Art and Ernie Brunner, two brothers from Switzerland, formed K-SWISS in Los Angeles in 1966.  They had immigrated to the United States and began playing tennis.  Well—they must have loved tennis because they formed their company and introduced the world’s first leather tennis shoe that same year!  They named their new shoe the “Classic”—a name and product that is still available almost 50 years later.  K-Swiss Tennis shoes are very popular—and designed specifically for the sport of tennis.  K-Swiss has also expanded their product line to include footwear for several other sports and lifestyle activities.

K-Swiss tennis shoes are available in several designs, for men, women, and children.  Most of their shoes are easily recognized from afar because of the K-Swiss “style”—multiple (5) horizontal sewn-in stripes on the sides (K-Swiss used white stripes on white leather in its early products).

K-Swiss tennis shoes have some interesting names within the Men’s Women’s and Children’s lines such as Big Shot, Defier, Tubes, Stabilor, Ultrascendor, Glaciator, Optim, Uproar, and Arvee.  (whew—talk about “spellchecker” going crazy!!)  But once you get acquainted with the line you will quickly realize that K-Swiss puts a lot of thought and effort in their shoe designs.

The men’s Bigshot, for example, is marketed as the “fastest tennis shoe on the market” and was tested by the P3 Sports Science Institute.  It weighs only 13.5 oz. and offers a cushioned ride with its “superfoam” footbed.  It offers “Guideglide” stability midsole construction and has a ballistic propulsion plate that helps keep players on the balls of their feet during play.  It sole is high-abrasion rubber and the Bigshot comes with a 6-month outsole wear warranty.

Some K-Swiss Tennis shoes are also offered in a “mid” size (increased height around ankles) for players who wish for a bit more support and stability.  And what’s really nice is the fact that K-Swiss Tennis Shoes are even made for what they call “little kids” (sizes 10.5 to 3)—a good thing when trying to encourage our kids to play tennis (provide good support and they look “just like” Mommy or Daddy).

So the next time you are shopping for shoes you may wish to give K-Swiss tennis shoes a tryout.  Their line is huge, quality exceptional, and they are dedicated to the sport of tennis.  After all, they were the “original”!

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There are 7 new tennis shoes in the line-up. The Power Cushion 307, $125 USD is above left (also in black and yellow, below, special for clay surfaces) and Power Cushion 108, $90, right.

Find more info at Yonex or buy at Tennis-Warehouse or tennis retailers worldwide.

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On the weekend I watched a young player slip over on Synthetic Grass during the warm up for his match. Synthetic Grass has a layer of sand over it making it slippery. He slipped because of his shoes. He was wearing his 2 month old, hard court shoes. He had left his grass court shoes at home this time. After falling and taking some skin off he forfeited the match in the warm up!

(in an upcoming article I talk about what you SHOULD do if you injure yourself in a match)

Amazing, you can do all this training and practice and something simple like keeping 2 pairs of shoes in your bag can determine how well you play. Simple really! I personally always have both sets of shoes in my bag. Even if I am playing a ‘hard court tournament’ I will bring my grass court shoes just in case. Why? Well I know that if there is a delay sometimes other ‘outside’ courts are used. This may mean different tennis centers are used and potentially they can be a different surface.

Be strict with yourself. Never wear your grass court shoes on a hard surface – not even once. The hard courts just strip the tread off – you want maximum grip when you need it.

So why different shoes?

There are 2 main things to look for when deciding what shoes to wear when. Cushion and grip pattern.

On a hard court surface the pattern does not matter as much as the cushion. Having extra padding, cushioning, gel, air – whatever the technology – is important.

Elite players notice the difference between a good and inferior pair of shoes. Always purchase shoes with padding at the front as well as the heel. This subtle and overlooked difference can be the difference between you feeling light or heavy on your feet.

I remember playing in shoes which were the model down from the top model. It felt like I was playing in thongs. Tennis players spen alot of time on the balls of our feet – jumping for smashes, recovering from a wide ground stroke, going forward on our volleys. You really notice the difference with extra cushioning at the front.

The other reason why cushion matters on hard court is the heat of the court. Playing on a hot court in the middle of the day can be very draining. You need a large buffer between you and the court to keep that heat away from your feet.

Cushioning also – obviously – protects you from injury. By the shoe absorbing the impact – it stops you from taking the impact to your ankles, knees and leg muscles. You also want some ankle support.

Ok, now ‘slippery’ surfaces. Clay, synthetic grass, grass etc. Cushioning and durability is less important. It is more about the tread pattern typically you want a shoe with the majority a heringbone pattern. The rubber can actually be softer so the shoe can mould to the surface of the court. The old Dunlop Volleys are a great shoe for these conditions – however – offer very little ankle support or cushioning.

NEVER wear your shoes on the wrong surface. You need your slippery tread to be fresh, not worn from use on a hard court. And Vice Versa.

Keep both pairs in your tennis bag if you are going to an event and there is a chance between playing on either surface. It can be the difference between winning and loosing.

I also recommend playing on both surfaces regularly. Playing on slippery surfaces is a completely different game to hard courts. They are both very enjoyable. We are going to discuss some surface strategies in an upcoming article.

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There are 2 main things to look for when deciding what shoes to wear when. Cushion and grip pattern.

On a hard court surface the pattern does not matter as much as the cushion. Having extra padding, cushioning, gel, air – whatever the technology – is important.

Read the full article at The Tennis Times http://thetennistimes.com

Related Articles

• Different Shoes For Different Surfaces – September 18, 2008
• Power Cushion: New Range of Tennis Shoes from Yonex – June 8, 2011
• Breaking News: Introducing the Limited Edition Barricade V Shanghai! – November 11, 2008
• Nike Air Court Ballistec 4.3 Men’s Shoe Review – March 17, 2012
• Zoom Vapor 9 Tour – February 20, 2012