KSwiss Ultrashot 2 Men's Review

Comfort - Score: 4.6

The Ultrashot 2s were well cushioned underfoot, and our playtesters found them to be extremely comfortable. Despite experiencing a lack of ventilation and a little toe jamming, Sean enjoyed how these shoes felt on court. He addressed the improvements KSwiss made with this update, saying, "In my review of the first Ultrashot I commented on the juxtaposition between how comfortable the shoes were underfoot and how irksome the tongue was. To KSwiss's credit, my issues with the tongue have been resolved, and the shoe now features a shorter and substantially more padded tongue, which is a major improvement to the overall comfort. The new midsole material, while lighter, felt just as nice as the last version. The fit seemed to still be wide in the forefoot, which prompted me to go down a half size to a 9 for this playtest. I felt this improved the fit, but I still experienced a little toe jamming. Although it isn't a huge deal, the subpar ventilation carried over into this model, and I frequently had to let my shoes air out after playing."

With his ability to play long points and wear his opponents down, Mark appreciated the comfort he found in the Ultrashot 2s. He said, "The level of cushioning was just right. I like the midsole to provide a little give underfoot while staying on the firm side, so I can get a predictable response for abruptly changing directions on the court. That is precisely what I get from these Ultrashot 2s. Fit wise, they're pretty middle of the road with regards to toe box and midfoot space; I find them less snug than the Asics Gel Resolution 7 and narrower than the KSwiss Hypercourt Express. The arch height of the Ultrashot 2 is exactly the same as the first generation and typical of KSwiss shoes, which is slightly lower than medium. Lastly, my feet never overheated, but I did dampen the shoes enough from use to the point where they needed a little time to dry."

Having wider feet, Jason enjoyed the extra room that the Ultrashot 2's toe box provided. He explained, "These are really comfortable shoes to wear right out of the box. This new model has a more padded tongue than the previous version, and that just adds to the overall comfort of these shoes. I thought the padding was plush, and the uppers flexed in all the right places. Players with slightly wider feet, like me, will enjoy the extra room in the forefoot. The one negative I had was the ventilation. Like the previous version, these shoes tend to run hot."

Fast and light on his feet, Chris also appreciated the comfort of these shoes. He said, "I was a big fan of the original Ultrashots, so I looked forward to wearing these very much. The Ultrashot 2s didn't disappoint. I quickly became a fan of the midsole cushioning. I felt low enough to the ground to move with confidence, yet I still felt very protected from any hard landings or quick stops. The uppers broke in quickly, and I was playing comfortably from my first wear to my last. I liked the way the shoes flexed, and the thicker tongue did a much better job of protecting my feet from the lace system."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.7

The support and stability of these Ultrashot 2s were standout features for our playtesters. Chris, one our fastest movers, found this new update to be secure enough for even his most aggressive cuts. He described, "The Ultrashot 2s held my feet nicely. I wore my usual two pairs of socks, and I found a very secure fit. My feet did not slide around inside the shoes, so I didn't have to worry about blisters or toe jamming. On aggressive lateral cuts, the shoes had enough stability to feel solid and secure. I felt very confident moving aggressively in these shoes."

Sean found excellent support when moving aggressively. He said, "I continued to love the level of support in this update. Going down to size 9 helped lock my feet in, and I felt ready to battle. These shoes seem to blend comfort and stability just right, without sacrificing one for the other. The uppers stretched ever so slightly, but it wasn't anything to be concerned about."

Reliable stability is a must when you're playing long points like Mark. He commented, "Lateral stability is top notch with the new Ultrashot 2s, and it's one of the traits that makes them one of my favorite tennis shoes. Personally, I feel that shoe support and stability are connected to almost every part of the construction, all the way down to the lacing system. I mention this because I was impressed with how well the Ultrashot 2s comfortably held my feet in place for their entire lifespan without any slippage in the heel."

