13 Best Tennis Shoes for Summer

Since it’s been coined in 2021, the term “tenniscore” has focused less on the actual sport and more on the aesthetics. Of course, it’s the fascination with sophisticated and chic tennis dresses, stretchy headbands, and pleated miniskirts. However, they rarely include what’s most important to the sport, besides the racket, of course – the shoes. A lot of people are just finding out how essential it’s to have the right tennis shoes for summer for a good game. They’re not only essential for the sport but also prevent injuries, discomfort, and falls with the right fit, protection, and cushioning.

When we went looking for the best of the lot, we found that they focused on comfort above all. Besides the right size and fit, we also looked at sneakers with ample foam cushioning, style, and support. And, like most other things, we also looked at quality and price. Here’s our detailed guide to investing in great tennis shoes for the season.

Teva Terra Canyon

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The Teva Terra Canyon is one of the most breathable sneakers on this list. This classic-looking sneaker radiates the perfect outdoorsy vibe for summer and went with everything we owned, from jeans and jeggings to skirts and the best dresses for travel. These sneakers have an upper made from hemp canvas and cotton and come in eight amazing colors, including the lovely lilac below. What’s more, the shoes slide on and off easily, which made it very easy for us to put them on and strut off simply. Thanks to the soft microfiber lining and the collapsible heel, the sneaker felt very comfortable on our feet. But we especially loved the recycled EVA top sole, which added additional cushioning and gave us oodles of comfort.

Vans Classic Checkerboard Slip-ons

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Best slip-on tennis shoes. There’s nothing like a pair of classic checkerboard shoes on the court, and the Vans Classic Checkerboard Slip-ons are just that. We’re fans of the brand’s iconic and most recognizable shoes, which were worn by practically everybody in our group – men, women, and kids. We all loved the cool checkerboard pattern on these breathable canvas shoes. What’s more, the slip-on style with elastic side accents means that we could slip into these easily every day without having to use our hands. The rubber waffle outsoles ensure excellent traction, even if you’ll be using the shoes for everyday wear too.

Check out what USA Today has to say about these amazing slip-ons in this detailed review.

K-Swiss Hypercourt Express 2

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Best tennis shoes for wide feet. The super-versatile K-Swiss Hypercourt Express 2 is designed for players with all kinds of skill levels. Not only are the shoes incredibly lightweight, but also it has a wide toe box for us wide-footed players. Plus, it offers tons of cushioning, which meant that we found the shoes very comfortable. We particularly liked the midfoot shank, which was a nice little touch for us as we tend to tip inwards. It also provides an additional level of stability. Plus, the traction is just as versatile as the other parts of the shoe, allowing us to play on a variety of surfaces without any issues. It’s no surprise then that they’re also one of the best tennis shoes for plantar fasciitis.

“It gets difficult for us with wide feet to find any shoes that fit, let alone good ones or ones specific for a sport. That’s why the Ki-Swiss Express 2 is a blessing, as it’s not only functional but also stylish.”

WOW Travel

Adidas Adizero Ubersonic 4

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Since we were looking for good shoes to play on clay courts, there was no reason to look beyond the Adidas Adizero Ubersonic 4. It’s ideal perfect for aggressive players like us who play with speed, and we require shoes that are responsive. Even with their premium and luxe design, the shoes are relatively affordable, costing anywhere between 60 and 120 USD.

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We loved the complete flexibility of the knit mesh upper and oodles of bounce we got with the new Lightstrike midsole. Moreover, we were still able to get a responsive close-to-the-ground feel even with the comfortable design. Wrapping up the features is the breathable Primeknit coverage, which is form-fitting sans being claustrophobic. It’s something that outdoor summer players will enjoy.

Check out Tennis Warehouse’s detailed YouTube video review about these shoes.

Adidas CourtJam Bounce

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Best budget-friendly tennis shoes. There’s yet another Adidas shoe on this list; this time, it’s the Adidas CourtJam Bounce. Whether we play recreationally on the weekends or regularly at a club, these budget-friendly tennis shoes are our jam. In fact, they’re one of the best tennis shoes for women. For one, the CourtJam Bounce boasts a very supportive sole, breathable materials, and lots of cushioning. However, one of the chief reasons why we love these shoes is that we could wear them on multiple court surfaces. Hence, it’s one of the most flexible shoes on the list. The fact that they’re super lightweight only gives them brownie points. They also offer excellent protection with quality synthetic materials. Finally, Adidas’ trademark “Bounce” tech puts a bit more pep into our midsoles.

