One of the advantages of being one of the most active pickleball pop up retailers in Australia is that we get to see what players actually buy when they are at a tournament.

Not what gets the most likes online. Not what sounds good in a buying guide. What players reach for after spending hours on court, talking to other competitors and working out what they genuinely need.

The 2026 Australian Pickleball Championships have given us another great snapshot.

While the tournament is still underway, some very clear trends have already emerged. Shoes are huge, sun protection is flying out the door, practical accessories are proving incredibly popular and players are willing to spend on premium equipment when they can see and feel the difference in person.

Here is what Australian pickleball players have been buying.

Shoes have been one of the biggest categories

This probably will not surprise anyone who has visited the Pickleball Mania stand.

Footwear has been one of the strongest categories throughout the event.

There is a simple reason for that.

Shoes are one of the products where buying in person still matters enormously.

Players can actually try different models, compare widths, feel the cushioning and work out whether they prefer a lighter shoe or something more supportive.

That becomes particularly valuable at an event like the APC because players are spending far more time on court than they would during a normal social session.

A shoe that feels fine for an hour can suddenly feel very different after multiple matches.

ASICS FF Pickleball has been one of the standout models

The ASICS FF Pickleball has been one of the strongest individual shoe models at the event.

That makes a lot of sense.

It sits at a really attractive point in the market. It is a proper pickleball court shoe, it feels comfortable quickly and it does not require players to jump straight to the price of a premium competition model.

For someone walking up to the stand and saying, “I just need a good pickleball shoe,” it is a very easy place to start.

It has also appealed across both men's and women's sizing, which suggests its strength is simply being a very approachable all round pickleball shoe.

Mizuno has been a standout footwear brand

Mizuno has been one of the strongest brands across the wider footwear range.

The Wave Exceed Court AC and Wave Enforce Court have both performed particularly well.

That split is interesting because the two shoes solve very different problems.

The Exceed Court appeals to players wanting something lighter and quicker.

The Enforce Court appeals more to players wanting stability, cushioning and support.

Seeing strong demand for both reinforces something we talk about constantly.

There is no single perfect pickleball shoe.

Some players want speed.

Others want to feel planted.

The right recommendation depends on the player standing in front of you.

Mizuno’s premium models have also attracted plenty of attention, particularly the Wave Exceed Tour 7 AC and Wave Enforce Tour 2.

That suggests tournament players are willing to spend more on footwear when they can understand exactly what they are getting for the extra money.

The Exceed Tour gives faster players a premium lightweight option, while the Enforce Tour is aimed more towards players prioritising stability and support.

Being able to try both in person makes those differences much easier to understand.

Wide fitting shoes continue to be a major need

The Mizuno Wave Phantom 3 NB Wide has also been a strong seller.

That may be a more specific part of the footwear market, but it highlights one of the biggest frustrations we regularly hear from players.

Finding proper court shoes for wider feet is difficult.

When somebody finally tries on a shoe that gives them room through the forefoot without simply being too long, the value is immediately obvious.

This is one area where we expect demand to keep growing as more players move away from running shoes and begin looking for footwear designed specifically for court movement.

SParms have been everywhere

If there has been one accessory category that has really exploded during the APC, it is SParms.

Both the SParms Shoulder Wrap and SParms Sun Sleeves have been among the most popular products at the stand.

Anyone who has spent a few days at the APC probably understands why.

Tournament pickleball means hours outside.

You are not just exposed to the sun while you are playing. You are warming up, watching matches, waiting for courts and walking around the venue throughout the day.

Players quickly realise that repeatedly applying sunscreen to their arms is not always the most convenient solution.

SParms solve an extremely obvious problem.

The Shoulder Wrap has been particularly popular because it provides broader coverage without players needing to completely change what they are wearing underneath.

White has also been a particularly popular choice, which makes plenty of sense for players spending long periods outside.

This might be one of the clearest examples of a product becoming easier to understand once players see other competitors wearing it around the venue.

Cooling towels have been another surprise winner

Cooling towels have also been extremely popular.

Again, tournament conditions probably do most of the selling.

Cooling towels are not necessarily something every player remembers to put on their shopping list before an event.

Then you spend several hours around the courts in warm conditions and suddenly they make a lot of sense.

This is one of the interesting differences between online shopping and tournament retail.

Online, players often shop for the major pieces of equipment they know they need.

At an event, they start buying solutions to problems they are experiencing that day.

Heat has clearly been one of those problems.

Pickleball sunglasses are becoming a genuine category

Knockaround has also performed extremely well.

The Flight Paths and Kinetics ranges have attracted plenty of interest, and that is a trend worth watching.

