As always, the European spring brings the start of the outdoor season in most countries here. And for most of us, this means getting a new pair of clay court shoes, with the famous herringbone pattern on their soles. As tennisnerds, we want to wear the best and most stylish pairs, of course. This little guide is supposed to help you find the best of the 2026 line-up, depending on your preference, budget and requirements.
Budget choices below 110 €
Not everyone wants to spend big for their pair of shoes, especially if you are wearing down your pairs quickly on the rough clay courts around. This is why there are more choices below 100 € by the day, including some new options, such as Decathlon’s Kuikma Unrupt models. The sponsor of Gael Monfils recently rebranded their tennis line from Artengo to Kuikma and has unveiled a new shoe line, the Unrupt. From the outside it is somewhat reminiscent of recent K-Swiss and New Balance models and comes in many different colorways. There is a Team model positioned at 69 € and a Pro model at 109 € – both sitting well below other brands prices.
Other options in the budget-friendly segment include Alexander Zverev’s choice – the adidas Defiant Speed, that you can get at around 100 € at most shops. The shoe is rather constructed as a lightweight option with a little less dampening, but gets good reviews, not only from Zverev. Asics has their Gel Challenger line updated for a 15th version currently, which has less tech elements but includes the well-known Asics dampening. And finally, Nike has the Vapor Pro in their lower offering – which gets trusted by Jack Draper amongst others.
One brand known for their aggressive pricing as well is Spanish company Joma. They have gained a lot of popularity as a sponsor on the pro tour, especially amongst the South American players but also with players like Czech star Tomas Machac. Their shoe line-up is pretty diverse with a lot of sturdy-looking clay court options, such as the Joma Roland or Joma Ace. If you are looking for an option here, be sure to check them out, too.
Clay court choices for maximum speed
One thing that people are looking for on a tennis court will always be speed and fast movement. Here it helps if your shoes are lightweight, offer great torsional stability and supports your moves around the court. No wonder that most brands have created a dedicated line for this. The most known might among the best clay court tennis shoes be the Nike Vapor, one of the all-time favorite shoes in tennis. Many players were aching for an update closer to the 9.5 version and the new, 12th version seems to get halfway there. Focused on quick movement, equipped with Nike’s new progressive herringbone sole, it is always an option to consider.
As are the Asics Speed FF, who had been the choice of Alex De Minaur for years. The Australian may now have moved to Wilson, but the Speed FF 4 is out and surely another contender for the fastest shoe. Adidas has their respective speed-friendly shoes named accordingly – the Ubersonic 5 (image on top) is supposed to be close to the surface, lightweight and help you with speedy movement all-around. Both these shoes are very much focused on speed and have a little less dampening than the brands’ other options.
ON running, a brand usually known for their well-dampened shoes, has moved into this segment, too. The new Roger Pro Fire wants to combine stability and speed, trying to supplement the rather comfortable Roger Pro 2.
Other choices for speed include the new Babolat Jet Mach, the Head Sprint Pro and Andrey Rublev’s K-Swiss Speed Rublo. Visit the K-Swiss Amazon store here.
Choices for comfort and dampening
But as with power from your frame, the speed from your shoes should always be in line with the comfort and health of your body. Especially as we get older (we all do), a little bit more dampening might not hurt. This is why I also personally prefer a bit more support and dampening from my shoes these days and one of my choices is the Asics Court FF3, as played by Novak Dojokovic. The shoe has great comfort, a very durable outside and a thick, well-dampened sole that still gives stability and good feedback.
But of course, you could be more the Nike player and steer towards Jannik Sinner’s shoes of choice, the GP Challenge 1.5. It also has more dampening than the Vapor, but still is reasonably quick to move in, too. But one of the most famous name in tennis shoes belong to another brand with the adidas Barricade. As its name suggests, the shoe offers maximum stability and sturdiness with a good dampening tech. It has recently been renewed for a 14th version, including a two-colored version reminiscent of the old Gravity design somehow. If you are looking for even other brands, check out the new Head Endure line, the K-Swiss Ultrashot or the Lacoste LT Ultra.
Finally, Wilson has recently unveiled their update to the Rush line of shoes with a new model, the Wilson Rush Tour. It is positioned at the upper end of the pricing, boasts a ton of stability and comfort and will be the newest choice of Alex DeMinaur on court. The version before already had a ton of comfort in the lower versions, which have been continued as well, so it will be interesting to try this new contender.
Overview and verdict – Top rated clay tennis shoes
Regardless of which direction you want to go with your shoes, there are always plenty of great options available these days.
You can find most of these clay court shoes over at our partners Tennis Warehouse (North America), Tennis Warehouse Europe (code TNERD10 for 10% off) or at Tennis Only (AU).
We have compiled a little overview for you as well below!
| Brand | Speed | Comfort/Stability | Budget |
| Nike | Vapor | GP Challenge | Vapor Pro |
| Adidas | Ubersonic 5 | Barricade 14 | Defiant Speed |
| Asics | Speed FF4 | Court FF3 Gel Resolution X | Gel Challenger 15 |
| ON | Roger Pro Fire | Roger Pro 2 | |
| Head | Sprint Pro | Endure Pro | |
| KSwiss | Speed Rublo | Ultrashot |