Shoes for Tennis

Tennis is a game of continual movement.  Players move about the court in all directions so they need shoes that are supportive when moving sideways, forward, backwards and diagonally.

When you purchase tennis shoes, make sure you specify REAL tennis shoes – shoes made specifically for tennis.  There are a lot of shoes made for jogging, running, squash, cross training and general sports that are similar in design appearance to popular tennis shoes.  These shoes ARE NOT suitable for tennis for one or more reasons; because they could be heavy, not designed for sideways and multi directional movement and have a sole pattern that is not suitable for tennis court surfaces.  The wrong footwear can lead to all kinds of injuries including blisters, foot, ankle, knee, leg and back injuries.  A lot of popular tennis shoes have a herringbone pattern (or majority herringbone) on the sole and are suitable for hard court, synthetic grass and clay use.  “Aggressive” soles on shoes do permanent damage to hard courts by permanently wearing the painted surface, to synthetic grass by wearing and in some cases, breaking the pile of the surface carpet and temporary damage to clay courts by generating extra sand on the surface and in some cases “gouging” the surface.  These situations on clay courts are repaired during normal maintenance but can be annoying if people don’t replace their divots properly.  Watch the tennis professionals on television, they are meticulous at immediately repairing the court if they have damaged it.

Players are not expected to come to an abrupt stop when playing tennis.  The aim is to progressively slow, then move dynamically through the shot.  Have you seen advanced and professional players deliberately sliding on hard courts?  It is happening more and more as the game gets faster and faster.  Complete stopping puts unnecessary physical load on the players’ body, particularly feet and ankles and makes it more difficult for the player to recover after the shot and move to the next shot.

Very few sports shops stock a wide selection of tennis specific shoes these days.

At Tall Gums we stock an assortment of tennis shoes to suit the majority of players.

The five factors to consider in buying tennis shoes are cost, durability, comfort, weight and appearance.  How often you play, your style of play and the court surface determine how much wear you get from your shoes.  People who play often on hard surfaces may wear out a pair of shoes within a few weeks.  Those who play on softer surfaces may get months out of their shoes.  It is not unusual for the toe of one shoe to wear out completely while the rest of the shoe is still in good condition.  Leather-topped shoes may be more comfortable than those with canvas, but they are also more expensive and may be heavier.  If you are a player who wears out the sole or toe quickly, the comfort of leather may not be worth the expense.

Buy the lightest shoe possible if you are satisfied with the cost, comfort and durability.  A difference of a few grams (ounces) seems like kilograms (pounds) during the third set of a match.

Most tennis complexes have signs on their courts that specify that only non-marking sole tennis shoes can be used on the courts.  This requirement is strictly enforced.

Tall Gums is no exception and requires all players to wear only tennis specific shoes on our courts.

Use the correct tennis shoes and it will make your game more enjoyable and help protect you from injury and the court from damage.