Franklin Joins JOOLA in the Race for Pickleball's Shoe Shelf

Franklin Pickleball Malaysia has brought the brand's ACV Pro Pickleball Shoes into the local market, now available online and at the brand's SS15 Subang Jaya showroom in two colorways, White/Black and White/Blue.

The ACV Pro is Franklin Sports' first purpose-built performance pickleball shoe, designed by veteran footwear designer Bryan Cioffi, who previously worked at Converse and Reebok. It carries an Aero-Step ventilation system, forefoot flex grooves for quick lateral movement, a reinforced asymmetric toe built to reduce drag during sideways footwork, and an aggressive tread pattern for both indoor and outdoor courts. Franklin-sponsored pros Hayden Patriquin and Megan Fudge have both worn the shoe on tour.

The shoe itself is not brand new globally, Franklin brought it to market for women players in late 2025. What Malaysia is getting now is the local retail arrival: a real showroom to try the shoe on, and a direct online purchase path through the brand's own bio link, rather than importing a pair or waiting on a regional distributor.

Franklin is not alone in pushing beyond paddles. JOOLA has run a similarly aggressive expansion into shoes and balls, including its own DUPR ball partnership, and both brands are betting that a pickleball-specific shoe line is worth building out rather than leaving that shelf space to general athletic footwear. A named designer with real footwear industry credentials, rather than a co-branded generic sneaker, is Franklin's way of signaling it means to compete on that shelf, not just occupy it.

This article is based on social media posts and historical data tracked by Pickle361, alongside independent reporting on the shoe's global launch.