CLAY SOLE: Also known in Spanish as “Espiga”. Suitable for tennis and paddle tennis. This type of sole is used in tennis clay courts because it displaces very well the dirt (clay), and on carpeted courts for its high quality grip.
It is also suitable for paddle tennis because the herringbone sole design favors the grip on the playing surface and, unlike the hard court sole, the tread has a greater depth so that it does not wear easily.
In recent years shoes have become very popular with this type of sole, as they have gone from being an exclusive clay court tennis shoes to being used by tennis paddle celebrities like Fernando Belausteguin among others.
OMNI SOLE: Because of its treaded cleats design is suitable for tennis when playing on hard surfaces and carpeted courts. The Omni soles are also seen very often on paddle tennis courts, since the treaded sole grips the surface nicely; having said so, it is important to mention that this type of sole is harder to slide on. They are not recommended for clay courts, since the tread is not designed for proper dirt (clay) disposal.
MIXED SOLE: Suitable for tennis and paddle tennis. This type of sole is used in all playing surfaces since it combines the Omni outsole with Clay sole. They usually have specific areas Omni (tread) in the inner most areas for grip; and Clay (herringbone) on the outer most areas of the sole to promote slippage.
HARD COURT SOLE: This type of sole is suitable for hard surfaces. Its abrasion resistant materials and treads are usually designed in keeping in mind the biomechanics of the tennis game, with specific areas designed to grab the court on explosives bursts of speed, allow skid braking, and concede a good level of lateral displacement.
This type of sole is not recommended to play on carpeted courts or for paddle tennis, because the tread drawing does not have much depth, therefore the sand on such surfaces will quickly act as an abrasive agent, accelerating the premature wear of the sole, and in time could slip.
NON MARKING SOLE: Also known sometimes as "Candy Carmel Sole" is a shoe for sports that are played indoor, normally used on wooden floor courts such as Squash, Badminton & Racquetball. This type of sole does not mark the surface and have properties very similar to the soles for hard court tennis.