With the Australian Open Tennis underway and undoubtedly encouraging many of us to get out on the court, we thought we’d share some insights into what to look for when selecting the best tennis shoe for your feet!
Stability
Think of all of the quick movements from side to side as you go to hit the ball! Without great stability around your foot and ankle from your shoe, you are at a significant risk of spraining your ankle and having to take the bench. Tennis shoes must prioritise stability, and even more so than running shoes where the primary motion is forward from heel to toe and not side to side. When trying on tennis shoes, carefully roll your feet in and out and move side to side to get a feel for how well the shoes will support you.
Check the grip
Tennis shoes must grip the ground very well to stop you slipping and sliding around. When looking for tennis shoes, you want to check the grip and think about what happens when it starts to wear down – which it will. This must be considered in relation to the surface that you’re playing on – see the section about the types of courts below! Indoor courts and hard courts provide better grip, whereas clay courts rely more on the shoe for grip. You want to get as much out of your shoes as possible without having to replace them so make sure they’re durable!
Have plenty of cushioning
Tennis puts a lot of force through your feet and legs, so having a good amount of cushioning will help reduce the force and strain on your muscles and tissues. This means you won’t tire as quickly, you’ll be less prone for injury, and your feet will feel better after a big day on the court!
The toe box
Because you’ll be going backwards and forwards to get to the ball, make sure there’s plenty of room at the toes in case your toes slide forward slightly. Players often drag the front of the shoe when moving backwards, so having a durable material or additional reinforcement at the toe box is often a good idea!
Know your foot type
Simply put, your foot will fall into one of 3 foot-type categories: pronated, neutral or supinated.
A pronated foot type describes flat feet with a very small (or non-existent) arch. A supinated foot type describes a high-arched foot. A neutral foot type is considered the ‘average’ between the two. Depending on your foot type, there are tennis shoes available that’ll best support your foot. If you have a flat foot, your tennis shoe can offer you more arch support for greater comfort so you can keep playing for longer without tiring your muscles. With a high-arched foot, you may need extra support and strength at the outer sides of the foot to stop you rolling your ankle as well as extra cushioning to help you absorb shock. The shop assistant will be able to inform you about the features of the tennis shoes you’re looking at so you can find the one that best matches your feet.
How do you play tennis?
Some players like to stay at the back of the court and move from side to side. Others run up to the net and back to get the ball. While this consideration may be for more ‘advanced’ players, the way you play can also affect what characteristics of the shoe will be best for your feet. Moving side to side needs lots of stability and control, whereas those running to the net and back may benefit from extra strength and cushioning at the toes, as well as support in the arch.
What court do you usually play on?
You may play tennis on softer courts, such as clay and grass, or tougher concrete courts. Tougher courts will wear out your shoes faster, so you may need more durability through a tougher sole material and added cushioning to help absorb the shock. Softer courts call for shoes that focus on grip as they tend to be more slippery.
Clay court
- Extra grip
- Doesn’t leave marks – finer profile on the sole
- Herringbone patterns are ideal
- Releases clay easily from any grooves
Grass court
- Good grip
- Flatter surface to avoid damaging the court
- Less focus on durability as grass courts are softer and easier on the feet and the shoes
Hard court
- Greater durability
- More cushioning as hard courts are tougher on the feet
- Good grip but the court also provides additional grip to help
Carpet court
- Shouldn’t leave marks on the carpet
- Smooth soles – less focus on grip as carpet provides ample grip, so extra grip is linked to greater injury
- Lesser focus on cushioning – these courts have good shock absorbing properties
Interesting fact: Wimbledon players have to wear completely flat tennis shoes to not damage the grass court!
Our Recommendations
There are many brands available that produce great tennis shoes. These include Asics, Adidas, New Balance, Nike and more.
As a starting point for men, we recommend trying the Asics Gel Resolution 7. These have a strong focus on stability and support, have a great gel-cushioning system, have reinforcement at the toes and are made to last. These were originally designed for clay courts (though perform well on any court) and even sport a big thumbs up from the American Podiatric Medical Association.
Other shoes to look at include the Adidas Barricade 2016, Asics Gel Solution Speed 2, New Balance MC806 and the Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tour.
For women, we recommend starting with the Asics Gel Resolution 5. These have a strong focus on durability, stability and comfort. These also have fantastic shock absorbing properties that adhere very closely to the foot, ensure a great fit with their memory foam, have great structural integrity, and maintains full contact with every surface.
Other shoes to look at include the Adidas Adizero Ubersonic 2, New Balance WC806, Nike Vapor Court and the Asics Gel Solution Speed 2.
What shoes are the professionals wearing?
Bearing in mind that the choice of footwear does largely come down to sponsorship for many professional tennis players, you’ll be seeing Rafael Nadal in Nike’s Lunar Court Ballistics, Roger Federer in Nike’s Court Zoom Vapors, and Nick Kyrios in Nike’s Air Zoom Vapors.
If you want to know more about tennis shoes or are having any problems with your feet, legs or your tennis game, come in and see our expert team at Sole Motion Podiatry. We love getting our patients healthy, happy and back to staying fit and doing the activities they love without pain or discomfort! We have a strong focus on sports medicine and are committed to delivering clinical excellence in Podiatry. We’re proud to support a wide range of local sports teams and love keeping the players performing at their best! Give us a call on 1300-FX-FEET.
