Prince T20 Women's Tennis Shoe Review

Hollywood has a thing for sequels and so do tennis shoe manufacturers. Just like those movie franchises, each shoe installment should include elements of its predecessors, but should be able to stand on its own.

The Prince T20 does pull from its forerunners, combining the fit of the T9 and the performance stability of the T10. It also finds some middle ground between the previous two, weighing in at 12.8 ounces (size 8.5).

At first glance, the new shoes are more subdued in style than the preceding T9s and T10s. Offered in two colorways, the shoes have a more traditional, classic look that might not be to everyone's taste. As in the movies, a flashy production doesn't always equal a high quality experience. So don't count out the T20s if you usually go for a more aggressive cosmetic.

Movies need to fit your personality. Good shoes need to fit your feet. The T20 may not be flashy on the outside, but does it deliver in the end? Grab your popcorn and find out how the story unfolds by reading what our shoe critics had to say.

Comfort

The Prince T20s had a strong opening weekend, providing good cushioning right out of the box. Finding instant -- and consistent -- comfort, however, was Kana. "I can usually tell right away if I like a shoe or not, and this was instantly one of the most comfortable shoes I've worn. The cushioning seemed to mold to my feet and there were no problems in the arch section." DeeDee also felt as if the T20s were made especially for her. "As a player, coach and teaching pro, it is essential that my tennis shoes fit properly, support my feet and are extremely comfortable. The T20 shoes immediately felt as though they were cast for my feet. Every step sprung back as if I were on a trampoline." The cushioning also impressed Heidi. "These are very comfortable shoes right out of the box. The cushioning in the tongue and around the ankle makes these shoes very easy to wear. I also prefer a slightly larger toe box, and these shoes have plenty of room for my toes to be comfortable. The shoe also has substantial cushioning, along with a very cushy insole."

Though all of our playtesters found that the T20s had plenty of cushioning, not all of them were happy with the fit. Myrna found that the shoes had "great cushioning, but they pinched in the toebox." For Heather, the shoes' immediate comfort wore off. "I found them comfortable, with no break-in needed. After playing in them a few times they got a little too wide for my feet. They expanded too much, especially in the forefoot. I like my tennis shoes to fit snug, like a good running shoe, but these opened up too much. I also found the top lace fit too high, which bothered me around the ankle collar."

Arch Support

The comfort factor was evident in the arch support as well, especially for our team members with medium arches. The stability stood out for DeeDee. "The arch is just right, and it feels like the arch shank had extra stability." Heather felt the shoes had plenty of arch support. "The arch support fit me just fine. I have medium height arches and these shoes offered all the support I needed."

Though the shoe has a slightly lower than medium arch, our playtesters with low and high arches didn't have problems. The shoe's arch maintained a high comfort rating from Kana. "I have low arches and my feet get uncomfortable easily. The arch support felt almost perfect for my foot." On the opposite side of the arch scale, Myrna, too, said she was pleased. "The T20 had great support for my highly arched foot."

Foot Support/Stability

Prince designed the T20s with a TPU Arch Bridge for torsional stability, a PU sockliner to provide long-lasting support and the ShockEraser technology in the heel insert to absorb shock. The feedback from our playtesters indicates that all that technology pays off for the most part. Moving confidently around the court was Myrna. "I never felt that my foot would roll. The shoes offered an excellent level of stability for me." DeeDee had no fear of rolling an ankle either. "The snug fit and cushioned soles increased my speed on the court. My feet tend to pronate and I have experienced painful torn ligaments wearing other shoes. I am amazed at the lateral stability this shoe provided. It eliminated my fear of rolling my ankles again." Kana, too, found the shoes solid. "I never had a single stability issue or any problems with foot support."

Heidi appreciated the lateral stability and extra height in the fit of the uppers. "Although they're not a mid, these shoes come up a little higher than a standard shoe and offer excellent foot support. I never felt unstable moving side to side. Although the shoe has a wider toe box, the width of the shoe fits my feet very well and kept my feet from sliding around inside the shoes while I was running for balls."

It was a different story for Heather, who liked the stability but found overall fit lacking. "The shoes offered good support at first, but after they broke in, the fit was too wide. I would have liked a more supportive fit throughout. I was sliding in the shoes too much. The outsoles would grip well, but then my feet would keep sliding in them. The stability was fine, and I never felt like I was going to roll an ankle or that the shoes were flexing too much."

