“You’re only as good as your pickleball bag” said No One Ever. Joke aside, the pickleball bag with a shoe compartment is a crucial component to your Feng Shui.
And, there are plenty of pickleball bags out there, but not all of them come with the shoe compartment, so I purchased around ~10 pickleball bags with shoe compartments to present the best ones. Here’s a picture of just some of the top rated bags I purchased.
Firstly, as some background, I have a paddle addiction, owning around 75 pickleball paddles, and I generally bring around 3-5 different paddles to the court to allow my friends to use different paddles, and I like to switch my paddles based on who I am playing as well. I also like to have a water bottle, a carbon fiber erasor and other accessories in case something happens with my paddle.
Pickleball Bags With Shoe Compartments that I Loved
Let’s cover best overall pickleball bag with shoe compartment, best small bag, best budget bag, and best women’s pickleball bag with shoe compartment. I’ll also cover pickleball bags I didn’t love.
1. Best Overall Pickleball Bag
The JOOLA Tour Elite Pickleball Bag pickleball bag is the best overall bag that can carry your shoes. Please note that if you use the links on this blog post that I may get a small commission that helps support my small blog business. It’s never expected to use the link, but always appreciated.
I take Joola Tour Elite bag with me everywhere, and once I explain a little more about the bag, you will see why.
Check out all of these pictures showing the bag and how it can fit my shoes and so many pickleball paddles.
Here’s the shoe compartment that you can see how the paddles go over the compartment.
Firstly, I love how this can be a backpack, but it also can be a duffle bag. It makes it easy for me getting in and out of my SUV.
Secondly, I absolutely love how how big this bag is. I believe I have a picture below stuffing 9 paddles into the bag, but if you don’t want to be obsessed like me, you could put 1-2 paddles in and all your clothes and everything else you need for a weekend tournament trip.
So, you could use this bag for everything you need for a weekend pickleball tournament.
Thirdly, I love the shoe compartment. It’s on the base of the bag, so it’s really disguised. Yes, you may only be able to put in 6 paddles once you have your shoes in there, but it’s still a lot of room for your paddles (and clothes).
Finally, I love the size of the shoe compartment. I am a big guy at 6’3 with a large shoe size, so I was elated to find that the shoe compartment could easily fit large (and small) shoes.
It’s a bit of pricier option, but I’ve had mine for a while, and I tend to like quality over quantity as it’s really held up. Finally, I appreciate Amazon’s return policy if it ends up being a no go.
2. Best Small Pickleball Bag
The Franklin pickleball sling bag is the best small bag, and it doesn’t advertise a shoe compartment, but as you can see in the image below, the bag has a lot of space. This is also one of the most popular bags with a 4.6 rating based on over 5000 reviews and the price point is fantastic.
I got the grey and pink option as it was on sale, but there are around 6 different color options. This version is under $13 right now, which is an insane value given the quality.
Here’s a picture showing how your shoes can fit.
Finally, here’s a picture with all the equipment in the bag.
Here are the product’s dimensions: 18.5in (L) x 13in (W) x 8in (H), and the bag weighs just 0.95 Ibs. Even though it’s small, it can hold an impressive amount of gear:
- 2 pickleball paddles
- Your pickleball shoes
- Headphones
- Balls
- Water bottle
What’s impressive is that the zipper and quality felt excellent when comparing to other more expensive bags including the zipper and material.
3. Best Budget Pickleball Bag
The Hamboly pickleball bag is the best budget pickleball bag that hold shoes in my opinion. Since purchasing this bag many months ago, I have been traveling with this bag on multiple trips, and I’ve appreciated that I can include my paddles, my laptop and clothes all nicely.
With a roomy design (12.2 x 7.8 x 18.5 inches) and durable Oxford cloth construction, you will find that this bag holds up well to wear, water, and everyday court life.
The Hamboly bag is also one of the best styled bags, and comes with a cool USA patch that you can use or add another patch.
Here’s a picture showing the shoes in the Hamboly pickleball bag.
What I thought made this bag stand out is the thoughtful storage: separate zippered pockets keep your paddles and pickleballs protected from scratches, while the built-in shoe pocket up front is perfect for stashing a spare pair.
There’s even an insulated pocket for drinks and a wet/dry pocket to keep sweaty towels away from clean gear.
