HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT TENNIS SHOE

For us, tennis is more than just a sport or hobby: it is our passion! It brings us fun and joy; it is intense and sometimes exhausting; it inspires us and sometimes frustrates us! But at the same time, tennis is quite demanding on our bodies. We sprint, we stop, we jump, we slide, and we run side-to-side. In order to do so and stay healthy, it is important to have a good pair of tennis shoes that can handle the demands of the sport.

Cushioning, stability, outsole, fit... choosing the right tennis shoes can sometimes make your head swim. Here is our guide to choosing the best tennis shoes according to your playground, foot shape and game style. Let's get started!

Ideally, you want to choose a tennis shoe that has an outsole designed specifically for the type of surface you’re playing on. Why? Clay, hard, and grass courts all play differently; therefore, your game and footwork will also change slightly. In order to maintain optimal footing on each court surface, it’s important to wear a tennis shoe that is designed to handle the build of the court.

Hard Court Outsoles

The most popular and common tennis court surface is a hard court. This court is also the most demanding when it comes to outsole durability. Therfore, you want an outsole that can handle the demands of this surface. Most often hard court tennis shoes feature a modified herringbone pattern to give you the perfect blend of grip and give on the court. Hard court shoes will often feature ample cushioning and a midsole that will help transfer energy into every step you take as well as absorb shock from the harder surface. They usually feature a tough upper that will aid in support and durability. The toe area is often built up and protected for the toe draggers out there as a gritty hard court can really do some damage to your shoes.

Clay Court Outsoles

The outsole of a clay court shoe will usually feature a full herringbone (zig zags) tread pattern. This pattern helps keep clay out of your outsole so you can better grip the court when sprinting, stopping or changing directions. If some clay does gather, a couple of taps on the shoe with your racquet between points should knock the clay loose. The herringbone design makes sliding from side to side more predictable so you can perfectly glide into a shot and recover. It also provides the traction needed for securely moving forward and backward. If you plan on playing on clay on a regular basis, another reason why you'll want a pair of clay specific shoes is because they usually have a tighter knit upper that not only aids in stability but helps keep the clay from entering your shoes. Choosing the right tennis shoes will improve your comfort, your confidence, and your performance on court!

Grass Court Outsoles

Like clay, grass is much softer on your body and joints. While there are not a ton of grass court shoe options to choose from, this surface tends to play fast, which means you will definitely want to wear a tennis shoe with a proper grass court outsole. The outsole of a grass court tennis shoe features "nubs" or "pimples" that are reminiscent of a cleat-like-shoe. This outsole provides great grip for players on a surface that can often be slippery. Despite the bumpy outsole, it shouldn't do any damage to the court and will help players feel comfortable moving quickly on this fast surface. Unlike hard court shoes, these cannot be used on other surfaces.

It is also worth noting that a full herringbone outsole shoe is better suited for grass court conditions than a hardcourt shoe. The traction might not be as great as a grass court shoe, but with the very limited options of grass court outsoles then a clay court shoe will also be a great pick!

Every player is unique and so are their feet. Some players have wide width feet, some medium, and others narrow. But there's no need to worry because we can find the best tennis shoes that perfectly fit the anatomy of your feet. First, let's have a look at how to determine the length and width of your feet.

Step 1: Find a hard, flat surface and place a piece of paper on the floor.

Step 2: Wear socks that are similar to what you plan to wear when playing tennis. Stand with one foot on the paper.

Step 3: Keeping your body weight over your foot, trace a thin line around the outside of your entire foot. When drawing the line, hold the pen perpendicular to the ground.

Step 4: Measure vertically down the length of your foot tracing. This is your foot length.

Step 5: Measure horizontally across the widest part of your foot tracing. This is your foot width.

Now that you understand and know your width and length, look out for the fit detail in our product descriptions to determine if the tennis shoes you are interested in are a good fit for your feet.

We also provide many video reviews in which we talk about the fit and performance of different shoes, to help you choose the best tennis shoes on Tennis Only!

What kind of player are you?

Are you a light-footed, sprinting all over the court kind of player? Or are you a hard hitting baseliner who is more concerned about ankle support?

Depending on your body and your game, you want to consider the following characteristics when choosing your new tennis shoes: