Types Of Tennis Shoes

TYPES OF TENNIS

SHOES As tennis continues to evolve, we’re witnessing some of the best athletes the sport has ever seen. This is partly because of the strides tennis shoe manufacturers have made regarding their equipment. We’ve identified four primary categories of tennis shoes to help you improve your game, and make an informed decision when purchasing your next pair: Lightweight, Durability, Value, and Hybrid.

Lightweight

Hybrid

Also known as Matchday tennis shoes, Lightweight tennis shoes are breathable, responsive, and yes, light. This is achieved by cutting out as much excess weight as possible, and incorporating lightweight tennis shoe technologies. It is this combination that results in a low-tothe-court, dynamic experience that encourages explosive movements in all directions. While these shoes are reinforced in key areas for necessary support, they are not the best day-to-day tennis shoes. Overall, if you need a shoe built for speed, the lightweight category is your best bet.

Hybrid tennis shoes represent the shoes that don’t naturally fit into one of the three categories previously discussed. A great example are the high-performance, all-around tennis shoes that fall somewhere between Lightweight and Durability shoes. This category is a bit newer, and can be attributed to the strides brands have made in recent years regarding material development and testing. There are also better-performing Value shoes that mimic high-end Lightweight and Durability models.

Durability

Serious tennis players of all levels log countless hours on the court in order to perfect their games. These endless drills and exercises require a shoe that can withstand a good beating. To meet these demands, tennis shoe manufacturers offer high-end Durability shoes. These shoes are bulkier than their lightweight counterparts, but offer vastly superior shock absorption, support, and cushioning as a result. They are much more resistant to wear and tear, and typically come with an outsole warranty. The overall purpose of these shoes is to assist with highlevel practice and training. They tend to feature a number of technologies engineered to keep your feet and joints healthy, and have become lighter and more streamlined over the years. Athletes can expect Durability shoes to make use of more supportive uppers and midsoles, as well as thicker outsoles.

Value

Value shoes act as a more cost-friendly alternative to the industry’s leading models. They contain fewer and often older technologies, but are a viable option for recreational and club players who don’t go out and hit very often. In some cases, you’ll see that brands combine Lightweight and Durability shoe characteristics to create cost-effective, all-around tennis shoes. These models make excellent entry-level shoes. Another way to find a good value is to search for out-ofseason colorways from leading tennis shoe manufacturers. These can sometimes be picked up at surprisingly low price points.

At the end of the day, we all have different preferences when it comes to the shoes we wear on the court, but with so many shoes out there, we hope this guide has helped you understand your options.