Here’s What People Are Wearing at NYC Hot Spot CityPickle This Summer, From K-Swiss to Skechers
Watching the 14 pickleball courts of CityPickle at Wollman Rink on a recent Monday evening, it’s no surprise that pickleball was the fastest-growing sport in 2022 and continues to capture new players, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA).
The courts — which moonlight as an ice rink during the winter — are packed. For some, today is their first time playing pickleball. Others are more seasoned players. One factor, however, is the same: they all seem to be having fun.
When it comes to the fashion on court, the players’ looks have some elements in common. Stylistically, pickleball fashion takes many cues from tennis and other court sports like badminton. That is, women typically opt for matching sets of skorts and fitted tanks, while men wear T-shirts and shorts.
This trend is certainly evident at CityPickle, where players sport what most people might consider tennis or standard workout attire.
“The look overall is similar to tennis, although I think it’s more fun,” said CityPickle’s Kennedy. “With pickleball people are not afraid to wear more color. [It’s] a little bit more fun.”
Some of the brands being sported out on the courts include Avi, Alexander Wang, Athleta, K-Swiss and Lululemon. Within footwear, brands like Skechers, New Balance and Nike were strongly represented.
“I was very excited to wear tennis skirts,” said one pickleball player, June Zapata, who has been playing the sport for a little over a year and a half.
Given the crossover between tennis and pickleball styles, many brands are following this trend and opting not to distinguish between their tennis and pickleball products. Mizuno, for instance, markets its racket sports performance sneakers to all players of both activities, Rothy’s in June launched a court-inspired collection for tennis or pickleball players, and apparel labels such as Spanx are currently advertising skorts and tanks for both tennis and pickleball on its website.
See the video above to get a sense for what people are wearing while playing America’s fastest growing sport.
