Every list needs an entry point, and the Udrippin UD1 is mine. It’s the cheapest shoe here by a good margin — the pair you point a brand-new player at when they’ve just retired their dress shoes (I’ve been there) and don’t want to drop $150 on their first real pickleball shoe. I’ll be honest: I went in with low expectations because it comes in so cheap. It blew them out of the water.
Great right out of the box
The thing that won me over is simple — I put these on and played, with no break-in period at all. In an era where you’re constantly cycling through new shoes, a pair that just works from the first session is golden, and that’s exactly what the UD1 does. The rubber outsole grips the court from minute one, and the toe guards held up well to the sliding you do around the kitchen.
Comfortable, with a roomy toe box
It’s also genuinely comfortable. The fit is fairly roomy — I didn’t notice any toe cramping at all, closer to a K-Swiss-style shoe than the snug, locked-in feel of the Montis. Underfoot there’s reinforced arch support, a padded tongue, and a reinforced heel cup, all on a light EVA midsole with a breathable mesh upper that stays cool through long, hot sessions. For the money, it’s really well designed.
The price is the whole pitch
Most of the shoes on this list live between $110 and $170. The UD1 lists around $110–120, and the SOLELYPB code brings it down to $93.50 a pair. Combined with the warranty (more on that below), you’re effectively looking at under $50 a pair — which, for a lot of people, is the difference between buying a purpose-built pickleball shoe and settling for another tennis crossover. That’s why it’s my best-value pick on the whole board.
It still comes with the warranty
Here’s the part that surprised me most. Along with the Selkirk and the Montis, the UD1 ships with a 6-month outsole warranty — the same two-pairs-for-one hedge the premium brands use, on the budget shoe. Wear the sole down inside the window and you’re covered. That’s what makes the “$50 a pair” math real and takes the sting out of the budget materials.
Where it lands
Let’s be honest about the trade-off: at this price the materials aren’t going to outlast a DAPS or a Winner’s Edge, and Udrippin is a newer name still building its reputation. But that’s exactly what the warranty is there to cover. If your ceiling is the premium tier, this isn’t your shoe. If you want a real pickleball shoe — comfortable, roomy, grippy, and warrantied — for the least money on the board, the UD1 far exceeded my expectations and is the easiest yes on the list.