Tennis Shoes on a budget!

[Prashil Negandhi]

When I started playing, I did so wearing running shoes. Bad idea. Within a few months, the sides started tearing. I then switched to a pair of basketball shoes that I had and they lasted me a long time. But after a year of heavy use their sole is almost gone and I'm looking to buy my first pair of tennis shoes! But on a budget Any shoes that are cheap(20-30$) and would last a long time? (I play only on hard courts)

 

[ricardo]

When I started playing, I did so wearing running shoes. Bad idea. Within a few months, the sides started tearing. I then switched to a pair of basketball shoes that I had and they lasted me a long time. But after a year of heavy use their sole is almost gone and I'm looking to buy my first pair of tennis shoes! But on a budget Any shoes that are cheap(20-30$) and would last a long time? (I play only on hard courts)

Buy used tennis shoes.
There are a lot of them on ****...

I myself won't buy them but its just me.

 

[14OuncesStrung]

You have got to be joking. You are out of your mind.

 

[TahoeTennis]

Don't skimp on your feet, buy some good tennis shoes. You can routinely find some really good/great shoes here, in discount stores and many other sites for 45-65 dollars, top of the line shoes.

 

[max]

OP: I've played tennis many years. The one thing that I have learned over this time is that the shoes are a highly important part of your tennis arsenal. Don't go cheap there.

As it stands, tennis is pretty cheap to play. Balls are inexpensive, courts are plentiful and free in most places. Racquets are costly, but they last a very long time. So the money should go to good shoes so you don't tear your legs apart, and don't play less well.

 

[WildVolley]

If you shop sales on TW you can sometimes find durability guaranteed shoes for low prices. It depends on the brand, but many will send you another pair for the cost of shipping the old ones back if you wear a hole in the outsole within 6 months. The cost per pair can sometimes be as low as $20-$50.

 

[FedLIKEnot]

If you shop sales on TW you can sometimes find durability guaranteed shoes for low prices. It depends on the brand, but many will send you another pair for the cost of shipping the old ones back if you wear a hole in the outsole within 6 months. The cost per pair can sometimes be as low as $20-$50.

If I were you I'd buy the cheapest shoes with a 6 month sole guarantee that I could find. It's what I did until I found a few styles I loved. That way basically you get two pairs for the price of one.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

Well, I play with no shoes.

 

[Ramon]

Best way to go cheap is to shop for bargains at TW. You probably won't find a good pair in the $20-30 range unless you have unusually sized feet, but you might find something good for under $50.

 

[392Hemi]

keep an eye out on Amazon. I got a pair of Barricade V for $45

 

[ricardo]

You have got to be joking. You are out of your mind.

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/prince-shoes.172405/

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/fs-shoes.104665/

and so on and on...

 

[WildVolley]

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/prince-shoes.172405/

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/fs-shoes.104665/

and so on and on...

A guy on the courts once sold me a pair of his Prince T22s. They were lightly worn and fit, so why not?

Now, if you were to buy a used pair of my shoes, you'd have to deal with the fact that I sweat so much that they look like I've submersed them in the ocean after each time I play. I think you'd want to run them through the washer, dry them, and spray the insides before using them.

 

[HRB]

When I started playing, I did so wearing running shoes. Bad idea. Within a few months, the sides started tearing. I then switched to a pair of basketball shoes that I had and they lasted me a long time. But after a year of heavy use their sole is almost gone and I'm looking to buy my first pair of tennis shoes! But on a budget Any shoes that are cheap(20-30$) and would last a long time? (I play only on hard courts)

"After a year of heavy use"...A YEAR!!! I play three to 5 times a week for 8 months and about once a week in winter, and I go through 3 pairs a year.

Don't cheap out when it comes to your feet, ankles, knees, hips....the surface is bad enough as it is. By the time you see physical wear, like your "sole almost gone" you are easily a month or 2 beyond when these shoes ceased to give you any support. This will bite you in the arse in the long run (assuming you play at least 4.0 level, and you aren't under 140lbs.), and orthopedic surgery and physical therapy are much more expensive.

