Is it the shoes or the socks? help!!

I've been using running shoes to play tennis for the past three years. All of them have been very comfortable with a mostly mesh exterior. My last pair being a set of asics. I decided to break down and buy some legit tennis shoes. I ended up buying the Babolat Propulse 2 for 70$. After reading some reviews I ordered a half size up. I usually wear an 11 but decided on the 11 1/2. First impression was they were very stiff, clunky and made my feet a bit tender. Just finished my 3rd session playing in these shoes and they have loosened up quite a bit. They seem to fit fine until I really start running for a ball like a drop shot or something than I feel like my foot is wriggling around a bit and it makes it much harder to stop. I have about a thumbs width of room between my big toe and the tip of my shoe. Possibly a sliver more. Is that too much room and therefore the shoe is the problem?But I've always been using underarmour socks for the past 1 1/2 years. The same exact pairs I bought then I am using now, never bought any more. Though I do have about 6 pairs. But I noticed the interior lining of the shoe is much slicker than the running shoes I've been using for years. And my socks are so old that the ankle part I have to stretch around the back of my heel to make it fit alright. So could it be that my socks are so loose and the interior is so slick that my socks are causing the uncomfortability? Really debating on whether or not to send the shoes back and order a half size smaller. Thoughts? Would it make sense that it would take a while to adapt to the feel of tennis shoes?

BirdWalkR said:

I've been using running shoes to play tennis for the past three years. All of them have been very comfortable with a mostly mesh exterior. My last pair being a set of asics. I decided to break down and buy some legit tennis shoes. I ended up buying the Babolat Propulse 2 for 70$. After reading some reviews I ordered a half size up. I usually wear an 11 but decided on the 11 1/2. First impression was they were very stiff, clunky and made my feet a bit tender. Just finished my 3rd session playing in these shoes and they have loosened up quite a bit. They seem to fit fine until I really start running for a ball like a drop shot or something than I feel like my foot is wriggling around a bit and it makes it much harder to stop. I have about a thumbs width of room between my big toe and the tip of my shoe. Possibly a sliver more. Is that too much room and therefore the shoe is the problem?But I've always been using underarmour socks for the past 1 1/2 years. The same exact pairs I bought then I am using now, never bought any more. Though I do have about 6 pairs. But I noticed the interior lining of the shoe is much slicker than the running shoes I've been using for years. And my socks are so old that the ankle part I have to stretch around the back of my heel to make it fit alright. So could it be that my socks are so loose and the interior is so slick that my socks are causing the uncomfortability? Really debating on whether or not to send the shoes back and order a half size smaller. Thoughts? Would it make sense that it would take a while to adapt to the feel of tennis shoes?

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Get some thicker socks like Thorlos. That coud help quite a bit.

ArliHawk said:

Get some thicker socks like Thorlos. That coud help quite a bit.

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Definitely thicker socks/doubling up on the socks to fill in the room.
Also, coming right from running shoes to tennis kicks will take some adjusting. Since most running shoes are nice and comfy, Propuses will have a very different feel.

Fist of all, smart move going to tennis shoes. Running shoes have little lateral support and a relatively high heel - that combination makes turning your ankle and suffering an ankle sprain way too likely.

I'd be surprised if they took the shoes back after playing three times.

Notice that socks always wear at the points of greatest friction - the heel and under the ball of the foot. Wearing 2 pairs of socks that are threadbare in these areas will be of no help. That's why I like Thorlo 3's. They are much thicker along the whole sole of the foot, cushioning the foot and protecting the toes. They wear like iron. The synthetic yarn won't crush down like cotton.
And in your case, Thorlo Level 3 socks will take up the extra space in the shoe.

Another consideration would be to replace the lousy insoles in tennis shoes with a good quality replacement insole that would provide better support and cushioning like the Superfeet Orange.
The replacement insoles are not overly thick, but will take up some space in your shoe, and help remedy the problem with the shoe feeling slightly too big.
Also, the cloth covering the top of the Superfeet Orange should provide some friction to keep your foot from sliding, as one of your complaints is that "the interior lining of the shoe is much slicker than my running shoes".



Final thought.
This is your first experience with a tennis shoe. You have learned some valuable lessons about fit and what you will be looking for in your next tennis shoe.
Since you like running shoes, I would recommend considering the Asics Gel Resolution. They get great ratings at TW for support and comfort. To me, they are the closest to the comfortable feel of a running shoe of any tennis shoe I've worn.
Save the box/receipt and send them in for a free new pair if you've worn through the sole in less than 6 months. (I always get a second free pair.)

It is the socks they are worn down probably.

It is the socks they are worn thin.

Tennis shoes do take someone new to them a good 12 hours+ for the feet to adapt. After that, any new pair of tennis shoes breaks in far faster. That's my experience anyhow.

Socks are certainly very important but bear in mind L3s are very thick indeed and often you need to size up to fit them. L2s may be enough. I don't use thorlos as I can't get a deal on them and their care instructions seem tiresome but most who use them really like them. They are 100% synthetic so consider if that will work for you.

Tricky business.

It's great that you're using an actual tennis shoe. Aside from the design advantages that should help to support more of the lateral movement that our game demands, tennis sneaks are also typically built with a "non-marking sole" which won't decorate the court with a bunch of skid marks. That's actually a big no-no.

I've tried to make friends with synthetic socks in the past, but the ones I've sampled have just been too slippery inside of my shoes. I stick with the good ol' cotton athletic socks, but I also like to wear two pairs of socks. This just works for me - lots of our pals around here have found success with using one pair. They get that "positive connection" of their foot to the shoe that they're looking for that way. If I'm going out for a long hot day at the courts, I just bring some extra socks in case I really sweat it up. Heck, I might even bring a second set of dry shoes, too.

Certain models or general brands might seem great, but only if they're designed for your foot type. My feet are a little flat and also rather narrow, but some years ago, I was using sneak's designed to accommodate a wide foot. Once I got that right, my feet have been night-and-day better off.

I only mention this because our pal charlie mentioned the Asics Gel Resolution in his terrific post. Great shoe, but just make sure it's right for your foot type. I was going to get a set of those for myself a couple years ago, but discovered that their Gel Game model is right for my narrow foot. Best shoes I've had in my life, but only because they're a very good match for me.

You can go to pretty much any shoe store and use one of those gizmos to get a handle on your foot width. Stand with your back to a full length mirror in just your socks or bare feet and you also should be able to spy your ankle alignment. Your shoes should encourage nice neutral alignment instead of looking either turned in on your arches (pronated) or out (supinated). The right inserts/orthodics can fix that in an otherwise decent shoe.