Shoeless Jane Jackson

[Cindysphinx]

I had a 4.0 ladies day league match last week (three doubles, one singles, all hard courts). I was with five teammates who met at a central location and then carpooled in one lady's van. The courts were about 20 minutes away.

My partner was "Jane." Jane always wears flip flops and then changes into her tennis shoes at the courts. We arrived for the match about 20 minutes early. As I was conferring with the opposing captain about line-ups, Jane came up and asked if I had an extra pair of shoes. Yep, she had forgotten her shoes. There was no time to drive back and get them, and no one on the team had an extra pair.

Jane said she would play the match anyway wearing just socks. I was thinking this was not safe and we should just default the court. Luckily, opposing captain had an extra pair of running shoes (size 8.5 instead of the size 7 Jane wears). Jane thanked her profusely and played the match in what probably felt like clown shoes.

A few questions:

1. If you were the opposing captain, would you have lent Jane the shoes or would you have kept quiet?

2. If you were acting captain like I was that day, would you let a teammate/partner compete in bare feet or wearing socks?

3. Why do people choose to wear sandals instead of traveling to the match in their tennis attire? Isn't that just asking for trouble?

[cll30]

I think bare feet or socks would have been better than over-sized running shoes. I think an injury would be more likely with those running shoes.

For some people athletic shoes can cause the feet to sweat and increase the likelihood of athlete's foot. Wearing sandals allows the foot to dry.

[leech]

Originally Posted by Cindysphinx

3. Why do people choose to wear sandals instead of traveling to the match in their tennis attire? Isn't that just asking for trouble?

I never understood this, either. Are their tennis shoes that uncomfortable? Seems to be more trouble than it's worth to bring shoes/socks and then change into them minutes before warm-up.

[Ronaldo]

She'd be barefootin' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvcTDpcmh5Q

[tennis_ocd]

I think the real pleasure comes from going from tennis shoes back to those comfy sports sandals.

Adults can do whatever but I think I'd tear my socks/feet to shreads in just minutes on a hard court without shoes.

[J_R_B]

Originally Posted by cll30

I think bare feet or socks would have been better than over-sized running shoes. I think an injury would be more likely with those running shoes.

This. When I was 9, I saw my uncle break his foot playing in running shoes. They are not designed for lateral support, which is exactly what you need in tennis. If you're a beginner just out there patting the ball around, it won't matter, but 4.0 is a high enough level that going Zola Budd is better than going with improper shoes (IMO).

[tennis tom]

Bare feet and a side benefit is, if you have any plantars warts, the court will sand them right off for you, saving a trip to the podiatrist. Playing barefoot on grass is the way to go too--awesome!

I've noticed there's a competition between the women to see who can get out of their tennies and into their sandals the quickest--maybe it's to avoid the dreaded tennis sock foot look?

[blakesq]

Cindy, when you ask "2. If you were acting captain like I was that day, would you let a teammate/partner compete in bare feet or wearing socks?", that leads me to ask you: do you captain a team of children or adults. If adults, don't you think they can make their own decisions on whether to play in socks or not?

[goober]

I have seen a guy play doubles in sandles because he forgot his shoes.

Personally I would default rather than play in sandals or barefoot. Injury risk is too high. But I wear my tennis shoes to the court all the time so this would never happen. Tennis shoes are pretty comfortable compared to dress shoes. Sandals are only good if it is really hot outside.

[Douggo]

I always change into my tennis shoes at the court. First reason (probably irrational) is that I want to preserve the outsoles as much as possible. Second reason is that I don't want to pick up stones in the tread that will mark the court surface.

[mmk]

Good reason to keep an old pair in the trunk, something is better than nothing, and scads better than over-sized running shoes.

[Cindysphinx]

Originally Posted by blakesq

Cindy, when you ask "2. If you were acting captain like I was that day, would you let a teammate/partner compete in bare feet or wearing socks?", that leads me to ask you: do you captain a team of children or adults. If adults, don't you think they can make their own decisions on whether to play in socks or not?

I think it would have been reasonable for me to decide that the team would rather eat a default than risk injury to a player who could not play safely. I was also concerned that it would have been very distracting to me as her partner, and I would rather have played instead with the singles player and defaulted the singles court.