Now...that being said, you don't need expensive shoes...look for closeouts, and when you find a deal buy 3-4 pairs at a time, that'll hold you over for 18-24 months. Hoop shoes are fine, and probably in abundance on the cheap, they simple wear out quicker because the sole implies you are playing on hardwood, not asphalt. If you are on a tight budget then don't buy new racquets, that's the biggest scam, buy perfectly good used sticks off the "Bay" and use your saved pennies to PROTECT YOUR JOINTS!

 

[14OuncesStrung]

"After a year of heavy use"...A YEAR!!! I play three to 5 times a week for 8 months and about once a week in winter, and I go through 3 pairs a year.

Don't cheap out when it comes to your feet, ankles, knees, hips....the surface is bad enough as it is. By the time you see physical wear, like your "sole almost gone" you are easily a month or 2 beyond when these shoes ceased to give you any support. This will bite you in the arse in the long run (assuming you play at least 4.0 level, and you aren't under 140lbs.), and orthopedic surgery and physical therapy are much more expensive.

Now...that being said, you don't need expensive shoes...look for closeouts, and when you find a deal buy 3-4 pairs at a time, that'll hold you over for 18-24 months. Hoop shoes are fine, and probably in abundance on the cheap, they simple wear out quicker because the sole implies you are playing on hardwood, not asphalt. If you are on a tight budget then don't buy new racquets, that's the biggest scam, buy perfectly good used sticks off the "Bay" and use your saved pennies to PROTECT YOUR JOINTS!

Listen to this guy or you can say hello to a world of immense physical pain.

 

[Nostradamus]

Buy used tennis shoes.
There are a lot of them on ****...

I myself won't buy them but its just me.

you can always find some people in here that will donate the used shoe for free. just pay for shipping only. I throw away 1/2 used shoes all the time just cause part of midsole separate and I just don't want to bother re-gluing them

 

[Shaolin]

I second the others that say it's just not worth it to skimp on your foot support. Plantar Fascitis and/or badly rolled ankles are no joke. Like the post above I bet some people here would donate/sell really cheap some of their old shoes that still have a lot of life in them. I would offer to myself but I have only one pair and its pretty new. A lot of posters here have many pairs though and would probably donate something.

 

[WildVolley]

Don't cheap out when it comes to your feet, ankles, knees, hips....the surface is bad enough as it is. By the time you see physical wear, like your "sole almost gone" you are easily a month or 2 beyond when these shoes ceased to give you any support. This will bite you in the arse in the long run (assuming you play at least 4.0 level, and you aren't under 140lbs.), and orthopedic surgery and physical therapy are much more expensive.

I just have to say that I don't believe this.

By going over to the dark side of the barefoot world, I found my feet were weak and that by taking off my shoes as much as possible I strengthened my feet and got rid of my PF. Furthermore, I did not feel any joint pain. Other people I have talked to claim that their joint pain diminished by taking off their shoes and exercising. I certainly won't claim that this will hold true for everyone (barefoot running might not be for you), but it is enough to make me think that dire warnings based on personal experience don't necessarily hold true for other people.

Stiffer or less padded shoes may cause joint pain in some and reduce joint pain in others. This isn't perfectly understood. A possible explanation is that softer shoes (often called "supportive") are actually less supportive because the cushioning gives way on impact and may load more torque into the knees. Those who still have a lot of cushioning in the knee (perhaps due to genetics) may be more injured by torque than by impact. Also, more padded shoes tend to have a higher stack height which means a greater chance of ankle rolling: just imagine trying to play tennis in platform shoes and you'll get the basic reason that stack height is a bad thing. Whether more stack height benefits you will depend on how much cushioning you need. And if you wear heavily cushioned shoes with a high stack height, it might be a good idea to wear ankle braces.

In any case, assuming I don't wear through the bottom of the shoe so that it becomes dangerous to my foot or too slick (slipping and falling is probably not good on joints), I haven't had ANY issue with padding breaking down in shoes that have over a 100 hours of court time on them. I'm a weekend warrior, but I'm not a slow player and can move fast enough on a hard court to actually slide into balls. So don't assume that you need more cushioning because you are running around the court and I'm just moving like a 70 year old club player.

In short, if you don't feel joint pain when playing there isn't a good reason to think that you're endangering your joints by wearing old/worn tennis shoes

 

[ricardo]

you can always find some people in here that will donate the used shoe for free. just pay for shipping only. I throw away 1/2 used shoes all the time just cause part of midsole separate and I just don't want to bother re-gluing them

If you are 10.5 Med, donate your Adidas Barricade Boost to me.
I know you are an honorable man and you keep your words.

