How to Buy Tennis Shoes

Tennis is a vigorous game that demands a lot of movement. Next to a racquet, a good pair of tennis shoes may be the most important thing a player needs. Tennis shoes that do not fit properly can cause severe injuries during a game.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Determine your foot type before you buy. Wet the bottom of your feet lightly with water, stand on a brown-paper bag for a few seconds and examine the imprints. Low-arch feet leave full imprints, high-arch feet show a thin line connecting the toe pad to the heel and normal-arch feet will show a thicker, curved line from the toe pad to the heel.

2. Select your tennis shoes based on your foot type. Low-arch feet will need shoes that control motion, high-arch feet require cushioned shoes and normal feet will be most comfortable in shoes that ensure stability.

3. Take a pair of your regular tennis socks to the store with you. Put these on while trying on tennis shoes to get a better idea of how the shoes fit you.

4. Try on new shoes in the afternoon or after a tennis game. These are the times when your feet expand to their regular sizes.

5. Have a salesperson measure each foot. Usually, one foot will be bigger than the other. Buy a pair of shoes that is the size of your biggest foot.

6. Try on shoes by the major industry players, such as Nike, Reebok and Adidas. Wilson, Prince, Lotto and Head are also well-known brands.

7. Buy tennis shoes that are appropriate for the surface of the court on which you will be playing. There are tennis shoes with outsoles meant for clay courts, hard courts and grass. You will need tennis shoes with rubber outsoles and herringbone patterns for clay courts, more durable outsoles for hard courts and pimple outsoles for grass courts.

8. Expect to pay between $50 and $100 for your tennis shoes. If you pay much less, your feet may suffer and your shoes may not last as long.

9. Visit the Nike and Adidas websites to see their tennis shoes (see Resources below).

10. Find websites that offer tennis shoes on sites like TennisConfidential.com (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• If you need help in determining your foot type, take a pair of your old tennis shoes with you to the store. After examining your shoes, a qualified salesperson should be able to tell you what type of arch you have and show you the type of shoes you need.

• Get comfortable in your new tennis shoes by walking and running around in them before you wear them in a game.

Resources

• Tennis shoe websites on the Tennis Confidential website
• Adidas for tennis shoes
• Nike for tennis shoes