If you’re shopping for a new set of shoes (tires) for your ride, then you might be baffled by the sheer selection of tire types in the market today. You have a whole selection of touring tires, all-weather, ultra performance tires, etc… So which one should you choose?

The thing is, it’s pretty much the same with a lot of things out there - it’s simply a name game. Understanding for which purpose a particular tire type is would help you in choosing what suits your need best.

All Season - Probably the one that most would recommended and rightfully so, given its versatility. If your car is simply a daily driver, all season tires would probably best for you as you only need one set of tires to use all-year round.

Summer - Ideal for dry climates. These tires are optimized to give you grip for dry surfaces and the heat caused by traction on such conditions.

Snow - These tires give you the best grip on low-traction surfaces of wet and icy roads. They aren’t really prescribed for summer driving since the added grip on dry surfaces causes immense wear.

Touring - Touring tires, while attractive, are the best ones if you’re in a budget. They provide a cushy ride and long wear but performance and grip is somehow compromised. Don’t plan on using them if you want to delve in street racing as, aside from lackluster performance, these might be unsafe for the stress of racing.

Dual performance/Track and competition - The choice of the weekend track racer. These perform well both on the street and track conditions. Ideal if you drive your car to and from the track.

Ratings - Depending on the types mentioned above, you might also find added labels. From best rated to least, they are: extreme performance, max performance, ultra-high performance, and high performance.