How To Pick Tennis Shoes

Level & Style Of Play

As you shop around for a new pair of tennis shoes, its worth keeping in mind your level and style of play to help find the ideal match.

If youre new to the game and learning how to play, then an inexpensive pair of all court tennis shoes is likely a great option to start. However, if youre an intermediate to an advanced tennis player, youll want to ensure your shoes meet the higher-level demands of your game.

Similarly, your style of play can help dictate the type of shoe that might make the most sense for you. An aggressive baseliner thats continually running side to side might opt for an ultra-stable pair, while an all-court player might select a lightweight pair for maximum speed.

Tennis Shoes For Different Types Of Courts

In tennis, the three primary court surfaces are:

• Hard
• Clay
• Grass

When buying a new pair of tennis shoes, the type of court surface youre playing on most frequently will dictate the ideal shoe.

Each court surface exhibits different playing characteristics and presents unique challenges for players to achieve proper traction, which is necessary to compete safely and perform their best.

Luckily, tennis shoes have evolved, and we now have a greater variety available to choose from, which includes models that have outsoles designed to cater to the demands of each court surface.

Guidelines When Choosing A Tennis Shoe

It is first essential to determine the court at which you are playing tennis. If playing on a hard court, you will need a shoe with the right amount of traction. If playing on a clay court, you will need a shoe that has patterns across the outside.

The grass-court shoes will have a bottom with nubs to prevent slipping.

Running around the tennis court can make your feet hot and sweaty. It is, therefore, best to choose a lightweight, breathable well-ventilated tennis shoe, especially in summer.

The most popular choice would be the K.Swiss Bigshot Light 2.5 for men at about $139.95 and the Bigshot Light 2.5 for women, priced at about $110.

The thin padding on the inside of the shoe does not restrict the lateral movements of the player.

Also Check: Can You Machine Wash Hey Dudes

Best For Clay Courts: Diadora Speed Blushield Fly 3+ Clay

Diadora’s Blushield shoes are best for matches on clay courts, Garcia says.

Clay courts are softer and often more slippery than hard courts. When you don’t wear the right pair of shoes, the surface can feel unstable. Diadora’s shoes have a rubber tread on the bottom that helps prevent excessive sliding or slipping.

Buy it:Diadora.com Price: $135

Things You Need To Look For When It Comes To Kid Tennis Rackets

You will find that there is an overwhelming number of kids tennis rackets on the market today. So it is difficult to select the right one for your kid and choose the right features. You will always want to know, what brand and style will suit your child?

Therefore, I give you some tips to help you pick the right kids tennis racket in the following points.

• You must choose the racket according to your kids age because you cannot give your 4 years old child a tennis racket for 10 years old kid.
• You will always need to buy a kids tennis racket based on height, which is one of the most important points you need to take care of.
• It is important to choose the right grip size for your kids especially if your kid’s hand measures more or less than 4 inches.
• Make sure that the strings in the racket are strong enough to sustain the balls velocity in a perfect way.
• Take care of choosing a comfortable weight and high-quality material of the racket very well because it will help your child to have some comfortably swing around without any difficulty while playing tennis.

Don’t Miss: How To Get Shoe Raffles

What Are Tennis Shoes

The design feature of the shoe is centered solely around the sport. The design varies based on the choice of the tennis court.

The tennis shoe has to also offer maximum support to the player, with safety being of paramount importance. The shock-absorbent material protects the player from any shock during the game.

Due to the vigorous motion of the sport, the tennis shoe provides great lateral support. Being much slimmer than normal shoes, they offer protection to the players ankle.

Best Hybrid: Babolat Propulse Fury All Court Women

Like to dance between clay, hard and maybe even grass courts? Babolat’s shoes are your best pick for versatility.

Plus, the high durability and stiff cushion on these shoes is great for advanced players who want to be explosive in their game, Garcia says. The solid sole helps you push powerfully off the ground for faster sprints and higher vertical jumps.

Buy it:Babolat.com Price: $120

Read Also: Shoe Size D Vs 4e

Best For Stability: Mizuno Women’s Wave Exceed 4ac

The Wave Exceed is best for players who are concerned with safety and ankle stability. The cushion on these shoes is durable and firm, Garcia says, helping to prevent your feet from rolling over to the side onto your ankle as you slide on the court.

Mizuno also offers a six-month outsole guarantee, so if your sole wears out within the first six months of use, you can get a full refund.

Buy it:Holabirdsports.com Price: $109.95

Adidas Stella Court Barricade Tennis Shoe

For women who want a high-performance, comfortable, and lightweight shoe, the Adidas Stella Court is one of the best shoes on the market.

