What Makes the R4LLy Must-Have

As a global leader in pickleball innovation, JOOLA built its pickleball strategy around working with the best and developing for the best. As the modern game continues to evolve and demand more from its athletes, JOOLA is applying that philosophy to answer one of pickleball’s most important and underserved segments: footwear.

Pickleball players have been competing in elements of borrowed footwear from other sports: tennis, running, or cross-training, none of which were designed specifically to capture the precise needs of pickleball.

“Most ‘pickleball shoes’ on the market aren’t truly built for the sport, no matter how they’re labeled,” said Richard Lee, CEO and Owner of JOOLA. “An experienced footwear designer will tell you they’readapted from existing models, not engineered top-down for the way pickleball is played. We’re serious about growing the game, and to us the previous standard won’t cut it. Pickleballs, its athletes, and our community deserve products built specifically for them.”

JOOLA decided to change that. The FUNKSH1n_PB: R4LLy (aka The R4LLY) pickleball shoe name was chosen to reflect the shoe’s technical components and its purpose-built design for the modern game, combining pro athlete insight, top-performance materials, and industry-leading footwear design.

Seizing the opportunity to define a new pickleball performance category, JOOLA introduces the R4LLy pickleball shoe, developed by a team with years of experience at some of the sports and outdoor world’s most notable footwear brands, in collaboration with JOOLA’s roster of pro athletes. The footwear design team includes Gjermund Haugbro, Senior Director of Engineering; Eric Lonsway, JOOLA’s head of footwear product creation; and Scott Portzline, footwear designer.

Together, they bring a collective experience creating shoes for major sneaker brands like Nike, Reebok, and Adidas, as well as developing footwear for upcoming and emerging markets at outdoor brands such as SOREL, Columbia, Merrell, and Burton.

“Our goal in assembling this team was simple: we wanted to create a pickleball-specific shoe with no distractions,” said Lonsway, “Because our athlete’s asked for it, and we wanted them to be able to lace up a pair of JOOLA R4LLy’s and go out and just think about pickleball, nothing else, just enjoy, or compete, but never having to worry about what’s on their feet.”

To fully understand the unique needs of pickleball players. The team spent hours consulting with JOOLA’s roster of signature pro athletes and studying the nuances of the sport to ensure the R4LLy shoe reflects how the game is currently played.

“The entire design process happened in 12 months. I joined JOOLA in January of 2025, and from there, we went through 10-15 rounds of actual prototypes. Our pros wore every prototype of the R4LLy, each time returning valuable feedback that helped guide the design process,” said Gjermund.

Every step of the way, the footwear team focused on getting it right, not just making a good pickleball shoe, but instead creating a great pickleball shoe. Protoypes were scrapped until it felt ready, and the team continued to ideate.

“What JOOLA and I worked together on was putting more focus on lateral movement,” said Ben Johns, World No. 1 Pickleball Player. “Prioritize lightness, and then outside of that, we really wanted to prioritize the low profile. I think it’simportant to have a low profile for movement in pickleball because it’s a little faster-twitch. It’s not just lateral movement quickly; it’s lateral movement at a split-second. Low profile helps for explosive movements in that respect.”

Testing didn’t stop with the pros. Wear-testers were brought in who ranged from tournament competitors with official DUPR ratings to recreational players stepping on court for the first time, ensuring performance benefits translated across every level of play.

“One thing we know about pickleball is that it’s played by a wide range of ages, skill levels, and in both indoor and outdoor environments,” said Portzline. “We needed to test the shoe across that full spectrum, so we could ensure every player, whether a first-time recreational player or a top-ranked competitor, experiences the same level of performance, reliability, and comfort on every court.”