New outdoor shoes?

[Fuji]

So I don't really have a lot of experience with tennis shoes, and I will need to purchase some new ones for the upcoming outdoor hard court season!

I am an aggressive all court player who does a lot of sprinting and explosive moments, and I have EXTREME toe drag. I need a shoe that will survive the 3-4 month season at least. I don't want anything extremely heavy, but I definitely do want some protection for my toes. My right foot is the one that does 95% of the hard drag. Thanks!

-Fuji

 

[Fuji]

Sorry totally forgot, the hard courts are green cement, if that has any effect on the recommendations!

-Fuji

 

[banter]

3.3 or the BVI. They seem to be the most durable shoe on the market. They could probably handle your aggressiveness.

If you need to compromise the weight, go for the Asics gel reso 3 or the babolat propulse 3.

 

[Fuji]

I really like the look of the 3.3's, they seem like they are pretty solid for what I need! The other ones I really like are the Propulse 3, but they seem new without much review. Does anyone have experience with either 3.3's or the Propulse 3?

Thanks!

-Fuji

 

[retrograde]

IMO, getting the proper fit is a priority. If they don't fit, it doesn't matter what they look like or how durable they are.

Different shoe companies use different "lasts" to design their shoes around. A last is a model of a foot. There is no industry-standard last so some brands tend to fit better with narrow, normal, wide, etc. feet. Also, within a certain brand (e.g. Adidas, Nike) there can be variation between models.

My recommendation is try to figure out whether you have narrow, normal, or wide feet. Do the same for your toes and heel. Then try to figure out which brands and models within a brand are suitable for the shape of your foot.

If you search around in these forums, it seems like folks with wider feet tend to lean towards Prince and New Balance (NB comes in width sizing). But even within a brand, things can differ. For example, the popular Adidas Barricade 6 is said to have a narrow toebox compared to the Barricade 5.

You can go to a brick & mortar tennis/sports store to try on running and tennis shoes from different brands to get a feel for their lasts. I did this and found out I can't fit most Asics and Adidas shoes because I need a roomy toebox. But Head, Kswiss, and New Balance had roomier toeboxes in general. Hopefully you have a normal foot that many brands can accommodate.

Also take advantage of TW's generous return policy to make sure you get a good fit. Good luck!