Brian Parker didn’t quit tennis. Pickleball just slowly pushed its way in.
Brian is 54 and lives in Newport Beach, California. Tennis had been part of his life forever. He played with a big group in Orange County, year after year. Then pickleball started showing up in familiar places. A few tennis courts changed into pickleball and next thing you know, Brian was fully invested.
“As we got a little bit older, we sort of slowly morphed over to pickleball,” Brian said. “A lot of us were getting injured.”
Familiar footwork from tennis, but shorter points and less grind. Enough intensity to stay competitive without needing three days to recover. It was the perfect match for Brian.
From One Game a Week to Checking Your Phone for Court Time
Brian first picked up pickleball about five years ago and at the start, it stayed light.
“I started playing seriously about three and a half, four years ago.”
Now it’s part of his routine. Three mornings a week on Balboa Island with a regular group. Players range from Brian’s age into their 80s. The games are competitive, but social enough that everyone keeps coming back.
At some point, tournaments entered the picture. Brian plays them whenever he can. One recent run at Lifetime in San Clemente ended with a second-place finish alongside a high school friend he hadn’t played with in years.
Pickleball Is Fun Until Someone Gets Hurt
Anyone who plays pickleball consistently has seen it happen. Someone plants wrong, or slips. Even worse, someone grabs an Achilles and sits down for the day.
Brian notices it all the time.
“There’s a lot of changing direction,” he said. “Avoiding injury is the number one issue.”
From what he’s heard from doctors and seen on court, the injuries usually start at the ground.
“Most of the injuries are on feet, ankles, and Achilles.” Brian has stayed relatively injury-free in pickleball, which he doesn’t take lightly. A serious injury would mean time off the court, and that’s not something he’s willing to gamble on.
“I can’t be out for a year ripping an Achilles,” he said.
Why Shoes Became a Non-Negotiable
Before switching to SQAIRZ XRZ™, Brian played in traditional tennis shoes, including K-Swiss. They worked fine for tennis, but pickleball exposed the gaps.
“K-Swiss were just a little too heavy for me,” Brian said.
Tennis shoes aren’t built for constant lateral movement and quick stops. As Brian played more often, that extra weight and lack of stability started to matter.
He switched to SQAIRZ about a year ago. The first thing he noticed had nothing to do with performance.
“SQAIRZ fit right away. No blisters. No break-in period.”
That matters more than people admit. If a shoe hurts out of the box, it usually stays in the closet.
What Changed on Court in XRZ™
Once Brian started playing in the XRZ™, the difference showed up fast. The platform felt stable. The shoe felt lighter than what he was used to and movement felt more controlled.
“Definitely stability,” he said. “They gave me more confidence. I was able to be a little bit faster because I wasn’t tentative.”
That confidence is everything in pickleball. When players trust their footing, they move freely. When they don’t, hesitation creeps in, and that’s when injuries show up.
The Roomier Platform Surprise
Brian didn’t think much about toe box shape before wearing SQAIRZ. Most players don’t.
“I didn’t think about it before,” he said. “But it easily gives you more balance.”
With more room for his toes to sit naturally, his base felt more secure during quick changes in direction. Over time, that translated into better balance and less strain through his lower body.
Bigger Than Pickleball
Some of Brian’s favorite moments on court have nothing to do with tournaments or results. They happen when his daughter is home from college and joins him to play.
“That’s been the best part,” he said.
That’s part of why pickleball keeps pulling people in. It gives people a reason to move, connect, and keep showing up. Brian plans to keep playing in more tournaments. But for him, staying healthy is what keeps all of that possible. And in pickleball, that starts with what’s under your feet.
Pickleball has a way of becoming part of your routine faster than you expect. Staying on the court starts to matter more than winning one more rally.
XRZ™ was built for that reality. Stable under quick changes of direction. A roomier platform that helps you feel balanced. A design focused on keeping your footing where it belongs.
If pickleball has moved past “once in a while” for you, it might be time to look down.