For the longest time I would get confused when I heard men and women speaking about women’s tennis shoes. I couldn’t believe that so many women actually played tennis, and I had never witnessed any of them on the tennis courts or even just touching a racket. Being young, I didn’t recognize that men and women from unique places have names for items that I may possibly not be used to. Some people today say jacket or coat, although others say parka, even though they all mean the identical thing. The identical thing happens with soda and pop. It’s the identical stuff, but you might name it one or the other depending on exactly where you live.
I thought women’s tennis shoes were for the purpose of the tennis court only, much like bowling footwear are worn at the bowling alley but rarely out in public. I later learned that when people today said tennis shoe, they meant the identical thing as what I referred to as a sneaker. No one is correct or wrong; it really depends upon exactly where you grew up and what your parents called them. This difference in slang was fodder for some good laughs when I went to college and started meeting men and women from from coast to coast.
Some men and women snicker when they hear me call women’s tennis shoes by the name of sneakers. I’m not certain, but I am guessing the name sneakers originated from the fact that unlike hard soled footwear, it is possible to sneak up on someone with them on. They have a soft sole and produce really little noise. Actually, the sole noises you notice them make might be squeaks on a polished basketball court. Maybe they shouldn’t be sneakers or women’s tennis footwear; perhaps they should be known as squeakers. Ok, sorry, bad joke. Maybe just look for a tennis sneaker to stay away from all confusion.
Should you want women’s tennis shoes, or sneakers, or whatever it is that you call them, it is possible to come across them anywhere that carries shoes and boots. Should you want shoes which are created for tennis, be certain you go to an athletic store and inform them you need great shoes for tennis, but do not necessarily call them women’s tennis shoes, or you might get shown any old pair of soft-soled shoe. Look for a great fit, and be certain you get arch support. You might pay far more to get a high quality pair of shoes, but if you need them for athletic reasons, you will probably be glad you did.
