7 Best Tennis Shoes in 2024

The king of all tennis shoes is the ASICS Court FF 3 and its game-optimizing features serve as a testament to its superiority. This shoe has no issue facing frequent wear because of its reliable construction. And on the game proper, it proves to be energy-saving every landing and supportive on every position shift.

In our lab, we measured its midsole’s softness. With a 31.5 HA value displayed on our durometer, this shoe’s midsole falls within the average, granting us supreme responsiveness and extra stability on the court. Although we subjected Court FF 3 to a lot of games, the outsole remained intact. As it turned out, our durometer detected the outsole hardness at 85.3 HC, which is close to the 87.3 HC average. When we applied our Dremel to the outsole, a 0.4 mm dent was derived, which has 0.1 mm less depth than the average.

Our caliper recorded heel and forefoot stack heights of 28.8 mm and 20.6 mm. While the amount of cushioning is average, with a 6.3% lesser difference than their averages, we didn’t feel the need for more since the dual-density foam and the incorporated gel inserts took care of the impact protection and smooth propulsions.

We found the ASICS Court FF 3 snug. With our caliper, we realized that the 101.8 mm width across the widest part of its toebox is just standard among tennis shoes. If you require more room for your toes, we advise getting the pair in a larger size or opting for other wide-fitting tennis shoes.

NikeCourt Air Zoom Vapor Pro is the best lightweight tennis shoe because it’s the most burden-relieving and strain-easing shoe we’ve ever used playing. Its crowning glory is its incredible lightness doesn’t leave any repercussions on the shoe’s stability and performance on the court.

We felt the agility rushing through our feet and legs, on account of the weightlessness of this shoe. We noted a weight of 12.10 oz (343g) in our lab, but on foot, it gave the impression that we were shoeless. Despite its lightweight sensation, Vapor Pro didn’t compromise our steadiness in this shoe. We confirmed this using our caliper, which registered a midsole width of 113.5 mm in the forefoot and 84.8 mm in the heel. This ensured our secure footing during side-to-side shifts.

Keeping our feet and ankles contained is the snug fit of Vapor Pro. We checked this in our lab using our caliper and we measured the broadest part of the toebox to be 98.2 mm, which is indeed foot-hugging.

While the fit is supportive, we discovered that the upper isn’t integrated with any safeguarding elements. Looking into its upper through our microscope, we verified that there are no protective overlays. If this is a deal-breaker for you, we suggest seeking more protective upper tennis shoes.

Solution Speed FF 3 is in a league of its own. Already in its name, it’s our top-speed tennis shoe, allowing us to move quickly and gracefully through the court with its light build and responsive ride. Our lab confirms the exceptional control, grip, and durability of the shoe, allowing us to stay at the top of our game effortlessly. 

During our matches, we easily forgot about the shoe as it melted away on our feet. Our scales confirm its weightless and sleek design at 10.9 oz (309g), 15.1% lighter than average. The FlyteFoam cushioning keeps us connected to the court while offering energetic responses, enhancing the shoe’s light and nimble feel. Our durometer reveals the foam is a balanced 31.5 HA, enhancing our stability.

Further enhancing our control over sudden changes in footwork is the reliable traction of the Precision Sole. Its pattern keeps us surefooted while its 84.0 HC toughness ensures a long lifespan. Solution Speed FF 3 isn’t afraid of friction from all angles, as its outsole (42.9% less wear), toebox (5/5), and heel (5/5) all resisted our rigorous Dremel remarkably. While most durable uppers sacrifice breathability, this shoe defies our expectations and delivers a jaw-dropping 5/5 breathability rating, keeping our feet cool during heated games.

However, we don’t recommend this pair to wide-footed players as the forefoot runs narrower than average.

Establishing superiority in durability among all the other tennis shoes we’ve tested, ASICS Gel Resolution 9 has utterly fascinated us. We discovered that this tennis shoe is the perfect pair for engaging fiercely on the court because apart from its first-rate quality, it is energy-efficient, protective, and extremely grippy!