The Stella Court, like most Adidas shoes, has a great combination of comfort, performance, and style. These shoes come with a mesh upper material that gives them a sock-like fit. This helps add comfort, support, and responsiveness. The upper is also very breathable to help keep your feet dry. The technology put into the sole of the shoe offers great cushion without sacrificing performance.

Its a lightweight shoe without a ton of outside support, but excellent comfort. Advanced tennis players who play several times per week and move quickly around the court may wear these shoes out quickly, but will love the performance.

Pros and Cons

Also Check: Which Altra Shoe Is Best For Me

Finding The Perfect Fit

Hands down, the most important thing to get right when purchasing a new pair of tennis shoes is the fit. Let me walk you through a few different topics you should keep in mind when evaluating shoes.

SizeThe size of your shoe is perhaps the most obvious when it comes to achieving the right fit. But how sure are you of your sizing?Ideally, youll have roughly a half-inch or 13 millimetres between the tip of your big toe and the front of your shoe. A quick test that works reasonably well is to use the width of your thumb to check this space. Adequate room at the front of your shoe helps to avoid jamming your toes together and pre-vents blisters, while also allowing them to breathe and stay cool. Tennis shoes that are too large, on the other hand, can also lead to excessive move-ment of your foot, which can also lead to blisters and issues with your calf muscles and Achilles heel.

WidthFor a large portion of the worlds population, standard or regular width shoes do the trick, but if you fall outside of this range, then its crucial to find the correct width for the health of your feet.

Toe BoxThe available space for your toes in a shoe will correlate with the width of a shoe. However, since most shoes are standard size, youll find that some have tighter or more roomy toe boxes.

Quality Vs Value In A Tennis Shoe

As with any purchase, you have to decide how important the quality of the tennis sneaker is to you.

The Prince T22.5 shoes are great value shoes for beginners and advanced players.

There are many shoes on the market you can get for under $70, but they will typically not last as long or have the combination of performance and stability that competitive players look for.

That said, if youre only a recreational tennis player who only plays a few times per month, then a better value could be more important to you.

You ultimately have to decide for yourself. Above, we have reviewed both types of shoes.

• Best Value Shoe for Tennis :Prince T22 Tennis Shoe

Recommended Reading: What Does 4e Mean In Shoe Size

Asics Gel Resolution 8

The Gel Resolution series of tennis shoes have been one of Asics most popular, and their release of the Gel Resolution 8 continues the trend as one of our favorite.

The shoes outsole features Asics durable AHAR+ rubber material used in a wide range of their footwear to provide plenty of traction and twice as much durability as standard rubber.

One of our favorite parts about these shoes is the gel midsole, which provides exceptional comfort as a standout feature.

Beyond that, the Asics Gel Resolution 8s upper offers comfort and stability that snug around your foot with its Flexion Fit design.

Best For Narrow Feet: New Balance Women’s 1006v1 2a

Hunting down a pair of shoes in narrow sizes is no easy task. But these New Balance court shoes come in a 2A width, suitable for narrow feet. Finding a shoe that fits properly is really important , according to Garcia.

Tennis involves a ton of shifts left and right with quick bursts of movement and leaps in the air. Wearing shoes that are too wide for your feet can put you at higher risk of injury you want your ankle and foot to be secure. This shoe also has a good amount of cushion, which helps minimize impact on your joints while you play, she says.

Buy it:Tennis-warehouse.com Price: $114.95

Also Check: Can You Return Custom Nike Shoes

How Do I Make My Tennis Shoes More Comfortable

Tennis shoes can be made more comfortable by using a shock-absorbing insole which reduces stress on muscles, joints, and tendons. We also recommend carefully selecting a pair of cushioned tennis socks which not only provide you with extra cushioning but may also include features such as moisture wicking, improved breathability and better grip, all leading to a more comfortable experience on court.

If your shoes have been used extensively, the midsole may no longer be in a state to provide the level of comfort and support required for tennis and in this case a new pair of tennis shoes will be required.

Can I Wear Tennis Shoes For Running

This depends on how much cushioning you need to feel comfortable when running. If your feet can deal with less cushioning, then you may be able to wear tennis shoes for running shorter distances.

However, many runners may feel that the cushion is too little and the lateral stability creates a stiffness that doesnt allow their foot to move naturally and comfortably.

Read Also: 4e Shoes Meaning

Other Things To Keep In Mind

There are other things that you would need to keep in mind when you are shopping for tennis shoes. The things that we discussed were good for picking out the right tennis shoe based on your type of play, body weight, foot type, etc. However, thats not always the only thing you should be looking at when buying new tennis shoes.

