With tennis stars like Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic flaunting vegan apparel and following a fully plant-based diet, more and more people are getting more interested in and looking for cruelty-free equipment.
This is also amplified by documentaries like Game Changers making a huge impact, and that’s great because the impact of going vegan is beyond amazing for the environment and preserving the planet.
If you’re one of those people that want to go vegan and also want to have the edge over your opponent in the tennis court, I’ve gathered the best vegan tennis shoes that provide you the most effortless experience.
Comparison Table
| Shoes | Designed For | Sizes | Colors | Materials |
| DUOYANGJIASHA Athletic Tennis Shoes | Women | 4.5 to 13.5 | 7 | Synthetic fabric |
| Adidas Men’s Gamecourt | Men | 6.5 to 16 | 3 | 100% textile |
| Akk Walking | Women | 6 to 11.5 | 20 | Breathable mesh |
| ASICS GEL-Solution Speed 2 Tennis Shoe | Men | 15 | 1 | 100% Synthetic |
| Mehoto Slip on Tennis | Women | 5.5 to 10 | 9 | Breathable mesh |
| ASICS Men’s Gel-Resolution 7 | Men | 6 to 15 | 7 | Fabric |
| AoSiFu Slip On | Women | 6 to 9.5 | 8 | Fly knit |
| Adidas Barricade 2018 | Men | 6.5 to 13 | 3 | Forged mesh |
| Adizero Ubersonic 3.0 X Parley Tennis Shoes | Men | 8 to 13.5 | 1 | Breathable mesh upper Dyneema yarn and recycled Parley ocean plastic |
The 9 Best Vegan Tennis Shoes for 2022
1. DUOYANGJIASHA Women’s Athletic Tennis Shoes
The DUOYANGJIASHA is a robust pair of tennis shoes made from synthetic fabric. It comes in 7 colors, including dark or light grey, white, black, blue, pink, and rose red. Its sizes range from 4 to 13.5, so it’s pretty inclusive.
And although it’s advertised as tennis shoes, it also suits running, hiking, and traveling. This is thanks to the lightweight outsole and breathable cushioned insole. Combine that with the breathable mesh upper with laces for a secure fit, and you get an excellent pair of tennis shoes that suits any style of gameplay.
Moreover, the DUOYANGJIASHA comes with a comfort system that enhances its lightness as well as absorbs shocks. Whether you’re searching for a pair that helps you tackle rough courts or enhances your swift movements, this one would suit you well.
2. Adidas Men’s Gamecourt Tennis Shoes
Coming in three basic colors: dark grey, light grey, and white, the Gamecourt tennis shoes is one of the best vegan tennis shoes for men. It’s made from 100% textile and synthetics while it uses rubber for the comfortable sole.
What makes the sole even more comfortable is the Cloudfoam midsole employed in this breathable shoe. Mix that with a regular fit and lace closure, and you get a pretty flexible pair to traverse the court with.
Even the breathable mesh upper with TPU reinforcement helps enhance the flexibility of these shoes and offers great support. And to increase durability, Adidas uses abrasion-resisting Adituff at the toe area and an Adiwear outsole.
While it isn’t exactly the most affordable option out there, the technology and design it comes with make it worth every penny.
3. Akk Slip-On Memory Foam
The Akk slip-on is a comfortable pair of sneakers with a sleek design. It’s available in sizes ranging from 6 to 11.5 and in 20 colors, including all black, black with white soles, pink, purple, white, grey, blue, burgundy, and much more.
Thanks to the breathable mesh upper and rubber soles, it provides a very comfy feel and leaves you feeling great even after spending the whole day wearing them. Its memory foam insole is super comfortable and absorbs all impacts from motion, making you feel as though you’re walking on clouds.
So, tennis players with power-driven playing techniques will come to appreciate this pair the most. This durability in the face of action doesn’t mean any less flexibility, though. The Akk comes with a streamlined look, and the shoelaces provide this pair with adjustability for the feet.
What’s more, they’re equipped with non-slip MD soles that minimize cushioning force to leave enough friction for your steps to be relaxed but not any less stable. With soft uppers and soles, this pair can bend and twist whichever way allows you to move most freely.
