Do you put on your tennis shoes at home or do you wait until you get to the courts?

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
I have always wondered about this, so I'm going to ask:

Why do some people wear flip flops or suchlike while driving to the courts and then change into their tennis shoes when they get there? And then change back again before getting in the car?

I have seen people do this on clay courts, so I figure they just don't want to get their floors or cars dirty. But I've also seen people do it for hard courts. Is there some advantage to doing it this way?

I've always been worried I will forget my shoes and have to default, so I like to be fully dressed when I get into the car.
 

kngoPITT

Rookie
I put my tennis shoes on at home and drive to the courts. Considering it's a 5 minute drive and they're hard courts, there's no reason to bring extra shoes to change in/out of...that'd just be a hassle.
 

tennisnj

Professional
I wear Adidas flip flops for 2 reasons. #1 Quite often I'm on the courts for 6 hours a day in the summer & any chance I get to give my feet a break I do, #2 Even though most of my tennis is played on hard courts, the ones I play on are dirty, & getting to the courts often requires a walk through a muddy field, doggy-do or other landmines.
 

Wild Ace

Rookie
Wow, seems like the flipflop "culture" pre/post-tennis is a universal thing! We do it here too in Singapore. I wear my tennis socks with my casual shoes to the courts before slipping on the tennis ones.

Nike should have released a "Breathe" series of "shoes" = flipflops.
 

jimwh

Rookie
Cindy, with the plantar fascitiis issues we talked about I find it best to get out of my shoes after the match as soon as I can. I put on crocs right after the match. But before I play I wear my shoes with orthotics and do at least 5 minutes on a stationary bike before I play.
 

The_Question

Hall of Fame
I can't wear flip flop driving manual. However, usually I just have my tennis shoes on while driving. Unless I was somewhere else, then I'll change into my tennis gear (including shoes) in the parking lot...
 

Bri-guy

Semi-Pro
Honestly, how much wearing out of a shoe can you do walking from your house/living area, to your car, to the place you play tennis?

Like the comment above me, I agree that it is somewhat of a waste of time and hassle to change into them at the courts. But to each his own, I guess.

Cheers!
 

Jay_The_Nomad

Professional
To air dry my feet and shoes.

I don't usually head straight home after tennis so it's a good idea to take off the shoes and socks and let the feet air in order to prevent fungal infection etc.
 

Toad

Rookie
Honestly, how much wearing out of a shoe can you do walking from your house/living area, to your car, to the place you play tennis?

Agreed...my everyday shoes hardly show any wear, and the materials used for them is no where near as durable as the materials used for tennis shoes. I just put my shoes on before I go to the courts...my feet normally take a couple minutes to settle into the shoes, so if I don't put them on a little before I play I need to stop after about 10 minutes to re-tie them. Putting them on before I go to the court makes it so that I can just re-tie them when I get to the court.
 

zapvor

G.O.A.T.
it depends for me. if i am taking the metro then i have my tennis shoes on, but if i am driving i like to wear a different pair and change at teh courts to give my feet some breathing space because i dont usually tie my shoelaces
 

tacotanium

Professional
i have bad feet so i don't wear those flat flip flops that cause my feet to get inflamed very fast. i wear comfortable sandles in summer season and to courts, then put on my tennis shoes.
 

Pink_Shirt

Rookie
I put them on before I go out to play, I have a 6 month warranty on the shoes anyway. And I don't think walking from the car to the courts will damage them too much. :)
 

J011yroger

Talk Tennis Guru
I wear flip flops as much as possible.

I put my shoes on just before I go on court, and take them off as soon as I get off the court.

J
 
I wear my cycling shoes as I ride to the courts. Then, I lock my bike up and stuff my cleats in my bag. I put on Birkenstocks and walk to the courts. Then I put the Birks in my bag. I put on another pair of socks. Then I put on my tennis shoes.

Then after playing, I take the inside sock off, put the outside sock on, wear my Birks to the bike. Switch them out for cycling cleats and ride home.

Then I wear flipflops after a shower. Then I put a pinecone or a cedar shoe tree in my Babolat shoes.

Kidding.