Hard Court Clay Court And All Court Tennis Shoes

Tennis shoes are categorized by the type of court they are intended for. The most common ones today are hard-court and clay-court tennis shoes. For those who are new to the game or need a shoe for recreational use, there are versatile all-court trainers as well.

The brands most often release the same model in both hard-court and clay variations.

Good to know

Also Check: Where Can I Sell My Shoes Fast

What Should I Look For In An Athletic Shoe

Running ShoesConventional thinking suggests that a good running shoe should have ample cushioning to absorb shock, but there are advocates for minimalist running shoes that have almost no cushioning. No data exist to say which type of shoe is better.

If you choose a cushioned shoe, look for overall shock absorption, flexibility, control, and stability in the heel counter area , as well as lightness and good traction. These features may help prevent shin splints, tendinitis, heel pain, stress fractures, and other overuse injuries.

Walking ShoesIf walking is your activity of choice, look for a lightweight shoe with extra shock absorption in the heel of the shoe and especially under the ball of the foot. This will help reduce heel pain as well as burning and tenderness in the ball of the foot . A shoe with a slightly rounded or rocker sole also helps to encourage the natural roll of the foot during the walking motion. You should also look for a comfortable soft upper and smooth tread .

Aerobic ShoesShoes for aerobic conditioning should be lightweight to prevent foot fatigue and have extra shock absorption in the sole beneath the ball of the foot, where the most stress occurs. If possible, work out on a soft surface .

Basketball ShoesIf basketball is your sport, choose a shoe with a thick, stiff sole. This gives extra stability when running on the court. A high-top shoe may provide added support but won’t necessarily decrease the risk of ankle sprain or injury.

What Are The Best Shoes For Playing Tennis

With so many leading tennis brands manufacturing performance footwear, tennis players are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing top of the range tennis shoes. Our leading footwear ranges include:

The ‘go-to’ tennis shoe of hundreds of die hard tennis players around the country. Selling for over 20 years with only minor refinements along the way, the Defier cements itself as a benchmark for durable tennis shoes with its premium build quality and timeless design.

Known for their highly detailed research and renowned GEL cushioning, footwear specialists Asics have created one of the most complete tennis shoes with the GEL-Resolution. Favoured for its balance of comfort, durability and support, the shoe is used on tour by many professionals including Gael Monfils and Johanna Konta.

Increasing in popularity, the Solution Speed FF is one of Asics’ ligher models featuring FlyteFoam technology for more responsiveness and speed. The flexible material and comfort have made this a leading choice for club players as well as pros like David Goffin.

The JET from Babolat was one of the earliest ranges which packed stability, durability, comfort and into a lightweight tennis shoe. Utilising years of expertise, Babolat have made refinements to the range in order to meet the demands of modern players. The variety of colour-ways have also contributed to the range taking off.

Also Check: Enter Shoe Raffle

+ Best Tennis Shoes 2021

Mens & Womens Guide

We hope you love this article. Just so you know, TennisCompanion may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page to help keep this site running. Learn more.

Tennis shoes are a vital part of a players equipment, and it pays to invest wisely to protect your feet and avoid injury.

However, there is a wide variety of considerations when searching for the perfect shoe, including comfort, durability, and cost, to name a few, making tracking down the ideal footwear challenging.

In this guide, weve pulled together reviews of the ten best tennis shoes for men and women, along with tips to keep in mind when buying a new pair or replacing your existing kicks.

Heres a quick snapshot of our top picks for men and women to get us started keep scrolling to learn more about each shoe.

10+ Best Womens Shoes

Adidas Adizero Ubersonic 3

Another lightweight tennis shoe that we love is the adidas Adizero Ubersonic 3, which performs exceptionally well across the board.

The outsole features a durable herringbone tread design, which is lightweight and works great on a wide range of court surfaces.

The no-frills polyurethane midsole provides plenty of cushioning and a great feeling response.

One of the more unique features of the adidas Ubersonic 3 is the shoes upper, which uses a high-performance outer cover made of Dyneema and Vectran fibers for lightweight stability and durability.

On the inside, youll find a comfortable bootie, which all combined make for a delightfully light and stable shoe that we love.

Also Check: How To Get Mildew Out Of Shoes

Best Budget: Nike Women’s Court Lite 2

Nike’s Court Lite tennis shoes for women are a longtime classic that won’t break the bank, Garcia says. Their soft ankle padding helps prevent chafing and blisters as you shift your weight from side to side.

They’ve also got a thick outsole, which is ideal for hard courts, she says. Thicker soles are more resistant to wear from the court against your shoe. But if you’re playing on clay or both hard and clay courts, she recommends opting for a clay-specific or hybrid shoe .

Buy it:DicksSportingGoods.com Price: $64.99