Shoes are an often overlooked but essential piece of tennis gear. With greater ankle support and grip than traditional trainers, the right pair can be the difference between winning and losing (and also ensuring your ankles last past your 30s).
The key elements of any good pair of tennis shoes are a sturdy sole and a well-structured upper. The sole should have some flex but will generally be more solid than a traditional trainer – especially around the heel, toes and outer metatarsal. The upper needs to be breathable and lightweight, but also supportive enough to keep the shoe stable around the foot.
Once you’ve picked out a new pair of tennis shoes, shop our selection of the best tennis balls or the best tennis rackets for beginners.
How We Test
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Each shoe with an original photo is tested across several surface types – indoor acrylic hard courts, Tigerturf astro, Claytex artificial clay and macadam hard courts. I tried each shoe across drills, doubles and singles to experience them across all ways of playing.
While I work my way through more shoes, I am recommending options based on research, reputation and my existing knowledge of tennis shoe tech to help you find the most suitable shoe for you.
The Best Tennis Shoes
While New Balance may be better known for its running trainers than tennis shoes, the Fuelcell 996v4 in my opinion is one of the most underrated and best-value shoes on the market. The Fuelcell 996 is a lightweight and mobile shoe that requires no break-in time, and even after several months of play I found it surprisingly supportive.
The sole has an enlarged support unit just outside the outer metatarsal, which gives a solid platform for quick changes in direction while maintaining the springy and quick response you hope for in a lightweight tennis shoe.
The 996 is a decent all-round shoe, supplying crucial extra support for the knees and ankles while also being speedy enough to get you around the court. The knitted upper has a sock-like feel and gives the shoe enough support, but some may find it a little hot on very warm summer days.
One of the best-known lines of tennis shoes, the Asics Gel Resolution is popular with both pros and club players. While it may be billed as a durability shoe, Asics worked closely with speedy pro Gaël Monfils on the latest iteration, something that comes across in how nimble the latest iteration feels despite its superior support.
Compared with its speed-focused stablemate, the Asics Solution Speed FF 2 (above), the Gel Resolution 8 offers great stability with a stiff sole that felt responsive and gave a better sense of balance and comfort when moving through the court. While it’s certainly not as nippy as the Speed FF 2, it did feel more supportive when moving laterally.
The Gel Resolution 8 comes highly recommended for those who want a decent amount of stability and support. Even though it’s a sturdy, built-to-last shoe, it’s responsive enough to let you move around the court at speed.
Our only concern was that the lacing system required a while to get used to, and needed to be gradually tightened up from the front to the back. We also found that if you’re prone to sweating a lot, the shoes had a tendency to retain bad smells meaning they required extra cleaning to keep them fresh.
The most high-tech shoe available from Nike, the React Vapor NXT lifts some of the best features from Nike’s other sporting lines and drops them into a well-rounded tennis shoe.
While the React Vapor NXT is certainly not the lightest shoe Coach tested, there’s a nice blend of comfort and stability. With an exceptionally lightweight Flyweave upper, the shoe is comfortable and breathable, while the slipper tongue and closure ensure you get a close fit without having to pull your laces too tight. The soft, cushioning sole that strikes the right balance of being supportive without being too flimsy.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the React Vapor NXT was the durability and grip. Even on the slipperiest carpet courts it offered incredible levels of traction, while the outsole and rubber guard on the inside of the foot make this shoe one of the most durable available. This makes it ideal for players seeking an exceedingly comfy shoe that won’t need replacing for a long time.
As the name suggests, this lightweight shoe is designed to improve your mobility across the court. The asymmetric lacing system and high heel counter provide a close fit, eliminating those pesky heel slips.
Due to the firm yet malleable rubber added to the upper of the Solution Speed FF 2s the breaking-in period for this shoe is very short: after around six hours of play it was comfy, while maintaining a decent level of support.
As with most speed-focused shoes, its lateral support is not as good as other models on the market. However, the sturdy sole and close-fitting upper delivers for players looking to gain a speed advantage over their opponents.
If you need help getting to low balls and a bit of extra support for your ankles, the Adidas Barricade is the shoe for you. With a focus on stability and stiffness, the newest iteration will help even the most unbalanced players feel anchored when moving around the court.
The current Barricade is certainly not meant to be lightweight and nippy, but it isn’t as sluggish as some of the older generations could feel. The polyester upper and slanted heel counter, paired with the asymmetrical lacing system and unique torsion system in the centre of the sole, give the shoe a close fit.
One thing players do need to be aware of is how long it can take to break in the Barricade: with such a high heel counter and sturdy sole it can require two or three sessions for them to feel truly comfortable. But once they do soften up, the benefit you get from a shoe such as the Barricade certainly outweighs the few hours it takes to get them broken in.
While the slipper-style shoe has been tried by many, very few brands have succeeded in making a truly court-worthy pair. But the Yonex Fusion Rev 4, with its soft, malleable upper and glove-like fit throughout the ankle and top of the foot, really are a stand-out pair of tennis shoes.
Comfort and fit may be the most obvious characteristics of the Fusion Rev 4, but Yonex’s decision to include carbon fibre supports in the shank of the shoe means it offers increased stability, alongside a low heel-stack design. This gives the feeling of being closer to the court, allowing for quicker change of direction and responsiveness.