 

[HRB]

I just have to say that I don't believe this.

By going over to the dark side of the barefoot world, I found my feet were weak and that by taking off my shoes as much as possible I strengthened my feet and got rid of my PF. Furthermore, I did not feel any joint pain. Other people I have talked to claim that their joint pain diminished by taking off their shoes and exercising. I certainly won't claim that this will hold true for everyone (barefoot running might not be for you), but it is enough to make me think that dire warnings based on personal experience don't necessarily hold true for other people.

Stiffer or less padded shoes may cause joint pain in some and reduce joint pain in others. This isn't perfectly understood. A possible explanation is that softer shoes (often called "supportive") are actually less supportive because the cushioning gives way on impact and may load more torque into the knees. Those who still have a lot of cushioning in the knee (perhaps due to genetics) may be more injured by torque than by impact. Also, more padded shoes tend to have a higher stack height which means a greater chance of ankle rolling: just imagine trying to play tennis in platform shoes and you'll get the basic reason that stack height is a bad thing. Whether more stack height benefits you will depend on how much cushioning you need. And if you wear heavily cushioned shoes with a high stack height, it might be a good idea to wear ankle braces.

In any case, assuming I don't wear through the bottom of the shoe so that it becomes dangerous to my foot or too slick (slipping and falling is probably not good on joints), I haven't had ANY issue with padding breaking down in shoes that have over a 100 hours of court time on them. I'm a weekend warrior, but I'm not a slow player and can move fast enough on a hard court to actually slide into balls. So don't assume that you need more cushioning because you are running around the court and I'm just moving like a 70 year old club player.

In short, if you don't feel joint pain when playing there isn't a good reason to think that you're endangering your joints by wearing old/worn tennis shoes

When the worn shoe causes you to slide out, put your arm out instinctually to break your fall, and tear a shoulder that's a pretty good reason.

BTW..I'm down with the whole barefoot, natural thing, on natural terrain. Your foot was designed with the belief that you'd be running/walking over natural uneven terrain of various hardness...thus that great mechanical arch design that moves freely and spreads shock amongst many muscles since you never quite land the same way....however artificial surfaces that provide an artificially perfectly level landing point at all times take away that natural ability to "spread the wealth" amongst
many muscle muscle groups, and now only a few are repeatedly taking the brunt of the work...so a supportive shoes (not a fan of overly cushioned) helps the best it can in an unnatural environment.

Trust me, I'm a minimalist with all sports gear, and I like the barefoot idea, but an orthopedic surgeon friend of mine said it would be great, if we walked on natural terrain, but we don't 95% of the time in the modern world...sadly he is kept in business with no fear of going out of style because of this. The way he puts it, "Tennis players will keep me in business since they keep playing on a material designed for cars!"...even hoop players get a little give with wood.

Hell, I'd play on a clay court all the time if possible, and I'd love to go barefoot, but these relentless hardcourts are sadly the most abundant and conducive to my big serve go for the put away game!

 

[WildVolley]

Trust me, I'm a minimalist with all sports gear, and I like the barefoot idea, but an orthopedic surgeon friend of mine said it would be great, if we walked on natural terrain, but we don't 95% of the time in the modern world...sadly he is kept in business with no fear of going out of style because of this. The way he puts it, "Tennis players will keep me in business since they keep playing on a material designed for cars!"...even hoop players get a little give with wood.

Hell, I'd play on a clay court all the time if possible, and I'd love to go barefoot, but these relentless hardcourts are sadly the most abundant and conducive to my big serve go for the put away game!

I agree with you about the loss of traction. If you are slipping then that's a problem. But probably not as big of a problem as rolling over on the edge of the shoe and twisting an ankle or your knee. Sliding out doesn't tend to cause me problems with my knees.

Some of this may be based on how much you play. I may play four hours a day on weekends sometimes; but in most cases, I'm only on the court for a few hours and then have a day off from playing. So perhaps if I were to coach tennis full-time and then spend hours everyday playing I'd be more sensitive to how much the padding is worn down in my shoes.

