This means that it will have a toughened “upper” that makes the shoe more stable. Compare it to the flimsy piece of mesh material that’s often found in running shoes to reduce weight; press against that hundreds of times, as you will in a high-intensity game of tennis, and it will soon wear through. Perhaps the biggest compliment we can pay the Courtsmash shoes is that, despite having more expensive pairs to choose from, we often defaulted to these in our hard-court matches.

In the middle ground, you can get hybrid soles that work well on both hard courts and clay. However, if you frequently play on clay, consider a dedicated pair of shoes just for that surface. They should last a while, too, due to the softer landings. For the same reason, you want nice, durable sides. A good pair of tennis shoes will simply feel more solid than a normal pair of trainers.The main thing you’re looking for is simple: something that describes itself as a tennis shoe. Not squash (the grip is different), not running (the shoes won’t last more than a few intense sessions), but specifically tennis. The other common surface in the UK is astroturf or “TigerTurf”, which is designed to be like artificial grass. Because these have a layer of sand on top of the nylon fibres (the “grass”), from a grip point of view they’re more like clay than hard courts – a hybrid pair of shoes work well here. Are there specialist brands to look out for?

The straightforward herringbone pattern on the sole means they aren’t a great choice for clay courts, but they’ll be fine for occasional matches on clay if you can’t stretch to dedicated shoes.

The best tennis shoes to buy in 2022