KSwiss Speedtrac Women's Tennis Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 3.8

After making some adjustments for a better fit, our playtest team found that the KSwiss Speedtracs offered solid cushioning underfoot. Tiffani has lots of experience with KSwiss shoes, and she started the playtest by saying, "KSwiss makes some of my favorite shoes, the Hypercourt Supreme and Ultrashot 3 in particular, so I had some high expectations for the Speedtrac. When I first put them on, I noticed these shoes ran a bit short, but not enough that I wanted to change sizes. The width also didn't feel as generous as some other KSwiss shoes, but with thinner socks I felt fine in my true size. The cushioning was sufficient, although not as plush as something like the KSwiss Hypercourt Express 2. I had no issues with ventilation, and my feet felt relatively cool during play. With my low arches, I didn't have any issues with the support through the arch area."

"Knowing that KSwiss often has some of the most comfortable shoes on the market, I had high expectations for the Speedtrac," continued Michelle. "They fit my feet a bit short and wide. Length-wise, the shoes ran short but not enough to size up. I found that my second and third toes were hitting the end of the shoes, causing a bit of rubbing on the top of my second toe. I definitely experienced a decent amount of toe-jamming as well, especially when moving aggressively to snag balls on either wing. The bootie construction offered step-in comfort, but it was quite wide. I never had to untie my shoes to pull my feet out of them even if the laces were tight. The underfoot cushioning was not as plush as other shoes in the KSwiss lineup, like the Hypercourt Express, Supreme or Ultrashot, but I knew there might be a trade-off for the lighter weight and speed."

Brittany found herself in between sizes with these shoes. She said, "When I slipped my standard size 8 Speedtracs on my feet, I found the length to be too short, and my big toes were right up against the front of the shoes. I then tried on a half size bigger and felt that the shoes were a little too big, with extra room throughout. I went back and forth a couple times and decided I would playtest both sizes. I wore a thin sock with the smaller size and double socks with the bigger size. Ultimately, my favorite fit was the half size bigger (8.5) with double socks. As for the width, I found that the shoes offered a medium width, which was not as wide as other KSwiss models. Additionally, there was no break-in period required, and the shoes were very comfortable from the first to last hit. The cushioning was plush enough for me, especially under my heel."

This playtest was Zsofi's first time in a KSwiss shoe, and she was excited about the opportunity. She said, "I have never played in KSwiss shoes before, so I was super excited to see what they are about! Knowing that KSwiss is famous for cushioning and comfort, I came into this playtest expecting to get that from the Speedtrac, and I was happy with my experience. I did have to go up half a size, so that is something to keep in mind when shopping for these shoes. They feel spacious in the midfoot and on the narrower side at the front of the shoe, but I had no problems with that. I felt ample cushioning under my heels, and I really enjoyed the low-to-the-ground feel. Personally, I would have preferred a little more cushioning in the forefoot area, but that wasn't a deal breaker by any means."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.6

The Speedtracs offered enough stability for our playtesters, but some were left wanting a little more support. The Speedtracs worked in Zsofi's favor here. She described, "Support-wise, I don't have any complaints. I felt nicely snug even on my more aggressive cuts, and my feet were not moving around much. Stability wasn't an issue either; I felt confident in my steps on the court."

On the other hand, Tiffani was looking for more support, especially with a previous ankle injury. She said, "Sitting low to the ground in these shoes, I never felt at risk of falling over while I was playing. However, in the end, I did want more support around the ankles. After two ankle sprains last summer, my right ankle can get sore. I didn't need to break out the ankle brace when I played in these shoes, but I did notice soreness in the evening after I played in the Speedtracs. My go-to lately has been the Ultrashot 3, which feels more substantial. That said, the Speedtracs' uppers held my feet so I didn't slide around inside the shoes, and I didn't experience any toe jamming."

"I am a player who likes to have fairly tight laces and a snugger fit," added Michelle. "These shoes fit a bit wider, and the ankle collar was on the looser side. Performance-wise, when pivoting to recover, I did feel like I had too much space in the shoes and had less support than I would ideally want in a match-day shoe. Stability-wise, I was happy with what KSwiss presented in these shoes! They felt stable and offered me the extra confidence I needed when the support wasn't as high as I would have liked."