Overall Sole Durability

Prince offers a six-month durability guarantee with this shoe, and Prince's reputation for building a long-lasting shoe stood up for our playtesters. Confirming the durability of the T20s was Heather. "I found these shoes to be very durable. I only played on hard courts during the playtest and would recommend these to players looking for a durable, hard-court shoe. I have found that Prince shoes last forever, and these lived up to my expectations."

The durability, paired with the soft feel of the outsole, impressed Kana. "I tend to grind the inside ball of my foot the most during play, but didn't see any difference in the sole wear compared to other shoes I've worn. The only difference was the soft feel of the sole, which actually felt better because I felt it was absorbing some ofthe hard impacts with the ground."

The shoe's good fit was key to the T20's durability for DeeDee. "The wear on the heel was very subtle. Because the T20s fit so well, I feel that the wear and tear on the sole will be uniform." Heidi said her shoes are in great shape after 15 hours of play. "There is no visible wear to the outsoles after playing in this shoe several times."

Toe Durability

With a toe bumper and double stitching on the upper, the T20s had plenty of toe protection for our playtesters. Myrna found that the "toe held up well." Echoing that sentiment was Heather. "I did not experience any excessive wear at the toes of the shoe. I've had shoes wear out at the toe in the past, but these shoes held up very well, with no wear evident at the end of the test."

Traction

The full herringbone tread pattern and pivot point provided excellent traction on the hard courts during the playtest. Heidi found that she was sure-footed when sporting the T20s. "They had great traction, although they were kind of squeaky when changing directions quickly." Even with the stop-and-go movement of doubles, DeeDee was confident in these shoes. "I play a great deal of doubles that requires a lot of short sprints, stopping and starting. My feet never felt pinched, scrunched or jammed."

Kana had no problems with traction. "The traction was good and made it easy to change direction." There wasn't any slipping for Myrna. "I did not have the slightest hint of a slip or slide when playing in these shoes." Heather, however, felt that the fit again got in the way. "The traction was great. Unfortunately, my feet were sliding around inside the shoes, which spoiled the high level of traction. The shoes offered a lot of grip on hard courts, and combined with the durability, these proved to be good hard court shoes."

Weight

The T20s are lighter than the T10, and the light weight is something our team appreciated. Even though the shoes felt light, Myrna wasn't worried. "The T20s were light, yet supportive." Enjoying the lighter weight was Kana. "Weight was on the lighter side of tennis shoes, which I favor."

It's a good thing DeeDee was impressed with the stability and traction, because the lightweight shoe helped her movement on court. "The shoes were so lightweight that my footwork, maneuverability and speed improved significantly."

Though the shoe is built up for durability ,Heidi didn't find that to be problematic. "It's a substantial shoe, but it has a very comfortable weight. I can easily put them on and forget they're there." Heather thought the extra heft was a bit cumbersome. "The shoes felt a little heavy, but I think they may have been due to the loose fit. I forgave the hefty feel due to the excellent durability I found. All in all, I felt I moved fairly well in these shoes. They just felt heavier than the Adidas CC Divine shoes I have been wearing."

Overall

Prince brings some substantial performance to the courts with the T20s. While the conservative cosmetic may not scream for your attention, the excellent cushioning and durability will. Our testers found a good level of overall comfort, and everyone agreed that the shoes provided plenty of traction and stability. All of our testers found plenty of arch support, despite our team's arches ranging from low to high. All in all, the T20s provide the comfort and classic styling preferred by many club players, yet also provide the traction and support tournament players seek.

Prince T20 Scores
The Up Side	The Down Side	Play Test Scores
Traction Durability Cushioning Arch Support	Plain Styling	Comfort 4.0 Arch Support 4.1 Foot Support/Stability 3.6 Overall Sole Durability 4.2 Toe Durability 4.2 Traction 4.0 Weight 4.1 Overall 4.0 Scores (1-Horrible 2-Poor 3-Average 4-Good 5-Tremendous)

Playtesters' Foot Types: DeeDee - Narrow width / Medium arch, Heather - Wide width / Medium arch, Heidi - Medium width / Medium arch, Kana - Medium width / Low arch, Myrna - Wide width / High arch.

Review date: October, 2007. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

All content copyright 2007 Tennis Warehouse.