The whole joint pain thing is a mystery to me. Luckily I don't tend to suffer from joint pain. Perhaps it is just genetics. I'm twice the age of some players I play against and they already have joint pain while I'm fine.

Studying this stuff is difficult, but I'm still of the opinion that needing to constantly replace shoes due to "cushioning" is overdone. However, if my knees hurt after I played, I'm sure I'd feel differently.

 

[HRB]

I agree with you about the loss of traction. If you are slipping then that's a problem. But probably not as big of a problem as rolling over on the edge of the shoe and twisting an ankle or your knee. Sliding out doesn't tend to cause me problems with my knees.

Some of this may be based on how much you play. I may play four hours a day on weekends sometimes; but in most cases, I'm only on the court for a few hours and then have a day off from playing. So perhaps if I were to coach tennis full-time and then spend hours everyday playing I'd be more sensitive to how much the padding is worn down in my shoes.

The whole joint pain thing is a mystery to me. Luckily I don't tend to suffer from joint pain. Perhaps it is just genetics. I'm twice the age of some players I play against and they already have joint pain while I'm fine.

Studying this stuff is difficult, but I'm still of the opinion that needing to constantly replace shoes due to "cushioning" is overdone. However, if my knees hurt after I played, I'm sure I'd feel differently.

How much of an athletic background do you have, and how big are you? I have 20 years competitive Basketball, some American Football,Volleyball, tennis and motocross back in the day under my belt, and I'm 6'1" and 215lbs.

I can't think of one of my friends who had a similar very active life, and is over 40 years old that doesn't have some joint pain somewhere periodically, and the few retired Pro Level athletes I know ache somewhere every day.

My guess is you our either very light, don't play very aggressive, or very lucky...maybe a combination of all three. If you have put a lot of wear and tear on your body, and don't suffer any consequences from it then consider yourself very blessed, very lucky, and stop talking about it so you don't jinx yourself!

 

[FedererExpress]

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/New_Balance_MC_996v2_D_Grey_Green/descpageMSNB-M996GGD.html

50$ with year long warranty, making it 25$ for each pair. Just bought one to use temp while I wait for my babolats!

 

[WildVolley]

My guess is you our either very light, don't play very aggressive, or very lucky...maybe a combination of all three. If you have put a lot of wear and tear on your body, and don't suffer any consequences from it then consider yourself very blessed, very lucky, and stop talking about it so you don't jinx yourself!

You're wrong that I'm not athletically aggressive or don't have a sporting background, but you're correct that I'm light. Currently 6'3" tall and 180lbs. I'm not superstitious.

Seriously, I think that shoe cushioning is overemphasized and not enough emphasis is placed on proper nutrition, rest, and exercise. The importance of shoes on athletes is understudied, IMO. For years the shoe companies have been pushing pronation control shoes, for instance, without any studies showing benefit for those type of shoes. It doesn't mean they don't work for some people, it is just that the knowledge is anecdotal at this point. The idea that cushioning wears out in a shoe far before the outsoles wear out also strikes me as largely hypothetical. There's no question that cushioning degrades in a shoe over time. But I've read some articles that suggest this can happen fairly quickly. The issue is whether the less cushioned shoe is damaging on your joints. This probably varies widely between people.

 

[ricardo]

Seriously, I think that shoe cushioning is overemphasized and not enough emphasis is placed on proper nutrition, rest, and exercise.

My feet wants cushioned shoes.
I even buy after-market insoles to improve cushioning.

Your feet doesn't need as much cushioning as my feet.
Lucky you.
You don't have to spend on pricey after-market insoles.

 

[Nostradamus]

If you are 10.5 Med, donate your Adidas Barricade Boost to me.
I know you are an honorable man and you keep your words.

Unfortunately I wear size 9.5. if I had 10.5, I would have donated it to you. shoes is still in such a good condition.

 

[ricardo]

Unfortunately I wear size 9.5. if I had 10.5, I would have donated it to you. shoes is still in such a good condition.

Aha!!!
I got you!!
I am actually a 9.5..

So I will patiently wait until you get tired of it.

 

[Ihatetennis]

I went to a running store when i was looking for long distance running shoes.

The people there refused to have minimalistic shoes as they are some of the worst shoes for people to run in.