Pleased with the previous model, Jason found the stability to hold true with this update. He said, "Stability has always been great with the Ultrashot shoes, but I experienced some toe jamming in the original version that I'm no longer getting with this update. I have complete confidence in these Ultrashot 2s when I'm making even the most aggressive cuts on court."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.5

The tough Aosta rubber compound held up its end of the bargain. Our playtesters found minimal wear, and they were very impressed by the durability of the Ultrashot 2s. The six-month outsole guarantee was a nice bonus for Mark, who clocked many hours on court in these shoes. He explained, "This has been an extended playtest. I am sure that I have more than 40 hours of play on these shoes by now, and the outsoles have held up nicely. I feel the Ultrashot 2s are some of the more durable high-performance tennis shoes available, and they don't sacrifice comfort either."

Movement is a big part of Chris's game, and he found no issues with these shoes in the durability department. He commented, "I found the Ultrashot 2s to hold up well. Even the higher wear areas of my shoes still had plenty of life left at the end of the test. Likewise, the upper areas around the toes resisted wear well. No complaints from me here."

Sean added, "Even though the toes of my Ultrashot 2s showed some wear, this was because I wore my pair a lot, which is more a sign of how much I enjoyed wearing them than a real knock against their durability. Overall, durability was above average, and I'd expect to get almost two months of heavy wear out of a pair. Slap the durability guarantee on top, and I'm a happy camper for the price."

Jason wasn't as blown away by the durability as the rest of the team was. He noted, "I think the durability is about average. I'm definitely seeing some balding and tread loss at around the 12-hour mark. Players who are tougher on their outsoles will appreciate the six-month durability guarantee."

Traction - Score: 4.7

Our playtesters found a nice blend of grip and slip with these Ultrashot 2s. Jason described this traction recipe, saying, "The traction is there for when I'm making that first explosive step, and when I'm trying to stop there's enough give that I can slide a bit and recover for the next ball. As a side note, though, these outsoles are squeaky loud!"

Always looking to move at top speed, Sean also found the traction to work well for his game. He said, "The shoes felt pretty middle-of-the-road when it came to traction. I had no issue pivoting, taking off or sliding. I will note that the outsoles are extremely squeaky, which was fine for me but might annoy some since it's rather cacophonous."

Mark, too, had no complaints in this department. He said, "The hard-court outsole of the KSwiss Ultrashot 2 provided me with the proper combination of grip versus slip. Directional changes and abrupt stops were all predictable and comfortable in these shoes."

Chris felt the traction was great as well. He described, "I liked the level of traction I found in these shoes. I was able to push off aggressively and find the grip needed to take a quick first step. When I came to a quick stop I could slide out of my last step if I wanted. I found a good amount of control moving in the Ultrashot 2s, and I was able to alter my lateral slides by just unweighting my outside foot slightly after hitting the ball."

Weight - Score: 4.3

Weighing in at 15.3 ounces (size 10.5), the Ultrashot 2 allowed our team to move predictably while providing good stability. Some playtesters, including Mark, didn't even notice the heavier weight on their feet. He commented, "If I just look at the numbers I wouldn't expect the Ultrashot 2s to feel like speed-oriented shoes. However, between their weight and low-to-the-ground stance, I have to say that they are not only fast-feeling shoes, they’re comfortable, fast-feeling shoes."

Jason also liked how the weight of the Ultrashot 2s felt on court. He said, "These aren't the lightest shoes, but they don't feel clunky or heavy either. The Ultrashot 2s transition well in and out of cuts, so they don't feel as heavy as some other shoes with a similar static weight."

The weight of the Ultrashot 2s didn’t keep Chris from moving at top speed. He explained, "I moved well in the Ultrashot 2s. I liked how they felt substantial in terms of support, stability and durability without feeling overly built or heavy. I definitely felt like I could sprint at full speed in them, so I had zero complaints."

Sean made comparisons to the original, saying, "At 15.3 ounces, this update is lighter than the last version while improving the performance. They still fall on the weightier end of the performance-shoe spectrum, but that doesn't bug me one bit. I'd rather have all the performance benefits (comfort, durability and stability) than have the shoes feel weightless on my feet. Ounce for ounce, the Ultrashot 2s contend with the best of them."

Overall - Score: 4.5