NOX bringing 2 decades of experience with foam materials to pickleball industry
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For nearly 20 years, NOX has been manufacturing sporting equipment primarily using foam technologies.
The company started in padel in the late 2000s, then expanded into beach tennis about 10 years later. In both sports, NOX is viewed as a premium brand that leans on European design expertise to make equipment that is comfortable to use and delivers elite performance. It’s the Mercedes-Benz of padel and beach tennis, and their equipment is used by World No. 1 padel player Agustín Tapia and World No. 1 beach tennis player Nico Gianotti.
When pickleball started taking off during the COVID-19 pandemic, the team at NOX saw an opportunity to use their knowledge of foam materials (used to make padel and beach tennis rackets) in pickleball paddles.
After rigorous R&D and testing led by pro pickleball player Jhonnatan Medina-Álvarez, who is now the company’s global pickleball advisor, they launched their X-FOAM line of paddles earlier this year. The paddles have been used by PPA Tour pros Judit Castillo and Grayson Goldin, as well as Álvarez and several pro players based in Europe. Castillo, Goldin and Álvarez all recently won medals at the PPA Tour Europe Barcelona Open in Spain, which is where NOX is headquartered.
“I really put an emphasis on feel and dwell time in my testing, and we were able to create a paddle that delivered on those two things while also producing effortless power,” Álvarez said. “What really stands out to me is the vibration dampening tech that’s in the paddles. That means there is less stress on the wrist and elbow joints, which allows players to be more comfortable and play more.”
Iain Pound, NOX’s general manager in the U.S., said the vibration dampening tech – and resulting comfort for players – has been a feature in NOX’s other products for years. He credited the company’s engineers for delivering those same benefits in the X-FOAM paddle line.
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He also pointed out that while most pickleball companies only started working with foam materials in their paddles within the past few years, NOX has almost 2 decades of foam experimentation under their belt.
“Our technology transfers over to pickleball paddles really well,” he said. “We have 18 years of R&D that’s gone into developing the best foam materials possible. Putting that technology into pickleball was an organic process, and that’s why we’ve been able to produce a really good product.”
There are currently six paddles in the X-FOAM lineup, each featuring NOX’s “Gen 4” foam core and T700 raw carbon fiber surface.
- Goldin is using the X-FOAM Goldin 14mm model, which is an elongated paddle that delivers the most power of any of the X-FOAM paddles.
- Castillo is using the X-FOAM JC6 16mm.
- Álvarez uses the X-FOAM JMA 16mm, which is a hybrid shape. There’s also a 14mm version of this paddle.
- The X-FOAM also comes in 14mm and 16mm widebody models called the X-FOAM TEMPUS.
“I often give my paddle out to friends or players at my local courts, and everybody who has tried it has told me they really like it,” Álvarez said. “It’s built to perform at a really high level, but it’s also very easy to use for the average player, and that was important to us in our testing process.”
Vibration dampening tech backed by data
The vibration dampening feature isn’t just a marketing ploy. NOX sent the X-FOAM paddles to the Testea Sport Lab, which is a scientific lab at the Universitat Politècnica de València in Spain dedicated to testing, evaluating and certifying sports equipment.
The lab tested seven pickleball paddles with varying core types (including some of the most popular paddles from major brands) to determine the level of energy transmission to the handle upon impact with the ball.
A robotic testing station was used to gather data with multiple sensors placed on the handle of the paddle, which recorded “accumulated vibration” and energy transfer.
The NOX paddles produced significantly lower accumulated vibration overall. And compared to the honeycomb paddles in the test, the NOX paddles produced approximately 35% less vibration, according to the report. They also produced better vibration dampening results than other popular foam paddles.
“It’s not just hearsay, and it’s not just a selling point – it’s proven by data,” Pound said. “We think that’s important and valuable for players to know.”
NOX footwear also backed by experts
NOX’s focus on comfort and performance doesn’t stop at their pickleball paddles and padel rackets.
In 2021 the company developed their first padel shoe, with the goal of maintaining the premium feel the brand had become known for in the padel industry.
NOX worked with a leading podiatrist in Spain who specializes in developing footwear for elite athletes, including tennis players Rafa Nadal, Garbiñe Muguruza and several FC Barcelona players. Together they researched the biomechanics of padel and developed shoes specifically for padel.
“When we decided to move into the pickleball space, we did the same process with the same podiatrist,” said Alfonso Bastida, the chief marketing officer at NOX. “They analyzed the specific movements of pickleball and adapted what we had done for padel, and the result is a very good shoe that is backed by science and will help players stay on court for longer.”
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Key features in the pickleball shoe include a wider toebox (key for added comfort during lateral movements) and built-in mesh sock that makes the shoes “feel like a glove when you put them on,” said Pound. They also come in premium packaging with a signed certification from the INESCOP Footwear Technology Centre, a private, nonprofit footwear lab in Spain.
Experts in the U.S. are also recommending the NOX shoes. Dr. Dan Zucker, a chiropractor in Los Angeles who works with several pro pickleball players, said the comfort, cushioning and stability is what makes them great from a health standpoint.
“As a chiropractor and pickleball player, I always remind my patients that footwear is the key,” Zucker said. “It’s extremely important to our comfort on the pickleball court, and I’ve been wearing the NOX Tempo shoe for about a month and I absolutely love it. The lateral support is incredible and the heel frame technology keeps my foot stable.”
Similar to the testing process with the X-FOAM paddles, Álvarez tried several versions of the shoes and suggested changes such as adding strategic reinforcements to common areas where players drag their feet. In the end they created a shoe that delivers premium comfort, elite performance and excellent durability.
“We sent 60 pairs of shoes to all the top athletes on the PPA Tour and APP Tour, as well as several amateur players, and the feedback was great,” Álvarez said. “That’s always huge for me when real players at different levels of the sport all like the product.”
At 44 years old with a history of back issues, Álvarez said the shoes have allowed him to play much more often than he was able to a few years ago.
“I couldn’t play more than a couple tournaments in a row because my body would break down,” he said. “Now I’m playing 5 times a week, and I’m able to still be competitive. These shoes and the paddles are all about allowing people to do what they love more often.”
