10 Best Tennis Shoes For Women in 2021
Browsing at strings of tennis shoes for women can be overwhelming, especially if the database is as extensive as we have here.
To make your next tennis shoe purchase enjoyable and hassle-free, we plucked all the top picks for various departments and listed them in an organized manner.
This section gives you a lowdown of shoes that scored high during our uncompromising playtests. Here you’ll find which tennis kicks for women are superior in speed, cushioning, and stability. Plus, you’ll also find the best budget-friendly options that are great value for your money.
Overview of this guide
How we select the best tennis shoes for women
We took these top choices from the aggregated reviews of testers, experts, and users.
- We buy ALL the shoes and send them to our pool of experts who closely examine them, playtest, and provide unbiased analyses.
- We also have in-house tennis specialists who summarize over 10,000 expert and user reviews.
- All the verified user opinions are given a corresponding rating and scaled through the Corescore.
Best overall
10 colorways available 10 colorways available We playtested 100+ tennis shoes and scored them based on foot support, stability, durability, traction, comfort, ventilation, fit, and weight. Asics Gel Resolution 8 tops our charts!
If you’re a passionate tennis player aiming to level up your game, we highly recommend you add this to your tennis shoes staple.
This shoe instantly got our admiration as it significantly performed well. After wearing it for the initial hitting sessions, it already offered excellent stability, foot support, and arch support. We were floored after the entire playtest.
It gave us the freedom and confidence to move laterally without getting bothered by stiff or strained ankles. Asics did a great job in keeping the heritage of the Gel Res alive in this shoe.
The padded world inside and the cushioning under the foot are STELLAR! It made us rock impressive scores. Playing with this wasn’t strenuous, especially on concrete. It wasn’t just plush but responsive too!
It survived rallies and repeated drills on various court surfaces without its tread losing grip at a shorter time. You can expect superb traction even when playing on clay.
This version for women is a little heavier than the previous ones, but it didn’t weigh our feet down, not an instance.
Style-wise we loved the light-toned colors available. Some even have icy-looking soles. So, yes, Gel Res 8 got 100% feminine appeal too!
8 colorways available 8 colorways available Asics Court FF 2 got the best of both worlds when it comes to stability and speed.
After treating it to a herculean playtest, we think it’s the QUEEN among all other clay-court shoes. It got power in it while being gentle still.
We loved how the mono-sock build gave us the desirable support and fit. It felt comfortable right after a short break-in, and it sustained its comfy appeal until the end of our wear test.
We’ve got a lot to thank Asics for by adding that Flytefoam tech under the foot as it cushioned our feet so generously, especially on the heel and forefoot where much pressure is usually concentrated.
When it comes to upper and arch support and stability, this shoe nailed it! It is insanely built with such superb features from top to bottom that never was there a chance that it slowed us down throughout the playtest.
It allowed us to chase the ball and recover after every shot explosively. The ankle collar complemented the supportive feel as it clasped our feet, preventing any heel slippage.
We won’t get to fly around the count if traction and durability are an issue. Its tread stayed intact and consistent throughout the entire wear test. Plus, the shoe is also loaded with all the necessary reinforcement needed for longer hours of play.
We loved how the bootie structure gave it a streamlined look. So aside from support, stability, overall durability, and comfort, this shoe got an irresistible style too!
Best speed
5 colorways available 5 colorways available NikeCourt Air Zoom Vapor Pro scored the most points in our tabs among all other speed tennis shoes. It has overtaken the rest as this pair is ultrafast, ultrastable, and comfy!
Everything (almost!) we ever wanted is built into the Vapor Pro.
It’s among the lightest premium tennis shoes from Swoosh that doesn’t fall short in its ability to give support. We loved its minimalist cut not only for its stylish vibe but it made the shoe less load-bearing.
Even with a thin layer, the upper does hug our feet so well. The asymmetrical lacing system molds to the shape of our foot, permitting us to adjust the fit to our benefit.
It DEFINITELY got a good amount of stability which made us propel confidently forward and push our limits without losing balance. It also made us recover one shot after another without risking undesirable ankle twisting. Isn’t that solid?
