Need help shopping for kids tennis shoes? We’ve got you covered! Over the last 30 years, we’ve helped countless parents find the perfect pair for their kids. In this guide, we’ll break down the best tennis shoes for a variety of performance, budget and style preferences. We’ll also cover the importance of proper tennis footwear and explain kids' tennis shoe sizing, also known as junior sizing. Let’s jump in and explore junior tennis shoes!(Updated July 2023)
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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 Value - Lightweight | Babolat Jet Mach III Junior |
| Best Value - Support & Comfort | Babolat Propulse AC Junior |
| Best Shoes for Small Feet | adidas Courtflash K |
| Best Shoes for Competitors | Asics Gel Resolution 9 GS Junior |
| Best for Style | New Balance Coco CG1 Junior |
| Best Shoes to Transition into Adult Sizing | Asics Gel Resolution 9 |
Best Value - Lightweight: 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.
- ClearanceBabolat Jet Mach III Pink/Blue Junior Shoes$29.94$75.00* 4.45 Reviews
- ClearanceBabolat Jet Mach III Black/Gold Junior Shoes$34.94$79.00* 5.01 Review
- ClearanceBabolat Jet Mach III Blue/Red Junior Shoes$29.94$75.00* 5.01 Review
Best Value - Support & Comfort: Babolat Propulse AC Junior
Why we love them: The junior sizes of the Propulse shoes come with a foam midsole and Kompressor technology for cushioning and support under foot. When we've tested the adult Babolat shoes, we have found good durability from the Michelin rubber outsoles, making these shoes a good value. Like with the Mach III junior shoes, we did find these shoes to run a bit shorter so recommend ordering up if your junior player is between sizes.
- Babolat Propulse AC Black/White Junior Shoes$29.94$69.00* 5.05 Reviews
Best Shoes for Small Feet: adidas Courtflash K
Why we love them: These adidas shoes come in the smallest size we carry at 10.5. This will help the smallest kids get on the court. We love that these shoes also come in under $40 because kids outgrow their shoes so fast. These shoes are light and flexible and have an all-court outsole.
- Newadidas Courtflash K Green Spark/Black Junior Shoes$43.95$54.95*
- adidas Courtflash K White/Black/Blue Junior Shoes$39.94$54.95*
Best Shoes for Junior Competitors: Asics Gel Resolution 9 Junior
Why we love them: The Asics Gel Resolution 9 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. The adult version of these shoes are also our pick for juniors who are able to wear adult sizes.
- NewAsics Gel Resolution 9 GS Mint/Blue Junior Shoe $79.95$85.00*
- NewAsics Gel Resolution 9 GS Wh/Bl Expanse Junior Shoe$79.95$85.00*
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 '90s aesthetic and basketball inspiration make these a great option for juniors looking for style on and off the court.
- New Balance Coco CG1 Brick Red Junior Shoes$59.94$89.99*
Best Shoes to Transition into Adult Sizing: Asics Gel Resolution 9
Why we love them: The Asics Gel Resolution 9 is one our of favorite shoes for men and women. It comes packed with stability and cushioning. It's also quite durable for those juniors on the competitive circuit. Plus the adult version comes with a six-month outsole guarantee. The Gel Resolution 9 comes down to a women's size 5, which is the 3.5 Jr size. We want to note the women's will fit a bit narrower than the junior model. A men's Gel Resolution 9 comes down to a size 6, which is the same size as a junior size 6.
