What To Look For
Particularly at the professional level, each type of tennis shoes are designed to favor a certain type of game play. Shoes designed for hard courts are made to absorb more impact on the joints, due to the hard nature of the surface. Tennis shoes designed for clay courts do not need to address this problem (since clay surfaces absorb shock much easier than hard court surfaces), and thus are made with thinner soles for better mobility. Likewise, grass courts also absorb shock better than hard courts.
Common Pitfalls
One common pitfall that many tennis players make when playing on different surfaces is using the same pair of tennis shoes for each surface. Especially if you are making the transition from hard court to clay court, you can run into the problem of adjusting to the traction differences. Since clay courts are covered in loose sediment, hard-court players need to adjust their style of play to be able to move with agility on the court. Wearing hard-court tennis shoes on clay surfaces, can cause a player have trouble moving about easily.
Where To Buy
The best place to find a wide selection of tennis shoes for a variety of court surfaces is at a tennis pro shop like Golfsmith, or on line at tennis warehouses like Tennis-Warehouse.com. Although the shoes sold at these stores and websites can be slightly more expensive than those found at sporting goods stores like Sports Authority or Big 5 Sporting Goods, the wider selection of shoes will help you find a pair that is well suited for the court type that you'll be playing on, since sporting goods stores typically do not address the differences in court types for tennis shoes.
Cost
Tennis shoes purchased at a tennis pro shop like Golfsmith can cost anywhere from $70 to $150, and are typically sold with a factory warranty that ensures that the shoe lasts at least six months. While you can also find the same shoes for $20 to $30 less at online warehouses, it helps to be able to physically try on the shoe that you are interested in buying before making any decisions, since every shoe fits differently and buying on line can be a gamble.
Insider Tips
If you are unsure of what type of shoe you feel most comfortable with still, but do not want to pay the high prices at tennis pro shops, you might consider shopping for a pair that you like in stores, then going on line to look for that same pair at a cheaper price.
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