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SMART TOE TENNIS SHOES
The “Toe” portion of the tennis shoe is one of the most important parts of the tennis shoe so we herein address the tennis shoe as the toe tennis shoe.
When picking a toe tennis shoe to buy and play on the tennis court, you should be aware of the following facts.
- Never play tennis in running shoes or deck shoes and always wear toe tennis shoes:
- Running shoes on a tennis court can easily cause a sprained or broken ankle.
- Running shoes, unlike toe tennis shoes, have a thick soft heal to maximize cushioning for straight-forward, heel-to-toe foot impacts, as runners don’t cut sideways and the sole of the shoe is much too unstable for sideways movements as required in tennis.
- Deck shoes are flat-soled and are often fallaciously called toe tennis shoes, but they lack the cushioning and support necessary to aggressively chase tennis balls in both forward-backward and sideways movements and can also cause a sprained or broken ankle.
- Deck shoes are safer than running shoes in playing tennis because of their lower shoe profile, but your joints will take a major pounding when you do real running as required in tennis.
- Running and deck shoes, if the soles are black or dark, can also permanently mark the tennis court when playing and they are not allowed on most tennis courts.
- Be aware of your foot type in picking a toe tennis shoe:
- Natural foot type: 1) only about 10% of the population have a natural foot type, 2) to determine if you have a natural foot look at bottom sole of your toe tennis shoe and if it wearing evenly across the sole then you do, 3) if you do, pick a toe tennis shoe that is balanced between cushioning and rollover protection.
- Pronated foot type: 1) 60% to 70% of the population have pronated feet, 2) such feet roll more inward as the foot steps from heel to toe, 3) to determine if you have a pronated foot type, examine your toe tennis shoe and more wear will show on the outside of the heal as well as the inside of the forefoot, 4) if you do, pick a toe tennis shoe that resists rollover more than providing cushioning.
- Supinated foot type: 1) 20% to 30% of the population have supinated feet, 2) supinated feet usually have high arches but always turn inward (pigeon toed), 3) to determine if you have supinated feet, look to see if you are pigeon toed and to see if your toe tennis shoe is wearing out on the outer edges of both the heel and the forefoot, 4) if you do, pick a toe tennis shoe that has more cushioning than rollover protection.
- Formerly broken or injured toe(s): 1) pick a toe tennis shoe that is well cushioned in the sole and is well padded and reinforced in the toe area.
- Be aware of the physical properties in picking a toe tennis shoe:
- Flex point of toe tennis shoe: 1) the flex point of a toe tennis shoe is the approximate midpoint where the shoe is most easily bent and can be measured by holding your 2 palms against the back and front of the toe tennis shoe and pressing them towards each other, 2) you want to pick a toe tennis shoe where the flex point is at the ball of your foot, which is where your foot naturally bends or otherwise lasting foot pain at the arch can result.
- The toe of the toe tennis shoe wears out fast: 1) this is almost always caused by either a) the player dragging the toe forward on the serve, and/or b) dragging the part of the shoe in the big toe area forward on ground strokes, 2) these toe dragging strokes will quickly wear out the toe area of the toe tennis shoe, 3) you, of course, can train yourself to modify these strokes to avoid this toe dragging and the quick wear in the toe area of the toe tennis shoe, 4) however, if you maintain these strokes, pick a toe tennis shoe that is well reinforced and padded in the toe area.
- Which is the best of the three toe tennis shoe upper materials, namely canvas, leather, or vinyl?
- Canvas: of the three it, 1) stays the coolest, 2) breathes the best, 3) is least likely to contain suspect chemicals within, and 4) it is typically the least expensive and overall is an excellent choice.
- Leather: of the three it, 1) generally provides the best support, 2) will stay drier in wet off-court environments, and 3) it is typically the most expensive but if you need the support is worth the additional cost.
- Vinyl: 1) it provides good support, 2) it resists external moisture the best, 3) it has the best wear capability, but 4) it tends to get the hottest and breathes the worst, and 5) its cost is typically close to canvas and if you need the support, it is typically cheaper than leather.
- Durability: it is rarely an issue with the choice of toe tennis shoe upper materials because the soles almost always wear out long before the upper material does.
- How do you keep toe tennis shoes from getting stinky?
- The problem: 1) toe tennis shoes get stinky because of sweaty feet, 2) they get worse stinky if the toe tennis shoe stays moist when removed and which can allow fungus to grow.
- Solutions: 1) wearing clean thick socks helps to keep your feet and toe tennis shoe clean and dry, 2) having 2 identical pairs of shoes helps because you can wear each on alternative playing days allowing one pair to air and dry out, 3) canvas shoes breathe better and stay cooler than leather or vinyl toe tennis shoes, and are preferred if stinky shoes is a major issue, and canvas shoes can be washed, 4) deodorizing and anti fungus sprays and liquid wads are also available which can be applied after each toe tennis shoe is removal.
- Conclusions on picking out and buying a toe tennis shoe:
- Be aware of your foot type in picking a toe tennis shoe and match these to your foot.
- Be aware of the physical properties in picking a toe tennis shoe and also match these to your foot.
- Understand the differences between canvas, leather and vinyl upper materials in a toe tennis shoe and pick the one that best meets your needs on a cost-effectiveness basis.
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