Our bodies were designed to last 30-40 years. Shoes extend our legs and running lives beyond that, the whole barefoot movement is a load of bs.



Don't skimp out on shoes or you will end up damaged.

 

[WildVolley]

I went to a running store when i was looking for long distance running shoes.

The people there refused to have minimalistic shoes as they are some of the worst shoes for people to run in.

Our bodies were designed to last 30-40 years. Shoes extend our legs and running lives beyond that, the whole barefoot movement is a load of bs.

Don't skimp out on shoes or you will end up damaged.

You didn't consider that shoe salesmen probably have an incentive to sell you more shoes?

Also, there are a number of studies that show that people change their gait when wearing minimalist shoes. It seems to put more stress on the feet and ankles and less stress on the knees. Whether or not that's a good thing probably depends on your weight, conditioning, etc. In any case, I'd caution anyone who is accustomed to highly cushioned shoes to buy minimalist shoes and then go run a lot of distance. You're most likely to injure yourself. Specifically the case against VFF was that women seemed to get foot stress fractures when transitioning at the rate suggested by Vibram. So use common sense and build up to it slowly and you might actually enjoy the strengthening of your feet. If you want to run a lot of mileage without transitioning then stick with shoes you're accustomed to.

I'm not saying we have good evidence that minimalist shoes are superior for running in terms of avoiding injury, but the problem is we really don't have good evidence that highly cushioned shoes are superior in reducing running injury. Tennis shoes allow you to perform better on the tennis court. But I'm not convinced that the more cushioned shoes are superior in terms of joint health. The issue of joint torque and foot stability needs to be balanced against lowering impact force by putting in more cushioning and raising the stack height.

I stand by my claim that proper rest, recovery, and nutrition is probably more important than shoe cushioning in avoiding joint damage. In moderation, impact is probably good for joints, and there's definitely evidence that it is good for bone health. A number of studies have shown benefits in bone hardness by doing jump exercises.

 

[Ihatetennis]

You didn't consider that shoe salesmen probably have an incentive to sell you more shoes?

Also, there are a number of studies that show that people change their gait when wearing minimalist shoes. It seems to put more stress on the feet and ankles and less stress on the knees. Whether or not that's a good thing probably depends on your weight, conditioning, etc. In any case, I'd caution anyone who is accustomed to highly cushioned shoes to buy minimalist shoes and then go run a lot of distance. You're most likely to injure yourself. Specifically the case against VFF was that women seemed to get foot stress fractures when transitioning at the rate suggested by Vibram. So use common sense and build up to it slowly and you might actually enjoy the strengthening of your feet. If you want to run a lot of mileage without transitioning then stick with shoes you're accustomed to.

I'm not saying we have good evidence that minimalist shoes are superior for running in terms of avoiding injury, but the problem is we really don't have good evidence that highly cushioned shoes are superior in reducing running injury. Tennis shoes allow you to perform better on the tennis court. But I'm not convinced that the more cushioned shoes are superior in terms of joint health. The issue of joint torque and foot stability needs to be balanced against lowering impact force by putting in more cushioning and raising the stack height.

I stand by my claim that proper rest, recovery, and nutrition is probably more important than shoe cushioning in avoiding joint damage. In moderation, impact is probably good for joints, and there's definitely evidence that it is good for bone health. A number of studies have shown benefits in bone hardness by doing jump exercises.

They are a small local business and make more commision on selling minimalist shoes as compared to normal shoes.

The entire store went against minimalist shoes because they knew they werent good for feet. They also took newtons off their shelves as they caused shin splints and bruised feet.

This is a store that put customers above profit.

There are plenty of studies that show runners suffer from minimal shoes as compared to padded shoes. It is proven, the minimal shoe movement is based on what our origins are, but only that. Like the paleo diet, but without benefits.

 

[FedererExpress]

They are a small local business and make more commision on selling minimalist shoes as compared to normal shoes.

The entire store went against minimalist shoes because they knew they werent good for feet. They also took newtons off their shelves as they caused shin splints and bruised feet.

This is a store that put customers above profit.

There are plenty of studies that show runners suffer from minimal shoes as compared to padded shoes. It is proven, the minimal shoe movement is based on what our origins are, but only that. Like the paleo diet, but without benefits.

