Tennis shoes

What sole does each court require?

The court determines the sole, and brands build three categories: clay, hard court, and multi-court or all court.

On clay, the sole is herringbone, that zigzag pattern that covers the entire sole. The British federation describes it as the pattern that provides excellent grip while allowing for smooth sliding. And it does two things that should not be confused: gripping on a layer of clay dust that by itself offers no traction, and releasing the clay that gets into the grooves. A clogged sole stops gripping. ASICS explains it the same way in its guide: a sole that releases the clay from its grooves and does not leave marks on the court.

On hard court, the criterion is not the pattern, it is durability. The surface is abrasive and wears down the rubber; what manufacturer and federation guides ask for is a hard sole and cushioning to absorb the impact. The third category, multi-court, is the one brands keep separate from clay for those who play on different courts. And on grass, which in Spain is almost anecdotal, the sole is flat and with small, close-together studs, so as not to damage the court.

And here goes a fact that goes against intuition. It seems logical that with the right sole you will get injured less, and the only study that has measured it says otherwise. Published in Footwear Science in 2014, with technical assistance from the ITF itself, it measured the pressure under the foot on clay and hard court, and concluded that footwear did not influence peak pressures, and that changing surfaces has more effect than changing shoes. The sole is not an insurance against injury. It is what lets you slide on clay and stop on hard court.

What if you wear the wrong one on clay? The published club regulations do not prohibit "hard court soles": they prohibit geometry. The Torremar Tennis Club writes it like this, "they may not have a heel of any kind, nor raised bumps on their sole, nor rims or protrusions". The Osca Tennis Club asks for a soft sole and does not authorize the grooved one, the one for jogging. A hard court tennis shoe normally complies with those rules; the one that will stop you at the door is the running shoe or the football shoe. The reason is given by the manufacturers, not the rule: the clay sole is designed not to leave marks on the court.

Men's and women's tennis shoes

In the collection you have men's tennis shoes and women's tennis shoes, and also junior models, for those who are not yet wearing an adult size.

Between one model and another there is a price difference, and it is not in the sole pattern: it is in the construction, in the reinforcements, and in how much the model lasts. The same manufacturer builds the same sole idea in its entry-level shoe and in its competition shoe.

How often should tennis shoes be replaced?

The figure you are going to read everywhere is 45-60 hours of play, and it is worth knowing where it comes from: it is a guideline, not a measurement. Two federations repeat it, the American and the British, and neither of them cites a study behind it; the USTA version is signed by a tennis magazine. No manufacturer publishes their own replacement interval.

What is measured is that cushioning really degrades with use. The existing tests are on running shoes, not tennis shoes: by aging them in an equivalent way to hundreds of kilometers, the heel midsole becomes stiffer and dissipates less energy. It is not your tennis shoe, but the material is the same and the direction too.

That is why it is worth paying more attention to the signs than to the hours. Those listed by the USTA are observable without measuring anything: that the shoe stops squeaking on hard court, that it no longer gives the grip you were used to, or noticing more discomfort in the foot and ankle than usual after playing. Any of the three warns better than an hour counter.

Tennis shoe brands

In this collection you have adidas, Wilson, Head and Lotto.

You cannot compare them by technical sheet, and it is not the store's fault: in tennis footwear there is no common data sheet. Each brand publishes what it wants and in its own words. The only field that almost all declare in a similar way is what surface the model is designed for, and that is the data to compare with. There is also no certification to hold onto: the ITF certifies balls and court surfaces, not shoes.

And a warning with the names, because they cross sports. The same line can exist in a tennis version and in a padel version, with the same name and a different sole: brands take a chassis and split it into two models, one for each sport. Before focusing only on the name, look at what surface the sheet declares.

Complete your equipment

If you are setting up the whole equipment, you have tennis rackets, tennis balls and tennis bags. And if you also play padel, you have the padel shoes in their collection; the ones with herringbone soles are in both.

Don't know if you need a clay one or a multi-court one? Tell us what court you play on and we will tell you which one to order.

Guide updated in September 2026.