This could be the supplest tennis performance shoe on the market. Leaning into the brand’s made-in-Italy program, the B. Elite Star from Diadora is crafted in Caerano di San Marco and was developed to create the best of what performance can be, the brand says (although we also think Diadora’s B. Icon 3 is a high-quality 2025 release). The B. Elite Star features plenty of responsive foam, a high level of durability, and materials that give the sneaker a truly luxurious feel straight from Italy.

It’s not every day purple hairy suede makes an appearance on a performance shoe. Especially not in tennis. The adidas Barricade 13 collaboration with Brain Dead offered a performance-lifestyle crossover with two shoes meant to redefine the space. Both shoes featured a speckled translucent outsole and the adidas three stripes in metallic silver, but one added magenta and purple hairy suede and the other a reflective silver mesh. The October launch produced one of the most memorable launches of the year, whether in lifestyle or performance.

In the new world of hybrid style and play, the New Balance Coco Delray gives fans of the American star the ability to take the popular New Balance Coco CG2 signature performance model and put a style spin on it. The Coco Delray offers a low-top design able to handle light on-court play for those not ready for high-performance models but also offers fans a fresh lifestyle approach.

On’s The Roger lineup is in full growth mode, from fresh lifestyle shoes to crossover varieties good for light play or lifestyle. But the one we liked the most in 2025 was the introduction of The Roger Pro Fire, a performance shoe already adopted on the pro circuit by Joao Fonseca and Flavio Cobolli. The Pro Fire features better durability and stability than On’s The Roger Pro 2 and has a feel that fits today’s game.

Okay, sure, the Nike GP Challenge 1 has been around for a while, but what Nike did with dressing the shoe up for Naomi Osaka this past season was one of the best examples of player-edition shoes on the tour. That the designs were available at retail just made it all the better. With colorful—and flower-filled—versions available all season, our favorites were from the US Open and the Australian Open, when Osaka wore an orange-and-brown version with plenty of flower decorations, including one popping off the tongue.

When K-Swiss said they went high-end with the Pinnacle, a shoe developed alongside Andrey Rublev, they weren’t lying. While the new K-Swiss Ultrashot 4 (worn by Frances Tiafoe) also offers high-level performance, the Pinnacle is a pro-tour-level design with a full-length carbon-fiber plate, two midsole foams, support and durability in the midsole and outsole, and a breathable upper. It’s the pinnacle of performance.

When K-Swiss said they went high-end with the Pinnacle, a shoe developed alongside Andrey Rublev, they weren’t lying. While the new K-Swiss Ultrashot 4 (worn by Frances Tiafoe) also offers high-level performance, the Pinnacle is a pro-tour-level design with a full-length carbon-fiber plate, two midsole foams, support and durability in the midsole and outsole, and a breathable upper. It’s the pinnacle of performance.

Wilson has started dipping into its sneaker archive, and we’re thankful. After 2024 saw a retooled Pro Staff 87 and a Tennis Classic Premium, 2025 didn’t disappoint. While the Chicago-based heritage brand gave us the remake of the 1994 SBR—since SBR stands for squash-badminton-racquetball, it can’t officially make this tennis-centric list—Wilson also upgraded our closets with the Pro Staff 87 Mid. The Mid is a direct play off what was available in the late 1980s and offers a counterpoint in today’s sneaker culture. The 2025 remake features the material updates from the 2024 launch while retaining the vibe of the 1980s.

Asics makes some of the best performance models in tennis, and while the new release of the Asics Gel-Resolution X performance model couldn’t crack our top 10 of 2025, we had to give a nod to the Asics Court FF 3 Novak “Night Energy.” One of the premier tennis shoes on the market, the Novak-styled design that came as part of a black lineup across Asics’ US Open offering was the best look of the year for the Japanese-based brand.

Here at The Second Serve we appreciate brands taking a risk. Head did so by going all-in on adding the BOA Performance Fit System to a low-top tennis shoe. Instead of laces, the Head Endure Pro BOA features two of BOA’s fit-forming dials for a precision fit. The dial design, popular in the outdoor space, allows the wearer to get a fully personalized support and pressure distribution experience.

The Nike Vapor 12 released at the start of 2025 as a new performance model to update the Vapor lineup for the Oregon-based brand, but we most appreciated the distinct throwback theme the brand employed with the Vapor 12 Hypersmash, a play on the Hyperdunk basketball shoe from 2008. From a purely performance standpoint, the Vapor 12 might not make this list, but the Vapor 12 technology took on a look of the throwback Hyperdunk, giving us another play in the basketball-tennis crossover style Nike has dabbled in for more than a decade.