League partnerships
Direct sponsorship of 38 local paddle leagues across 14 states. Players in partner leagues get gear discounts and priority sizing. We listen to what they need before each season starts.
Beyond the court
Pickleball is more than a game.So we are more than an insole.
HeelBase started by solving heel pain. It grew into a community we show up for, a production philosophy we keep tightening, and a small commitment to leave the sport better than we found it.
Community · Sustainability · Player-first
In the community
We show up where the game is played
The sport is growing because of the volunteers running clinics in school gyms, the rec leagues holding it together every Tuesday night, and the coaches teaching the dink on a Saturday morning. We back them with money, gear, and time.
Beginner clinics
We co-fund first-step clinics with local rec departments. Players learn the basics for free, walk away with paddle handle wraps, and we cover the court fee for the first three sessions.
Court adoption
When a community court needs nets, balls, or a fresh stripe, we cover it. So far that's 24 courts across underserved neighborhoods, picked by player nominations rather than press.
Ambassador program
Forty-six ambassadors, all volunteer coaches in their community. We give them gear, travel coverage to regional events, and one annual training weekend on heel injury prevention.
Built smarter
A small product can still leave a big footprint. We design ours to leave less.
Pickleball insoles are tiny against the scale of a global supply chain. That doesn't excuse waste. Every HeelBase insole is built to a tighter standard than category norms, top to bottom.
Foam · Bio-based 38%
Bio-based EVA+ blend
Our foam core uses 38% bio-based content sourced from sugarcane derivatives. Same dual-density performance, lower fossil-fuel intensity per pair.
Cage · Post-industrial recycled
Recycled glass-fibre cage
The lateral cage uses post-industrial recycled glass-fibre, diverting offcuts from window and marine manufacturing. Strength is unchanged. Testing met or beat virgin spec on every batch.
Mailer · Curbside-recyclable
Plastic-free shipping
Every pair ships in moulded pulp, no plastic film, no inserts. The mailer is curbside-recyclable; the inner sleeve composts in 90 days.
Yield · 92% nested
Low-waste cutting
Insole blanks are nested for a 92% material yield rate, well above industry average. Offcuts are returned to the foam supplier for closed-loop recompounding.
Take-back program
Every insole has a second life in the community
Worn insoles don't go to landfill. They come back to us, get reground, and start again as recreational court padding for partner facilities.
When your HeelBase pair has done its job, usually 9 to 14 months of regular play, send it back in the pre-paid mailer that came with your order. We grind, sort, and reblend the foam into court-side rest pads donated to community court partners. You get a $20 credit toward your next pair.
Send · Reblend · Replant
- 01
Worn pair returned
Slip them in the mailer. We cover postage.
- 02
Reground and reblended
Foam reduced to feedstock, glass-fibre recovered.
- 03
New life on local courts
Donated as rest-pad padding to community court partners.
Where we are
Numbers we update every quarter
Sustainability theatre is easy. Real numbers are harder. Here is where the program stands today, refreshed every quarter.
38%Bio-based foamPer HeelBase pair, current production
92%Material yieldAcross cutting and forming
24Courts adoptedAcross 11 underserved neighborhoods
6,400Pairs returnedLifetime take-back program total
Our 2027 pledge
Three commitments. Progress published every quarter.
Promises without dates and numbers are just adjectives. So we are being specific.
Pledge 01
50% bio-based foam
From the current 38% to half the foam mass by end of 2027, without sacrificing dual-density performance.
Pledge 02
60% take-back recovery
Lift the return rate from 41% to 60%, so two-in-three HeelBase pairs come back for reblending instead of landfill.
Pledge 03
100 community courts
Adopt 100 community courts across the lower 48, with at least one in every state where pickleball participation has tripled since 2022.
Pledge progress reported in our quarterly Beyond Pickleball update. Subscribe via the footer to get it.
More than insoles
Help us grow the gameand the community around it.
Whether you run a league, coach beginners, or just want a pair that comes back when you are done with it, you are part of this. Join us.
Quarterly progress updates published in The Baseline.