, my foot slipped inside my shoe, causing me to turn my ankle.

I heard a pop.

As I hobbled over to the side, fearing the worst, I regretted not going back for my shoes but mostly wondered how long I was going to be out of commission.

Somehow, the damage was minimal – I still have no clue what that pop was – and the next two weeks, I was simply sore in my ankle and leg.

No serious damage seems to have been done ... this time.

I decided that no matter what, moving forward, I would always wear proper court shoes when playing pickleball.

In my search for the right pair of shoes, one pair immediately stood out the moment I put them on.

HEAD Motion Pro Pickleball Shoes

The HEAD Motion Pro Pickleball Shoes have been the most stable court shoes I've ever worn. Maybe it's because of the injury scare, but suddenly, I'm very aware of my foot slipping both on the court and inside my shoe.

With these shoes, I experienced none of that.

Every step felt secure, and I never worried that I might turn an ankle or injure myself again.

You don't realize how much that confidence matters until you do something silly like I did. But it does, and I'm sure it matters to anyone else out there who has done something similar.

About HEAD Motion Pro Pickleball Shoes

As the name describes, these are built with motion in mind — particularly the quick, lateral movements pickleball players make.

These are the first shoes made by HEAD specifically for pickleball.

They also designed them to withstand hours of play by adding extra tread all around the outsole. The grip of this outsole is better than any outsole grip I've worn before.

On the inside, there's a hard-wearing rubber toecap and breathable mesh. They call it a midfoot cooling system.

The elastic sock construction is nice, too. The shoe really hugs my feet without feeling too tight.

Benefits of Motion Pro Pickleball Shoes

I mentioned the benefits I've personally seen from these shoes, but if you visit the HEAD site, you'll see even more listed there.

Dynafoam

Created with small air cells, this highly responsive lightweight midsole offers exceptional comfort and lasts longer than conventional EVA midsoles.

Lateral Control +

Reinforced sidewall for outstanding lateral stability which also helps to prevent rolling over during more extreme moves (something I've definitely noticed).

Wider Toe Box

Increased space in the toe box for a more comfortable fit.

I personally have wide feet, so this wide toebox is very important in a court shoe for me and I've noticed this in these shoes as well.

Durable Rubber Toecap

Durability in the forefoot for toe draggers and sliders.

HEAD Cooling System

Perforations in the outsole, midsole, and sockliner ensure great ventilation in the bottom of the shoe.

Flex Grooves

Specifically located flex grooves in the outsole to help with dynamic and flexible pickleball movement.

Pickleball Tread Pattern

Tested by pickleball athletes for improved grip and durability, designed specifically for pickleball play style.

Comfort PU Sockliner

Comfortable, supportive PU sockliner with integrated cooling vents for superior breathability during play.

Tech details for the Motion Pro Pickleball Shoes

My HEAD Motion Pro Pickleball shoes are white/red, but they also come in White/Blueberry for women.

The tech details include:

• Extra tread around the outsole and a hard-wearing rubber toecap
• Breathable mesh and midfoot cooling system
• Full elastic sock construction
• Midsole contains DynaFoam, created with small air cells, which is lightweight and highly responsive
• TPU midfoot shank, reinforced upper and Lateral Control+ technology for stability
• Premium design with pickleball details

The weight of these shoes is 375g, and the drop heel-toe is 10.5mm.

The shoes retail for $129.00.