Best Tennis Shoes For Clay Courts – Reviews 2021

Tennis is undoubtedly a serious game for professionals and court specific shoes are the essential accessory for it. Therefore, if you are planning to play on clay courts, you need to grab clay court specific shoes.

Featuring the denser upper for feet safety, and optimized sole, best clay court tennis shoes are absolutely compatible with the surface.

What To Look In Best Clay Court Tennis Shoes

Playing tennis on clay courts demands a surface-specific pair of shoes as every court surface is different from one another.

The clay surface comprises crushed stones, scattered mineral grains and brick shale. Also, the clay courts are comparatively slower than others. Therefore, clay specific shoes are made to fulfill the requirements, the clay court demands.

Like every other tennis shoe, clay shoes must have a tight upper, solid grip and durable sole. Choosing the right pair of shoes is the key to success. Let’s analyze the essential factors important for clay specific shoes.

Solid Grip

The clay is a slippery surface, so you need a pair of shoes with excellent grip to give you support and balance on the court.

Outsole

The most common feature of clay court shoes is the herringbone tread pattern outsole. This provides good tread to boost on court performance and alleviates the sudden slips and undesired twists.

In addition, the groove design outsole does not clog the clay and the player retains the traction.

Resilient Stability

The shifts in clay forces the player to move in an unsteady way. Consequently, the clay court shoes need to have resilient stability and lateral support to overcome this issue.

Tight Upper

Last but not the least, tight upper is the prime feature that the best clay court tennis shoes must possess. As the clay surface is less stable, the tight upper ensures the feet from slipping around. It also prevents clay from entering the shoes.

So, if you want to be the best clay court tennis player, then shoes significantly designed for clay court must be your top priority.

Best Tennis Shoes For Clay Courts

We have compiled the list of best tennis shoes for clay courts. Let’s take a look at it one by one to find out the most suitable one for you.

1. Babolat Jet Mach II Men’s Tennis Shoes

Jet Mach ll is a reinvented model of Babolat Jet significantly designed to be worn on clay courts for speed and agility. This model does not disturb the flow of sudden transition and quick changes during intense sessions.

The jet ll Men has dynamic upper construction, combination of Kevlar and Polyamide known as MatrYX2.0 offers impressive stability and breathability. Its lightweight quality ensures ultimate comfort whereas the lace-up front provides adaptable fit to the feet.

Next, the midsole features KPRS-X technique which is helpful in the shock absorption process. The EVA pad comprises high quality foam and a definite shape offers enhanced protection to the heel and foot.

The outsole features Michelin Premium DIN 20, significantly designed for clay court use. It provides excellent traction and helps to adjust the player for oncoming shots. The cushioning of Mach ll is impressive. Moreover, Kompressor reinforces shock absorption and comfort.

The Babolat Mach ll has shung fit, awesome cushioning and improved stability making this a great option for serious players.

Read More: Best Tennis Shoes For Grass Court In 2021

2. Nike Air Zoom Cage 3 Clay

Nike Zoom has been the talk of town for providing innovative cushioning along with speed and agility, the zoom Cage 3 is no different. Specifically designed for clay court, it is a nice mix of durability, comfort and style.

The Zoom Cage 3 has breathable textile upper offers supportive fit and comfort even from the first wear. The latest full bootie construction with padding and collar is a nice addition to the shoe to lock the ankles in the shoe comfortably.

With ergonomic external heel, the Cage 3 locks the feet securely into its place. Whereas the XDR outsole offers dynamic response on the court. It keeps the shoe lightweight and helps to deliver responsive cushioning.

Featuring the External TPU shank, reinforces the torsional stability. The encapsulated Air Zoom supplies low profile cushioning while outward herringbone lugs optimizing the traction on the clay court.

To conclude, Zoom Cage 3 transcends in stability, longevity and plush comfort. The fusion of lightweight sole and upper mesh making this model a great option for serious players.

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3. Nike Air Zoom Vapor X Clay Court Shoe

The Vapor X Clay is the updated version of Dynamic Fit System and the whole foot TPU frame renders the control and balance especially on the clay court. The combination of Zoom Air and clay oriented tread patterns extends the comfort level and responsiveness of the shoes.

With woven synthetic mesh and lightweight textile, the feet enjoy the enhanced ventilation and breathability.

Additionally, the closed mesh upper construction does not allow the clay to enter the shoes. The padded collar offers extra comfort and support to the feet. That’s the reason this is rated as one of the best clay court tennis shoes in the market.

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The creative outsole features a traditional herringbone tread pattern that reinforces the custom traction and supports explosive movements on the clay court. The players also enjoy the responsive and mobile feel with the Zoom Air unit.

When it comes to midsole performance, the blend of Nike Zoom and Phylon in the heel reduces the weight of the shoes while enhancing the responsive cushioning during the game.