Ever since I switched to platform pedals on my commute/cyclocross bike, I just wear tennis shoes everywhere. I rotate three pairs. In dry weather, I wear Birks everywhere else since I do not have an office job. I even wear them to church. I think Yeshua would approve.
 

nfor304

Banned
Always wear my tennis shoes there. The only time I change out is if im playing a tournament and have to wait around for a while between matches
 

Storm_Kyori

Hall of Fame
I wear them at home, but I store an extra pair of regular to wear after I'm done. Like someone already said, I like to give my feet some rest if I'm going to be out there for a while.
 

ClubHoUno

Banned
I play on red clay 90% of the time when I play tennis, so I need some other shoes to wear to and from my apartment and to the tennis court.

I have an extra pair of Nike Vapor VI Tour in black/Silver, which I wear to and from the court. I then have 2 pair of Nike Cage II, which I use on the clay courts (one pair in Carolina Blue/Dark blue and one pair in red/white/black)

I never enter my home or car in tennis shoes with red clay on, even though I have brushed most of the red clay off after the match/practice session.
 

bigserver

New User
i put ine on when im on the court. It's just part of my routine when i take my tracksuit off i change my shoes. It sounds odd but i'm then fully focused on tennis.
 

schap02

Semi-Pro
Honestly, how much wearing out of a shoe can you do walking from your house/living area, to your car, to the place you play tennis?

Like the comment above me, I agree that it is somewhat of a waste of time and hassle to change into them at the courts. But to each his own, I guess.

Cheers!


Even though I partially agree with you hear I must say that I usually change into my shoes at the courts...you just never know if you're going to step in anything on the way to the courts, no matter how close you live.....also I'm usually very very early for matches so by the time I put on my shoes, I know it's game on, I'm starting to focus and get ready for the match...

Of course If I'm running later than usual I just lace them up at home...
 

JavierLW

Hall of Fame
I have always wondered about this, so I'm going to ask:

Why do some people wear flip flops or suchlike while driving to the courts and then change into their tennis shoes when they get there? And then change back again before getting in the car?

I have seen people do this on clay courts, so I figure they just don't want to get their floors or cars dirty. But I've also seen people do it for hard courts. Is there some advantage to doing it this way?

I've always been worried I will forget my shoes and have to default, so I like to be fully dressed when I get into the car.

I dont like driving with my tennis shoes on, sometimes it does something extra to the right shoe as it's an added repetitive motion that the shoe otherwise wouldnt go thru.

But mostly that's just a habit from the old days of having cheaper shoes that would become broken in easier, and having older manual cars where you really had to step on the petals to use the gas and the brakes.

Besides there is something to be said for only using the tennis shoes for tennis, they are not really designed to be comfortable walking shoes or anything.

They are designed so you can run around the court and stop on a dime, and not break your ankle, when Im not playing tennis Id prefer to wear something more comfortable.

(but again that's more a throwback from the old days of wearing Nike shoes in the late 80's and 90's where they would dig way into your arch and they were not really meant for comfort)
 

rasajadad

Hall of Fame
I usually wear sandals, but if I wear my tennis shoes to the courts I won't tighten the laces until I park the car.
 

Gemini

Hall of Fame
My tennis shoes are pretty snug which is okay for a couple hours of match play and hitting but I like the freedom of sandals/flip-flops before and after tennis. Helps to keep my feet cool in hot weather.
 

tennisdad65

Hall of Fame
The drive from my home to the court is 20 minutes.

I wear ankle braces on both feet if I am playing a match (doubles or singles). If I am rallying or serving or hitting against the wall, I do not use the braces.

So, I go to to courts in my slippers, see if I can get a match going.. then I put on my braces and shoes.. If I cannot get a match, it is only the shoes.

I get out of my braces and shoes as soon as the match is over. Just too uncomfortable to keep on for too long.
 

Douggo

Semi-Pro
...you just never know if you're going to step in anything on the way to the courts, no matter how close you live...

This. As a courtesy - I don't want to deposit anything onto the courts that I may have picked up on the way there.
 
flip flops

Out here in vegas, i wear tennis shoes to the courts but as soon as the match is over go to flip flops. way to hot to keep my feet in sweaty sox and hot shoes!!!
 
It just feels good D: well i have those fit foam sandals so no issue there but yeah it also gives the shoe a "fresh" feel if you get my point since theres a certain amount of cool down time if you wear sandals you get this sorta new feeling in your shoes every time you wear em :] and its also so i dont get shin splits T_T
 
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