Tennis shoes for beginners
Learn which tennis shoe fits tennis beginners best
Tennis shoes for beginners
Tennis shoes are part of the basic equipment of all tennis players. The first tennis training you may possibly still complete with sports shoes, but at the latest after that you should get your own tennis shoes.
In addition to your own tennis balls and your own tennis racket, you need to wear the right tennis shoes depending on the surface of the tennis court. These shoes should be able to comfortably withstand your jumps as well as abrupt changes of direction and speed on the tennis court. A comfortable and high quality tennis shoe is half the battle.
In the following, we will show you the different tennis shoes, support you in choosing the right tennis shoe and name their costs – enjoy reading.
1. Tennis shoes introduction
Basically, we distinguish between three different tennis shoes depending on the tennis court:
a) Sand court tennis shoe
If the preferred tennis club in the vicinity has sand or ash courts, a good sole profile is recommended. Here, for example, the herringbone sole offers good grip.
b) Carpet tennis shoe
In winter, many tennis halls have carpeted surfaces on which only smooth, non-treaded tennis shoes may be used. On the one hand, the non-profiled sole prevents you from getting stuck on carpet fibers, and on the other hand, it leaves the carpet in its condition.
While you could theoretically still play tennis on clay courts with a non-profiled sole, even if it becomes very slippery, playing with non-profiled tennis shoes on carpeted floors is usually prohibited by the hall operators.
c) Hard court tennis shoe
In the USA hard courts are the preferred court surface. Here, due to the hard surface, care should be taken to ensure good cushioning in order to protect the joints.
2. Features of tennis shoes
In general, it can be said that tennis shoes are similar to ordinary sports shoes in terms of running feel, but there are still differences. For example, tennis shoes have particularly resistant material on the sole, so that the high loads can be withstood. At the latest after a training session lasting several hours, you will appreciate these advantages.
The most important characteristics of tennis shoes are explained below:
a) Stability
A secure hold to every situation on the tennis court is the goal. Therefore, the tennis shoe should perfectly fit your foot shape, regardless of narrow or wide feet, because nobody wants to twist an ankle on the tennis court.
b) Cushioning
The many small and fast changes of direction and speed should be cushioned by the tennis shoes, especially in the area of the heel and forefoot, and the joints should be protected. Tennis shoes with so-called “rebound behavior” not only cushion the movements but also support your next kick with potential kinetic energy.
c) Grip
Grip means the right sole for the different court surfaces. Find out what tennis surfaces are available in your potential playing venues and buy the right tread, because a tennis shoe with no tread is simply not fun to play on clay courts.
– Clay court: Herringbone tread
– Carpet: Treadless profile
– Hard court: harder and more herringbone tread pattern
3. Buy the right tennis shoes
With the help of the previously explained characteristics of tennis shoes, it should be easy for you to find the right tennis shoe for your playing venues.
Indoor tennis shoes without treads should last about 4 years for both men’s and women’s tennis. However, the women’s and men’s outdoor tennis shoes have a higher wear rate, so a beginner tennis player should buy new tennis shoes after two seasons.
Besides the classic tennis brands Babolat, Head and Wilson, Adidas, Asiscs, K-Swiss or Nike also offer tennis shoes for all tennis surfaces.
4. Tennis shoes cost
The tennis shoe should primarily convince with quality, i.e. stability, cushioning and grip. For this, even the most expensive model is not necessary, because today’s tennis shoes are mostly all high quality. However, the cost per tennis shoe varies based on the selected features, the current season and the year of release.
The following is an approximate cost estimate per tennis shoe:
- Tennis shoes for children and teenagers: 60-100 dollar
- Tennis shoes for adults (previous year model): 80-120 dollar
- Tennis shoes for adults (current model): 100-140 dollar
We recommend tennis beginners not to buy the current model for more than 100 dollar, but to ask for the previous year’s model, which is usually much cheaper. Ideally, you should buy carpet tennis shoes at the start of the summer season and clay court shoes at the start of the winter season.
5. Summary and conclusion
To protect the joints and increase the long-term fun factor, it is essential to buy the right tennis shoes. The right tennis shoe should have the necessary stability, sufficient cushioning and the right sole or grip for the appropriate court surface.
Ideally, buy tennis shoes anti-cyclically to reduce tennis shoe costs. As a tennis beginner, the cost per pair of tennis shoes should not exceed 100 dollar.