We’re also giving multiple thumbs up to Nike for retaining the Zoom Air cushioning into this model, the same shock-absorbing component fused to the Vapor X.
It didn't stop us from chasing the ball at full speed. On the brighter side, the Zoom Air unit was responsible for buffering our feet from impact, especially during harsh landings.
If you’re all for speed, the Vapor Pro won’t disappoint.
11 colorways available 11 colorways available Adidas Adizero Ubersonic 4 is another shoe that tops our charts when it comes to speed and agility. It’s a shoe — without a Swoosh — that made us fly!
Undeniably, this Ubersonic is minimal and super light, considering it isn’t a sneaker or a loafer. It’s packed with state-of-the-art technologies without adding an extra ounce of load to the feet.
If these are extremely, noticeably light, we expected it to be quick too. And it was undoubtedly so without an inch of doubt. Since it is not bulky or weighty, turning up in any direction of the court felt light and extra speedy.
Its great takeaways don't end there. Complementing its unique build is the Lightstrike cushioning that greatly reduces significantly impact while allowing us to recover during push-off smoothly.
Comfort is not to be debated here. We felt that the moment our feet got tucked securely under its bootie structure. Impressive is an understatement!
Its low-to-the-ground silhouette is another thing that’s uberly fantastic about this premium gem from Adidas. It was liberally cushioned, but we felt totally connected with our stances and footwork.
If you prefer quick, uninterrupted, and secured movements on the court and would even love to go fab and stylish on match days, the Adizero Ubersonic 4 is the right direction to go.
Best cushioning
3 colorways available 3 colorways available After playtesting hundreds of tennis shoes, the K-Swiss Hypercourt Express 2 impressed us with cushioning. The world inside is incontestably plush and roomy. If that doesn’t equate to comfort, we don’t know what.
Despite the generous amount of padding all over, it remains surprisingly light. Since it doesn’t feel bulky and heavy, this shoe gave us more freedom to go fast. The extra cushy protection around the collar and sides helped in offering a lockdown fit.
It’s one of the best options for wide-footed aggressive movers, while it felt accommodating, too, even with narrow-footed users. The extra layer of foam worked well in keeping our feet snugged and protected.
Traction is another thing we love about this fab shoe. It felt more sticky than other K-Swiss shoes, but that didn’t bother us. It gave a good balance of give and grip, so tackling shots at the baseline or lunging towards the net felt secure.
It gave us the liberty to run in whichever direction smoothly. What’s more, it didn’t give us any heel slippage issues or anything of that sort.
It’s one of the stylish and super comfy shoes you can grab at a very reasonable price. By the way, it’s available in a variety of color options for different styling preferences.
8 colorways available 8 colorways available NikeCourt React Vapor NXT offers comfort and stability as it’s graced with a slab of React foam. That’s the integral part of this shoe that made us decide to have it among our top picks.
We admit that it took a while before our feet got used to the mold. Support and cushioning were noticeable past the break-in period. And those factors are the crowning glory of this technical all-court shoe.
It didn’t fail us when it comes to durability. The reinforcement around the upper put a lot of life into this shoe, making it more hard-wearing than the Vapor Pro. There were also no signs of balding on the tread after we subjected this to a two-week playtest.
The unique and lovely tread design also delivered superb grip even as we moved fast towards the net or tackled aggressive swings along the baseline. It wasn't too tacky because it allowed us to slide for shots.
It made us react quickly shot after shot, and its stability feature gave us the confidence to perform even challenging strokes.
So if comfort, support, and traction are your top priorities for your next tennis shoe purchase, this pair is worth considering. Plus, it has that fashionable style that’s so ready to conquer the court regardless of the surface makeup.
Best stability
3 colorways available 3 colorways available Adidas Barricade refuses to get defeated. That’s why in our books, this court hero is still at the top of the range when we talk about stability, support, and durability.
We can almost hear this tennis icon scream: Bring it on!