4. ASICS GEL-Solution Speed 2 Tennis Shoe
In terms of practicality, the ASICS GEL-Solution Speed 2 is second to none. It only comes in one size and one color blend; 15 and a combination of navy, silver, and neon green. Without the hassle of options to choose from, the Speed 2 makes everything quick from the get-go.
It’s 100% synthetic down to its sole, so even the production process is quick and painless. The lace-up design with the rearfoot and forefoot GEL cushioning systems make this pair incredibly comfortable, easy to put on and take off, as well as practical.
Not only that, but they’re also collar lined with two layers of memory foam and have cushioned Solyte midsoles to give you all the comfort you need when traversing tennis courts, no matter the kind.
5. Mehoto Memory Foam Walking Tennis Sneakers
The Mehoto tennis sneakers come with a fabric sole and stretchable mesh uppers with sock-like construction, so they fit anyone like a dream. This pair comes in 9 colors, including black, white, red, and a funky 3-colored option, while its sizes range from 5.5 to 10.
And though the Mehoto sneakers come with laced, you don’t actually have to keep undoing and redoing them to wear the shoes or take them off as the sneakers come with a slip-on design. As a matter of fact, the laces seem more like a decorative option since there is no tongue like the one found on normal shoes.
Having Cloudfoam cushioning and a memory foam sock liner also means that you get a combination that makes you feel cozy and confident with every step.
6. ASICS Men’s Gel-Resolution 7 Tennis Shoe
If you want to walk into the tennis court with confidence and style, you should definitely consider the ASICS Gel-Resolution 7. This pair comes in 7 dashing colors and sizes ranging from 6 to 15, making them suitable for practically anyone with any preferences.
They’re all man-made and use fabric to ensure giving you a comfortable and cruelty-free pair of tennis sneakers. Moreover, it’s equipped with both rearfoot and forefoot GEL technology cushioning systems, which work on reducing shock during impact and toe-off phases.
This, in turn, results in a swifter movement in multiple planes as your foot transitions through the gait cycle. Combine that with IGC (Impact Guidance System) technology, and the ASICS Men’s Gel-Resolution 7 enhances your foot’s natural gait from toe-off to heel-strike like no other.
It doesn’t stop there, the ASICS Men’s Gel-Resolution 7 even comes with Trusstic system technology, which attenuates the weight of the sole without compromising the integrity of the shoe. Mix that with a Solyte midsole, and you get the ultimate combination of performance stability and lightweight action.
Finally, you shouldn’t worry about the way you land from jumps and how that affects your shoes as the ASICS Men’s Gel-Resolution 7 comes with a PGuard toe protector that maximizes toe durability.
7. AoSiFu Tennis Sneakers
If you’re looking for ultimate breathability, the AoSiFu tennis sneakers are the ones for you. They come with fly knit mesh uppers that provide you with ultra-lightweight support and a more or less sock-like fit with targeted areas of breathability.
Not only does this make it more suitable for free movements, but it also allows your feet more freedom to breathe, consequently making the shoes feel more comfortable.
Moreover, the AoSiFu comes with soft rubber soles made from durable and elastic MD, which creates more buffer between the player’s feet and ground. This unique design also provides good abrasion-resistance and non-slip movements.
And although the AoSiFu is one of the relatively expensive vegan tennis shoes on our list, it’s still one of the best in terms of combining technology, style, and versatility. Although they’re advertised as tennis shoes, they suit walking, running, climbing, cycling, and even horse riding!
8. Adidas Men’s Barricade 2018 Tennis Shoe
The Adidas Barricade 2018 is a fully dedicated tennis shoe. It comes with a seamless, forged mesh upper design that dedicates areas of support and stretches to help ensure a custom fit that adapts to every move.
Moreover, it employs a soft and stretchable tongue for an extra comfortable fit while the Bootee construction provides a snug fit. It also employs Adiprene+ in the forefoot that maintains efficiency and propulsion.
