Tennis ShoesTennis shoes are as important as your tennis racket. This is a high-speed game where you will be changing direction, going from full speed to a stop, jumping, sliding, shuffling, and backpedaling. You therefore need footwear that is going to protect your feet and ankles while giving you feel and the ability to move well on the court. Although you are probably playing regularly on only one type of surface, it's important to understand that there is footwear that is made for each main tennis playing surface. The main types of tennis court are clay courts, hard courts and grass courts. The sole of a grass court shoe is going to be very different than the sole of a hard court shoe. Obviously, on a grass court you need to grip the court more to provide a stable base. That said, if you are a normal recreational tennis player, the chances are you won’t play on several different surfaces and therefore you won’t need to own several different pairs of tennis trainers. Your best bet is to find something that will provide comfort, feel, support, durability and above all stability. Obviously most of the main sports shoe manufacturers make tennis shoes. Nike, Adidas, K-Swiss, Asics and New Balance for example. But so do some of the main tennis racket manufacturers. Babolat, Head, Prince and Wilson. The bottom line is that you MUST wear tennis trainers as they will provide you with the best foot and ankle support. Do NOT wear running shoes. These are designed only for cushioning and not for rapid changes in direction. I played with a guy once who played in his running shoes………he BROKE his ankle by rolling over on it. I don’t want that to be you!!!
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