Lateral, vertical movements and sudden pivots went smooth after giving it a reasonable break-in period. Its torsion system did its job in preventing unnecessary foot rolling. It got us in control with each game without causing blistering and arch pain.
Its uniquely done asymmetric lacing system and wrapped-around tongue didn’t only look aesthetically pleasing and stylish but gave us the lockdown we wanted.
We tried this on various court setups, and it did amazingly well!
When it comes to durability, it still remains impressive!
After more than 20 hours of toe-to-toe practice games, we checked its tread, and there were no signs of balding at all. It was so equipped to tackle more hours and rounds of heated matches. We completed more than 40 hours of play, and its outsole remained in top shape.
If you don’t mind shelling a bit more than the usual tech-loaded tennis shoe, you won’t regret it. The Barricade is sooo primed to play hard!
12 colorways available 12 colorways available NikeCourt Air Zoom Vapor Cage 4 is full of superlatives that deserve the spotlight and attention. If you’re looking for a premium, tech-packed, high-value hard court shoe that definitely swings with style, it’s no less than the Cage 4.
Before we dig into the geeky parts that made us fall for this shoe, let us brag a bit about its stylish form. The pop of colors and asymmetrical toe wrapping scream fab and fiery style!
Even as Nike desired to give this shoe aesthetic appeal, its design isn’t for cosmetic purposes only. The added layer around the forefoot works as protection during toe dragging that puts a lot of life into this shoe.
What instantly gravitated us towards this shoe was its stability benefits. If you love Cage 3 for all its supportive value, you will find it hard not to love this fourth generation. We felt connected to the court whether we pushed for lateral swings or lunged for shots towards the net.
It doesn’t only deliver excellent support and stability but awe-inspiring stopping power. After more than 20 hours of playtesting, we noticed how the rubber outsole held up remarkably.
It didn’t attempt to change our rhythm and speed as it provided a great blend of give and grip throughout the entire drill test.
Best budget shoe
11 colorways available 11 colorways available Getting a good pair of shoes without the need to break the bank is the start of a love affair. That’s something we developed with the Adidas CourtJam Bounce after putting it to a two-week playtest.
Comfort is one of the standout features of this shoe. If you are expecting cushioned shoes for tennis, you will love the shock-absorbing and flexible qualities of the Bounce unit, taking up the entire midsole.
Multiple layers of EVA foam help buffer and soften any impact, minimizing pressure loads on every step and hard landings. The energy produced offers superb spring back so returning from every shot is smooth and efficient.
This shoe got bells and whistles, considering its MSRP of only $85. It may not be the top-of-the-line from Adidas, but it’s a shoe worth considering if you’re learning the ropes of the sport.
It was surprisingly hard-wearing as it allowed us to tackle long hours of play while feeling anchored on different court surfaces. The extra rubber wrapping around the toe prevents the area from thinning out soon.
You’ll love it if you are a budget-conscious recreational player, toe dragger, and anticipate a cushioned ride.
6 colorways available 6 colorways available NikeCourt Lite 2 is swelling with reasons why it's worth copping if you're targeting a tennis shoe that's an excellent value for your money.
For one, it's wallet-, budget-, pocket-friendly! If you're searching for a shoe that's a real bang for your buck, this would be it!
Who wouldn't be ecstatic if a shoe with an MSRP of $75 is almost close to high-performance footgear? That's what this beamer offers, and more!
Let's start with its impact-absorbing qualities. Its lightweight Phylon foam, packed with EVA pellets, wasn't too squishy, but it served as a buffer against underfoot pressure.
A relatively thick heel complements this shock-absorbing unit. That area worked pretty well in reducing Achilles and heel pain.
The ankle collar may not be liberally padded, but we felt the support and protection when making multidirectional lunges. It didn’t get in the way of maneuverability.
Thanks to its midfoot shank that grants the needed stability, making quick stops and recovering shot after shot was smoothly possible.
We felt the traction from its hybrid outsole tread. It worked so generously as it allowed us to swing along the baseline, slide for the ball, and make sudden pivots without the unwanted slips.
It might not be the most cosmetically pleasing court shoe, but it offers a lot at a very competitive price.