Like the Gamecourt, it comes with abrasion-resistant Adituff that wraps around the toe and medial forefront that helps protect your foot against the drag that inevitably happens during serves and any extreme lateral movements.
What’s more, it comes with Geofit construction for both comfort and an anatomical fit while the Ghillie at the top of the lacing provides a locked-down fit.
This pair has this name because it employs a “Barricade” chassis that provides the midfoot with support, stability, and extra freedom and flexibility at the forefront. At the same time, the Adiprene under the heel gives you superior cushioning during impact.
Adiwear 6 outsole is a third Adidas feature integrated into these shoes to enable them to offer you the maximum high-wear durability you can get from any pair of tennis shoes.
9. Adidas Adizero Ubersonic 3.0 X Parley Tennis Shoes
Adidas seems to do a great job when it comes to manufacturing tennis shoes and teaming up with Parley, who use recycled plastic from the ocean to make shoes, they have managed to produce the ultimate vegan tennis shoes: the Adizero Ubersonic 3.0.
This is thanks to the Parley Ocean Plastic yarn that is engineered with recycled plastic waste, which highly reduces and protects oceans from pollution.
The Adizero Ubersonic 3.0 comes with interlocking fiber uppers that are lightweight, flexible, and provide incredible support during the most dynamic of movements.
Moreover, they integrate a Sprintframe chassis that provides the pair with extra support and stability, even during vigorous and violent movements during shots. The bootie construction also wraps the foot in a sock-like construction to give you a comfortable fit.
Like the Gamecourt and Barricade, the Ubersonic 3.0 X comes with abrasion-resistant Adituff, which protects the medial forefoot and toe from clay surfaces during lateral movements, so you can definitely count on the durability of this pair of tennis sneakers.
How to Choose Tennis Shoes
Before you venture to buy tennis shoes, there are a couple of things that you need to take into consideration. Are you looking for durable shoes or lightweight ones? Are you more concerned with support or flexibility? Is it more important for you to have quality shoes or value ones?
So how can you finally decide what to focus on and what you can forfeit? Let’s delve into the details of every aspect!
Durable vs. Lightweight
Durability and weight usually have some sort of relationship, and that’s why you have to choose the optimum combination of both.
Durability
How durable your shoes are is another face to the coin of how long it will last. This aspect should be your main concern if you play vigorously, have a power-driven technique, and don’t want to change your shoes every six months.
But being more durable has a trade-off, and that is being heavier due to the utilization of more materials. And although a lot of materials and technology work on keeping shoes lightweight, they can only do so much.
The soles of tennis shoes bear the brunt of the tough and vehement movements, and that’s why durable ones usually have thick soles to maximize durability. This, in turn, makes them dense and heavy.
Lightweight
On the other hand, lightweight shoes are designed to provide you with more freedom to move more swiftly and quickly around the court. However, these shoes have thinner soles, which gives you a greater grasp and sensitivity to feel the ground as you move.
If you’re nimble on your feet, use a more technical fashion of gameplay, and are in super great shape, you could opt for the lightweight option. And although they aren’t as durable as heavier shoes, their longevity depends on the lever and style of the person that wears them.
Performance vs. Stability
Flexible shoe molds easily adapt to your foot and the movements required on the court. Such molds best suit players that resort to movements that are on the verge of injury. They also help maximize the player’s performance.
On the other hand, shoes that provide support and stability help protect your feet and joints. Most of the time, they come with extra ankle fabric for more support and more cushion in the sole and upper to absorb any impacts, consequently maximizing stability.
Shoes with more support work on preventing injuries or any pain during gameplay, but are more limiting to your flexibility and mobility. So, the choice depends on what kind of player you are and the kind of tennis court on which you’re playing.
Quality vs. Value
Before you make a decision, you must decide the degree of importance of the shoe’s quality to you, especially if you’re concerned about your well-being and performance.
You can find plenty of shoes on the market below the $80 mark, but they typically last a lot less than more expensive choices, especially if you consistently put them through the wringer.
What’s more, manufacturers seldom combine the stability and durability-based elements with performance-based ones, so there always seems to be a trade-off.
