You've played a few times on hire rackets and borrowed balls. Now you want your own kit. How much should it cost, and where should the money go?
A sensible first kit costs about £90 to £125. Split it roughly evenly between shoes and a racket, and buy the shoes first. The rest of this page shows the working, with real UK prices read on 19 October 2026.
The budget table
Three spend levels. Same five things in each.
| Starter | Mid | Top | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoes | £35 to £48 | £61 to £73 | £110 to £146 |
| Racket | £52 to £62 | £129 to £142 | £256 to £338 |
| Balls | One can of 3, £5 to £6 | Three cans, £14 to £16 | Three cans, £14 to £16 |
| Grips | None yet, or 3 overgrips for £7 | 3 overgrips, £7 | 6 overgrips, £12 |
| Clothing | Sports kit you own, £0 | Add grip socks, £14 | Grip socks £14, plus a warm layer for after, e.g. the Mk1 Box Hoodie at £75 |
| Total | about £90 to £125 | about £225 to £252 | about £481 to £601 |
All gear prices are from Padel Market's UK store on 19 October 2026. Most were sale prices that day, so they will move. Treat the ranges as a guide to the shape of the spend, not a quote.
What the ranges are made of:
- Starter shoes: the cheapest adult padel shoes that day, £34.99 to £47.99. Drop Shot, Joma and Adidas, most of them marked down from much higher prices.
- Starter racket: £51.99 to £61.99, where most of the cheap current adult rackets sat. Adidas, Bullpadel and Head among them, most marked down, including a Bullpadel labelled for beginners.
- Mid racket: a big cluster at £128.99 to £141.99, mostly earlier-season models, many at a heavy discount.
- Top racket: 2027 pro-player models at full price, £255.99 to £337.99.
- Top shoes: £109.99 to £145.99, newer models from Nox and Babolat.
Shoes or racket: which gets more?
This is the question the page exists to answer, so here's a straight one. For your first kit, spend about the same on each. If one has to wait, it's the racket.
Three reasons.
You can hire a racket. Shoes go on your own feet. The LTA says many venues have rackets to hire on site. So a racket is something you can keep borrowing while you save. Shoes are the thing you wear every single game.
Shoes do a protective job. The LTA's shoe advice is about side-to-side movement, grip from herringbone or mixed-pattern soles, and shock absorption to protect your knees and ankles. That's the kit standing between you and a bad twist.
The right beginner racket is cheap anyway. The LTA suggests beginners go for a round or teardrop shape, a mid weight of 360 to 370 g, and a foam core with a fibreglass face. On 19 October, Bullpadel's Discover Control was £52.99 and labelled for beginners: round, 360 to 370 g, fibreglass face. Its core is soft EVA, which the LTA lists as a different core from foam, so it matches on shape, weight and face rather than on every point. Still, that's most of the beginner spec for under £55. The £300 rackets are a different tool. The LTA says heavier rackets, 370 to 390 g, suit advanced players. For the full spec, step by step, see how to choose a padel racket.
So the even split isn't a compromise. At the starter level, the shoes and the racket that suit a new player simply cost about the same.
One more shoe point before you buy. Match the sole to where you play. The LTA says herringbone soles for clay or artificial turf, and non-marking, lightweight soles for indoor courts. Our guide on what to wear for padel goes into the rest of the on-court kit.
The running costs nobody budgets for
The table is what you spend once. Two things keep costing you after that.
Balls. The LTA says padel balls last around three to five hours of play before they lose pressure and bounce. A can of three was mostly £4.99 to £5.99. Do the maths on a £4.99 can and it comes to about £1 to £1.66 per hour of play. Split four ways, that's roughly 25p to 42p each an hour. Small, but it's why someone always has to be the one who brings the new can.
Buying three cans at once was £13.99 to £15.99, so a bit cheaper per can. A box of 24 cans ran £87.99 to £113.99, which only makes sense if your group plays a lot or splits it.
Overgrips. The LTA says overgrips wear out faster than the base grip underneath and get replaced more often. It doesn't give a schedule, and it depends on how much you play and how much your hands sweat. Ours are £7 for three or £12 for six, so between £2 and £2.33 a grip. Fitting one takes a couple of minutes, and our overgrip guide shows how.
Court time is the big running cost, and it's a separate sum. Our UK padel prices guide covers that.
Where to save, where not to
Save on the racket year. Rackets carry a model year, and on Padel Market's list many earlier-year models were marked down. On 19 October, a Starvie Raptor + 2026 was £132.99, down from £269.99. A Bullpadel Hack 03 from 2024 was £131.99, down from £248.99. If you're moving up from a starter racket, last season's model is where the mid budget goes furthest. Check the weight and shape against the LTA advice above before you buy.
Save on clothes for playing. The LTA's clothing advice is stretch, moisture-wicking and breathable fabric. You likely own something that does that already. There's no need to buy a new outfit to start.
Don't save on fit for your shoes. A cheap shoe that fits beats an expensive one that doesn't. Try them on with the socks you'll play in.
Socks are a cheap upgrade. Our grip socks have non-slip grip on the sole to cut down movement inside the shoe. They're £14, in UK 4-7 and UK 8-11. Our grip socks guide covers how to wear and wash them.
The bit after the game
We don't make rackets or shoes. We make what you put on when the game's done and you're stood outside cooling down. If your budget stretches that far, start with the essentials: the Mk1 Box Hoodie (£75), the Sunday Padel Club Sweatshirt (£60), the Heavyweight Fleece Joggers (£60) and the Padel & Pints tee (£48). UK delivery is free on orders of £75 and over, so the hoodie ships free on its own.
FAQ
Should I spend more on padel shoes or a racket? For a first kit, about the same on each. At UK prices on 19 October 2026, that was roughly £35 to £48 for shoes and £52 to £62 for a beginner racket. If you can only buy one now, get the shoes and keep hiring a racket.
Is a £50 to £60 padel racket good enough to start? It can be, if the spec is right. The LTA suggests a round or teardrop shape, 360 to 370 g, with a foam core and fibreglass face. On 19 October, a racket labelled for beginners with the right shape, weight and face was £52.99. Check the weight, shape and core on the product page, not just the price.
How much do padel balls cost per game? A can of three was mostly £4.99 to £5.99 in October 2026, and the LTA says balls last around three to five hours of play. On a £4.99 can, that's about £1 to £1.66 an hour, or 25p to 42p each across four players.
Are last season's padel rackets worth buying? Often, for the price. On 19 October, several earlier-year models, including 2024 and 2025 ones, were close to half their original price. Specs can change between versions, so compare the weight, shape and core with the LTA's advice for your level before you buy.
