What to wear for padel (the practical guide)

Here’s the honest answer: you can turn up to your first padel session in whatever sports kit you already own and you’ll be fine. Nobody will say anything. The sport doesn’t have the dress-code pretension of tennis. The vibe is more five-a-side than Wimbledon.

That said, once you’re playing regularly, certain kit choices will make your sessions noticeably more comfortable. This guide runs through everything – from what to wear on your feet to whether you need a grip glove – so you know what to prioritise and what to ignore.

Tops and shirts

Any breathable sports top works. Running tops, football shirts, gym t-shirts – all fine. You’ll be moving quickly, changing direction, sweating more than you expect. Moisture-wicking fabric helps.

Cotton works too. It gets heavy and clammy when you’re hot, but it won’t ruin your session. If you’re already wearing sports kit to the gym, wear that.

Padel-specific shirts exist. They’re usually lighter, cut with more freedom of movement through the shoulder, and designed to wick sweat fast. They’re worth having once you’re playing weekly. As an upgrade? Low priority.

If you’re buying one thing: any proper sports top from your existing kit rotation. Nothing specific to padel needed here.

Shorts and skorts

Anything you’d wear on a tennis court or to the gym. Padel has no restrictions – no colour rules, no length requirements, no formality.

Movement range matters more than style. You’ll be reaching into awkward corners of the court, diving for shots at the glass, bending low for the ball. Loose gym shorts, running shorts, tennis skirts – all work. Jeans don’t, but you probably guessed that.

If you’re buying one thing: whatever you’d wear to play tennis. If you don’t play tennis, any sports shorts with some stretch in them.

The footwear question

This is where it matters.

Most new players turn up in running shoes or general trainers. Understandable – that’s what they have. It works, but not well.

Running shoes are built to absorb forward motion. Padel demands lateral movement: side steps, quick pivots, pushing off to the side. A running shoe provides almost no support for that kind of movement. Your ankles do extra work, and the sole won’t grip the padel court surface properly.

What padel courts are made of: most UK indoor padel courts use an artificial turf surface – similar to 3G astroturf but shorter and denser. The grip you need is different from a hard court, a gym floor, or a road.

What to look for when you’re ready to buy padel shoes:

• Lateral support – the upper should feel firm on the sides of the foot, not just the toe and heel. This is what protects your ankles when you push off sideways.
• Herringbone or omni-directional tread – look at the sole. Tennis shoes often have herringbone patterns that work well on padel courts. Avoid flat-soled gym shoes and running shoes with large, separated lugs.
• Low profile – padel shoes sit closer to the ground than running shoes. Less cushioning, more court feel. This is intentional.

Most padel brands (Bullpadel, Nox, HEAD) make dedicated padel shoes in the £60–£110 range. Tennis shoes from Wilson, Babolat, or Adidas that are designed for clay also work well – the omni-directional tread translates to the turf surface.

You don’t need to buy padel shoes for your first session. You do need them before you’re playing twice a week. This is the upgrade that will make the most noticeable difference to your game – more than a better racket, more than a padel-specific shirt.

If you’re buying one thing: padel or clay-court tennis shoes. This is the one upgrade that matters. The full breakdown of padel shoes covers exactly what to look for – grip pattern, lateral support, price range, and what specs to ignore.

Grip gloves

Some players wear a single glove on their racket hand. It’s not a padel thing specifically – you’ll see it in tennis and squash too. The logic: a glove improves grip when your hand gets sweaty, and it reduces the chance of the racket slipping or twisting on a hard shot.

Who benefits? Players who sweat a lot on the grip, or anyone who finds the racket moving in their hand during play. If your grip feels secure, you don’t need one.

There’s no performance magic here. A glove won’t make you hit harder or more accurately. It’s a comfort and control tool for a specific problem. Try a few sessions first. If grip slippage is bothering you, a padel glove (around £10–£20) is worth a try. If it isn’t, skip it.

Wristbands and sweatbands

Same category as gloves – personal preference, not essential. A wristband keeps sweat off your hand and grip. Some players wear one on the racket wrist; some wear one on each wrist as a habit from tennis.

Useful if you’re a heavy sweater. Useless if you’re not. They cost almost nothing, so if sweat on your hand is a recurring annoyance, try one.

What to bring to the court

Beyond what you’re wearing:

• Water – you’ll sweat more than you expect, especially indoors. Bring more than you think you need.
• A towel – useful for drying your hands between points, and for mopping up after.
• Spare grip tape – if you play regularly, grip tape wears out. A fresh overgrip in your bag costs £3 and can rescue a session where your handle feels slippery. The overgrip guide explains the difference between tacky and dry types – worth knowing before you buy.
• Balls – if you have them. Many courts provide balls, but not all. Worth checking when you book.

You don’t need a padel-specific bag. Any sports bag works. A racket bag is a nice-to-have once you’re buying multiple rackets, which is not today’s problem.

The honest summary

Padel has almost no kit requirements. You can walk on court in running shoes and a gym t-shirt and play perfectly well, especially in your first few months. The sport is welcoming, not snobbish.

As you play more regularly, the one thing worth spending money on is shoes. Proper lateral support and the right sole makes a real difference to how you move on court, how your ankles feel the next morning, and how much you can trust your footing on fast-reaction shots.

Everything else – the padel-specific shirts, the gloves, the wristbands – is personal preference and incremental comfort. Worth knowing about, not worth rushing.

Get the shoes right. The rest will sort itself out as you go. Once your kit is sorted, finding people to play with is the next step – the guide covers the quickest routes to building a regular playing group.