Of all the high-end tennis-inspired sneakers you could choose, you can’t beat a brand with a deep history in the sport. Diadora has a mix of tennis-inspired lifestyle models, but two are made exclusively in Italy as part of the brand’s Heritage collection. Those designs feature some of the plushest leather available on the market. The B.Elite has a long history tied to the original 1980 on-court model, but we’re highlighting the B.560 Used RR Italia, a 1990 archive model reinterpreted with modern accents and with a range of personality-filled colorways to match. Texture defines the B.560, using specialty wool from Italy, pigskin leather, and a wax finish to help create a used effect on this luxurious, made-in-Italy offering. 

We appreciate what New Balance has done on the court by elevating signature sneaker style, and now the traditional running brand is tackling tennis-inspired lifestyle designs, too. New Balance does have historic tennis silhouettes in its archives—here’s looking at you, CT300—and so the Boston-based brand broke out the T500 this March, a remake of an early-1980s style. Expect new colorways and collaborations as the year goes on, but the first release highlights the polyurethane midsole that screams 1980s tech while staying in tune with the trendiness of lower-profile court shoes with clean and elevated designs, the brand says, that feature “quiet luxury with sophisticated, elegant lines.” We applaud New Balance for its growing tennis-specific focus and look forward to the future of the T500.

Wilson isn’t just basic equipment any longer. The Chicago-based brand has elevated its lifestyle look and embraced tennis fully while introducing a range of tennis-inspired apparel collections. Now Wilson takes on footwear, highlighting one of the most well-known shoes from the brand, the Pro Staff. In the 2024 release, the Pro Staff 87 gets modernized with a new last for a better fit, upgraded leathers, and updated midsole foam. The shoe also embraces fresh colors, adding to the original red, white, and blue that launched in March with the June release of a green on white, blue on white, and white on white. And oh, there was plenty more coming as Wilson continues to embrace its tennis-inspired footwear archives.

Let’s face it, much of the Lacoste catalog has tennis inspiration behind it. With Rene Lacoste’s history of producing a tennis-specific sneaker in 1958—and being credited with the creation of the polo shirt—there’s a tennis lifestyle aesthetic strewn across the whole of the Lacoste brand. So, pick your preference when it comes to Lacoste designs, from the classic Lineshot or Carnaby Pro Leather to the more updated L001 or G80 Club. But we’ve picked out the modern-looking LT-125. This model isn’t a direct tie to a Lacoste heritage sneaker—that much is obvious—but the brand says they took inspiration from classic court designs and gave the LT-125 a “luxurious” take on what is surely a distinct approach to tennis inspiration.

The Stan Smith has been a staple of tennis-inspired lifestyle footwear for decades. So much so that the shoe is ubiquitous in the culture. That can cause the silhouette to lose traction in the modern space, especially as tennis fans search for a differing approach. But collaborations can help keep the style fresh. The Brain Dead x Adidas Stan Smith offered that in 2024. The leather design featured a perforated Brain Dead logo, chunky laces, and a fuzzy suede heel tab. It all adds up to something that keeps Adidas Stan Smith fans coming back for more.

Chalk up the Nike Air Tech Challenge 2 in the category of legendary competition-turned-lifestyle sneakers that those in the tennis space know oh-so-well. And while the silhouette has enjoyed multiple rereleases over the years, in 2024 the hot lava colorway returned with a bit of a retro touch built in. Not only was the hot lava’s return a welcome sight for fans of the 1990-born style made famous by Andre Agassi, but it also marked a precursor of what to expect in 2025 with plans to launch additional colorways of one of the sport’s most famed styles.

Don’t sleep on Wilson’s style. The Pro Staff 87 marked the front half of the year, but the quiet launch of the Tennis Classic gives the brand both a wildly fun—think the entire upper is made from yellow tennis ball felt—and timeless look in black or white leather. Inspired by traditional tennis silhouettes, the Tennis Classic fits the name and gives those looking for a refined model in European leather a touch of elegance that doesn’t overstep.

Take a decidedly sporty view of the 1990s by donning the recently reimagined Reebok Court Victory Pump. First introduced in late 1989, the pump technology from Reebok allowed the wearer to pump air in the shoe’s sole via a mechanism housed in the tongue. Use the same tongue to reduce the air pressure. Sure, the tech was first used in basketball, but Michael Chang gave the Reebok Pump its own tennis moment—the pump mechanism as a tennis ball is a splendid touch—during the 1990 Roland-Garros. Rereleased this March, Reebok has vowed to offer a wealth of colorways while keeping the Court Victory Pump alive in tennis.

The GV Special isn’t a new addition to the Puma catalog, but the German company refreshed the silhouette this year, ensuring that a brand without a place on the performance side of the sport doesn’t fully lose touch with tennis. With an April release that offered the first of many colorways of the shoe this year, Puma also brought new construction with improved comfort, perforations in the toebox for breathability, and tumbled leather. The sneaker is a mix of tennis and training style and was named the GV Special in honor of Argentinean major champion Guillermo Vilas. For an even deeper dive into Puma’s tennis history, check out the now-available Puma Star, a remake of the 1970 Wimbledon sneaker. The modern Star even has a strawberries-and-cream colorway. 

Nike has brought back many of its classic on-court looks in retro form over the years, but there’s one model that has had impressive staying power. Last year brought us the John McEnroe Mac Attack (we are fans of the ongoing colorway releases well into 2024), we continue to see new versions of the Court Legacy, and we’re primed for yet another return of the Air Tech Challenge 2 (likely this fall), but right now we’re all in on the Killshot 2. Inspired by the original Killshot, a low-profile Nike tennis design from 1979, the model gave way to the Wimbledon in 1981. But the Killshot made a return as a lifestyle option in 2009, exclusively at J.Crew. In 2019, Nike brought the style to its own domain and offered fresh colorways. That freshness continues in 2024, as Nike has released special-edition versions and new colorways while it promotes the (thankfully often) gumsole beauty that is all things 1979 Nike tennis.