New Balance Fresh Foam LAV V2 Shoes

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It was very easy for us to fall in love with New Balance shoes, as they always seem to design the most eye-catching designs for footwear. And the New Balance Fresh Foam LAV Shoes are no different. That said, there’s a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to the Lav V2. For starters, we have absolute praise for the shoe’s secure fit, which is due to the unique stitching across the shoe’s outer side. On the bottom, we got the brand’s “Fresh Foam” guards for heel impact protection, thus keeping our feet from straining while playing the sport. Rounding up the features is the abrasion-resistant Ndurance outsole, which has a relatively wide base for extra stability.

Learn more about the product on its official product page.

Adidas Barricade Tennis Shoes

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The Adidas Barricade Tennis Shoes are one of the best tennis shoes for summer for more reasons than one. Do you suffer from flat feet and haven’t found the right shoes with the right support? We faced the same issue until we chanced upon the Adidas Barricade Tennis Shoes. The wraparound tongue design locked onto our feet and didn’t let go, allowing us to zig-zag back and forth across the court. What’s more, the shoes boast a reinforced arc with lots of bounce. So, they gave us all the agility and speed we needed to take control of the court. Besides a supreme tongue design, we also loved the breathable build, which ensured that we were never uncomfortable on the court.

Adidas Avacourt Tennis Shoes

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Most versatile. The Adidas Avacourt Tennis Shoes provided us with a solid mix of style, comfort, and durability, living up to the brand name. We thought they were one of the best tennis shoes we’d seen, especially since they were designed specifically for women. Since they’ve taken into account the size and shape of a lady’s feet, it allowed us women tennis players to skillfully maneuver around the court. When we began using the shoes, they required practically no break-in time, giving us pure comfort right off the bat. This is mostly due to the bounce cushioning, which provided a slight spring in our step right from our first wear.

Asics Gel Resolution Tennis Shoes

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Asics is a world-renowned brand when it comes to great tennis shoes, and the Asics Gel Resolution 8 Tennis Shoes are no exception. Since we were looking for quality shoes offering durability and comfort, these shoes were the perfect choice for us. Firstly, the brand’s Gel Resolution technology is present through and through from the front to the heel, greatly increasing stability and comfort. At the same time, it maintains excellent responsiveness when we moved about on the court. Moreover, we found the cushioned feeling well throughout the shoe, with the synthetic sole wrapping around the side of the shoes and the toes for additional durability. Did you know that Asics has a 6-month outsole warranty if one wears through the sole? Yes!

Head Sprint Pro 3.5 Tennis Shoes

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Most lightweight shoes. The brand Head has made huge strides with its shoe collection in the last decade, and the Head Sprint Pro 3.5 Tennis Shoes are their best yet. It’s the best lightweight shoe we found in the market by a huge margin. Firstly, we loved the weightlessness, responsiveness, and comfort offered by these tennis shoes. The low profile, along with the low weight, allowed us to move faster around the court than in any other shoe we’ve worn. Moreover, the stability felt solid for what are such lightweight shoes, with even the comfort being better than most. Wrapping up the features is the plusher tongue and upper, which furthered the feeling of comfort.

New Balance 1006 V1 Tennis Shoes

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The New Balance 1006 V1 Tennis Shoes have been designed with maximum comfort for wider feet in mind. Just like other shoes from the brand, these shoes are made from high-quality materials in the upper, the midsole, and the sole. What’s more, the REVlite technology offered additional comfort and cushioning under our feet. We loved how the outsole wraps itself around the inside of the shoes and the front of the toes, thus increasing durability. Likewise, the lightweight upper is made from synthetic and mesh materials, which we found helped immensely with breathability. In fact, the cushioned tongue helped create even more comfort for our feet around the upper.

Prince T22 Tennis Shoes

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The Prince T22 Tennis Shoes are excellent tennis shoes for summer that offer great value for a mixed bag of tennis players like us. Since we’re hard court players, these shoes offer excellent support, durability, and comfort for our feet. Thanks to the slightly wider fit, especially in the toe box, they allowed our feet to have a lot of room to breathe. Moreover, these shoes also offer excellent toe protection, which helped us a lot with toe drag. If that wasn’t enough, we found the cushioning under the feet to be better than most shoes too. So, it was a great shoe for us as we needed the extra knee and ankle support.

