K-Swiss Ultrashot Light Mens Padel Shoes

Tennis Warehouse calls it a lightweight, comfortable shoe for recreational padel players, flexible right out of the box, and pitches it at beginners and casual players. Tennisnuts says beginner to intermediate, and mentions regular training and club play. The two agree on the level, which is unusual for shoe listings.

Underneath is a padel-specific Dragguard 7.0 outsole in a modified herringbone tread, which grips sand and still lets you slide a little. A 180 Plantar Support Chassis and a mid-foot TPU shank stiffen the middle of the shoe for side-to-side movement, and a heel cap holds the back of the foot. Above it, the upper is a mesh blend with DuraWrap protecting the toe.

At 12.0 oz in a US 10.5 it is about 340 g, which makes it around 70 g lighter than the men's K-Frame and some 120 g lighter than the Ultrashot 4 Clay at the same size. Tennis Warehouse lists a true-to-size length, medium width, low arch and no break-in time, and US sizes 8.5 to 12.

The midsole is where the sellers split: Tennis Warehouse says IMEVA foam, Tennisnuts says Surgelite. Colour names are muddled too, with White/Carbon on one page and White/Navy in its spec list. Check the colour and midsole on the listing you buy.

For a padel-labelled alternative at a similar level, the Express Light 3 has a full herringbone and no published weight. The K-Frame is the sturdier performance shoe, the Ultrashot 4 Clay is a heavier clay tennis shoe, and the Court Express 2 Clay is the entry clay-series option.

The women's version is the Ultrashot Light for women. Our padel shoes for men page lists the other brands, including Babolat's Premura 3 for a light attacking shoe.

Players who want a lot of support for heavy, frequent play. A light shoe with a shank and chassis helps, but it is not a K-Frame, and it is aimed at recreational players. Wide feet should try a pair, since the width is only medium.

A forgiving racket suits the same player. Our best padel racket for beginners page lists them, and the full padel racket range is on one page. Balls are on the padel balls page and overgrips on the padel grips page.

A bag with a shoe pocket keeps sand off your kit, such as the Babolat RH Pro, and the padel bag page lists others. Our guide to choosing a padel racket is the place to start if you are new.