TENNIS SHOES

ASSIGNMENT ON: - TENNIS SHOES

PRESENTED BY: - RISHABH DUBEY
RICHA GOEL
RITIKA KHARE
COURSE: - B.DES [FDP]
MENTOR: - MR. ARITRA DAS
CAMPUS: - FDDI NOIDA
Tennis is a game of quick stops and starts, short sprints and frequent lateral
movement— and you need footwear that can stand up to your game.

It’s important to distinguish the differences between tennis shoes and other footwear
before making your purchase:

 Frequent stops and starts while moving around the court influence the way
tennis shoes are designed.
 Tennis shoes are typically flatter with specifically designed patterns on the
sole, all depending on which type of court surface you generally play on.
 Other types of shoes have thicker, softer heels that decrease weight and
cushioning to lessen impact—tennis shoes are built sturdier.
 Running or other athletic shoes are designed for the repetitive forward motion
of running or walking.

THE EVOLUTION OF TENNIS SHOES

 The First Pair:

The first pair of tennis shoes had canvas uppers and rubber soles. Designed and
manufactured in the early 18th century, the shoes were meant for the British
Navy when on their slippery decks. When the shoes came into the market in
1892, they were known as plimsolls.

The shoes were then given the name sneakers because they had no sound when
walking. They also did not have a right or a left shoe. This design remained until
the late 1960s when different tennis shoe designs became popular as other
companies made their versions. This makes the tennis shoe the original sneaker
and athletic shoe in history. But one thing is sure; the original pair is a far cry from
what we have today. Todays’ tennis shoes are made for the tennis player, and
other shoes are made to accommodate other sportsmen like the runners.

The United States Rubber Company started making their tennis shoe brand in
1916. The shoe was rubber-soled canvas shoes known as Keds. The following
year, the Converse Rubber Company had its version known as the All-Star shoe.
Nevertheless, the style encountered minimal changes. It was not until the 1960s
when many designers started to improve the athletic shoe standard through
experimentation. The leading designer during this time was Bill Bowerman. Bill
was the University of Oregon coach. He planned to design a tennis shoe that was
lightweight by using nylon instead of canvas to offer the player more traction. He
wanted to create a shoe that had a soft inner sole to cater to the runner’s comfort.
Eventually, tennis stars became involved in the design and manufacture process,
making the humble tennis shoe gain momentum. Today, the tennis shoe has an
entirely different feel and look following its deviation from the original version.

 The Name Tennis:

The rubber soles shoe, commonly referred to as the tennis shoe, was named by
the British Navy. The British fleet sailors needed shoes that did not slip or slide
on the wet surfaces to wear on the deck. This was in the 1800s.

Wealthy aristocrats then started wearing the shoes to play the most popular sport
at the time, tennis. This birthed the name of tennis shoes. In 1839, vulcanized
rubber was used to make the soles of the tennis shoes by Charles Goodyear,
making them more resistant to heat and stable. This birthed the first athletic shoe
until the Keds were introduced in 1900, and later the All-Star in 1917. Adidas
made their version in 1931, but by 1930, they introduced leather for the
upper instead of canvas.

Adidas sparked the growth of experimentation with material for the shoes. True to
their form, in 1970, Adidas had a tennis shoe with a mesh upper, suede on the
toe, and a polyurethane outsole, making the shoe more breathable, durable, and
comfortable.
 In 1980, Nike birthed the new Nike Air Trainer 1 with more lateral support, a heel
lift, and a strap to secure the foot during side-to-side movement. Companies then
started to develop more supportive, stable, and comfortable shoes for the player.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TENNIS SHOE

Every player is different. We have varying game styles, play on different surfaces,
and have unique foot shapes. Therefore, it’s important to distinguish what will make
a good pair of tennis shoes for you! Choosing the best shoes for your game will help
boost your performance and take your game to a new level.

There are two ways for a player to choose the perfect shoe for themselves:

1. The Type of Court:

It’s all about the right outsole.

Ideally, you want to choose a tennis shoe that has an outsole designed
specifically for the type of surface you’re playing on. Why? Clay, hard,
and grass courts all play differently; therefore, your game and footwork will
also change slightly. In order to maintain optimal footing on each court
surface, it’s important to wear a tennis shoe that is designed to handle the
build of the court.
 Important features of a tennis shoe keeping the Grass court, Clay Court
and Hard court.

The type of court surface you play on has an impact on the type of tennis
shoes you purchase. A hard-court surface like concrete requires shoes with
more durability, while a soft court surface will need shoes with more traction
on the sole.

I. Hard Court: The most popular and common tennis court surface is a hard
court. This court is also the most demanding when it comes to outsole
durability. Therefore, you want an outsole that can handle the demands of
this surface. Most often hard court tennis shoes feature a modified
herringbone pattern to give you the perfect blend of grip and give on the
court. Hard court shoes will often feature ample cushioning and a midsole
that will help transfer energy into every step you take as well as absorb
shock from the harder surface. They usually feature a tough upper that
will aid in support and durability.
 II. Clay Court: Tennis shoes for soft courts are designed with non-damaging
traction in mind. The outsole of a clay court shoe will usually feature a full
herringbone (zig zags) tread pattern. This pattern helps keep clay out of
your outsole so you can better grip the court when sprinting, stopping or
changing directions. If some clay does gather, a couple of taps on the
shoe with your racquet between points should knock the clay loose. The
herringbone design makes sliding from side to side more predictable so
you can perfectly glide into a shot and recover. It also provides the
traction needed for securely moving forward and backward. If you plan on
playing on clay on a regular basis, another reason why you'll want a pair
of clay specific shoes is because they usually have a tighter knit
upper that not only aids in stability but helps keep the clay from entering
your shoes.

III. Grass Court: Like clay, grass is much softer on your body and joints.
While there are not a ton of grass court shoe options to choose from, this
surface tends to play fast, which means you will definitely want to wear a
tennis shoe with a proper grass court outsole. The outsole of a grass
court tennis shoe features "nubs" or "pimples" that are reminiscent of a
cleat-like-shoe. This outsole provides great grip for players on a surface
that can often be slippery. Despite the bumpy outsole, it shouldn't do any
damage to the court and will help players feel comfortable moving quickly
on this fast surface. Unlike hard court shoes, these cannot be used on
other surfaces.
2. The Feet:

It’s all about the right fit.

Every player is unique and so are their feet. Some players have wide width
feet, some medium, and others narrow. But there's no need to worry because
we can find the best tennis shoes that perfectly fit the anatomy of your feet.
First, let's have a look at how to determine the length and width of your feet.

Step 1: Find a hard, flat surface and place a piece of paper on the floor.

Step 2: Wear socks that are similar to what you plan to wear when playing
tennis. Stand with one foot on the paper.

Step 3: Keeping your body weight over your foot, trace a thin line around the
outside of your entire foot. When drawing the line, hold the pen perpendicular
to the ground.

Step 4: Measure vertically down the length of your foot tracing. This is your
foot length.

Step 5: Measure horizontally across the widest part of your foot tracing. This
is your foot width.