Barefoot footwear brand Xero Shoes already made a major leap from the road and trails onto the court in 2025 by launching a basketball shoe worn in the NBA. The next step moves Xero outside onto the tennis (and pickleball) court with the Jan. 13 launch of the 360 Rally.
“We designed the 360 Rally to be minimal to the max—everything you need for maximum performance, comfort and protection—none of what you don’t,” John Wadley, Xero Shoes vice president of product development, tells me. “This shoe provides ample structure and protection but avoids over-engineering.”
The Xero 360 Rally offers a distinctly different feel on the tennis court than traditional designs. Wadley says the zero drop foot position allows for natural body alignment and mechanics. A wider toe box is meant to enhance stability, balance and toe splay and a flexible and lightweight design accentuates the minimal experience. The zero-drop thin and flexible sole also allows for increased ground feedback.
For the tennis court, Xero embraced the brand’s design fundamentals but added engineering with a higher sidewall protection and grippy outsole with multidirectional tread. “When you combine Xero Shoes’ core principles with strong lockdown across the foot,” Wadley says, “you get a connection to the ground like no other that powers from the feet up.”
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Based on the belief that strong, natural foot movement provides the best competitive advantage for elite athletes, the $130 360 Rally offers a zero-drop design and lower stack height that weighs in at just nine ounces for a men’s size nine (7.8 ounces for a women’s size seven).
“While it offers slightly more protection and structure than some of our other barefoot shoes, the 360 Rally maintains a flexible design,” Wadley says. “Unlike other brands that often default to excessively stiff and unforgiving materials—which restrict natural movement—the 360 Rally is engineered to allow your feet to move exactly as they were designed to.”
The tennis-specific nature of the design includes a forefoot brace—akin to a wing—for side-to-side stability and the brand’s internal huarache strap technology. The internal full-length tensioning webbing system with a combined gusseted tongue is meant to lock the foot down so “your foot and shoe become one with the court.” Added abrasion resistance from the breathable engineered mesh upper with strategically placed overlays in the heel, toe and forefoot provide protection from the court. There’s a toe cap for big toe protection.
The wide toe box for foot splay and limited structure allows the foot to naturally strengthen. Xero has been growing in popularity across professional sports as a recovery shoe to help athletes strengthen feet and ankles. Wadley says the natural toe splay is a major differentiator, one that often brings consumers to the brand. It allows wearers to be comfortable and create natural balance and stability. For a sport about sudden changes of direction, Wadley says the barefoot design brings players close to the ground with the ability to move quickly.
There may be a learning curve for players trying Xero, which is why most athletes first try lifestyle shoes and then move into training as their feet and ankles need to strengthen after years of getting bound up in tight shoe designs. Connor Derrickson, a strength and conditioning coach who works in the outdoor court space, says he often begins athletes by spreading their toes to feel the ground before working on tibia raises, balance training and agility work in barefoot shoes. It all adds up to helping them feel fast, stable and more connected to the court.
“Strong feet move better,” he says, “so it all starts by learning the connection between your feet and the ground.”