Everything You Need to Know Before Buying New Tennis Shoes

• By Brandon Ogle

One quote that always comes to my mind when discussing tennis shoes comes from the movie Forrest Gump. “There’s an awful lot you can tell about a person by their shoes.” While he wasn’t directly talking about a pair of shoes worn for playing tennis, there’s still a lesson to be learned. Tennis is a sport where people often neglect the purchase of proper equipment, but if you watch players serious about tennis, they’ll have the right shoes for the competition at hand.

Do You Really Need a Pair Just for Tennis?nis?

In short, the answer to this question is YES! First and foremost, tennis shoes are a critical determinant of how comfortable you’ll feel while on the court. If your shoes are constantly taking your attention away from the match at hand, then your performance will suffer. Tennis can be a long game. It takes great amounts of endurance to be able to compete in a match for multiple sets. Your tennis shoes affect how long you can stay on the court. Obtaining a reliable pair of tennis shoes will ensure you don’t pick up a preventable injury and at the same time, ensure you’re able to play up to your abilities. So, in essence, if you’re serious about playing plenty of tennis and at a high level, then I recommend getting a pair of shoes just for tennis!

Foot Typesypes

Every pair of shoes isn’t made to fit all types of feet. Your individual type of foot is dependent on the foot’s actual shape and how you walk. There are three general types of feet that we use: (1) Pronated, (2) Supinated, and (3) Ideal.

I recommend you find out your type before going out to purchase a pair of tennis shoes. A pronated foot usually is most susceptible to injury. With this being the case, make sure you get a shoe that prioritizes support. Those with a supinated foot will look for durability as a key quality. This is due to the wear that supinated feet tend to put on shoes. Finally, an ideal foot provides the idealistic option of just choosing a shoe that is comfortable on your feet.

Surface Playing Ong On

With tennis, there are three primary surfaces played on: grass, clay and hardcourt. For players in the United States, you’ll mainly play on hardcourts. However, it’s important to keep in mind the type of shoes available for all surfaces. Since hardcourts play moderately quickly, I recommend getting a durable pair that will hold up. Furthermore, you’ll want one with some support as hard courts can do a number on your joints. For clay, you’re going to emphasize traction. You’ll also want a pair with a pattern on the bottom that prevents clay from clogging up underneath your shoe. Lastly, grass courts are the fastest of the three. One positive about grass is that it does provide some natural cushioning, so you can give up some cushioning in terms of the shoe. However, lateral support would be a good quality to look for due to the quickness of the games.

Material Used in ShoeShoe

As a result of the low-cost options available at large retailers, people usually ignore small qualities of shoes that are actually very important. One of these is the materials used in the shoe. A couple of the more common materials utilized are canvas, leather and vinyl. Canvas is terrific in breathability, but leaves plenty to be desired when it comes to support. Meanwhile, leather is tremendous in support. The third option, vinyl, is solid in support, but the lack of breathability can create more fatigue. Despite the positives and negatives, the truth is most high-quality shoes provide a mixture of all of these materials. They’ll provide players with the adequate support that vinyl and leather provide with a mesh or canvas ensuring breathability isn’t a concern. However, keep in mind that shoes will have varying portions of these to resolve different needs. Ultimately, refer to the surface you intend on playing the most on before delving into the materials.

When Should You Replace?ace?

A common question many people want to know before purchasing is how long these shoes will last. I completely understand this because you don’t want to fork out a decent amount of money for a pair that will give out after a couple months. The general rule is that every pair of shoes should last for approximately 500 miles of use. However, tennis isn’t like long-distance running. You can’t necessarily calculate how many miles you ran. With this being the case, I recommend routinely analyzing the tread pattern on the bottom of the shoe and the cushioning. If both seem to be deteriorating, it might be time to get a new pair. Also, if you’re starting to feel discomfort with your current pair, it might be wise to try something new before coming down with a significant injury.

Do Your Research!rch!

As you can probably tell, the process of getting a new pair of tennis shoes isn’t that simple. You should carefully think about where you’ll be playing and what the current state of your body is. If you’re truly serious about playing tennis and want to avoid unnecessary injuries, then I recommend doing your homework. On a side note, don’t hesitate to check out multiple brands before deciding on one that best fits you.