Determination of optimal shoe dimensions for occasional and regular tennis players

Abstract

Footwear fit is very important in tennis, directly influencing comfort, security and performance. Within the current literature, there are no in-depth studies regarding the fit of tennis shoes, resulting in a lack of knowledge regarding the effect of player expertise on fit preference. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to determine optimal inner-shoe dimensions for tennis players. A total of 34 tennis players were recruited and divided into two groups based on frequency of play (occasional and regular). Each subject’s feet were measured, and they were then asked to assess each of the four tennis shoes, which varied in dimension, through the use of a questionnaire. A repeated measure analysis of variance and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were performed to analyse shoe–foot dimensional difference and subjective fit rating. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences on fit rating between shoes. Correlations were found between shoe–foot dimensional differences at length, metatarsal width and metatarsal girth. The optimal shoe length was determined to be nearly 10 mm longer than the foot for both occasional and regular players; the optimal shoe metatarsal width was 8.4 mm less than the foot for regular players; the optimal shoe metatarsal girth was 9.5 mm less than the foot for occasional players and 14.7 mm less than the foot for regular players.