Let me say it plainly: several of these were never made for a match. Golden Goose says its Super-Star came from a trip to Los Angeles and the worn look of skateboarders' shoes, and Forbes Australia says each pair is finished by hand to replicate wear. The Super-Star Low Top and the Ball Star Low Top in milk gold are tennis shoes only in the American everyday sense of the word, meaning a low white sneaker. I love them anyway.

 

Gucci is a different story. The company says it released the Tennis 1977 sneaker in the late 1970s, among the first luxury houses to merge fashion and sport. The white one has the Web stripe and Interlocking-G, and I would wear it with straight jeans and a white tee.

 

Loro Piana's Tennis Walk is white leather with suede trim and a slim court profile, the quiet pair for trousers and a fine knit. The P448 John White in white and beige has pink laces and an amber-red tread, and VEJA's Campo in extra white and almond is the clean everyday one. Common Projects' Tennis 24 is the plainest shape here, off-white with a burgundy heel, and Isabel Marant's Senny, Kaycee and Beth bring suede panels, a red heel tab and hook-and-loop straps. Jacquemus and Neous take the tennis shape into suede and tulle, and I would wear those with trousers, not to play in. Before buying any pair, check the sole for flexibility and see whether the leather creases where your toes bend.

These are the working pairs. The ASICS GEL-Resolution X in white and silver has DYNALACING to hold the foot, and the Solution Speed FF 4 in white and dusty mauve is the lighter, faster idea. Nike's Zoom Vapor 12 sits low and quick, while the Zoom GP Challenge 1.5 puts Air Zoom units in both the forefoot and the heel. The adidas Barricade 14 is the stability pick, and the Adizero Ubersonic 5, both in distilled pink, is the one that stays close to the ground. The New Balance FuelCell 996v7 in pink chalk and red is built for chasing every ball, and the On THE ROGER Clubhouse Pro 2 in white and ivory is the hybrid for racket sports.

 

On's The Roger Centre Court and The Roger Clubhouse Ace are the lower, cleaner versions of that hybrid idea, and the Clubhouse Mid is the high-top. The Barricade from adidas by Stella McCartney is the stability shoe again, in white and almond milk.

 

The practical tip: turn the shoe over. Tennis Warehouse says hard court outsoles usually use a modified herringbone, and clay court outsoles a full herringbone. Match the sole to the court you actually play on.

A real court classic is low, leather or suede, and plain enough to wear with anything. The adidas Originals Stan Smith in white and gold metallic is the one that started as a tennis shoe, and it still has the perforated 3-Stripes. ESPN notes that in the 1980s, as Stan Smiths lost relevance as performance shoes, they became popular as fashion shoes. I find that arc strangely reassuring.

 

The adidas Billie Jean King shoes in off-white and bright royal are suede, with a 1973 debossed on the left heel. That honors her win over Bobby Riggs, and Britannica dates that match to September 20, 1973, in the Houston Astrodome. Nike's Tennis Classic Sneaker is modeled on a 1975 court shoe, in white leather with British tan details, and the Tennis Centre Sneaker is the minimalist white one. The New Balance T500 in tobacco angora is an 80s tennis low-top with nubuck, suede and a perforated toe.

 

The Reebok Club C 85 has a gum sole and light gray details, and I would wear it with cuffed jeans and a gray sweatshirt. The Lacoste Carnaby Set in black with a gold croc is dressier, good with a pleated skirt. The Wilson Pro Staff 87 Sportstyle comes from the Pro Staff racquet line, and it is the retro one. In the store, press the leather at the toe and check how the heel holds when you walk.

 

Past the staples, the adidas Handball Spezial, the Gazelle Lo Pro and the PUMA Royal are the low pairs with a court shape, and Autry's Windspin and Reelwind and the Veronica Beard Natalia are the polished ones. The Marc Jacobs 72 Spring is the retro runner in silver, and the VEJA Esplar is a plain white lace-up that goes with everything.

 

What I would skip: the suede and nubuck pairs on a rainy commute.

I would start with the court. If you play, pick the performance pair for your surface and your habits, then wear the classics around the rest of the time.

 

If you do not play, choose by what is on your feet all day. The classics are for jeans and skirts, and the designer pairs are for the days when a plain outfit needs one good shoe.

 

Whichever pair you choose, keep the laces clean. Robert Haillet's white shoe started this whole thing in 1965, and it still looks best when it is white. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Sneakers That Look like Dress Shoes Women's and What Goes With Them and Rain Boots Worth Stomping In.