Types of Tennis Shoes You Need to Know About

Introduction

Tennis shoes are an essential part of the tennis gear, a player would struggle without having the right pair of shoes. They were first introduced in the 19th century. The first tennis shoe was called ThePlimsoll. These shoes were a rubber soled canvas designed to play Croquet or Tennis. Since then we have come a long way and there have been many advancements in the shoe category. Big brands such as NIKE,ADIDAS have entered the game and made a huge impact, they specialized in this area and made further developments.

Having the right pair of tennis shoes is essential to help you play the matches in the best possible way. Ill fitting shoes can result in blisters, ankle and even knee pain. That's the reason why professional players use various types of shoes for various surfaces such as clay, hard and grass.

Know Your Foot Type

You can either go to a podiatrist to know your feet size or check at home by yourself. For instance, if the impression of the wet feet shows a crescent-shaped footprint with little or no footmark made by your arch then you have a supinated foot. There are different types of feet and hence one should have the knowledge of the foot type.

Understanding the shoes anatomy

After knowing your foot type, try to understand the footwears anatomy. Try out different pairs and ensure that you feel comfortable at the upper against the top of your foot. Also,make sure your shoes have a durable toe cap especially if you tend to drag your toe while you serve. Apart from that pay attention to extra material along the medial portion of the upper if you have a habit of hitting your forehand from an open stance.

Now coming to the insole. While buying the shoes ensure that the insole provides comfort and cushioning because that's the part where your foot rests. If you are the type of player who is aggressive and gives a heavy beating to the tennis shoes then you'll have to look out for a new pair of shoes quite soon because the midsole will wear down very easily.

The outsole affects the traction especially when you play on clay or hard court. Players who play on hard surfaces should look for the shoes whose outsoles have a variety in design to get best leverage on court.

Weight of the shoes

Usually the players lookout for shoes which are light on foot but that's not the exact case because they have extra cushioning and long lasting outsoles which add to the weight of the shoes. These shoes are heavy when compared to the running shoes. It is suggested for a player to have 2 pairs of shoes one being the heavy pair and the other one being a lighter pair. The heavy pair of shoes should be used in practice while the latter one's should be used in matches so that the player can feel light on foot and be more comfortable.

Shoes can also be differentiated on the basis of surface. There are 3 surfaces namely

• Hard
• Clay
• Grass

Hard court

The most common surface is the hard court and is equally demanding when it comes to outsole durability. A player must look for a shoe that has an outsole which is long-lasting. These shoes have a specific pattern called the herringbone pattern which gives more leverage on the court. Hard-court shoes have adequate cushioning and a midsole that will help the player to transfer energy in every step they take. These shoes in general have a tough upper that will help in support and durability. The toe area is usually built up and protected for the players who drag their toe while playing as it can do a colossal damage to the shoes.

Clay court

The clay court shoes have an outsole with a full herringbone pattern so that there isn't any clay stuck on the surface of the shoe. This will also help in having a better grip while running, sliding and changing direction. The herringbone pattern helps in sliding so that a player can perfectly glide and recover from a shot. It also helps in moving forward and backward. If you play more often on a clay court then there is another reason as to why you should have clay specific shoes. These shoes have a tighter upper knit which helps in having that stability and keeping the clay aqua from the sole.

Grass court

Unlike hard and very much like clay, grass courts are more softer on the body and joints.

There might not be many options to choose from when it comes to grass court but their are quite a few which do the job. This surface is fast which means that a player should look for a grass specific shoe. The outsole of a grass court shoe contains "nubs" or "pimples" which help in providing a great grip on court as the surface is quite slippery. In Spite of the bumpy outsole it doesn't damage the court and keeps the player comfortable while moving fast on this quick surface. Unlike the hard court shoes the grass court shoes cannot be used on any other surface.