At 62 years old, Tim Perry of Richmond, Virginia has lived a life shaped by sports. From competitive racquetball to coaching high school baseball, his journey into pickleball began during the pandemic years when indoor racquetball shut down and athletes were searching for new ways to compete and connect.
“Pickleball presented an opportunity,” Tim recalls. “To come out, play, compete, and be part of a group again. That’s what attracted me. And with my athletic coaching background, it all worked together. Off I went into the pickleball world.”
Today, Tim is the pickleball pro at a tennis club in Richmond, where he leads training, programming, and community development. He describes his role as deeply relational: part teaching, part coaching, part building trust. “It’s very much about growing and developing a community,” he says.
From Player to Teacher
Tim’s love for teaching athletic movement shines through in how he talks about the sport. Many of his students don’t come from athletic backgrounds, so his focus starts with fundamentals.
“When you take a body that’s been sedentary for many years and put it on a pickleball court, you better start with a good pair of shoes,” he emphasizes. “If you ever lose your feet, you’re shut down. My training starts from the ground up.”
It’s this philosophy that drew Tim to SQAIRZ. He knows that proper footwear is the difference between thriving on the court and being sidelined.
Injury Prevention: The Hidden Cost of the Wrong Shoes
Pickleball injuries have exploded as the sport has grown, costing Americans an estimated $377 million annually in ER visits and treatment this year alone. The majority stem from wearing the wrong footwear—running shoes that catch on the court, tennis shoes that don’t account for pickleball’s sharper cuts, or casual sneakers with no support.
Tim has seen it happen. “There’s a lot of lateral movement in pickleball, more than in a lot of other sports,” he says. “On a scale of one to ten for importance in athletic pursuits, shoes and feet are a ten. If you want to get better, stay healthy, and keep playing, it starts with your feet.”
The numbers back him up. In an independent motion-capture balance study, athletes improved their stability by 26.5% in XRZ™ compared to other leading brands—a measurable safeguard against the falls and rolled ankles that drive up medical costs. For Tim, that peace of mind is invaluable.
A Foundation Backed by Warranty
As someone on court every day, Tim has tested the limits of durability. “I know SQAIRZ comes with a six-month sole warranty,” he says. “Mine was activated in two months from being out there so much.”
Instead of a frustrating back-and-forth, he was impressed by how quickly the company made things right. “That builds trust,” he adds. “Trust the consumer first, and they’ll trust you back.”
For Tim, durability is about knowing the shoe will hold up to the hours he spends training players—and that if something does happen, the support is there.
Why the XRZ™ Stands Apart
Tim has worn nearly every major brand on the pickleball court: Skechers, K-Swiss, ASICS, Wilson. He found them all lacking in either stability or durability. That changed when he stepped into the SQAIRZ XRZ™.
Engineered specifically for pickleball—the XRZ™ is built around stability and injury prevention. Features include:
-
Roomier toe box that lets toes sit naturally, improving balance and ground connection.
-
Smart Traction™ outsole with reinforced outriggers for controlled lateral movement.
-
Sta-Put laces™ that stay locked through explosive rallies.
-
Reinforced toe cap for protection against drag and quick stops.
-
GripSync™ removable insole to keep feet planted during split-second shifts.
-
Six-month outsole warranty to guarantee durability.
Tim’s verdict is simple: “I move with confidence in trying to get set up to strike a ball. When I’m chasing a position across the court, I feel them down there doing their job. That’s confidence.”
A Player Who Leads by Example
While he doesn’t chase medals on the tournament circuit these days, Tim measures success differently: by helping others excel. His commitment to teaching and mentoring players of all levels reflects his love of sport and his belief in pickleball as a lifelong game.
“I’ve had three or four people recently walk up to me and say, ‘Hey, look, I got a pair of SQAIRZ like you.’ That’s human nature—you share a good experience, and others follow.”
For Tim Perry, pickleball is about community, movement, and staying healthy enough to enjoy both. And for him, that foundation starts with the right pair of shoes.