The TPU midfoot shank in the shoe supplies the lateral support and enhanced durability to the players.

Overall, being a lightweight and responsive shoe model, the Nike Vapor X gives an amazing experience to the players on the clay court. The generative outsole with even pattern provides great traction.

Last but not the least, many tennis stars including Daniil Medvedev, Grigor Dimitrov and Felix Auger-Aliassime have worn this model.

4. New Balance 996v3 Clay Court Tennis Shoe

New Balance aims to help the players achieve their goals when standing on the different courts. Therefore, the revamped version of Balance 996 V3 not only gives a modern look and feel but also provides adaptive fit and awesome stability to the enthusiastic players.

This model is famous for providing premium breathability and durable stability.

Featuring contemporary nylon knitted upper with synthetic overlays, the Balance 996v3 ensures proper ventilation leaving the feet cool and sweat-free. This model is even flexible, lighter and features a lace-up closure for an adjustable fit.

REVlite midsole offers next level cushioning and matchless comfort. Therefore, it is popular among recreational and pro players, the American Jeremy Chardy is one of them.

The PROBANK technology secures perfect foot positioning during explosive and lateral movements.

For high wear areas, full length Ndurance rubber outsoles deliver maximum comfort and durability. The herringbone material increases traction helpful for lateral and quick movements.

These top clay court shoes feature a molded foam insole for ultimate comfort and provides relief against pain throughout the game.

5. Adidas Men’s Solecourt Boost Clay Tennis Shoe

The innovative Boost Clay shoe model by Adidas has clay-specific oriented features from the upper front of the shoe to its bottom. This version aims to provide overall stability, comfort, snug fit and lightweight to improve the performance.

The Solecourt Clay has 100% textile upper makes it more comfortable and provides a snug feel. Whereas the lace closure gives a more regular fit by maintaining the shape properly. By adding TPU chassis feature, the shoe provides exclusive stability and durable wear. Moreover, the players enjoy a locked-in fit in the match.

The presence of Abrasion-resistant Adituff toe ensures the protection of high-risk areas of the shoes. The resilient cushioning midsole offers smooth transition in quick directional changes.

As far as the shaft measures are concerned, low-top from arch provides more flexibility and strong stability on the court. The herringbone tread pattern outsole renders great traction and durability.

Being a breakaway from Barricade series, Solecourt Boost Clay is a great blend of optimum ventilation, resilient stability and enhanced durability.

This is the reason it is the top choice of many pro players including clay expert Dominic Thiem.

6. ASICS Women’s Gel-Resolution 6 Clay Court Tennis Shoe

The Gel-6 Clay model is made to bring exceptional stability and comfort for female players while playing in the clay court.

Gel-resolution 6 has matchless construction. It has Flexion Fit upper brings foam fitting support and sung feel. The mesh lining fabric offers extra air exchange to release moisture and makes feet sweat free. The addition of Pguard increases enhanced durability in the toe area.

Another excellent feature is the perfect combination of Personal Heel Fit and collar lining gives personalized fit to the heel. The midsole combines rearfoot and forefoot gel cushioning and Fluidride technology gives you fantastic cushioning and smooth transitions during intense directional changes.

The lighter weight rubber outsole provides great traction and reduces abrupt shocks impact in the match.

ASICS 6 model has a clay supportive mechanism that helps maintain natural foot flexibility during intense sessions of the match.

7. ASICS Men’s Gel-Resolution 8 Clay Tennis Shoes

ASICS Resolution 8 is elegantly designed for the professional players who love to play on the clay court. The standout features compatible with clay offers next level grip and traction in the match.

Well, the foot-hugging upper is impressive due to Flexion Fit technology. The foam-fitting comfort in the upper increases natural foot flexibility while maintaining the support. In addition, the upper construction has a DYNAWALL feature for optimal stability, smooth transitions and overall coverage.

This version comes with a rearfoot and forefoot Gel cushioning system providing enhanced impact-absorption capacity to the wears. The players feel a strong grip and stability in the toe-off phases. The PGuard Toe Protector reinforces the toe durability.

Thanks to the Solyte Midsole Material for making the midsole lightweight without sacrificing the stability and responsive cushioning. In the same way, the Trusstic System technology reduces the sole unit weight whereas keeping the shoe structural integrity intact.

Above all, the comfortable upper and the Gel technology offers the combination of resilient stability and support. Its lightweight sole structure and flexibility make Resolution 8 an ideal choice for male players with promising performance.

8. Diadora Mens Speed Blushield 3 Clay Tennis Casual Shoes

The impeccable style with clay oriented features, the Diadora 3 Clay makes a real deal on the clay court. Its visually improved design and matchless quality is appealing.

The standout combination of Supreltech, air mesh and, D-skin upper works together to provide promising breathability, and proper ventilation that keeps the feet cool inside the shoe by controlling the temperature. Further, the D-skin upper provides exceptional fit by wrapping the feet gently.

