How to choose your tennis shoes ? - Extreme Tennis

It is essential to choose the right tennis shoe, as it is the shoe that must adapt to you and not the other way around. Several criteria will be taken into account such as the surface, your foot and its shape, your morphology, your style of play, the stability of the shoe, its weight, its resistance or its cushioning. We therefore suggest that you come back to these in order to help you best guide you in choosing your model.

WHY SPECIFIC SHOES FOR TENNIS?

Tennis is a sport that puts our bodies to the test. We accelerate, jump, move sideways, change direction. All of these movements can be brutal to the body. If you use unsuitable shoes, such as running shoes designed to take repetitive shocks along the foot, you risk losing performance or even injury. It is therefore important to have a pair of shoes that are suitable for playing tennis.

Our tennis shoes

CHOOSE A SHOE ADAPTED TO YOUR FOOT AND YOUR MORPHOLOGY

FOOT SIZE AND GAUGE

In order to find the shoe best suited to your morphology, we advise you to measure your foot to determine its length and width in order to choose the right size:

For players with overpronating or flat feet, we recommend a stable shoe like the Asics Gel Resolution ;
For those with supine or arched feet, you will need a flexible, light and dynamic shoe with very good cushioning such as the Asics Gel Solution or New Balance Fresh Foam Lav.

Your tennis shoe should also be adapted to your body type, especially your weight:

For heavier players, we recommend durable shoes with good cushioning. We also recommend a stable shoe with a good grip on the court;
For lightweight players, choose a light and dynamic pair of shoes for more feeling on the court.

COURT TYPE

The first step is to choose a shoe that is suitable for the surface you are playing on.

The most common courts are hard surfaces such as concrete, parquet, plastic or even carpet. On this type of surface, the sole must be durable to reduce its abrasion against the ground as you move. The soles of all-court tennis shoes have modified herringbone patterns to provide traction and dynamism on the court. The cushioning is generally very good in this type of tennis shoe due to the presence of a midsole that provides better energy transfer during impact. The upper is often rigid and the sole is made of a special material that can be used for a variety of purposes. The upper of these shoes is often rigid and resistant to promote stability. The toe of the shoe also has reinforcements, as this is an area that often rubs against the ground, as a player generally tends to drag his foot against the ground.

For clay courts, we recommend the use of a shoe with a clay sole in order to evacuate the clay and to grip the ground more easily. This will prevent you from slipping. The sole has a deep and pronounced herringbone pattern. This prevents the soil from becoming lodged flush with the sole and therefore allows you to grip the surface well. To dislodge the dirt, you can put a racket on the sole to easily remove the dirt embedded inside the herringbone pattern. The upper is on average more fitted to prevent dirt from getting into your shoe.

Our clay court tennis shoes

CUSHION

Knee or ankle injuries are often caused by violent shocks, for example when moving. Therefore, pay particular attention to the cushioning provided by your shoe, both to protect yourself and to allow for more responsive rebounds on the court. The major tennis shoe brands all offer different technologies to improve the cushioning of their models: Nike Zoom Air unit, Asics Gel, New Balance Fresh Foam sole, etc. Feel free to compare these to find the shoe with the best cushioning for your needs.

SHOE WEIGHT

Lightweight shoes will make you feel more comfortable and make it easier to move around the court. Tennis shoe manufacturers are also competing with different technologies to reduce the weight of the shoes. If you are a dynamic player, look for a lightweight shoe to help you get around the court.

SUPPORT AND STABILITY

Good stability and support are necessary in tennis to make movement easier and more dynamic, but also to avoid injury. Ask about the different technologies or reinforcements used by the manufacturer to improve the support of his tennis shoes.

VENTILATION AND COMFORT

In order not to be disturbed during your matches or training sessions, you will need to feel comfortable and at ease in your shoe. While finding a shoe that fits your foot is the first step in achieving this, you should also be sure that the shoe is breathable and that there are ventilation zones on the shoe.

STRENGTH AND DURABILITY

A tennis shoe is subject to violent shocks and a lot of friction, so it will gradually wear out in certain strategic areas. To avoid this, manufacturers will often incorporate several reinforcements in these same areas to limit wear without heavily impacting the weight of the shoe. To avoid having to change your shoes regularly, and especially if you are used to wearing them out quickly, pay attention to the various protections put in place by the manufacturer to prolong the life of the shoe.

PRICE RANGE

As we have already mentioned, good tennis shoes are essential for safe progress in training and matches. However, depending on your frequency and level of play, you may have already set a budget and a maximum price. Depending on your budget, you will be able to choose from several types of models:

- If you choose an entry-level model, make sure it has a good fit. Compared to other models with higher prices, you will mainly lose comfort and cushioning. This type of shoe is suitable for beginners or occasional players;
- If you opt for a mid-range model, you will most likely benefit from shoes that provide more cushioning, dynamism and comfort compared to shoes in the lower price range. This type of shoe is suitable for regular players;
- If you opt for a top-of-the-range model, you will benefit, like the great champions who wear them, from the latest technologies in terms of cushioning, lightness and stability.

OUR RANGE FOR MEN

On our website we offer you a selection of brands known for the quality and performance of their tennis shoes. From Asics with its famous Solution Speed and Resolution models to Nike and its shoes equipped with Air Zoom technology, as well as Adidas, New Balance, K–Swiss or Le Coq Sportif: you will find models from the biggest footwear brands, but also from equipment manufacturers specialising in tennis who have produced their own ranges of shoes. Babolat has teamed up with Michelin to offer shoes with ultra-resistant soles. Head, Wilson and Yonex also have high-quality shoe models.

Our men tennis shoes

OUR RANGE FOR WOMEN

In our women’s shoe collection, you will find the brands Nike, Adidas, Asics, Babolat, New Balance, Yonex. The models offered belong to the same ranges as the men’s tennis shoes, but are perfectly adapted to the female foot and can be declined in different colours for an incomparable style on the court.

Our women tennis shoes

OUR RANGE FOR CHILDREN

For young players and future champions, you can find all the models of the big brands for adults: Zoom Vapor and Zero from Nike, Gel Resolution from Asics, Jet Mach and Propulse from Babolat, but also many other models from Wilson, Adidas and New Balance.