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Updated: 2/21/2026
I am a pickleball shoe fanatic, having around $1000+ worth of pickleball shoes, so it was important to me to research what shoes the top men and women pickleball pros such as Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters wear (after switching to Nike in 2026).
In addition, I just got back from the Carvana Mesa PPA tour tournament in 2026, so I have a lot of new updates to share.
Also, pickleball shoes are intriguing because many players may get sponsored for their paddle, but maybe not for their shoes. In addition, you may be surprised that some of these shoes are not on the best pickleball shoes list.
These rankings are based on the most recent PPA tour rankings. First, we will cover the mens shoes and then we will cover the women’s shoes.
Top Men’s Pickleball Shoes
1. Ben Johns
As you can see below, Ben Johns uses Babolat pickleball shoes. He used to the Babolat Mach 3 pickleball shoes, but I wanted to confirm that for 2026. In the recent 2026 tournament, he was wearing an all white shoe. That said, it was difficult to see the “make and model” even when getting close up.
My research makes me strongly believe that these are the Babolat shoes that Ben Johns is using in 2026.
I mentioned in my Babolat Mach Jet 3 review article that these shoes are absolutely incredible, and can really allow you to glide flawlessly around the court.
2. Gabe Tardio
According to Pickleball.com, Gabe Tardio started a relationship by creating the G1 Court Shoe. I saw his very recent tournament in 2026, and it looks like he’s using the pink version of the new Stria Sport shoes.
Let’s look at Hunter John’s shoes next.
3. Hunter Johnson
Per a recent tournament in 2025, I found that Hunter Johnson, currently the #3 top ranked player in the world also uses Babolat shoes.
I know the image is blurry below, but hopefully you can see that these are a similar make and model to Ben John’s shoes above.
From the image below, I believe these are also the Mach 3 All Court tennis shoes.
4. Federico Staksrud
About a year ago, Fed Staksrud went to Instagram to pitch the Hyperice shoes, so my assumption was that Fed uses those shoes, but from a recent tournemtn in 2025, you can see that Fed is now wearing Adidas pickleball shoes.
So, in his recent tournament, I spotted that Fed Staksrud is using Adidas pickleball shoes. I scoured the internet for these shoes, and my best guess is that these are the Adidas Men’s Courtjam Control shoes that you can find on Amazon.
5.Connor Garnett
Per a recent tournament, you can see that Connor Garnett using K Swiss pickleball shoes. The logo in the back is a unique aspect of these shoes, so I scoured the internet, and I believe I found that his shoes are the K-Swiss Men’s Ultrashot 3 HB Tennis Shoe.
That said, I could not find the exact color that he used below.
6. Jaume Martinez Vich
I loved the design of the shoes that Jaume Maartinez Vich uses. I immediately recognized the logo as the Mizuno shoe brand.
From there, I was able to find the colors of blue and yellow that he used below, and my hypothesis is that Vich uses the Mizuno Men’s Wave Enforce Tour Ac Sneaker.
Top Women’s Pickleball Shoes
The following list is based on the top female players in late 2025, based on PPA tour rankings.
1. Anna Leigh Waters
Anna Leigh Waters just signed with Nike in 2026, making her the first major pickleball star to sign with the major Nike brand.
From my research and watching ALW play this week, I believe that Anna Leigh Waters players with the GP Challenge Pro Women’s Tennis Shoes after signing with Nike. At first, I thought she was playing with the Nike Womens Nike Court Lite 4, but I noticed that the Nike swash didn’t follow through the entire shoe.
If you check the link below, you would have to scroll down to see the pair that she plays with, but there are plenty of colors. Also, I have a pair of Nike Zoom pickleball shoes, and they are great shoes.
Previously, Anna Leigh Waters signed with Fila and played with Fila shoes until early 2026 when she signed with Nike.
If helpful, you can also see Anna Leigh Waters pickleball paddle she uses from my recent article.
2. Anna Bright
As you can see in a recent tournament, Anna Bright uses Asics pickleball shoes, which I believe are the best shoes you can purchase after aquiring around 10 pairs of shoes.
From my research, I believe these shoes are the Asics Gel Resolution 9 womens shoes. I have 2 pair of Asics shoes and the shoes are absolutely fantastic, but they also have a lower cost Asics pickleball shoe option that are one of my favorites.
3. Catherine Parenteau
Catherine was the labeled as one of the best dressed in the Austin tournament back in March of 2024. In this picture, hyou can see that she’s wearing Sketcher shoes.
That said, I wanted to see whether things have changed in 2025, and while her shoe design has changed, she still is wearing Sketchers pickleball shoes.
In 2025, I believe Catherine is wearing the Skechers Women’s Pickleball Viper Court Pro 2.0 Sneaker in the all white edition. Here’s my deep dive review of my Sketchers pickleball shoes that I absolutely love.
4. Rachel Rohrabacher
From her recent 5th title win, you can see that Rachel Rohrabacher uses K swiss shoes. From my research, I believe these shoes are the K-Swiss Women’s Hypercourt Express 2 Tennis Shoe.
I wrote an extensive review article of my K Swiss pickleball shoes, and the shoes are not my favorite, but these appear to have a decent 4.3 rating on Amazon.
5. Tyra Black
From a recent Instagram post, Tyra Black shoes that she uses Nike pickleball shoes. I looked at another tournament and found that she was wearing Nike pickleball shoes as well. I couldn’t find the exact pair, but here’s a good starting point if you are looking for similar shoes.
Should You Purchase The Pickleball Shoes Top Pros Wear?
While I may not advice someone to purchase a $300 pickleball paddle similar to pickleball pros (unless they have the budget), I would argue that pickleball shoes are often much more affordable in comparison.
As you can see above, many of the shoes are around $100- $150, and it’s not that much different than the economical shoes that are in the range of $50-$75.
That said, I am not sure that these shoes would outcompete some of the more economical options.
Conclusion
Top picklebal pros wear a variety of pickleball shoes from the top brands.
While professional men and women pickleball players get sponsored for paddles, you may see that less of the players get sponsored for shoes potentially with exception of players such as Anna Leigh Waters.
That said, you can find some grey pickleball shoes on this list that can help you elevate your game.
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