| Good tennis shoes do several things apart from | | | | between the others then your foot is IDEAL |
| covering your feet, and tennis is a sport, that is very | | | | Confirm this self-diagnosis with a third party watching |
| hard on shoes, and feet, so you need to find a shoe | | | | you walk, and the wear test on your current shoes. |
| that will last, and one that is not too heavy, bearing in | | | | THE FIT OF THE TENNIS SHOE is vital, and points to |
| mind some factors. | | | | pay particular attention to are as follows. |
| Tennis shoes must be able to support your feet with | | | | 1. You need about half an inch of space between your |
| all the stops and starts you have to make, and it must | | | | longest toe and the end of the tennis shoe. |
| give you good support at the sides of your feet. Each | | | | 2. The foot should be a comfortable fit without any |
| surface has differing requirements, and all of us have | | | | stretching |
| different types of feet, all of which places different | | | | 3. The heel should not slip, although some movement is |
| demands on your tennis shoes. | | | | wanted. |
| The first consideration is what type of feet you have, | | | | Just remember your feet are different sizes, so pick |
| because that will determine how much cushioning you | | | | your size according to the larger foot, and use an |
| will need, and what and where you will need lateral | | | | insole to balance up your smaller foot. The most |
| support. | | | | important thing in a tennis shoe is LATERAL |
| There are three basic foot types: | | | | SUPPORT because much of your running on a court |
| 1. SUPINATED - here your wear is on the outside of | | | | is side to side, and there are dangers of turning your |
| the shoes | | | | ankle. Good lateral support is necessary if you are |
| 2. PRONATED - here your wear is on the inside | | | | heavy and if you are pronated. |
| around the ball of the foot, and this type of foot | | | | Your tennis shoes will need a degree of CUSHIONING |
| suffers the most with injuries from overuse. | | | | and SHOCK ABSORPTION. This is especially true if |
| 3. IDEAL - here the wear is even. | | | | you are a baseliner, and you play most of your tennis |
| Either get a fellow player to walk behind you to | | | | on hard courts. Pronated feet jar most easily. |
| determine whether you are walking with your foot | | | | The two most common cushioning you read about are |
| tilting inwards, or outwards, or not at all. Better still find | | | | EVA, which is lightweight, but not very durable, or |
| yourself a well-qualified sports shoe person. You could | | | | stable, and PU[polyurethane] which is denser, better |
| also test yourself by wetting your feet and standing on | | | | stability, but it is a lot heavier. |
| a square of cardboard. | | | | FLEXIBILITY is important, and tennis shoes must bend |
| 1. If there is a large are where the arch of your feet | | | | easily at the ball of the foot, however too much |
| didn't touch you are SUPINATED | | | | flexibility makes for a shoe that won't be comfortable. |
| 2. If the whole of your foot is marked, looking like a | | | | At the end of the day, comfort is important, and tennis |
| rectangle with slight curves then you are | | | | shoes are no different to anything else, you tend to |
| OVERPRONATED | | | | get what you pay for, and I know very few things of |
| 3. If your feet leaves an imprint that is a balance | | | | quality that are cheap!! |