Topic: Tennis Shoes

[Murrayfan11]

I am going to buy new tennis shoes tomorrow morning, and I need advice on which shoes to pick. I'd like them to be about a maximum of £40 or about $80.

[OSU Buckeye]

I am going to buy new tennis shoes tomorrow morning, and I need advice on which shoes to pick. I'd like them to be about a maximum of £40 or about $80.

I can go through outsoles very quickly, especially when playing on outdoor hard courts, so if this might be a problem for you (with what I expect will be increased play do to your league) think about a good tennis specific shoe which is made to last longer.   I don't know about availibility differences between our countries but maybe go on tenniswarehouse's website to have a look at all the shoes available here and their price ranges.    Personally, I prefer Nike, Addidas, and New Balance.    

[Tennis4you]

I love the New Balance shoes.

[boatsign]

What do you think about weight of shoes?  I mean scampering around at the end of a long weekend tournament, when your legs can feel heavy?

There's some military equation for extra ounces on your shoes being equal to pounds on your back.

The cheapest New Balances are also lighter.  Don't know how durable they are, or whether to recommend them for hardcourt.

[OSU Buckeye]

What do you think about weight of shoes?  I mean scampering around at the end of a long weekend tournament, when your legs can feel heavy?

There's some military equation for extra ounces on your shoes being equal to pounds on your back.

The cheapest New Balances are also lighter.  Don't know how durable they are, or whether to recommend them for hardcourt.

I actually bought the all-dark blue New Balance (I think CT 544's) tennis shoes.   I got them online from tenniswarehouse for $40.    They wear through fairly quickly but are one of the lightest tennis shoes available and look & feel sweet.   I liked them so much that I ordered 7 pairs of them.

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/descpageMSNB-M544NV.html

[Bundey]

I use these  They are good for narrow footed people like my self.  They also have a wide version.

[pawan89]

I don't know if its because I used to spend so much more time running but I just cant give up my running shoes. I know people say it doesn't offer lateral movement which is supposedly what differentiates it from tennis shoes and all .. I cant use a tennis shoe ever.
so I would recommend you actually look at running shoes too - I feel a lot more secure about my footing with them than when I first and last played with tennis shoes (maybe it was a getting used to thing but I did play with tennis shoes for a week).

as for the names any decent company should be good i guess, i don' have any particular favourites or anything but I have used Reebok's before and loved them to death and now I currently have a New Balance pair that are just so comfortable that I wear them for normal use and i have an Addidas running shoes that I use just for tennis - they also have a thick sole so i doubt if it will ever wear out - but i have played with both and they are both amazing.
if i were to pick a favourite it would probably be New Balance.

as for the price, here you can get most of the amazing ones under $50 (unless - and I don't know if this will work for you but.. you keep an eye out and every now and then you'll find some on sale - I have gotten all my shoes  for $20 and the one Reebok I used for a year for $15 - it didn't have its original box - the same thing with its original box was $60 - i kid you not, some of these places are crazy but maybe they are a bit more rational in England so I don't know) So yeah every now and then I just head into sports authority or Sears and if I find one of those shoes they have on clearence and they are good I buy it - as I said I don't really care for a particular model or anything, aas long as they are New Balance or Reebok and they are running shoes and they feel comfortable I'll buy it.

[TrueFX]

Pawan, I tried running shoes in the past...  I thought the lighter shoe, cheaper price, and better looks would make it a good choice.  Well, my first pair wore COMPLETELY through the ball of the foot in three weeks.  I thought maybe this brand was just poor quality, but the next pair wore through just as quick and the few times i dragged my toes, i ripped the outer sole.

Are you mostly a doubles player or am I just insanely tough on my shoes?  They were great while they lasted, but for my singles play, neither pair lasted more than a month

I would have to recommend getting a true tennis shoes as I think the soles are designed to last a little longer.

[pawan89]

Pawan, I tried running shoes in the past...  I thought the lighter shoe, cheaper price, and better looks would make it a good choice.  Well, my first pair wore COMPLETELY through the ball of the foot in three weeks.  I thought maybe this brand was just poor quality, but the next pair wore through just as quick and the few times i dragged my toes, i ripped the outer sole.

Are you mostly a doubles player or am I just insanely tough on my shoes?  They were great while they lasted, but for my singles play, neither pair lasted more than a month

I would have to recommend getting a true tennis shoes as I think the soles are designed to last a little longer.

It might be that you are slightly tougher on your shoes than average and i am probably very conservative well below average. I don't play doubles much at all - I play singles and I know one of my shoes has come for two summers straight (Summer I play 3 hours a day at least every day.. thats basically 90 days at 3 hours a day - for two summers) so I mean... I don't know - and they have all been consistent like that so its not like that one shoe was amazing or something - I don't know.
but in general you are right, people do say running shoes wear out faster (needless to say I disagree - or here's a thought, if its just me that is I wonder how long I could keep the tennis shoes going without wearing them out haha that'd be ridiculous if tennis shoes are indeed more durable)
oh and also I guess my price was based on runnings shoes - I was talking about 40-50 for a good running shoes - are tennis shoes pricier? I don't even remember that one time I bought it and gave it back cuz I hated them.
I felt like I was walking like a duck for the most time with them - maybe it was that particular ones that sucked again (although i am sure i would have bought the normal one).

