Gone are the days of wearing tennis shoes or – gasp! – running shoes and expecting them to meet the pace of play of modern-day pickleball. 

The sport is fast. Really fast. But it’s explosive, too. And most footwear on the market – much of it clunky tennis shoes with some quick re-branding – simply isn’t designed to keep up. 

Enter the all-new XRZ™ from SQAIRZ Pickleball, a shoe designed for pickleball players of all levels looking to level up their performance while protecting against common injuries. 

As a testament to this vision, SQAIRZ today announced a multi-year partnership with pickleball pro Zane Navratil.

What Sets SQAIRZ Apart?

SQAIRZ made its mark in golf and baseball on a simple but ambitious truth: In any land-based sport, performance is derived from an athlete’s connection to the ground.

The truer that connection, the more performance can be unlocked. 

For founder and CEO Bob Winskowicz, that came down to one thing: Toe spread.

“There is a direct relationship between the structure of a shoe and performance,” Winskowicz explains. If your toes are restricted and forced to pinch together – the downfall of many of today’s athletic shoes across an array of sports – your balance and stability will suffer. 

So too, of course, will performance. 

The XRZ™ puts performance first with its signature toe box and advanced Smart Traction outsole for the quick cuts, explosive pivots and relentless pace of pickleball. 

But don’t take our word for it … 

Why Zane Navratil Bought In

Like all its products, SQAIRZ didn’t design its pickleball shoes in a vacuum. 

The XRZ™ was three years in the making. To make it the most comprehensive pickleball shoe ever built, it needed a top pro to put it through the paces, someone known for agility and creative playmaking, someone with an analytical brain who isn’t afraid to speak his mind … 

Naturally, one name emerged: Zane Navratil.

“Zane’s dedication, expertise, and achievements epitomize what SQAIRZ stands for," explains Winskowicz. Zane's endorsement is a powerful validation of our entry into the sport, and we’re honored to welcome him to the SQAIRZ family."

Winskowicz and the SQAIRZ team challenged Navratil to play-test the XRZ™ and pick apart any areas of possible improvement, which he did.

"We took the time to design features specifically for pickleball, like the wide toe box, which allows for your toes to better grip to the shoe and the 'teeth' on the outsides of the shoes, which allow for additional stability when moving laterally," says Navratil.

Designed by Pros, Built for Everyone

At SQAIRZ, keeping pickleball players of all skill levels safe on the court is just as important as keeping them competitive. 

“There's an old saying in sports footwear that if you can hold a shoe by the heel and the toe and twist it, throw it away. Don’t play with it,” said Winskowicz.

Between the company’s extensive research and development efforts, an esteemed Medical Advisory Board, and the insights born of its partnership with Navratil, they’re confident the XRZ™ is a shoe that will complement – and enhance – the experience of all players.

"If your toes are free to do their job, you'll move better, play better, and feel better," says Navratil.