FiddlerDog
Hall of Fame
There is virtually no difference that makes any real difference
"Clay court" sneakers are barely any different
- Thread starter FiddlerDog
- Start date
NothingButNet
Semi-Pro
Difference is you'll break your neck in the hardcourt ones on the left if you use them on clay...and probably whine about it, too 
Only solecourt and solematch have a herringbone tread on the all-court shoe that is almost as deep as the clay court version. Clay court tread rubber is usually softer and would wear out faster on hard courts. I wish all shoes used a herringbone tread which would save me money since I play on both surfaces.
FiddlerDog
Hall of Fame
Difference is you'll break your neck in the hardcourt ones on the left if you use them on clay...and probably whine about it, too
Funny, I've been using hard court sneakers on clay for years. Never had any issue.
Maybe it's an athletic coordination issue for you?
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awesomeTENNIS
New User
Yes! for that model SoleCourt plus SoleMatch, CourtJam. Adidas opted for herringbone pattern which is most suitable for clay.
FiddlerDog
Hall of Fame
They are both herringbone pattern.
The soles are identical, except for a tiny middle strip.
Return_Ace
Hall of Fame
Not exactly.
On the hard court versions, the tread is a little more "flat" and dense towards the inside of the foot, where the Clay versions are completely uniform across.
The hard court ones are really more "all court" though and as you say, probably won't make a big difference.
jmacdaununder2
Legend
I wouldn’t want to be wearing the hard court version on En-tout-cas on a high 30c Melbourne day; day in day out clay just isn’t that slippery.
NothingButNet
Semi-Pro
Ok, jokes aside, I'll just say this - here in the UK I've managed to play on many types and grades of clay, from watered and well-maintained European red all the way to synthetic that is just a dusting of red sand on thin astroturf.
My club happens to lie in-between: reasonably maintained artificial clay. Sure, if your hardcourt shoes are almost new, you'll be fine.
If they're a bit worn, however, no chance.
Not at all. The herringbone pattern might look similar, but all you need for proof is to pick up a pair of each and run your fingers along the tread and that should be enough like @Return_Ace says. The denser, blunt, pattern on hardcourt shoes that happen to include a herringbone pattern will get you nowhere on clay. The sharp, open pattern on clay soles is absolutely what you need on clay. Yeah, it's the same pattern, but a different design/implementation.
For proper, aggressive footwork on clay - pushing off for sprints, recovering from wide balls, coming to a *complete stop* OR sliding depending on what you want...a clay court shoe gives you hardcourt-like performance on the surface.
It's really that simple.
innoVAShaun
Legend
He quickly touches on about the air channel used for hardcourt shoes at about 4:12:
mikeler
Moderator
Totally agree with this.
J011yroger
Talk Tennis Guru
For senior 3.0-3.5 doubles you can wear whatever.
If you actually run and stop there is no going back once you play in clay shoes.
J
If you actually run and stop there is no going back once you play in clay shoes.
J
Born_to_slice
Legend
They might look similar but hard court or all court shoes have more shallow pattern. You can play decently on clay with new(er) all court/HC shoes but after a little wear and tear (happens fast if you also use them for HC) you start to lose more and more control in your step.
I had been wearing a Tier 1 "All Court Shoe" for HC and clay. They were great on HC, plenty of traction, cushion, and stability. Seemed OK on clay. During a league match, the shoes broke traction on rapid direction changes and slipped causing me to tweak my knee. I went the next day and bought a pair of clay specific shoes (which I now use ONLY on clay). To me the difference in performance was very noticeable and positive. I have not had a single issue with traction since switching. As a result I will never use anything but a clay shoe on clay again.
anarosevoli
Semi-Pro
It depends on the clay. The clay courts which are quite soft can be used with HC shoes (although personally I prefer clay shoes even on these), but some are really hard under a thin layer of grains, especially at the end of summer they seem to get harder. No chance changing direction quickly with HC shoes on these. If it's sunny, they can be slippery again 10 mins after watering.
g4driver
Legend
Hardcourt models of the same Asics shoes get slick when playing on Har-Tru 4x faster than for me vs a clay court version of the same shoe. I started buying GR6 in clay court versions from Europe and compared them directly to GR6 hard court. I posted photos of hard court Speed Solution 3 (SS3) HC vs CC SS3 when Tapatalk was allowed. The Asics SS3 HC were slick in less than a year while the SS3 CC version still had a deep herringbone pattern 3 years later.
I don't want white clay court shoes or white hard court shoes, and for years all Asics would try to sell on TW is white clay court shoes and they finally got the message from buyers like me and others...we don't want white clay court shoes. Those shoes would sit and sit and sit and TW could barely sell them. I emailed TW and Asics asking for non-white clay court shoes explaining playing on Har-Tru in damp conditions makes a white shoe a dark green and muddy shoe and that's why they can't sell them in the southeast USA.
No, I am not hard on my shoes. I don't burn holes in the toes, or forefoot, but the forefoot and heels of my HC Asics get slick to the point, I have busted my arse on Har Tru several times. I was annoyed that the shoe was still perfectly fine on an HC, but unplayable on a Har Tru court. When the club you play out of has 14 Har Tru Courts and 6 Hard Courts and you are paying more to play on Har Tru, I simply wanted a shoe that lasts longer on Har Tru. When your foot slides when you don't want it to slide and you pull a groin that sidelines you for 4-5 months, it blows. Yep this was my own stupidity. So I started searching for clay court Asics and started buying them from Europe and paying to have them shipped to me. It is utterly ridiculous that Nike and Asics will not allow all of their clay court shoes to be sold in the US. Yes, they sell some of their clay court shoes in the US, but I don't get why they won't allow all of their shoes to be sold in the US. So I found a way to buy the TW Europe and Asics UK shoes and started doing just that. Ridiculous to have to jump through these hopes but I am well stocked for years, and no, the glue on my shoes has not disintegrated, and the GR7 I am wearing were made in years ago and they are doing just fine.
Around 2016/17 TW finally started selling quite a bit of non-white clay court Asics and those clay court shoes sold out rather quickly. TW knows their sales number and while they likely sell 30 to 1 HC vs CC shoes, TW likely knows exactly how long each model took to sell out in every size. I have 3 pairs of clay court GR7 of Illusion Blue/Silver, 1 pair of clay FF2 in Novak Blue/White, sitting on the shelf waiting for their turn.
Har-Tru courts are often wet and so I prefer blue, darker colors so the shoes don't look like dark green slimy muck after I hit on a damp court. My clay court Asiics last me for years on HAR Tru but my hardcourt Asics are slick in less than one year. That is the difference. So no @FiddlerDog it isn't a gimmick if you buy Asics Clay Court shoes and play on HarTru in places that get 50 inches of rain a year.
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before i knew the difference difference, I. used to wear hard court sneakers on clay all the time, with no problems... then discovered my ignorance, and found clay court sneakers to give me even better footing, particular in the corners or when making sharp direction changes like when s&v’ing
rafa_prestige89
Professional
I do not lift my feet. Just slide as if I were wearing ice skates.Wow, you must move really well and agressive on the court!
initialize
Hall of Fame
Are clay court sneakers ok for hard courts?
antony
Hall of Fame
NO!
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