Last week I was playing in my regular Men's Doubles group at the tennis club when I noticed one of our regular players had a rather interesting look on his face. A look of pain and anger combined! I asked him "What the heck is going on?". He replied "it's these new shoes--my feet are killing me!". I looked down an instantly recognized the issue: he had brand new "old school" tennies. You know--they look like today's "skate shoes" (or shoes from the 70's) and are about as supportive. By the end of the match he said he was going to the local tennis shop and buy a pair of tennis shoes with arch support.
Shoe manufacturers that carry tennis specific shoes do realize the importance of making tennis shoes with arch support. A player's feet are subject to huge forces and high stress. I play in Southern California and almost all of my matches are on hard courts--clay is very rare and grass or cushioned courts are nearly non-existent. And I have personally paid the price of this constant pounding on concrete! Yes--I had to quit playing for about 6 months a couple years ago--the dreaded Plantar Fasciitis! After the rest and recovery period, I bought a pair of tennis shoes with very good arch-support built-into the design, and even added a pair of custom arch-supports inside the shoe. I have not since had another problem and I play 4-5 times a week.
How do you know you are viewing a pair of tennis shoes with arch support? There are a few ways to tell:
The obvious first thing is to review the product literature and website. Any company that really spends big money on making a tennis shoe with arch support will eagerly promote their excellent design.
If the shoe looks really, really simple, i.e. flat bottomed sole and all soft materials it is probably NOT a tennis shoe with arch support.
Many tennis shoes with arch support have a very strong material, externally, mid-sole. My current shoes have a material that looks like carbon fiber (pretty cool!) and this material is radically curved upward, therefore strengthening the shoes mid-section (arch).
Look inside the shoe--you should see raised and padded areas under the arch. The removable insole may also have additional material which further enhances the arch support.
I understand that you may be reading this and thinking "I've never had a problem, so why should I care?". It is my opinion that if you play tennis frequently it's not a question of "if" but really a question of "when" some foot issues will arise. And boy--when they happen they can happen quickly and without any fore-warning! When I developed my above-mentioned problem it was not an on-going issue that suddenly worsened. I was literally playing a match, running forward for a short ball when an excruciating pain was felt in my right foot (arch to heel). I limped off the court and that was it!
I sincerely believe that shoes with arch support are one of the best foot injury preventative measures available. Sure, some of the "retro" shoes look cool. And everyone loves a good bargain. But please don't be neglectful of your feet--they really ARE trying to do the best possible job for you! Tennis shoes with arch support will make their "job" a little easier to accomplish.
Do It Tennis is based in the city of Oceanside and is located in San Diego County, CA. We began Internet operations in March 2005. Our knowledgeable staff has extensive experience in the tennis industry and all our stringers are highly experienced and expert at their craft.
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If your feet are really paining you can depend on arch support shoes as they are comfortable and supportive.
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