Clay, hard court or all court: which tennis shoes match your surface?

Tennis shoes are made for the court they will be used on, and the product name often tells you which.

• Clay: Nike uses Claybreaker technology on the Vapor Lite 3 Clay, the Court Air Zoom Vapor 11 Clay and the Court Lite 4 Clay, for traction and less build-up on clay courts. ASICS builds the Gel-Dedicate 8 Clay for clay too.
• Hard court: the adidas Adizero Ubersonic 5 is made for play on hard courts, and the Nike GP Challenge Pro has a high-abrasion rubber outsole for hard courts.
• All court: the adidas Court Spec 2 has a rubber all-court outsole for solid performance on any surface.
• Artificial grass: the adidas GameCourt 2.0 Omnicourt has an Adiwear omnicourt outsole for traction on artificial grass.

Speed or stability: how do you play?

Light shoes are made for fast tennis. adidas calls the Courtflash Speed 2 feather-light and builds it for fast-paced tennis. Players who stay at the back of the court can look at stability shoes: ASICS designs the Gel-Challenger 15 for a baseline playing style, with Wingwall technology in the sidewall for lateral movements.

What keeps a tennis shoe from wearing out?

Dragging the toe is hard on a tennis shoe. On the adidas Courtjam Control 3, Adituff wraps around the toe area to protect against foot drag. Nike calls the Court Air Zoom Vapor Cage 4 Rafa its most durable Vapor to date, with a stiff frame on the lateral side.

If you are starting out, start with the ASICS Gel-Dedicate 8, which ASICS builds for entry-level players, and take the Clay version for clay courts. Shop men's tennis shoes or women's tennis shoes.