Tennis players are by far the most agile compared to the other sports. They must make quick and sudden movements in any direction to score points against their opponents. The players can anticipate the direction their rival is going to hit the ball and respond accordingly.
Tennis players are no ordinary players. They have got some special powers in flexibility, strength, vision, and responsiveness. However, the players need the right footwear to complement their agility sufficiently.
Ordinary running shoes don’t cut as their design leans more on the forward motion. Tennis players perform forward, sideways, and backward motions that the running shoes cannot accommodate. Their flexible soft soles designed to take forward impact will disintegrate when used for various high-impact sidestepping and halts.
The best tennis shoes have the right design to accommodate the range of motion of tennis players. They provide the proper support and comfort to produce the best performance for the players.
Selecting the best tennis shoes is no easy task folks. We had to personally test a large number of shoes guided by user reviews. We picked the best sellers, put them to work, and listed them according to several factors such as comfort, durability, design, and ruggedness among others. Our efforts produced Adidas Men’s Barricade Club Tennis Shoe, as the best among them. But what makes this brand popular among users?
Why the Tennis Shoes?
Unlike their weaker cousins, running shoes, and tennis shoes feature extra lateral support to provide adequate support for side-to-side motion and sudden stops. The shoes have tougher materials to safeguard the heels and ankles against the constant shock associated with tennis playing.
The type of footwear you take to the tennis game determines whether you can last, and the kind of comfort your feet feel. Your shoes can be the difference between exceptional performance and not-so-great performance. Don’t let the shoes keep you from the glory of back-to-back wins.
What to Look for When Purchasing Tennis Shoes
Several factors will point you to the best tennis shoes you will find on the market, and the following are some of the suggestions. Consider the following when buying and you will end up with the right shoe for a successful game.
Budget
Tennis is one of the most demanding sports played by thousands for fun and competitiveness. As such, the best shoes for the game have some of the best support for your feet to last through the game.
Considering the role that tennis shoes play, the best among them have the best material to absorb shock and protect your feet comfortably. Such content and design do not come on cheap. It incorporates years of research, manufacturing innovation, and design. As such, tennis shoes are a bit pricier than your typical running shoe.
Don’t settle for the cheapest tennis shoes you find or you will live to regret it. They will not only disintegrate really fast under the pressure of the game but are an injury risk. The adage, ‘cheap is expensive’ applies in every sense when it comes to tennis shoes. Choose wisely and don’t leverage your safety and comfort on price.
Shoe Type
No matter how anxious you are to start playing, don’t settle for anything less than a tennis shoe. Some cheap brands may seem attractive, and even use underhanded marketing tactics, but don’t fall into the trap. Choose the right quality of tennis shoes and your feet will thank you for it.
Arch support
Flat feet players need shoes that provide adequate support for low arches. In the majority of cases, flat-footed players are overpronators, and high-arched shoes can lead to injury. There are things you can do to enhance your comfort such as adding thicker insoles, but it is always better to go for shoes designed for the flat-footed.
Stabilizing footwear is, therefore, the ideal choice for overpronators as they tend to roll their foot inwards while in motion.
People with high arches understand too well what it is like to deal with uncomfortable shoes. They know the discomfort and pain on the balls of the feet that walking for long can prove, let alone playing a highly engaging game such as tennis.
People with neutral feet or moderate arch area space can be comfortable on any tennis shoe. However, people with supinated or under pronated feet often roll their feet outward in motion, and they need a highly flexible shoe to protect the foot from shock.
It is possible that both people with high arches, as well as, those with low arches may find the same type of shoes comfortable but it is not a given surety. As such it is essential to get the right shoe by going to the store and fitting it yourself before purchase. If buying online, then make sure the shoe has a sufficient amount of time allowed to return. In other words, make sure you can return it if it is not the right fit.
Playing Style
The ideal shoe for you easily accommodates your playing style. If you are a baseline player or who prefers the backline, then you need a tennis shoe with sufficient lateral support. You will also need a highly rugged but flexible sole to take the perpetual lateral motion.
As opposed to the baseline player, the serve-and-volley player prefers to charge the net regularly. As a result, they often slide their foot backward as they serve. The ideal shoe for such a player is one with a durable toecap and decent internal support.
The Surface of the Court
The type of court surface you are playing on has a significant impact on the durability of the shoe you are using. A concrete surface court should be sufficiently durable with a highly supportive upper and resilient inner sole to cushion you from the hard surface. As earlier mentioned, tennis is a high-impact game and foot protection is necessary even as you try your best to outdo your opponent.
Shoes for soft courts come with non-damaging traction. The multi-court shoes, on the other hand, are ideal for both hard and soft courts. That means you can use the shoes on any type of court, hard or soft, without the need to change your shoes.
Cushioning
Tennis shoes typically have two types of cushioning: PU and EVA. The EVA cushioning is flexible and lighter but has durability issues. They are also less stable compared to PU. While PU is the more durable and stable of the two cushions, it is a bit heavy.
Brand
After figuring out the kind of shoe that you need, the next step is selecting the right brand. Remember that your choice of brand can determine whether you get the best quality shoe, or joke, made of cheap materials. More often than not, the tennis shoe reviews will always point you in the right direction. Users are in the best position to say whether a particular brand is better than the rest of them.
In most cases, professional tennis players have used many brands and know which among them stands the test of time while providing the necessary comfort and protection. Numerous brands demonstrate high quality and cutting-edge technology such as Adidas, Nike, Diadora, Asics, and Babolat.
Something like the Adidas Barricade has been a top choice for established tennis players. The Adidas Boost is their latest edition and blends all the top features with a lightweight design.
Asics are the new boys in the block, but they have hit the ground running. They employ innovative technology to produce Asics Gel, Solution Light, and Solution Speed to excel in tennis shoe production.
K-Swiss is another unbeatable brand that you will find many tennis players wearing. Their classic shoes are quite durable and reasonably wide to provide sufficient foot support as necessary.
Sizing
For most shoe buyers, especially online purchases, sizing usually is an issue depending on the region of manufacture. Check by measuring your feet and convert the measurements to the units used by the shoe brand you are buying. Remember to do it for both your feet as one foot tends to be bigger than the other – nothing to worry about, it is normal.
Comfort
The tennis game demands comfortable shoes. There’s no other way around this. As such make sure the tongue padding is sufficient so that the laces will not hurt you as you play the game.
New shoes can cause blisters if used directly in the game. To avoid such a scenario, wear them around the house to break into them. Alternatively, you can stroll the neighborhood with them until they can feel comfortable.
Concluding Remarks
Tennis playing is unlike any other sport as it requires constant movement from one point to the other. It is a sport that can cause foot injury if not careful. As such, you need the best tennis shoes with features to protect your feet and provide the necessary comfort to better your opponents. The above tennis shoe reviews hopefully give you a good idea as to the right kind of shoes that you should have.
