There is no lack of options when it comes to tennis shoes. But what’s confusing is how to pick the best one. Read my list of 10 things you need to consider to get best tennis shoes.
Your Playground matters!
Buying tennis shoes is not similar to buying other footwear. One of the important factors is the surface of where you are playing. The playing style and movements vary on the playground. Hence your tennis shoe outsoles are also designed specifically for it.
- Hard Courts: Non Marking and durable shoes have a modified herringbone pattern to give you the edge of giving and gripping the court. The toe portion is thickened to save you out from the draggers in the hardcourt.
- Clay courts: Much softer than hard courts, thus they have full herringbone (zig-zags) tread pattern to keep clay away from your shoes. These shoes have a slight upper for keeping the clay away and provide stability. They are much lighter weight, thud aiding sliding, and improved speed as needed in a clay court.
- Grass court: Designed especially to save the grass from being damaged, these have “nubs” or “pimples” made from mesh and synthetic combinations for providing an improved grip on the slippery surface. Mind that these shoes cannot be used in any case in other types of courts, else you should be hurting your feet.
Playing style
We have classified two types of laying styles that will determine your shoe type. Your shoes must be durable enough for these playing styles.
- Baseline type: Players playing along the backline of the court require a highly durable sole owing to the lateral motion. Consider buying a sturdy and durable sole.
- Serve and volley player: Taking charge of the net, their players slide their backfoot along the ground to make a serve. Thus a stable toe cap with a medial inside the arch should be the top features of the show.
Getting the perfect fit and Shoe considerations
The most known thing which every other person knows while buying footwear. However, just because the court and playing style matters doesn’t mean you’” neglect these.
- Size: To find the right size, use the width of your thumb to check this space between the tip of your thumb toe and the front of your tennis shoe. The gap should measure about 13 mm to prevent unnecessary blisters and jam your toes together after long hours of playing.
- Width: Most of the standard size tennis shoes have a tighter room for the toe. So the best tennis shoe would be the one that provides sufficient space for the toe, or else you would be hunting your toe constantly.
- Ankles: There might be a chance that the bones of the ankles might touch against the upper edge of the tennis shoe. Truly, it’s a very discomforting experience and even gets amplified during the play. So every time you buy a tennis shoe, do check out for this loophole.
- Weight: Apart from these features, weight and comfort can determine your buying choice. A lightweight shoe feels fast, and a heavier shoe might be sluggish unless you are used to wearing it.
10. Stability is another must-have feature. Those sudden jumps can be backed up if a shank is inserted in the middle of the shoes. The sign of a stable tennis shoe to keep your feet locked without that jerks you move forward or backward.
Consider these and you will never go wrong with tennis shoe.