Brittany was in complete agreement, adding, "With the KSwiss Hypercourt Supremes being among my favorite shoes to wear, I was excited to try another bootie-construction shoe from the brand. Looking at the shoes before even trying them on, I was worried by how big the opening was. While it was extremely easy to get my feet in and out of the shoes, I didn't get a nice locked-in feel because there was too much extra room around my ankles no matter how tightly I laced the shoes. This hindered the support that the shoes offered, and my feet were moving around (in both sizes). I will say the stability was about average, if not slightly above average for the weight."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.0

KSwiss did not disappoint when it comes to the durability of the Speedtracs. The durability of these shoes exceeded Michelle's expectations, especially given their lighter weight. She said, "I found the durability of these shoes to be quite good. I was expecting the outsole to wear pretty fast because of their light weight, but I know KSwiss uses a durable rubber compound in their shoes. The Speedtracs were just as durable as most of the other KSwiss shoes I've worn. I think the durability and the speedy feel are the standout attributes of these shoes."

"Durability seems great with the Speedtracs!" added Zsofi. "I did not notice much wear on the shoes, and it seems like the rubber cover around the toe area is pretty thick, so even if I was more of a toe-dragger, it would take quite a while for me to use up that part of the shoe."

Because Brittany played in two different sizes over the course of the playtest, she only got about six hours on each (12 hours total between the two shoes). She explained, "Looking at the outsoles, I am not seeing any premature smoothing in any high-wear areas. Upon inspecting the toe bumper, it looks like a thin layer of the material has come off on my right shoe. However, there is enough material there that I expect it to last throughout the lifetime of the shoes."

Tiffani is seeing only the slightest hints of wear on her Speedtracs. She said, "There is a little bit of smoothing along the medial edge of the forefoot, but it's pretty minimal. The durability is exceeding my expectations for lightweight speed shoes. I'm also pleased with the toe durability. I have less scuffing on the toes of the Speedtracs than I would normally see. I'm not sure if it's because the shape of the toe is more squared off than I'm used to, but my toes show virtually no wear. A big plus!"

Traction - Score: 3.7

Our playtesters agreed that the Speedtracs offer a grippier response, which may be a positive or a negative depending on your preferences. Being a fan of outsoles that grip well, Michelle was pleased with the traction. She said, "I liked the traction from these shoes; I prefer a stickier outsole and like to be able to rely on the shoe stopping and holding me upright, as I'm not always the most graceful mover. I had no issues, and I thought the traction worked well with the speed these shoes offered."

Tiffani thought the outsoles gripped the court really well, and she had no issues with sliding or slipping. She said, "Although they were on the stickier side, I liked the traction level. I didn't feel stuck and was able to pivot and move around comfortably."

Brittany also found the Speedtracs to be on the stickier side. She described, "The shoes gripped the court well, especially on quick changes of direction. I would have liked a little bit more give at times, though, particularly when I was pivoting out of a shot. The same level of traction was maintained throughout the playtest."

On a less positive note, the grip on display here wasn't what Zsofi usually looks for in a tennis shoe. She said, "I tend to prefer shoes that have a bit more give in general, and the Speedtracs were on the stickier side, unfortunately."

Weight - Score: 4.4

Weighing 10.8 ounces (size 8.5), the KSwiss Speedtrac definitely falls into the lightweight category. And it is easily one of the speediest KSwiss shoes Brittany has ever worn. She said, "Combined with the low-to-the-ground feel, the Speedtracs felt light on court. I felt extremely quick moving in every direction, especially during singles point play. I would definitely put these shoes on par with the other speed options on the market."

The light weight of the Speedtracs was perfect for Zsofi. She said, "My preference is usually lighter shoes that assist me in being speedy on court, and the Speedtracs did just that! They offered a very lightweight, quick, low-to-the-ground feel."

"These shoes really feel light to me, and I think they play the fastest of the KSwiss shoes I've worn in the recent past, including the Hypercourt Supreme, Hypercourt Express 2 and Ultrashot 3," continued Tiffani. "These Speedtracs also offer good cushioning and durability, so I'd give them a thumbs up in the weight category."

Michelle wrapped up the playtest, saying, "These are for sure the lightest shoes I've worn from KSwiss. They were automatically comparable to the Nike Vapor Pro shoes — light and minimal in terms of cushioning, but super speedy and quick to get going."

Overall - Score: 3.9