Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) tennis shoes or trainers.

1959		Racine Jrnl-Times (WI) 27 Sept. 15/1: I can’t go wearing those old tennies...Look at the holes’‘.
1969		Rolling Stone 28 June 19/3: Electric guitarist James Burton, replete in white turtleneck and matching ‘tennies’, puts together a lead.
1970		E. Thompson Garden of Sand (1981) 367: His tenners were soaked through. His feet felt frozen.
1974		J. Lahr Hot to Trot 64: You could strut your stuff in that white dress and ‘tenny pumps.’.
1975		G. Underwood ‘Razorback Sl.’ in AS L:1/2 67: tenny runners n Tennis shoes or similar canvas shoes with rubber soles.
1977		L. Bangs in Psychotic Reactions (1988) 238: Jones and Simonon changing places [...] springs in the soles of their tennies.
1988		D. Woodrell Muscle for the Wing 16: Feet shod in [...] tennies tapped the polished wood floor unconsciously.
1993		K. Scott Monster (1994) 134: I quickly got up and put on my tennys.
1995		J. Stahl Permanent Midnight 291: Given to short shorts, snug T-shirts, and high-top tennies.
1998		Eble Campus Sl. Apr. 6: kicks – shoes; tennis shoes. Also tenny pumps.
2000		P. Beatty Tuff 219: One forty for some clogs or some tennies.
2005		www.theweebsite.com June 28 🌐 Athletic shoes come in many types and many nicknames [...] Tennie-runners, Tennies, Tennis shoes, Tetanus shoes [...] whatever ye’ calls ’em, I like Sneakers!
2017		Rio Grande Sun (Espanola, NM) 16 Nov. A1/4: ‘A bald guy, wearing Levis and tennies’.
2023		(con. 1962) J. Ellroy Enchanters 262: She wore [...] white tennys.