HeelBase launches a 3D printed insole built for pickleball
The one-piece polyurethane design used an open lattice to target the sport's quick stops and pivots
HeelBase has launched DRIVE, an insole the company claims is the first 3D printed sole designed specifically for pickleball. The insole used a single, continuous polyurethane structure with an open lattice for ventilation rather than a foam core. It comes in nine individual sizes, built to fit rather than trimmed down from a standard shape, and weighs 54.9 grams per insole.
The design centers on four measurements: an 11.3mm heel cup, a 16mm arch cradle, a 4.3mm lateral flange and a 4mm forefoot section. HeelBase said those dimensions were built around the lateral cutting, quick stops and direction changes common to pickleball, rather than adapted from a general running or walking insole.
Dean Pike, Co-Founder of HeelBase, said the company started from the sport’s movement patterns rather than from comfort alone. “We didn’t start by asking how to make a softer insole. We asked what an insole needs to do when a player stops hard, changes direction and stays on court for another game,” Pike said.
“That led us to a structure built for pickleball rather than a general-purpose insert.”
Two years of prototyping
HeelBase began developing DRIVE in 2024, producing more than 24 prototypes and testing them with 144 players across more than 3,000 combined hours of play before the launch.
“Being first is the milestone. Helping more people keep playing is the mission,” Pike said. The company described DRIVE as a general-wellness support product rather than a medical device, and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
DRIVE has been priced at $59 per pair for pre-orders, against a regular price of $99, with the pre-order window set to close by the end of the month.
