Best Kids Tennis Shoes: Our Favorites & Junior Sizes Explained

Why Tennis Shoes are Important

Whether your junior player is just getting started or is already competing in tournaments, tennis shoes are an essential piece of equipment. There are a few reasons why tennis-specific shoes so important.

• Tennis shoes are designed for lateral movements and can help players avoid injury. There's a lot of side to side movement in the game, and tennis shoes take this into account, whereas running shoes, for example, are designed for forward movements and won't be as laterally stable.
• Tennis shoes offer more durability on courts than normal athletic shoes, especially if they're playing on hard courts, which is the most common surface type in the United States.
• Most tennis shoes have non-marking outsoles. When playing on hard courts non-marking shoes might be a requirement. Although there likely isn't anyone policing your neighborhood courts, it is considered good etiquette to wear non-marking shoes to play.

Now that we've covered a few of the main reasons why kids tennis shoes are a must, let's review the best kids' tennis shoes for a variety of player needs.

Best Tennis Shoes for Kids

Best Lightweight Shoes: Babolat Jet Mach III

Why we love them: The Jet Mach IIIs are meant to feel speedy around the court. They are light and flexible, but they also have some extra material around the toes for protection from court abrasions. We did find these shoes to run a little shorter than some other junior shoes in the same size, so if you're debating between two sizes, we recommend ordering the larger size.

Best Comfort: KSwiss Hypercourt Express 2

Why we love them: The adult version of the Hypercourt Express 2 is a favorite of the TW playtesters and is considered one of our top comfort shoes. That comfort translates to smaller feet as well. The Hypercourt Express 2 for kids offers similar comfort with a flexible feel and plenty of cushioning for the court.

Best Shoes for Junior Competitors: Asics Gel Resolution X Junior

Why we love them: The Asics Gel Resolution X Junior offers plenty of stability and durability for the court. Competitors who spend a lot of time on the court with not only appreciate the durability, but also the cushioning in the midsole for added comfort. While the adult version of these shoes looks a bit different with a higher cut on the medial side, the junior version maintains more traditional silhouette.

Best for Style: New Balance Coco CG1 Junior

Why we love them: These shoes carry the name of American tennis star Coco Gauff. We love that the junior version of these shoes is packed with style along with performance technologies. FuelCell foam provides comfort and helps propel each step, while the NDure upper adds durability and makes for a supportive fit. The shoe's basketball inspiration make these a great option for juniors looking for style on and off the court.

Best Shoes to Transition into Adult Sizing: Nike Vapor Pro 3

Why we love them: Although Nike doesn't have a tennis shoe in junior sizing, the Vapor Pro 3 comes in smaller adult sizes for those kids who are sizing out of youth models. The Nike Vapor Pro 3 comes down to a women's size 5, which is the 3.5 Jr size. A men's Vapor Pro 3 comes down to a size 6, which is the same size as a junior size 6. This updated version of the Vapor Pro 3 balances feeling quick with improved stability over past versions.

Pro Tip: One quick tip on tennis shoes. If your kids are transitioning into adult sizes and are really tough on their shoes, you might want to consider checking out six-month durability guaranteed options. This guarantee is offered on select adult models only and means if the outsole is worn through to the midsole before six months is up, you can get a one-time replacement pair.

How to Pick the Right Junior Tennis Shoe Size

If you're new to buying junior shoes the sizing can be a bit confusing. "Little kid" sizing goes from 0 (infant sizes) up through size 13.5. Then the numbers start over again at size 1 for "big kid" sizing and go through 6.5 or 7, depending on the brand. Tennis Warehouse puts "Jr" into the sizing to differentiate from the adult sizes.

Once kids start to size out of junior sizing, they can go right into men's or women's shoes. For example, for boys the next size after Jr. 6.5 would be a men's size 7. For girls moving up to women's shoes, the sizing is a bit different. A Jr. 3.5 is a women's size 5. Most of our women's shoe selections start at size 5 so once a girl is in Jr. 3.5 size or bigger she can move into women's shoes if desired.

Junior Shoe to Adult Size Conversion Chart

How to Measure for Junior Tennis Shoes

Like with casual shoes, picking the right junior tennis shoe size has to do with the length of the child's 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 they plan to wear when playing tennis. Stand with one foot on the paper.
• Step 3: Keeping their body weight over their foot, trace a thin line around the outside of the 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.

Measurement tips

• Take your measurements at the end of the day, when their feet are the largest.
  Wear the socks they'll wear with their new shoes when you measure.
• Measure both feet and fit shoes to the larger foot.

Although brands fit similarly, most of the brands have unique sizing charts. Consult the chart below for specific information by brand.

Junior Tennis Shoe Sizing by Brand

Final Thoughts

It's important that kids wear tennis-specific shoes to play, and it's also key to find the right size for your junior player. If you have any further questions about junior tennis shoes or any other tennis equipment, please give our product experts a call at 1-800-799-9230.

Learn More

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