- NewAsics Gel Resolution 9 Wh/Blue/Or Men's Shoes$144.95$150.00* 3.07 Reviews
- NewAsics Gel Resolution 9 Boss Wh/Tan/Bk Men's Shoes$154.95$160.00* 3.07 Reviews
- NewAsics Gel Resolution 9 2E Wh/Blue/Or Men's Shoes$144.95$150.00* 3.07 Reviews
- Asics Gel Resolution 9 White/Black Men's Shoes$144.95$150.00* 3.07 Reviews
- NewAsics Gel Resolution 9 Pearl/Sun Coral Wom's Shoes$144.95$150.00* 3.858 Reviews
- ClearanceAsics Gel Resolution 9 Light Garnet/White Women's Shoes$89.94$150.00* 3.858 Reviews
- ClearanceAsics Gel Resolution 9 Soothing Sea/Blue Women's Shoes$89.94$150.00* 3.858 Reviews
- ClearanceAsics Gel Resolution 9 Clay Light Garnet Women's Shoes$79.94$150.00* 3.858 Reviews
- Asics Gel Resolution 9 White/Silver Women's Shoes$144.95$150.00* 3.858 Reviews
- SaleAsics Gel Resolution 8 Safety Yellow/Wh Women's Shoes$69.00$139.95* 3.858 Reviews
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
| Junior Size | Men's Size | Women's Size |
| 10.5 | N/A | N/A |
| 11 | N/A | N/A |
| 11.5 | N/A | N/A |
| 12 | N/A | N/A |
| 12.5 | N/A | N/A |
| 13 | N/A | N/A |
| 13.5 | N/A | N/A |
| 1 | N/A | N/A |
| 1.5 | N/A | N/A |
| 2 | N/A | N/A |
| 2.5 | N/A | N/A |
| 3 | N/A | N/A |
| 3.5 | N/A | 5 |
| 4 | N/A | 5.5 |
| 4.5 | N/A | 6 |
| 5 | N/A | 6.5 |
| 5.5 | N/A | 7 |
| 6 | 6 | 7.5 |
| 6.5 | 6.5 | 8 |
| 7 | 7 | 8.5 |
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
| Size | Nike (inches) | adidas (inches) | Asics (cm) | Babolat (inches) | Head (cm) | KSwiss (cm) | New Balance (inches) |
| 10.5 | 6 3/4 | 6.5 | 7.03 | 6 5/8 | |||
| 11 | 6 15/16 | 6.7 | 17.5 | 7.44 | 6 3/4 | ||
| 11.5 | 7 1/6 | 6.9 | 7.64 | 7 | |||
| 12 | 7 1/4 | 7 | 18.5 | 7.84 | 7 1/8 | ||
| 12.5 | 7 7/16 | 7.2 | 8.04 | 7 1/4 | |||
| 13 | 7 9/16 | 7.4 | 19.5 | 8.44 | 7 1/2 | ||
| 13.5 | 7 3/4 | 7.5 | 7.64 | 19.5 | 7 5/8 | ||
| 1 | 7 15/16 | 7.7 | 20 | 7.84 | 20 | 20 | 7 3/4 |
| 1.5 | 8 1/6 | 7.9 | 20.5 | 8.04 | 20.5 | 20.25 | 8 |
| 2 | 8 1/4 | 8 | 21 | 8.24 | 21 | 20.5 | 8 1/8 |
| 2.5 | 8 7/16 | 8.2 | 21.5 | 8.44 | 21.5 | 21 | 8 1/4 |
| 3 | 8 9/16 | 8.3 | 22 | 8.64 | 22 | 21.5 | 8 1/2 |
| 3.5 | 8 3/4 | 8.5 | 22.25 | 8.84 | 22.5 | 22 | 8 5/8 |
| 4 | 8 13/16 | 8.7 | 22.5 | 9.04 | 23 | 22.5 | 8 3/4 |
| 4.5 | 8 15/16 | 8.9 | 23 | 9.24 | 23.5 | 23 | 9 |
| 5 | 9 1/8 | 9 | 23.5 | 9.45 | 24 | 23.5 | 9 1/8 |
| 5.5 | 9 1/4 | 9.2 | 24 | 9.65 | 24.5 | 24 | 9 1/4 |
| 6 | 9 3/8 | 9.4 | 24.5 | 9.85 | 25 | 24.5 | 9 1/2 |
| 6.5 | 9 9/16 | 9.5 | 25 | 10.05 | 25.5 | 25 | 9 5/8 |
| 7 | 9 11/16 | 9.7 | 25.5 | 10.25 | 26 | 25.5 | 9 3/4 |
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
How to Pick the Right Junior Racquet
Shop Junior Tennis Shoes