We exposed this shoe to our Dremel tool and the result led us to believe that it would last us a long time. The upper acquired no scathes or damage, getting a 5/5 in durability. Meanwhile, the outsole only obtained a subtle groove of 0.4 mm, which is just like the average. Plus, on the court, even if we skid and halt abruptly, the outsole kept its integrity. Speaking of quick movements, we also felt safe playing in Gel Resolution 9 without uncontrollably sliding because of its notable traction. At a hardness of 85.5 HC, the outsole sits around the average and ensures grip and endurance.

Moreover, we love that our feet are guarded from any impact caused by our forceful motions. This is all thanks to the effective shock absorption brought by the heel and forefoot stack heights of 32.5 mm and 21.6 mm which only exhibited a 5.5% and 4.3% greater difference from their averages, respectively. Unfortunately, when it comes to weight, Gel Resolution 9 bears slight heaviness at 13.86 oz (393g), surpassing other tennis pairs' weight by 5.6%. If you prioritize a weightless feel in your tennis shoes, we suggest investing in other lightweight pairs.

The tennis shoe that we 100% vouch is perfect for beginners is the ASICS Gel Challenger 14. This does not intimidate the tennis newcomers but it certainly makes all the difference when inside the court. What makes it much more enticing to novices is its affordable price of $100, which is 24% cheaper than most tennis shoes. 

Another thing that makes the Gel Challenger 14 ideal for beginners is the absence of a heavy weight. It came in at 12.49 oz (354g), which is the typical weight of tennis shoes. We felt agile and free from fatigue, thanks to its lightness. 

Moving our feet also felt natural because of Gel Challenger 14’s lack of stiffness. The reading that our digital force gauge acquired upon bending the shoe at 90 degrees was 23.2N, which means that it conforms smoothly to bending. It also means that it is 33% more flexible than average.

We discovered that the quality of Gel Challenger 14 is less than stellar. With our Dremel, we found that the toebox doesn’t withstand the tool’s abrasiveness very well, while the heel padding fared even worse, getting 3/5 and 1/5 durability scores, respectively. Due to this, we suggest searching for other robust tennis pairs if this is one of your primary requirements.

The Adidas Barricade 13 was the best tennis shoe for stability. Not only was the platform wide enough to contain our feet at all times, but it was also stiff enough to protect us from painful foot twists. We also appreciated that the shoe was structurally flexible, allowing it to follow the natural flexions of our feet as we chased after the ball during tennis matches.

Using a caliper, we learned that the platform was significantly wider than usual. At the forefoot, it was 115.4 mm wide when the average was only 111.7 mm. At the heel, the reading was 95.3 mm, convincingly eclipsing the 89.7 mm average. There was no way our feet would still fall off the footbed with that much space!

Aside from being wide, the base of the foot was amazingly resistant to twisting. We subjected this tennis shoe to manual twists in the lab, and we had to sweat a lot before we could make it yield. We gave this shoe a 4 out of 5 for torsional rigidity.

While the base resisted twists, it still retained its linear flexibility. In the lab, we learned that the Adidas Barricade 13 needed only 23.8N of force to bend at a 90-degree angle. The typical tennis shoe would have required as much as 30.1N.

Too bad breathability was a bit overlooked by the makers of the Adidas Barricade 13. It felt hot, and this shoe performed poorly in our breathability assessments. It only got a 2 out of 5 for ventilation.

We determined the finest cost-effective tennis shoe among all the shoes we have tried and it is the K-Swiss Hypercourt Express 2. It might be 20.2% more competitively priced than the average tennis shoe but it offers boundless worth on the court, from immense support for vigorous footwork to tremendous comfort!

We are utterly dazzled by the support and protection that the Hypercourt Express 2 offers. We are safely contained in this shoe during our lateral maneuvers. Upon shifting our weights side to side, all we could say was that the stability was remarkable. We further tested this by manually twisting the shoe, which we concluded by giving it a 4/5 rating in torsional rigidity. This granted us dynamic movements in the court with a superb level of confidence. 

While generally, softer outsoles have better traction, we found that the shoe’s 91 HC hard outsole, 5.9% firmer than the average, gripped fantastically during our games. This allowed bold stops and advances inside the court.

However, we found that this shoe is wide-fitting, which is something that we believe might not be advantageous for players with slim feet. The widest part of the toebox spans 104.1 mm, 3.1 mm broader than most tennis pairs. If you have narrow feet and would prefer a skintight hug from a shoe, we recommend checking out other wide options.