How do I know when I need new tennis shoes?

Kristianne Bontempo | Towpath Tennis Employee | Online Store Manager

Continuing with celebrating the opening of our online store towpathtennisshop.com, we are forging along with topics about tennis shoes and what better than figuring out when to buy new tennis shoes. There are many players out there that tend to wear their favorite tennis shoes longer than they should. There's no magic number of months or times you've played, and we understand not everyone has an unlimited budget to buy a new pair of tennis shoes at the start of every season. But to avoid risk to injury (and to give you a fresh kick to your step), here are some tell-tale signs on when you need to immediately dump those tired soles for a new pair of greatness:

• Smooth sole - Your once treaded sole is now as smooth as your on-court trash talking. Whether you've worn away the toe, or ball of your foot or heel area, you should consider moving on to a new shoe. Before you know it, you’ll be sliding every time you intend to stop, which increases your risk to injury.  

•  There are holes in the sole - This is an obvious one. If the outsole is chewed away or if your toe is making an appearance, it’s time to toss those shoes without a second thought to avoid stumbling (and not to mention the inevitable blister).

• Outsole wrinkles – We’re not talking about a few wrinkles that accumulate in areas of high use, we’re talking about cracks and tears along the entire upper sole of your shoe from longevity and overuse. This doesn’t mean the shoe is trash-worthy, actually they make great donations for those in need. However, for continued tennis play this shoe has lost a lot of supportive structure making them unstable and liable for a rolled ankle or knee injury.

• Little to no cushion – Your shoe might still be in great shape but the insole and cushion are pretty much as flat and hard as a rock. The flatter and less cushion a shoe has, the more pressure you’ll feel on your joints. Sure you can add insoles to help cushion your shoe, but because they’re lifespan is relatively short in an active sport shoe, you might as well look into a new pair altogether. The good news is they make another good donation option!

     For additional questions on the lifespan of your shoe or help in finding a new pair, ask our shoe experts at the front desk for some assistance. 

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