In addition, the fence hook isn’t on my favorite Joola bag, but it means you can hang your bag courtside and grab what you need mid-match.
For the price, it’s hard to find another bag that keeps your shoes, gear, and drinks this organized, and I found that it even has sales to its’ already low price. Finally, I love that this paddle bag has a 4.7 rating on Amazon based on over 100 reviews.
4. Best Women’s Pickleball Bag
The Ytonet pickleball backpack is technically a tennis backpack, but I find that it can work great for pickleball as well.
I love the insulated pocket up front is a lifesaver, so you can toss in a cold drink, and it actually stays cold for a while thanks to the aluminum layer.
I got the black version, but you can also find a pink version that looks great.
Here’s a picture showing that my 11.5 Nike pickleball shoes fit effortlessly.
Plus, if you have a sweaty towel or damp clothes after a tough match, you can just zip them up in that pocket and don’t have to worry about them soaking my other gear.
What really makes this bag work is the racket compartment. It’s padded and shaped just right, so your rackets don’t get knocked around. There’s space for two, which is perfect when I want to bring an extra.
And the shoe compartment is a mus with the ventilation holes keep things from getting gross, so I don’t have to deal with stinky shoes mixed in with the rest of my stuff.
I also appreciate the little thoughtful touches. The side mesh pockets can be your go-to for your water bottle and an extra can of balls, and the main pocket keeps all my small things such as keys, phone, snacks. When you’re out on the court, you just hang the bag on the fence with the built-in hook, and the reflective straps are handy for clipping my sunglasses or spotting my bag if you’re out late.
On top of that, this bag should hold up really well. Honestly, for the price, I’d say it’s one of the most practical bags for women you can buy, and it makes a great gift for any woman who loves pickleball, tennis, or just staying organized.
Finally, this women’s pickleball bag has a 4.6 rating on Amazon based on over 1,000 reviews, and you can find this on sale for under $30.00
Pickleball Bags I Would Pass On
There are 2 bags that I thought I would love, but I would pass on these bags, and I’ll explain why.
1. Mangrove Pickleball Bag With Shoe Component
The Mangrove Pickleball Backpack seems like a Joola Tour Elite substitute. That said, when I opened it up and compared it side by side to the Joola, you can see that it’s quite a bit smaller.
My shoes fit fine in the pickleball bag as you can see below.
That said, with the shoes in the bag, I could only fit maybe 3-4 pickleball paddles, and you appear to have much less space.
Finally, I didn’t see if this backpack had a hook for the fence at the pickleball courts, and it was actually challenging to figure out how to get the backpack working. It felt like okay quality, but not similar to the Joola’s quality.
One of the pros is that the side component could hold a paddle, which was cool and not something the Joola Tour Elite has, so you could theoretically use the large space for clothes for a trip.
At under $50, it’s an okay backpack, but I may pay the extra money and get the Tour Elite.
2. Azori Pickleball Bag
The Azori pickleball bag felt like it was a premium bag with so much promise, but the first issue I ran into is that the pickleball bag appears to not be able to handle more than one pickleball paddle. Check out the picture below.
Even one pickleball paddle was difficult to get into the bag, and I decided I could not keep struggling. That said, the shoes fit fine, and the bag overall looked nice.
Overall, I would opt for a different bag, but that was just my experience.
Which Should Pickleball Bag Should You Choose?
At the end of the day, the best pickleball bag with a shoe compartment really depends on what you care about most and how you like to play.
If you want one bag that does it all and will last you for countless games and weekend tournaments, I’d go with the JOOLA Tour Elite. It’s spacious, well-designed, and has that big hidden shoe compartment that makes it feel premiumm even if you’re hauling a mountain of paddles like I do.
If you prefer to keep things light and simple, the Franklin pickleball sling bag is perfect for carrying the essentials without weighing you down. It’s a fun, compact option that still gives you a separate spot for your shoes.
On a tighter budget? You can’t go wrong with the Hamboly Pickleball Bag. It’s surprisingly well thought-out for the price, and you still get smart storage, an insulated pocket, and a handy fence hook all without breaking the bank.
And if you’re shopping for a bag that’s a little more stylish and practical for women, I think the Ytonet Backpack is such a solid pick. The insulated pocket, separate racket space, and roomy shoe compartment make it feel like it was designed by someone who actually plays and gets sweaty.
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