Getting a Good Tennis Sneaker

Tennis is a great sport for a little exercise and spending time with friends. Now that the weather is warmer, we will be playing outside and more often. I  was playing tennis the other day with a group of ladies, and two out of the four were complaining about their uncomfortable tennis sneakers. Not sure if it is the sneakers or our age, but that’s a different Post. Coincidentally, Erin, our Fort/Fun editor, had just been to a sports podi with the same issues. She met with a sports Podiatrist, Dr. John McNerney in Westwood.  He had a few tips on what we need to look for in a tennis sneaker. Tennis shoes should have room in the toes, good heel and mid-foot stability and good flexability (the shoe should bend easily at the ball of the foot). Also, shoes should be replaced every 3-6 months based on how much tennis you play (the more matches played, the sooner tennis sneakers need to be replaced).  The specific sneakers he recommends include:  Adidas – Barricade; Asics – Gel Challenger, Gel Game; Babolat – Team; Fila-Tomeo; Head-Prestige Pro; KSwiss-Stabilor or Defier; New Balance – WCT1004; Nike – Air Zoom; Prince – Cobra, OC1, MC4; Wilson – Open II, Qualifier, Tour Spin. Make sure you check your treads as well. As soon as they start to wear away, you need to buy a new pair of sneakers. It might be money you don’t want to spend, but consider it injury prevention.