Here Are the Best Insoles for Your Pickleball Shoes

Dynamic performance and impact-absorbing cushioning on the court.

Pickleball has enjoyed an explosion in popularity in recent years and for good reason.

It’s a fun, accessible, and engaging sport that’s easy to enjoy right away.

But for the uninitiated it’s also important to realize just how much is happening on the pickleball court—skilled footwork, quick movements, precise paddle swings, and plenty more.

Strain and overuse injuries like pickleball elbow can happen, so can acute injuries like sprained ankles and pulled hamstrings.

The best way to ward off these injuries and enjoy pain-free play is to make sure you’re prepared with the right apparel and equipment.

Whether you’re experiencing some form of pain while you’re moving on the court (arch, ankle, knee, etc.) or simply looking for a performance boost, adding insoles to your pickleball shoes can provide a supportive boost.

A high-quality pair of pickleball insoles will increase support and reduce strain on your feet, which in turn reduces your risk for injury and limits wear and tear on your joints.

Here, we’ve put together a list of the best insoles for pickleball with our top picks to improve performance, support, and comfort.

Note: Featured products are independently selected and reviewed by Compression Athlete. If you purchase through our links, we may earn commission.

Yes, insoles really can boost your pickleball performance and protect against injury.

Of course, adding insoles to your pickleball shoes won’t magically give you abilities that you didn’t already have before.

But adding a pair of high-quality performance insoles can help bring out the best in your athletic ability while offering stability and support to ward off injury.

Features like energy-returning foam, impact absorbing cushioning, and a stabilizing deep heel cup will keep you lighter on your feet, boost your endurance, and offer stability to your feet and ankles.

While some are apprehensive to switch out the insoles that come with their pickleball shoes, it’s important to keep in mind that factory insoles offer a very generic fit and, in some cases, can be relatively cheap.

If you pop out the factory insole of your pickleball shoe and place it next to a high-quality option, you’ll be able to actually see the difference between the two.

One flat and flimsy while the other will look much more like the bottom of your foot with a cushioned heel cup and dynamic arch support (among other beneficial features). 

Whether you’re looking to improve your performance or address a specific condition, pain point, or area of discomfort, insoles are a great way to further customize your footwear to meet your needs.

The majority of insole benefits stem from 3 key design features.

 

It’s helpful to remember that even though impact starts at your feet as they meet the court, that force can ripple throughout your body (to your ankles, knees, hips, and all the way up your spine and back).

Whether you’re having fun on the court with a friend or engaged in high-intensity competition, just ask any pickleball player how crucial it is to have the proper footwear.

When you add high-quality insoles to your pickleball shoes, you’re improving the barrier between your feet and the court (i.e. point of impact).

The specialized design of the insole improves biomechanics and posture in the body through three key design features.

1. Enhanced Arch Support: Supporting the arches of your feet reduces the amount of strain placed on your feet’s ligaments and bones, which in turn lessens fatigue and pain for improved endurance.

2. Improved Shock Absorption: Stress reverberates through your muscles and joints with every step, but a good insole with a deep heel cup and supportive cushioning will absorb and blunt it.  

3. Even Pressure Distribution: By distributing weight and pressure evenly across your entire foot, insoles help to decrease strain, fatigue, and injury risk.

And a few other notable features that insoles can offer your pickleball shoes are responsive cushioning for explosive energy return and a deep heel cup for better stability.

Certain insole designs may also provide improved breathability and a grippy foot surface, which proves useful on the court. 

Here are our top picks for the best pickleball insoles.

Now, we covered the many benefits that you can gain by adding insoles to your pickleball shoes, but it’s important that we also mention there is a caveat.

Not just any old pair of insoles will provide all these benefits on the court.

Inferior insoles will tout lots of foam and cushioning, and these might even feel nice at first, but they won’t deliver the support and performance necessary to achieve other benefits like improving endurance or reducing plantar fascia strain.

So instead, go with one of the high-quality picks we have listed here, specifically designed to improve performance and support on the pickleball court.

1. CURREX PICKLEBALLPRO Insoles

The CURREX PICKLEBALLPRO Insoles are the official shoe insole of Major League Pickleball with targeted forefoot cushioning for enhanced energy return and lightweight dual layer cushioning from heel to toe for shock absorption.

Shop at CURREX: CURREX PICKLEBALLPRO Insoles

Available on Amazon: CURREX PICKLEBALLPRO Insoles

CURREX’s PICKLEBALLPRO Insoles utilize dynamic arch support and a deep decoupled heel for improved stability. These insoles have a Super Grip surface for secure lateral movement and a mesh top layer to manage moisture.

2. Move Game Day Pro Performance Insoles

The Move Game Day Pro Performance Insoles feature an incredibly dynamic performance design that pairs a firm and bouncy foundation for take-offs with comfortable cushioning for soft landings. These insoles provide superior stability while allowing natural foot movement.