The area these shoes are lacking is their weight. They are slightly heavier than most other shoes, but they come with better support and comfort.

Nike Air Zoom Vapor Cage 4 Tennis Shoes

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Nike’s Vapor Cage line of tennis shoes are all about druability, stability, and support, which is what got us so excited about the Nike Air Zoom Vapor Cage 4 Tennis Shoes. In fact, this line of shoes have been designed for and used by tennis great Rafael Nadal – exciting, right? Coming to the Vapor Cage 4, these shoes boast laces that combine with the shoes’ upper. So, they practcially wrapped themselves around our midfoot, thus increasing responsiveness and stability. What’s more, even the outsole wraps around the shoes’ toe and outsides for additonal durability. Thanks to the brand’s Air Zoom technology on the underside, these shoes are very comfortable. All in all, the Vapor Cage 4 are excellent hard-court tennis shoes, allowing us to move and slide around the court with comfort and ease.

Our Verdict!

Write a summary paragraph to tell the readers why these products are the best based on our judgment. Follow with a list of more specific categories of these products (e.g., Best value for money: Product A, Best quality: Product B, etc.)

• Best slip-on tennis shoes: Vans Classic Checkerboard Slip-Ons
• Best tennis shoes for wide feet: K-Swiss Hypercourt Express 2
• Best budget-friendly tennis shoes: Adidas CourtJam Bounce
• Most versatile: Adidas Avacourt Tennis Shoes
• Most lightweight shoes: Head Sprint Pro 3.5 Tennis Shoes

How To Choose The Best Tennis Shoes for Summer?

Cooling features

Since we were looking for tennis shoes for the hot weather, we looked for cooling elements. These include special breathability features such as cutouts and mesh and extra ventilation. At the same time, we were careful not to put breathability over foot comfort and health. We also looked for supportive athletic shoes that offered good support and protection for excessive standing and walking.

Court surface

One of the first things we considered when choosing tennis shoes is the kind of surface we were going to be playing on. These are divided into three types of court surfaces, grass court, clay court, and hard court.

• All-court/hard court shoes: These are the commonest kind that can not only withstand the wear and tear of asphalt hard courts but also provided shock absorption. The cushioning in the forefoot and heels ensures additional comfort on less forgiving surfaces. Plus, they also are non-marking and have a six-month outsole wear guarantee, a durable toecap, and harder rubber outsoles.
• Clay court shoes: They’re designed for the softer blue, red, or green clay courts with looser surfaces. What’s more, they have herringbone tread outsole patterns and are lighter than hard court ones.
• Grass court shoes: These also possess special tread patterns, as well as have a unique upper white-only color and rounded outsole nubs.

Foot type

Next, we took into aspect the foot type, which is divided into balanced/neutral, supinator, and pronator. To determine our foot type, we first checked which part of our current shoes’ soles is the most worn. Next, we wet our feet, stood on a cardboard piece, and stepped off, taking into account the foot impression, especially the arch height.

• Balanced/neutral: These ‘have ‘ideal’ feet have a balanced cardboard look, nice arches, and even wear.
• Supinator: These are flexible feet with high arches and need extra cushioning.
• Pronator: Americans usually have pronated feet with drooping arches and feet rolling inwards. So, the arch isn’t visible on the cardboard, and the wear is on the inside of the feet. These feet need more lateral support.

Width

Finally, we looked at the width of the shoes, especially since some of us have wider feet than usual. So, it helps to look for brands that offer extra room in the toe box or have options for multiple widths, like Asics and New Balance.

You might also want to check out the best tennis bags for ladies.

Can I use running shoes for tennis?

While players do wear running shoes for playing tennis, you should wear whatever you’re comfortable in during the game.

Is it OK to walk in tennis shoes?

Yes, tennis shoes are a great choice for walking shoes, provided the terrain isn’t demanding, and you don’t have foot problems.

How long can you wear tennis shoes?

Generally, court shoes usually last around 45-60 hours of persistent rough use before they wear out. So, those who play once a week for an hour should replace their shoes at least once every year.