7 Tips For How To Fit Athletic Tennis Shoes

Reads:

4,412

Uploaded:

09/01/2008

Category:

Research

Rated:

(1 Rating)

Copyright:

Attribution Non-commercial

Athletic tennis shoes are designed primarily for strenuous and sporting activities. It is important to get a perfect fit in the athletic tennis sho... (More) Athletic tennis shoes are designed primarily for strenuous and sporting activities. It is important to get a perfect fit in the athletic tennis shoe to prevent sores, blisters, even broken bones. On the other hand, sneakers are usually a fashion statement and the fit for shoes you will wear to school and around home can be less than perfect if they are the style you’re dreaming about.

If you participate in multiple sports it is a good idea to get specific shoes for each sport. I know that you may be thinking that your cross trainers can do it all, but in fact, if you try to use the same shoe for tennis, basketball and running, you will most certainly end up with foot problems.

Now, how do you get a good fit for athletic tennis shoes, which are used extensively in sports like tennis, running, and basketball? With so many comfortable choices today, there is no reason to be hurting or uncomfortable, so here are a few tips to help you with your selection.

1. First take a look at your foot. Is it wider at the front or at the heel? Do you have high arches or flat feet? Is you big toe larger than the rest of your feet? Do you have a thick pad on the bottom of your feet or thin covering over the bones. Are your ankles high or low and easy to rub on the top of a shoe? Once you know your foot type you can quickly and easily discard many shoes without even trying them on. Choose tennis shoes according to your foot type - your foot should fit comfortably in the shoe without any stretching.

2. Check the flexibility of your shoe. It should bend easily where your toes attach to your foot, but still be sturdy enough to support the bones of your feet.

3. Check for added cushioning, with air, water, or gel to provide shock absorption for your feet, ankles, and legs.

4. Check the heel box - that part of the tennis shoe that covers the heel of your feet and keeps your feet in control while playing. Ideally the heel box should be made of leather with some rubber or plastic as support. To see the resistance of your heel box, you can try squeezing or bending it.

5. Check the upper part of the shoe that covers the fore and middle portion of you foot. Make sure it is made of a sturdy material with a design that allows airflow.

6. After finding a few pair of shoes that meet your criteria, try them on. Make sure you wear the same socks that you will wear participating in your sport and try them on at the end of the day when your feet have expanded.

7. Try them out. If you are a runner - run in them. If you are a basketball player, jump in them. If they don’t feel comfortable now - they won’t feel comfortable later.

Brand Names? Nike, Reeboks, and Adidas put a lot of money into advertising. So they raise their prices to cover the costs. If cost is a consideration you might want to look at alternative brands like Wilson tennis shoes which may be just as good at half the cost. However, cheap Chinese knock-offs are not the way to go when looking for an athletic tennis shoe. - leave those for the fashionistas.

Should you buy online? If you have been to a specialty shoe store and know the brand, model and size of the shoe that fits you best, there is no reason not to go online to try and find a better price. Or if your style of athletic tennis shoes has been discontinued at your local store, you may be able to still find it on web shoe stores.

How you purchase your athletic tennis shoes is up to you, just make sure to prevent injury and increase your competitive edge, that you get a perfect fit.
(Less)