Pickleball shoes are an important investment for your pickleball game. But how do you make them last as long as possible? Learn more from these tips about how best to take care of your pickleball shoes.
Only wear your pickleball shoes for pickleball
Over-wearing your pickleball shoes can cause them to break down much more quickly, but wearing them outside the pickleball court can cause damage too. If you wear your pickleball shoes to run errands, around the house, or on the streets, you are likely picking up foreign substances and wearing them down more quickly than you will be if you save them only for pickleball.
Even wearing your pickleball shoes to and from the pickleball court could cause damage that the pickleball court itself will not. The best way to protect your pickleball shoes is to buy a bag that holds shoes and carry them to and from the court.
Store your pickleball shoes correctly
You will want to make sure you are storing your pickleball shoes correctly, which can include:
- Don’t leave your shoes outside (including in your garage).
- Don’t leave your shoes in the cold, rain, or direct sunlight.
- Wear dry socks, and change them as they become wet so they don’t soak through to your shoes.
- Air out your shoes as soon as you are done playing.
- Spray your shoes with germ-killers such as Lysol.
Here are some additional tips here to keep your shoes from smelling.
Rotate between 2 pairs of pickleball shoes
Having two pairs of pickleball shoes to rotate between can actually help both pairs last longer. Although it will be twice the investment in the beginning, your shoes won’t wear down as quickly and you won’t have to think about buying a new pair as quickly.
Washing your pickleball shoes
If you do have to wash your pickleball shoes, you will want to make sure you do it correctly.
- Do not wash your pickleball shoes in the washing machine.
- Use a cloth or toothbrush to clean off your shoes.
- Spray germ-killers such as Lysol to sanitize your shoes.
- Putting your shoes in the dryer may change the shape of the shoe.
- Make sure your pickleball shoes are dry before you play with them again.
Untie your shoes
When you are done playing, you will want to untie your shoes. This will not only help your shoe remain its natural shape (not whatever shape you tied them in), but will also help you re-tie them to the correct shape when you play.
Replace your pickleball shoes when it’s time
Just like any other type of athletic shoe, you will want to pay attention to when it’s time to replace your pickleball shoes.
Here are some signs it’s time to replace your pickleball shoes:
- When you see any part of the sole is smooth, with no more tread.
- The moment you can see the midsole showing through the sole.
- Holes are appearing in any area of the shoe.
- The wear on the bottom of the shoe is wearing thin.
- You notice your muscles and joints have new aches and pains. This can include your ankles, back, and knees.