[Murrayfan11]

I don't know if its because I used to spend so much more time running but I just cant give up my running shoes. I know people say it doesn't offer lateral movement which is supposedly what differentiates it from tennis shoes and all .. I cant use a tennis shoe ever.
so I would recommend you actually look at running shoes too - I feel a lot more secure about my footing with them than when I first and last played with tennis shoes (maybe it was a getting used to thing but I did play with tennis shoes for a week).

as for the names any decent company should be good i guess, i don' have any particular favourites or anything but I have used Reebok's before and loved them to death and now I currently have a New Balance pair that are just so comfortable that I wear them for normal use and i have an Addidas running shoes that I use just for tennis - they also have a thick sole so i doubt if it will ever wear out - but i have played with both and they are both amazing.
if i were to pick a favourite it would probably be New Balance.

as for the price, here you can get most of the amazing ones under $50 (unless - and I don't know if this will work for you but.. you keep an eye out and every now and then you'll find some on sale - I have gotten all my shoes  for $20 and the one Reebok I used for a year for $15 - it didn't have its original box - the same thing with its original box was $60 - i kid you not, some of these places are crazy but maybe they are a bit more rational in England so I don't know) So yeah every now and then I just head into sports authority or Sears and if I find one of those shoes they have on clearence and they are good I buy it - as I said I don't really care for a particular model or anything, aas long as they are New Balance or Reebok and they are running shoes and they feel comfortable I'll buy it.

I will definitely consider running shoes, and New Balance seem to be the favourite brand. I'm just curious though, are New Balance shoes available in Britain?

[OSU Buckeye]

I once forgot my tennis shoes so I went and got a $15 pair of running shoes to play in that night.  The rubber outsole that comes up to the front completely peeled off so I had a rubber flap hanging off the front of my shoe.   I will never wear running shoes to play tennis again (well, so long as I don't forget my tennis shoes, that is)!  

I am a big guy so I wear through shoes quicker than most but if you are not wearing through running shoes on hard courts at all then you are either a super-small person or you are not playing intense, fast-moving tennis, I expect.  A higher level tennis (say, 3.5 or 4.0 and above) is going to cause wear on shoes due to all the quick stopping and starting, and such other things as dragging your feet on serves or volleys.

[Tennis4you]

I forget my shoes once every other year and end up wearing running shoes.  No matter how old or new they are they get thrashed that match.  If it my foot blowing out the side or the sole peeling right off, either way they are toast.  Expensive tennis...

[FreeBird]

I forget my shoes once every other year and end up wearing running shoes.  No matter how old or new they are they get thrashed that match.  If it my foot blowing out the side or the sole peeling right off, either way they are toast.  Expensive tennis...

Funny stuff.  Scooter doesn't weigh much, but the way he tears around the court, I'm not surprised that his shoes end up trashed.

I'll throw out another angle, though - the lateral support that tennis shoes provide is nothing to sneeze at, and rolling an ankle is IMO a much more expensive cost (even if you don't have to go to a doctor) than just the shoe.  That said, I'm not positive that tennis shoes are built to make ankle rolls less likely - but it is my impression based on the couple times I've used running shoes on a court.

Greg

[OSU Buckeye]

I forget my shoes once every other year and end up wearing running shoes.  No matter how old or new they are they get thrashed that match.  If it my foot blowing out the side or the sole peeling right off, either way they are toast.  Expensive tennis...

Funny stuff.  Scooter doesn't weigh much, but the way he tears around the court, I'm not surprised that his shoes end up trashed.

I'll throw out another angle, though - the lateral support that tennis shoes provide is nothing to sneeze at, and rolling an ankle is IMO a much more expensive cost (even if you don't have to go to a doctor) than just the shoe.  That said, I'm not positive that tennis shoes are built to make ankle rolls less likely - but it is my impression based on the couple times I've used running shoes on a court.

Greg

I just think that tennis shoes are more firm around the sides and less built for comfort than running shoes.   Running shoes are light, and often have fabric sides which makes sense because manufacturers are trying to make them light....plus they don't really need the lateral support.    

Just for thought:  Have you ever seen a still picture of a basketball player making a cut or a tennis player stopping or planting to move the other way?   These pictures show just how much your ankle can move inside your shoes or rather how much your shoes can contort around your foot.

[Murrayfan11]

I've got Acis running shoes for a decent price, and they're comfortable, thanks for all the help, especially Pawan89 for reccomending running shoes.

[ERHS]

I gave up on running shoes after I tore through 6 pairs in like 2 and a half months. Then again, I also broke the front of an Adidas Barricade in like 5 months.

[OSU Buckeye]

I gave up on running shoes after I tore through 6 pairs in like 2 and a half months. Then again, I also broke the front of an Adidas Barricade in like 5 months.

What level do you play?   High School?

[pawan89]

looks like I am an outlier here. I am not big like you are OSU but I am not small either and I do weigh more than I am supposed to - especially last winter/spring I somehow shot up to 170lbs and was like WOAH! I don't know why all of  a sudden I just like doubled my weight but  Iwent down to 150 after the summer ( i am sure playing 3 hours everyday had something to do with it). I'm currently still at 145-150 and plan to be below 140 end of this summer.

But regardless of all that - all of you are saying you wore out tennis shoes in a matter of hours, I don't see how they last me at least two summers (6 months). I mean even if I am playing less intense tennis than you OSU (and seeing how in general shorter people run around and move around a lot more than big people) I don't see how the difference is that drastic.
and as I said this is not like one shoe that was odd for me - every shoe is like that. another shoe for example three years back i used through the year - it was my only shoe so i used it for cross country running, my highschool tennis season (which is not at all as intense as my summers) and my summer tennis and everything in between like everyday usage and winter times and such.

so something is clearly confusing.

maybe i'll give tennis shoes a second shot?

[LonelySgtPepper]

I've Been Using Nike's For Tennis and They Are Great

[Tennis4you]

I've Been Using Nike's For Tennis and They Are Great

Welcome to the forums LSP!!!  I use to use Nike in high school.  Back then I played 3-4 hours a day.  I chewed straight through a pair of shoes ever 3-4 weeks.  I liked them back when.  I cannot get enough of these New Balance now though, they seem very comfortable, even when the shoes are new.