Also, they don’t usually combine the performance-based with the stability and durability-based elements, so you get a shoe that isn’t as complete as you’d like because it is limited in terms of materials and technology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Vegan Shoes?
Vegan shoes are pairs of shoes that don’t use any animal-based materials. In other words, they aren’t made from any animal furs, skins, or even animal-based dyes or adhesives.
Most often than not, leather would be the culprit when we’re talking about abusing animals for fashion purposes and trends. For this reason, exactly, you should always double-check that the leather used to make your shoes is vegan.
Why Go Vegan?
Vegan products have a major positive impact on the environment and help preserve ecosystems, wildlife, and the planet. That’s why it’s a better, and more ethically-conscious, decision to opt for vegan products that use hemp, cotton, and plant-based leather.
Moreover, try your best to avoid products that use exotic animal skins such as crocodiles, ostriches, and any animal that’s excessively hunted for skin and fur.
Is Vegan Leather Reliable?
It’s not uncommon for people to avoid vegan products due to the fact that they’re scared they may not be as durable as actual leather. However, vegan products can be a lot more durable, contrary to what a lot of people might think.
For example, faux leather is a lot sturdier and less prone to scratching, ripping, and scraping, when compared to real leather. Moreover, it comes at a much lower price point.
Faux leather is also a lot easier to clean and maintain as it’s less prone to staining and has water-resisting abilities. On top of that, unlike real leather, it doesn’t fade with exposure to the sun and is more likely to survive major cuts.
This can be traced to the fact that vegan leather has plastic-like attributes that prevent it from absorbing water or peeling off. And for this reason, vegan products are more durable, especially ones that are made from canvas, hemp, and faux leather.
What is Vegan Leather Made Of?
There are many materials from which vegan leather could be made, including glazed canvas, waxed canvas, naturally-derived materials, PVC, or polyurethane. It’s worth mentioning, though, that the latter is the most damaging, so it should be your last resort.
While it’s true that any vegan product contributes to sparing animals a lot of suffering and excessive hunting, that doesn’t mean that all of them are good for the environment in the long run or that they’re all sustainable.
That’s why you should take the process of manufacturing into consideration. Check if it involves any harm bestowed upon nature, and make sure that the materials are biodegradable, and the best ones for this purpose are natural elements like plant-based leather and cork.
How to Make Sure Synthetic Leather is Vegan?
When you’re looking for vegan shoes, the most important thing to do is to make sure that the pair you’re getting is actually vegan. In other words, look for tags like “vegan,” “all man-made,” and “100% synthetic”, which all indicate that the product is leather-free.
Vegan products are environmentally-friendly, and companies want to be associated with that, so they always put labels or stickers at the bottom or at the top of the garment to indicate that.
You shouldn’t stop there, but rather visit the manufacturer’s website to make sure that the processes involved in manufacturing the product are also vegan and environmentally-friendly.
For example, you should look for shoes that are made from natural fibers, such as bamboo, canvas, jute, hemp, or cotton, and steer away from adhesives or dyes that contain gelatin as this means they were manufactured using animal bones.
With time and experience, you’ll be able to tell the difference between real and faux leather. The main giveaway is the feel of both materials, as the texture of synthetic leather doesn’t form a patina like real leather, and so feel different.
Moreover, the pores on faux leather are artificial and merely drawn on, so the material would be a lot less breathable than real leather.
Final Thoughts
Now that we’ve reached the end of the article, I hope you’ve formed a better idea of how to choose the best vegan tennis shoes to suit your gameplay mechanism and enable you to compete effectively.
There are plenty of great options on the market, and to make the ideal choice, all you have to do is consider which aspects you’re most concerned with.
If you’re a lady looking for a sturdy pair that withstands vigorous gameplay, you should opt for the Akk slip-on tennis sneakers are the best option for you. On the other hand, the DUOYANGJIASHA would be an excellent choice if you’re looking for swift movements on the course.
And if you’re a man with a sleek technique, you should opt for the Adidas Men’s Gamecourt. Alternatively, you should choose the ASICS GEL-Solution Speed 2 if you use a technique with violent movements, and that puts pressure on the soles.