Available on Amazon: Move Game Day Pro Performance Insoles

Move’s Game Day Pro Performance Insoles utilize a signature Pro Base with a carbon-like composite for strong and adaptive movements. These insoles sport a stabilizing forefoot grip and Active Heel Technology to reduce pressure where it’s needed most.

3. Move Game Day Performance Insoles

The Move Game Day Performance Insoles feature an ultra-responsive base that combines comfortable DS37 Energyfoam with impact absorbing Shockfree Foam. These insoles have stabilizing Active Heel Technology and forefoot grip to enhance playing surface feel.

Available on Amazon: Move Game Day Performance Insoles

Move’s Game Day Performance Insoles utilize X-Frame Torsional Support that protects and stabilizes while allowing maximum movement. These insoles sport odor control and a low friction top cloth to alleviate hot spots and foot slippage.

4. SOLE Active Medium Footbeds

The SOLE Active Medium Footbeds feature an incredibly durable EVA footbed that provides a moderate performance cushioning and equal weight and pressure distribution. These insoles offer dynamic arch support and are clinically proven to reduce plantar fascia strain.

Shop at SOLE: SOLE Active Medium Footbeds

Note: Use this link for a $20 credit.

SOLE’s Active Medium Footbeds utilize a deep heel cup to absorb impact when running, jumping, cutting, and stopping. These insoles work for any arch height, are moldable for a custom fit, and are covered by a 90-day guarantee.

5. SOLE Performance Medium Footbeds

The SOLE Performance Medium Footbeds feature a medium performance Softec cushioning from a naturally shock absorbing cork base that molds quickly to your feet. These insoles offer dynamic arch support and are clinically proven to reduce plantar fascia strain.

Shop at SOLE: SOLE Performance Medium Footbeds

Note: Use this link for a $20 credit.

SOLE’s Performance Medium Footbeds utilize a deep heel cup to absorb impact when running, jumping, cutting, and stopping. These insoles work for any arch height, are moldable for a custom fit, and are covered by a 90-day guarantee.

6. VKTRY Gold Performance Insoles

The VKTRY Gold Performance Insoles feature a full-length carbon fiber base plate for explosive energy return that results in quicker sprints and higher vertical jumps. These insoles sport a soft EVA foam in the top portion to support and cushion your foot. 

Available on Amazon: VKTRY Gold Performance Insoles

VKTRY’s Gold Performance Insoles utilize spring-like shock absorption and superior support and stability to reduce your injury risk for plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, and ankle sprains.

7. PowerStep PULSE Performance Insoles

The PowerStep PULSE Performance Insoles feature soft and springy ShockAbsorb Premium Foam cushioning from heel to toe that absorbs shock, enhances comfort, and provides bounce back energy return with each step.

Shop at PowerStep: PowerStep PULSE Performance Insoles

Available on Amazon: PowerStep PULSE Performance Insoles

PowerStep’s PULSE Performance Insoles utilize a firm but flexible neutral arch support and a stabilizing deep heel cradle. These insoles sport an odor control top fabric that helps to reduce heat, friction, and perspiration.

Here’s What to Consider When Choosing Insoles for Pickleball

As you may have already noticed, there’s no shortage of insole options out there, each of them promising some superior feature (comfort, support, etc.).

So, how do you narrow your selection and actually choose a pair of insoles that will compliment your pickleball game?

Our best advice is to opt for a high-quality insole brand and be as specific as possible in your footwear style, primary activity, and health needs.

Here’s what we mean by that.

First, you’ll want to consider what style of footwear you’ll be putting the insole in.

In this case, you’re choosing insoles for pickleball shoes, which is important because these insoles tend to have moderate performance cushioning that will fit well in pickleball shoes designed to handle quick court movements.

While most insoles are moldable to your footwear and can be trimmed to fit a certain size, other design features will lend themselves better to a specific footwear style.

Next, think about the primary activity for which you’ll be wearing the insoles, because there are insoles designed for nearly every activity out there with varying specifications and features to help you perform your best. 

The more specific you can get, the better your footwear experience and athletic performance.

For example, a more general all-day wear insole will prioritize different aspects than an insole designed to boost your performance on a pickleball court.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, prioritize any foot conditions you have.

Plantar fasciitis is a common one that can be very painful and debilitating.

Heel pain, ankle pain, knee pain, and shin splints are also common and can be aided through wearing insoles.

Look for insoles that specifically address these conditions, as they can make a noticeable difference when it comes to reducing stress, strain, discomfort, and pain.

And remember that insoles, just like all footwear options, eventually wear out over time.

Replacing them on a regular basis will ensure you’re receiving peak performance from your insoles and keep you pain-free on the pickleball court.

And for more effective pickleball gear, check out these Compression Sleeves That Noticeably Help Pickleball Elbow.