The Tennis Shoe
"I never wear trainers, the only ones I will wear are Spring Courts. They are so comfortable. But they have to be the low cut white ones...I have to keep them clean...I use nail polish remover on the stains."
- RA
(I would adopt her as my second mother if I could)
As you can probably tell from the photograph above, my footwear collection is currently rather spartan in its breadth (that photograph encompasses it in its entirety), so I thought I may need to invest in a pair of decent trainers. I wanted something clean and classic, without any visible branding, with sufficient ankle support and a comfortable step. Converses were immediately out of the question as I find them very painful to walk any great distance in. On the other hand, although I find Vans comfortable, they are a little too busy in terms of stitching, and the visual dominance of such thick soles can be quite overpowering unless one wears a pair with colour-matched soles. I was also tempted by Superga, however was put off by the highly visible tabs on the side of each shoe.
Having been recommended them in the past, I finally settled for a pair of Spring Courts, whose functionality and clean design, combined with their famous comfort level, seemed to fit the bill quite nicely. The famous 'soles with holes' provide a nice level of ventilation and comfort, whilst the rubber lined mint-scented insole stops water seeping in and helps keep the shoe smelling fresh. Because I wanted a mid-cut pair I had to choose between the B1 and B2 models, and then decide on colour. I already knew I wanted the Egyptian cotton, as opposed to leather or ponyskin, so fabric choice was a given.
Unfortunately there are actually only a handful of stockists within the UK, and even then colour choice and models are highly limited. Looking across the full range I settled on a pair of lead grey overdye, without the customary rubber ankle patch, because I wanted them to be as clean as possible in terms of design. However as they were not available within the UK I had to get somebody to order them for me abroad, and then post them over (international shipping was not an option on the webstore I found). Surprisingly, even including the additional shipping costs and (astronomical - thanks Parcelforce) customs charges, they actually set me back the same amount as a pair of B1 shoes would have done delivered to my door had I ordered from a UK website.
As I mentioned before, I find Converses incredibly painful to wear, and for those who are in a similar position I would definitely recommend a pair of Spring Courts. The soles are nice and spongy, yet provide sufficient arch support, and the toe box is relatively wide, whilst being highly structured thanks to the wraparound rubber reinforcement. They fit snug without being too constrictive, and provide really good ankle and foot support. Although the mint-scented insole may sound like a gimmick, when I first opened the box I was actually hit with a strong scent of mint and rubber. I am not sure how long that scent will last, but it is a nice touch. They are also fully machine-washable, so thankfully I should not have to break out the nail polish remover to keep them clean!
xxxx