There's plenty of studies that show how minimalist shoes help like WildVolley mentioned. The stats are somewhat skewed because just as wildvolley mentioned people have been running with cushioned shoes for 20-30years then expect to run the same in minimalist shoes immediately for same mileage immediately then get hurt. Another great example are the Tarahumara Indians which is where the whole minimalistic concept came from. They aren't "from the cave man era" and seem to be doing fine running ultramarathons in minimalistic shoes.

With that in mind, I'm neither pro minimalistic, or cushioned shoes. I don't think there is enough data to support 100% either sides as Wildvolley mentioned. Do what works best for you. This local shop, obviously found that the shoes didn't work for many people and decided to remove them based on their opinion. Doesn't mean they are right or that minimalistic shoes are bad. Just mho though as a person who works in exercise physiology.

 

[FedererExpress]

To me it would be no different than if a tennis store saw how stiff the Babolat Pure drive was, and made a general statement of that high stiffness is "bad" for your arm so I will never stock it and not let people buy it...

 

[Ihatetennis]

To me it would be no different than if a tennis store saw how stiff the Babolat Pure drive was, and made a general statement of that high stiffness is "bad" for your arm so I will never stock it and not let people buy it...

HAHAHAH My local shopkeeper has a disclaimer on the babolat wall infront of the pure aero and pushes customers towards yonex instead. "cheap light stiff POS" are his words exactly

 

[WildVolley]

They are a small local business and make more commision on selling minimalist shoes as compared to normal shoes.

The entire store went against minimalist shoes because they knew they werent good for feet. They also took newtons off their shelves as they caused shin splints and bruised feet.

While this thread has gone off course, let me posit what might have hypothetically happened at the store: Barefoot running started being a fad. A lot of people didn't want to run barefoot so they bought "minimal" shoes which allowed them to run far longer and faster than they could barefoot when transitioning from wearing normal shoes. Customers got injured and then got mad at the store. So the store stopped selling minimal shoes. You heard the store tell you that minimal shoes are bad for running and you believed them.

Fine, but what you've proven is that taking off your cushioned shoes and then doing a lot of running in minimal shoes without a slow transition and strengthening program can lead to foot injuries. You haven't shown that minimal shoes are "bad" for running any more than someone going into a gym to start a weight lifting program and then lifting as much as he can without proper form and getting injured proves "weightlifting is bad."

In any case, this thread isn't about minimal shoes. Rather, the debate is whether tennis players should switch out regular tennis shoes once the cushioning starts to break down, which probably starts when you first put them on and then degrades at some rate. I stand by my contention that there is no fixed rule for when to replace tennis shoes, and also that replacing shoes often won't necessarily reduce foot injuries. More than that, I don't think that someone who wears tennis shoes for say six months, assuming that they still have traction, is necessarily doing ANY damage to his joints. To make such a claim is simply alarmism.

 

[14OuncesStrung]

While this thread has gone off course, let me posit what might have hypothetically happened at the store: Barefoot running started being a fad. A lot of people didn't want to run barefoot so they bought "minimal" shoes which allowed them to run far longer and faster than they could barefoot when transitioning from wearing normal shoes. Customers got injured and then got mad at the store. So the store stopped selling minimal shoes. You heard the store tell you that minimal shoes are bad for running and you believed them.

Fine, but what you've proven is that taking off your cushioned shoes and then doing a lot of running in minimal shoes without a slow transition and strengthening program can lead to foot injuries. You haven't shown that minimal shoes are "bad" for running any more than someone going into a gym to start a weight lifting program and then lifting as much as he can without proper form and getting injured proves "weightlifting is bad."

In any case, this thread isn't about minimal shoes. Rather, the debate is whether tennis players should switch out regular tennis shoes once the cushioning starts to break down, which probably starts when you first put them on and then degrades at some rate. I stand by my contention that there is no fixed rule for when to replace tennis shoes, and also that replacing shoes often won't necessarily reduce foot injuries. More than that, I don't think that someone who wears tennis shoes for say six months, assuming that they still have traction, is necessarily doing ANY damage to his joints. To make such a claim is simply alarmism.

In my opinion you're clinically insane to even consider playing tennis barefoot.

 

[WildVolley]

In my opinion you're clinically insane to even consider playing tennis barefoot.

Really? That's what you got out of reading what I wrote?