Nike's 1st pickleball-specific shoe, RELEASED

PLUS: The new $300 customizable paddle & the pickleball charmer's $9 million Ponzi scheme details

Welcome back, picklers

Read time: ~5 min

If you love a good transformation, take a hot minute and appreciate this beauty. Downtown Cincinnati got a well-deserved upgrade.

Other USA cities… take note.

Now, on to the newsletter.

How to read The Pickle Talk:

  1. First, don’t click any links just yet. Read it all the way through, and then send it to a friend you think might benefit too.

  2. Next, come back and dive into the links that caught your eye.

  3. Last, go play some pickleball and stir up conversations with your newfound knowledge.

Enjoy :)

TODAY’S BANGERS:

  • Pickle Talk: Nike enters Pickleball industry with pickleball shoe line-up

  • Bite-Size Pickle: $1 million Pickleball Slam. $9 million pickleball Ponzi scheme. E-TRADE babies play pickleball in 2024 Super Bowl Ad

  • Golden Pickle: Content creator Ed Ju splices open a $30 Joola knockoff paddle

Let’s get into some... PICKLE TALK 🎙️

1/ Nike enters pickleball era with pickleball shoe line-up

Deets: In the past week, Nike released their newest lineup of shoes, this time marketed toward the pickleball community.

Named the Nike Zoom Challenge Pickleball Shoe marked with noticeable pickleball branding, they are currently priced at $120 dollars offering 2 color waves for men and 2 color waves for women.

So what makes it a pickleball-worthy shoe?

With a quick glance at the product description, Nike designed the shoe to solve pickleball-specific problems (e.g., ankle stability, shoe durability, etc.) that players often complain about.

Here are the benefits noted on the website:

  • Air Zoom unit in the heel adds a spring to your step.

  • Synthetic overlays provide lateral support and help keep your heel secure.

  • Soft collar and padded heel give you comfort and security around your ankle.

  • Mesh panels offer breathability.

  • Extra rubber in the toe area, specifically the tip of toe, provides durability.

  • High-abrasion rubber in the forefoot offers durability and traction.

If the marketing stays true to its word…

The Nike Zoom may be the new IT shoe seen on the courts very soon.

Here’s an in-depth review by a pickleball player named Max (the only review I could find so far):

Opinion: When I saw that Nike released a pickleball shoe, the first thought that popped into my head was: Oh boy…this is going to be expensive.

But to my surprise, compared to other pickleball-specific shoes and tennis shoes, $120 really is not bad at all.

So price-wise, it’s justifiable if you are in the market for a new pair of court shoes.

The only thing I’d say I don’t like very much about the design is the pickleball decals on the shoe. A bit cheesy, but hey, that’s pickleball I guess! 🤷🏼

Another notable release:

The $300 ROKNE Aero Blade 1.19 Paddle

The paddle contains holes with removable weights (the red) that provide a customizable paddle and playing experience.

USAPA Approved paddle

*BITE-SIZE* PICKLES

1/ ➜ Happenings: Missed the $1 million pickleball showdown? Here’s what you need to know in a jiffy:

Tennis icons Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf clinched victory and a cool $1 million in Pickleball Slam 2, outplaying none other than John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova in a thrilling ESPN-broadcast event.

Former tennis pros like Jack Sock and James Blake also jumped into the mix to play some ball.

Agassi and Graf's triumph not only showcased their prowess but also highlighted the soaring popularity of pickleball, drawing attention from sports enthusiasts of all stripes.

And in McEnroe paddle-slamming fashion… he did not disappoint.

***

2/ ➜ Happenings:Rodney 'Rocket' Grubbs, CEO of the popular pickleball clothing brand Pickleball Rocks, faces accusations of running a Ponzi pickleball scheme.

Let’s get you up to date:

With his charm, Grubbs persuaded around 250 individuals, including doctors, lawyers, and professors, to invest millions in his company, promising returns and lump-sum repayments.

However, Grubbs failed to fulfill these commitments, leaving investors in financial distress.

Despite facing lawsuits and judgments totaling $9 million, Grubbs claims he lacks the funds to repay investors, citing only $800,000 in rental properties and $150,000 in equipment as his assets.

So far, Grubbs has not been charged with a crime.

***

3/ ➜ Happenings:

The famous E-TRADE babies are back to swaddle the Super Bowl audience once again, and this time, it’s featuring pickleball playing babies.

Since the 2008 Super Bowl, the babies became a staple in the ad lineup and this year, pickleball fans from all over are no-doubt going to love this year’s ad more than any other.

Watch and enjoy:)

GOLDEN PICKLES

🎫 Discussion: How NOT to play pickleball…#adultchildediition

🎫 Pickleball content creator Ed Ju splices open a $30 Joola knockoff paddle in this short 6 minute video

🎫 PADDLE ALERT: The new ROKNE Aero Blade paddle with “fillable holes”

🎫 Why the Vulcan balls really suck (The Pickleball Studio Podcast | Time Stamp: 1:21:14)

🎫 Video: The best (and angry) moments from Pickleball Slam 2 (paddles were hurt in the process)

In case you missed it…

No pickle left unturned 🥳

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Until next time, picklers.

Jonathan W.