It uses premium technologies like anatomical removable fabric EVA foam insole for absorbing shocks during propulsion. The shoe has double action midsole and light EVA foam to maximize the support and durability.

The specially designed sole for clay surfaces features Duratech 5000 special wear-resistant rubber outsole provides great traction in the game.

The innovative Blueshield model with added comfort, quality and superior ventilation make you stand out on the court.

9. Yonex Power Cushion Fusion Rev 2 Clay Mens Tennis Shoe

Yonex Rev 2 is an excellent clay surface tennis shoe with a stylish look for wider feet. It has many features that guarantee strong grip and adequate balance during the match.

The midsole features power cushion technology that helps to absorb the shocks rapidly. As a result the player feels more energetic during the game. To make it compatible with the clay surface, the shoe has non-marking rubber outsoles.

In the same fashion, the Fusion 2 has herringbone tread pattern to maximize durability and traction.

On the top of all, the shoe has graphite sheet throughout the midsole offers swift movement and saves from undesired twisting in the match. The enhanced stability eliminates the lateral movements.

The blend of double Russell mesh and synthetic leather make this shoe model breathable and keeps cool from inside. The extra rubber on the toe area and medial side make sure the toe protection during propulsion.

The Yones Power is lightweight, with enhanced protection and added comfort is the perfect choice for the serious tennis players.

10. ASICS Men’s Gel-Resolution 7 Clay Court Tennis Shoe

ASICS is a widely known brand for manufacturing products that have promising features and excellent performance. Gel-Resolution series is one of them. This affordable model exceeds the expectation about on court performance.

First of all, the Resolution 7 is equipped with rearfoot and forefoot Gel technology provides responsive cushioning and absorbs shocks when the game is on. The lightweight of the shoe does not drag the foot down.

To have maximal traction, the Men’s Gel 7 features rubber sole with sufficient grip offers sudden directional changes, push-off and stop immediately. Moreover, the tread pattern reinforces the traction capacity.

The AHAR material made outsole makes the model wear resistant while retaining the reliable traction on court. The upper is 100% synthetic.

The built-in protective features and supportive elements does not allow unwanted twisting and slips. The removable insole provides premium comfort to enjoy the game to its fullest.

Stabilizing traction and support, plush comfort and matchless protection make 7 Clay Court the top picks in the Gel-Resolution line.

FAQ

Q. Do you need special clay court shoes for the tennis courts?
A. Clay courts are more slippery and slower as compared to others like hard court and grass court. On this surface, the ball bounces comparatively high and loses the initial speed after contacting the clay surface. In such situations, an ordinary shoe will affect the player;s performance on court.
Clay specific shoes are featured while keeping the clay requirements at the top. Therefore, they provide adequate stability, ample lateral support and durable traction when the game is on. The herringbone tread pattern outsole offers great tread on slippery land.

Q. Can you use clay tennis shoes on a hard court?
A. First of all it is important to understand that different types of shoes have different features and techniques keeping the surface requirements at the top. For this reason, the tennis shoes features won’t be tackling the issues the hard court may bring.
That is why, wearing clay court shoes on a hard court is not recommended at all. Well, there is no strict restriction but as a serious player, you will not compromise on your performance.

Q. What are clay court tennis shoes?
A. The clay court tennis shoes are made with a unique mechanism that would be fairly suitable for the game to be played on the clay surface.
The specially designed full herringbone tread pattern outsole ensures the adequate level of traction for elegant movement. Moreover, it focuses on lateral support when sliding around. It does not lodge the clay at the shoe bottom and thus you have amazing traction to start, stop and change the directions.
They have a tight knit upper to secure the feet and strong grip saves from slipping. The closed upper keeps the dust off from the feet.
The weight of the shoes matters a lot for awesome performance. The clay court shoes must be lightweight. Because when you run, the clay moves. Therefore, synthetic material is used to make shoe light.
The clay court shoes come with added medial and lateral support and protects against dragging.
The only flaw of the clay specific shoes is they do not offer outsole guarantee. The reason is the clay is gentle to the outsole.

Q. What are the best clay court tennis shoes?
A. The best clay court tennis shoes possess some special features to maximize the overall performance of the player on the challenging clay surface. A good clay oriented shoe retains the comfort and durability in hard situations.
They feature a denser upper that provides optimized safety. It does not allow the dust particles and clay debris from entering the shoes. And the sole is optimized for this slick surface.

Following are the certain factors to make shoes best for clay court:

• Strong grip for the perfect traction on the clay court
• Non-marking outsole does not either lodge the clay or leave the marks on the surface
• Long lasting sides to prevent the shoes from damaging
• Great lateral support for sideways movements
• Tight upper ensures the protection and cleanliness of the feet
• Lightweight makes the sudden movements easy