What insole size to choose for your pickleball shoes
Share
Insole size is the number one question before buying, and also the first cause of returns. It's solved in five minutes.
The short rule
It goes by your European shoe size. If you wear a 42, you take the 41-42. There's no more mystery than that in ninety percent of cases. (Our size chart also shows approximate UK and US equivalents; they vary by brand, so foot length is the safest reference.)
If you're between two sizes, take the larger one
Always. Sports insoles come with a line marked at the toe so you can trim them. You can remove material; you can't add it.
This is especially useful if you come from a brand that sizes oddly. There are manufacturers where a 43 is really more like a 42 and a half, and there the room for trimming saves the purchase.
How to measure your foot if in doubt
Stand on a sheet of paper with your heel against the wall. Mark where your longest toe ends, which is not always the big toe. Measure from the wall to the mark. That is your foot length.
As a rough guide: 24 cm (9.4 in) corresponds to a European 38, 26.5 cm (10.4 in) to a 42 and 28 cm (11 in) to a 44. It's a general conversion of the European system, not a manufacturer's measurement, so use it only to settle doubts.
How to trim them without ruining them
- Take the original insole out of your shoe.
- Place it on top of the new one, lining up the heels well.
- Mark the outline of the toe with a pen.
- Cut with good scissors, following the line in a single pass.
Cut a little less than you think and try it. You can always remove more.
Mistakes that keep repeating
Leaving the original insole in. A new insole replaces the factory one. If you stack them, your foot rises inside the shoe, the instep rubs and you lose support just when you need it most.
Measuring with a thick sock. Measure barefoot or with the thin sock you play in.
Measuring in the morning. Your foot swells through the day. If you're right on the edge of a size, measure in the afternoon.
And if you're still not sure
Write to us at info@pasionpickleball.com with your size and the brand of your shoes and we'll tell you which to order. A person replies, usually the same business day.
You can see the available sizes on the STRIDE insoles page, which run from 35-36 to 45-46.
To go further
Before changing the insole, check that the shoe is up to it: how to choose pickleball shoes.
And if you're just starting, the first-month guide tells you in what order to buy gear so you don't overspend.
How to measure your foot at home in two minutes
You don't need anything special: a sheet of paper, a pencil and a wall.
- Put the paper on the floor with a short edge touching the wall.
- Standing, in the sock you play in, put your heel against the wall and your foot on the paper.
- Mark with the pencil where your longest toe ends. Careful: it's not always the big toe.
- Measure from the edge of the paper to the mark. That is your foot length.
- Repeat with the other foot. Almost everyone has one foot bigger than the other, and the bigger one rules.
Do it at the end of the day. Your foot swells with the hours and with play, and that is the measurement that matters for an insole you'll wear on court.
If you're between two sizes, take the larger one
It's the rule, and it has a practical reason: a large insole can be trimmed and a small one can't be stretched.
The insoles come with a cutting guide marked at the front. They are trimmed with ordinary scissors, following the line that matches your size.
How to trim it without ruining it
- First take out the original insole from the shoe. Almost all of them come out by pulling from the heel.
- Place it on top of the new one, lining up the two heels.
- Mark the outline of the toe with a pen.
- Cut a little outside the line. You can always remove more; you can't give material back.
- Try it in the shoe and adjust if needed.
Never cut at the heel or the sides of the arch: that is where the structure that does the work is.
How to know the size is right
With the shoe on and standing, check three things:
- The heel sits snug, without moving up and down when you walk.
- The arch supports without you feeling a single lump digging in.
- Your toes have room. If your foot feels tight across the width, the insole is too thick for that shoe, not too big.
The first days feel a bit different and that's normal: your foot is used to a flat sheet. If after a week it still bothers you in one specific spot, it's not a matter of adjustment.
When it's time to replace it
There's no exact number of hours, but there are clear signs: the foam no longer recovers when you press it with your finger, it looks flattened at the heel, or you've gone back to feeling on court what you stopped feeling when you first got it.
If you play two or three times a week, checking it every six months is reasonable.
