Buying Tennis Shoes

Proper footwear is essential on the tennis court. Using a shoe not designed for the game is a twisted or broken ankle waiting to happen. While the term “tennis shoe” seems to be applied to any type of athletic shoe, even the sneakers, in reality each shoe is custom designed for each sport. Running shoes are balanced for straight movement, while the tennis player needs a shoe that is built to stabilize for side-to-side motion. A cross-training shoe that is designed for both straight-forward movement and side-to-side motion may seem like a logical choice, but go with the tennis shoe, as a cross-trainer has less of the necessary support. In order to pick out the perfect shoe for your tennis needs, you’ll want to take into account the surface of the court you play on, your own body type, and the shoe design itself. This will ensure that you get a shoe that will aid your game rather than handicap it.

Tennis Shoes

Match your shoe to the surface

Not only do you need a shoe that fits you so you don’t get harmed, also you need a shoe that fits your court so your court is not harmed. There are many types of court surfaces, but for our purposes we will break it down into hard courts (indoor courts and concrete) and soft courts (grass and clay). On a soft court you have to be careful of damaging the court itself, while on hard courts the main issue with improper shoes is scuff marks. In fact, courts will not even allow people to play on them if not wearing the proper shoes. Some shoes are designated for the proper surfaces, and you can always check with court management about the required shoe type.

Wear and tear on tennis shoes

When playing on a hard court you want to use a durable shoe with a sole resistant to wear and tear. The harder court surface will break down a shoe fast which will decrease your traction on the court and allow you to slide as you move potentially causing injury. You’ll also want to look at a shoe that has extra coverage over the big toes. In playing tennis, especially during the serve, a player will often drag the big toe across the court. While the sole is usually the point of the most wear in a tennis shoe, the upper material will sometimes suffer in that section of the big toe. While you want something with good traction to keep from sliding on the court, you need to be certain that the sole of your shoe is fairly smooth. Large knobs and bumps on the bottom of the sole will gouge the court and cause expensive damage to it while also creating an unsafe area for you to play on. On the plus side, your shoes are far less likely to wear out on the soft court and will likely last a lot longer.

Men's Tennis Shoes

Match your shoe to you

Your body type will also help to determine what type of shoe will work best for you. You want to make sure you have properly fitting shoes to prevent rotating your ankles as you play – and blistering. Look for shoes that  are well-cushioned and have wicking ability to remove the moisture from the cushioning. You’ll also want to look to your feet. Most people have pronated feet which mean that they tend to roll inward more than necessary. Often these people have narrower feet and smaller arches. You can tell if your feet pronate by looking at the shoes you wear most often. If the areas of most wear on them are on the outside part of the heel, but the inside part of the forefoot, then your feet pronate. 60-70% of the population deals with this. To compensate, buy a pair of shoes that is resistant to rollover rather than a heavily cushioned pair. Another common foot problem is supination. These people are those who are considered to be pigeon-toed. Looking at their worn shoes reveals the most wear on the outer edge of both the heel and forefoot. Of the population, 20-30% is pigeon-toed. You can help this by buying a heavily cushioned pair of shoes. The remainder of the population (about 10%) has neutral feet where they wear their shoes evenly from heel to toe and should have a balance between cushioning and rollover support in their shoes.

Getting a good fit

You want to buy a shoe that will fit well on the court, and on you. Once you have a pair that will fit your personal needs, test the flex point before buying. The flex point is the point on the shoe where the sole bends most easily. This should be at the ball of the foot where you foot naturally bends. To test the flex point, hold the shoe between your palms with the tip of the toe touching one palm and the heel touching the other palm. Gently press inward and watch to see where the sole flexes at.

Women's Tennis Shoes

Choosing the right material

With the upper material on the shoe, durability is less important than your personal comfort. It is far likelier that the sole of the shoe will wear out before the upper material does. Leather shoes give good support and stay drier in off-court areas, but tend to be heavier. A vinyl shoe will also give good support and resist external moisture, but it doesn’t breathe well, so sweat stays inside the shoe. A canvas shoe is lightweight and breathes the best, but is the least durable of the three. Be prepared to spend at least $40 on a pair of shoes, and if you want them to last many seasons of play expect that price to double at least. It is possible to spend into the hundreds of dollars if you want, but usually isn’t necessary. Once you have decided to play tennis, play it safe and be certain to prepare yourself with the proper footwear to prevent injury.