Prime city real estate is being filled with mini tennis courts. Pickleball leagues are the new "social clubs." Luxury brands are tuning in. Tumi makes a bag ; Jonathan Adler makes sets; you get the idea. One question that comes up quite a bit is: What even makes a pickleball shoe? Really, it's all the same stuff that makes a good pair of tennis shoes. You want a low-profile outsole for quick cuts, but you still want decent cushioning because those hard courts are tough on the joints.

Look, the right gear is important in any sport, no matter the pedigree to which you play it. We devote a lot of time here to testing marathon gear , but we're not running ultras through Death Valley . We're testing Hoka vs. On during our weekend runs. We've taken that mindset to pickleball s

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