Sports sunglasses have historically been far more established in running, cycling and other outdoor sports than pickleball.

But outdoor pickleball creates exactly the same need.

Players want protection from the sun, but normal sunglasses can move around, become uncomfortable or interfere with vision during fast points.

Once players try sport focused models at the stand, the benefit becomes much easier to understand.

We would not be surprised if performance eyewear becomes a much bigger pickleball accessory category over the next few years.

Players still love the little things

One of the clearest themes from the event is how much interest there has been in inexpensive, practical accessories.

Six Zero Ultra Tack Overgrips have been particularly popular, alongside cleaning rubbers, edge tape, grips and other small accessories.

These are not glamorous purchases.

They are useful purchases.

Tournament players are using their equipment constantly.

Grips get sweaty. Paddle faces get dirty. Edge tape wears. Balls disappear.

Once somebody is already at the stand looking at shoes or paddles, it is very easy to remember the smaller things sitting in their bag that also need replacing.

This is why tournament retail is very different from simply putting products on a website.

The main purchase may bring somebody to the stand, but the practical accessories often get added once they are there.

Vice Grip Socks have been another quiet success

Vice Grip Socks have also been performing strongly across the different ankle, quarter and crew styles.

That fits perfectly with the wider theme of the tournament.

Players are buying products that improve comfort and confidence on court.

A grip sock is not something most beginners immediately associate with pickleball equipment, but once players become more competitive they start paying attention to movement inside the shoe.

Your shoe can fit perfectly, but if your foot is sliding around inside your sock you are still losing some of that connection to the court.

The interest in grip socks suggests more pickleball players are starting to think about footwear as an entire system rather than simply choosing a shoe.

The Six Zero Coral Pro has led the paddle conversation

Paddles have behaved differently from shoes and accessories.

Players tend to spend more time thinking about a paddle purchase, but when they do buy they have often gravitated towards quality.

The Six Zero Coral Pro has been one of the standout premium paddles at the event.

That makes sense given the audience.

The APC is full of experienced players who are looking for serious performance rather than simply buying their first paddle.

Being able to hold the paddle, compare it with other models and talk through the differences makes that buying decision considerably easier.

The Six Zero Quartz has also attracted interest at the more accessible end of the Six Zero range.

That gives us an interesting picture of the market.

Some players want an affordable entry into a respected performance brand.

Others are happy to move straight into a premium paddle when they know exactly what they want.

Pickleodian clothing and bags have performed strongly

Pickleodian has been another interesting category.

Skorts have been particularly popular throughout the tournament, while Pickleodian bags have also attracted plenty of attention.

Again, these are products that benefit heavily from being seen in person.

Apparel is highly dependent on fit and feel, while bags become much easier to evaluate once you can actually see how much equipment they hold.

The interest in pickleball specific apparel also reflects something happening more broadly within the sport.

Players increasingly want clothing and equipment designed around pickleball rather than simply using generic gym or tennis products.

Support products make sense at a tournament

Floky has also generated interest, particularly the Knee Support and No Strain Sleeves.

At a normal retail store those can be relatively specialised products.

At a national tournament full of players competing repeatedly over several days, the audience makes considerably more sense.

Tournament players are highly aware of their bodies.

If a knee, calf or lower leg starts becoming uncomfortable, support products suddenly become very relevant.

It is another example of the environment influencing what people buy.

What is the APC teaching us?

The biggest takeaway so far is that tournament players are not simply chasing the newest paddle.

They are spending money on everything surrounding their ability to play comfortably and consistently.

Shoes have been one of the biggest categories.

Sun protection has been huge.

Cooling products, sports sunglasses, grip socks and overgrips have all performed extremely well.

And when players do buy premium equipment, particularly shoes and paddles, they appear willing to spend when they can understand why one product suits them better than another.

That is probably the most useful lesson from the event.

Pickleball equipment is becoming more specialised.

Players are beginning to understand that the right shoe, sock, sunglasses, sun protection and accessories can matter just as much to their experience as the paddle in their hand.

Our APC Standouts 

If we had to pick some of the products that have really stood out during the tournament, we would include the ASICS FF Pickleball, Mizuno Wave Exceed Court AC, Mizuno Wave Enforce Court, SParms Shoulder Wrap, SParms Sun Sleeves, Six Zero Coral Pro, Knockaround Flight Paths, Vice Grip Socks and the surprisingly essential cooling towel.

Some were products we expected to perform well.

Others have surprised us.

The tournament is not over yet, so there is still plenty of time for the leaderboard to change.

But one thing is already becoming pretty clear.

The Australian pickleball gear bag is getting a lot more sophisticated.