Had the shoes not been available, I had decided i would have just let her play in socks. But I wouldn't have been happy about it.

[Cindysphinx]

Originally Posted by mmk

Good reason to keep an old pair in the trunk, something is better than nothing, and scads better than over-sized running shoes.

Perhaps she had old shoes in the trunk. Her car was 20 minutes away because she carpooled.

I think the only way to make sure you don't forget something in your tennis bag is have a policy that you don't take an item out until you have the replacement in hand. If you take your shoes out and think you will remember to come back later and put them back in . . . You won't.

[floridatennisdude]

Originally Posted by leech

I never understood this, either. Are their tennis shoes that uncomfortable? Seems to be more trouble than it's worth to bring shoes/socks and then change into them minutes before warm-up.

I do this...here is why:

I play mostly on clay and rinse them off after I exit the court. While the rinsing gets most clay off, it doesn't get it all. So, I take my shoes off and put them in the shoe pouch on my tennis bag. And I don't get yelled at for dragging clay into the house either and have to vacuum that up.

The green dust that accumulates in the shoe pouch can easily be shaken out. The floor mat in my car requires vacuuming. I'd much prefer to shake out the shoe pouch than to vacuum my floor mats all the time. And the house.

All this being said, it would be hard for me to forget shoes since they are already in my bag. I sport the sock/sandal look to my matches. The only situation I could see forgetting them is when I buy a new pair of shoes and possibly would forget to pack them. Unlikely.

[Mike Y]

I'd be willing to give a pair of shoes to an opponent, for a price. If I were to "lend" someone a pair of shoes to play tennis in, I wouldn't want them back, I'm kind of a germophobe, lol. So I'd basically sell them, price depending on what condition they are in.

[OrangePower]

Originally Posted by Cindysphinx

1. If you were the opposing captain, would you have lent Jane the shoes or would you have kept quiet?

Of course I would lend the shoes. We play tennis to, well, play tennis! Not to hope for and take defaults.

2. If you were acting captain like I was that day, would you let a teammate/partner compete in bare feet or wearing socks?

Well really it's up to the player, but personally I would not even try to play barefoot or in socks. Playing in socks I think would be extremely dangerous because the sock would grip the court while the foot in the sock would keep moving - that's just a bad fall waiting to happen. Barefoot would be intolerable for more than a game or two.

3. Why do people choose to wear sandals instead of traveling to the match in their tennis attire? Isn't that just asking for trouble?

Personally I leave my sneakers on before, during and after, but I know many people who like to change out of their tennis shoes after a match. So for them it makes sense to keep their tennis shoes organized in their bag together with racquets etc, and wear their non-tennis footwear of choice to the match and then again afterwards.

[Ronaldo]

Originally Posted by floridatennisdude

I do this...here is why:

I play mostly on clay and rinse them off after I exit the court. While the rinsing gets most clay off, it doesn't get it all. So, I take my shoes off and put them in the shoe pouch on my tennis bag. And I don't get yelled at for dragging clay into the house either and have to vacuum that up.

The green dust that accumulates in the shoe pouch can easily be shaken out. The floor mat in my car requires vacuuming. I'd much prefer to shake out the shoe pouch than to vacuum my floor mats all the time. And the house.

All this being said, it would be hard for me to forget shoes since they are already in my bag. I sport the sock/sandal look to my matches. The only situation I could see forgetting them is when I buy a new pair of shoes and possibly would forget to pack them. Unlikely.

Notice the women at our club never sport the sock/sandal combo. Notice their nails too but that's another thread.

[floridatennisdude]

Originally Posted by Ronaldo

Notice the women at our club never sport the sock/sandal combo. Notice their nails too but that's another thread.

Yea, I'm not much of a fashion example. I go for function over fashion. And I bite my nails.

[10smonkey]

Originally Posted by floridatennisdude

Yea, I'm not much of a fashion example. I go for function over fashion. And I bite my nails.

good flexibility

[Ronaldo]

Originally Posted by floridatennisdude

Yea, I'm not much of a fashion example. I go for function over fashion. And I bite my nails.

Never bite my toenails in public, leave that to my partner.