KSwiss Ultrashot 2 Women's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 3.7

With a reputation for offering shoes that provide step-in comfort, KSwiss did not disappoint with the Ultrashot 2s. Tiffani was one of several playtesters familiar with the previous version, and she was thoroughly pleased with this update. She said, "I liked the first iteration of the Ultrashots quite a bit, and these Ultrashot 2s are just slightly better. The only real issues I had with the original version were the thinness of the tongue and the fact that the tongue bled color onto my socks. With the Ultrashot 2s, the tongue keeps its color and has a bit more padding. These shoes fit my wider feet well, and I like how my feet sunk into the cushioning. I always felt well supported through the arch area. These shoes are a little short length-wise, but not enough to change sizes, and I didn't have any toe jamming. The Ultrashot 2s ran on the warmer side, but they never got so hot that they bothered me while I was playing. I just opted to take my shoes off soon after I got off the court."

Although the Ultrashot 2s also ran a bit small for Brittany, the sizing didn't affect her comfort levels on court. She noted, "The length was a tad short for me, although it wasn't enough to go up a half size. The previous version was very wide, especially in the toe box, and the Ultrashot 2s took away some of that extra room. I have narrow feet, so I still had plenty of room in the toe box. After slipping the shoes on, I didn't need any break-in period or have any sort of rubbing or blisters. I thought the cushioning was excellent underfoot, and the updated tongue was a great improvement."

Michelle also noticed some improvements in comfort over the original Ultrashots. She said, "I was excited to try this update because it sounded like KSwiss took all the good stuff from the original Ultrashots and updated them by fixing the issues we had with the original shoes. These Ultrashot 2s offered step-in comfort, as most KSwiss shoes do. If I recall, I did find the toe box in the original Ultrashots to be a bit roomy, and because of that, I experienced some toe jamming. While I still had toe jamming in these updated Ultrashot 2s, the toe box did feel snugger and fit better. I didn't have any rubbing or blisters this time around, which was great news, and my arches were well supported from first hit. I appreciated the updated tongue from KSwiss, as I do recall that being something I didn't like in the original version. In terms of comfort, the only real complaint I had with this update was that I still experienced some painful toe jamming when moving aggressively in a lateral or forward direction."

Julie's experience was a bit different from the rest of the team. She explained, "I wouldn't use the word 'comfortable' to describe the KSwiss Ultrashot 2s. These are very solid shoes that offer great support and durability, but they compromise comfort. I found the shoes to be pretty stiff, and I needed a week-long break-in period to get used to them. I thought the cushioning was pretty minimal and firm, and the transition from heel to toe wasn't truly smooth due to the stiff construction, which caused some arch pain at the beginning of the playtest. However, I'd have to say I enjoyed the shoes much more toward the end of this playtest when they were more flexible and responsive. The main downsides for me were the extra room in the toe box and the shorter length. I would recommend going up a half size for a good fit if you are between sizes, but I personally decided to stick with my 9.5 because of my narrow feet. I was afraid a 10 would have been way too roomy, even though the sizing would have been better length-wise."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.0

When it came to support, the Ultrashot 2s met the high standards set by the original model. The stable fit kept Michelle locked in on court. She said, "I was really happy with how well these shoes held my feet in place. I could move aggressively and felt confident making cuts on the court or pushing my movement to the limit. Like the originals, this category remained one of my favorite aspects of these shoes."

Tiffani was also pleased with this area of performance. She added, "Once again I'm impressed by the Ultrashots. I really liked how my feet sat inside the shoes and not on top of them. I could move in any direction with confidence. I wasn't sliding inside the shoes, and I always felt stable without any risk of tipping over."

Once Julie adjusted to the feel of these Ultrashot 2s, she felt dialed into her movement on court. She said, "The overall construction is pretty stiff, but it offers great support. When I got used to the stiffness of these shoes, I was comfortable with moving aggressively on the court. Even though the toe box felt roomy my heels were locked in, and I experienced very little sliding inside the shoes.”

Brittany capitalized on the lacing system to increase support. She described, "The first thing I did when I tried on the shoes was use the extra eyelet. This helped cinch the uppers tight, and it kept my feet from moving around inside as much as they did in the previous version. I had more stability when moving aggressively, and I found the ankle support to meet my needs as well. However, because I used the extra eyelet, I would have liked a little more length in my laces to double knot."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.4

When comparing attributes of the Ultrashot 2s, durability was a clear winner. Across the board, our playtesters found little to no wear on their shoes at the end of the playtest. Brittany said, "The durability was the highlight of these shoes for me. I thought KSwiss did a good job of making these shoes lightweight without compromising their lifespan. Both outsole and toe durability held up fabulously throughout the playtest. I still have a lot of life left in my pair; in fact, I can't see any wear at all."

An aggressive mover on court, Julie was happy to see the Ultrashot 2s exceeded her expectations when it came to durability. She commented, "The overall durability of the KSwiss Ultrashot 2 is definitely a positive. I tend to wear my outsoles out fairly quickly, and I really wanted to put these to the test. I decided to wear these shoes a bit more on the court than I usually do for a playtest, and I only started to notice slight smoothing after a solid month of playtesting, which is an indication of very high durability for me. The toe durability was great as well, and I didn't see any alarming signs of wear."

Michelle added, "While I haven't spent as many hours in these shoes as I have with some of our other playtest shoes, I was pleased with the durability. There are no serious signs of wear after several weeks on court. I'm impressed that KSwiss is offering the six-month outsole durability guarantee. I think the Ultrashot 2s will be great for the serious player who is on the court five or six days a week, training several hours a day."

Tiffani was just as impressed. She said, "I have about 15 hours on the shoes, and I'm hardly seeing any wear on my outsoles or toes. You might need a microscope to see any smoothing! All joking aside, durability is another strong point of these shoes. I won't need it, but those who are harder on their shoes will enjoy the six-month durability guarantee."

Traction - Score: 3.5

The traction of the Ultrashot 2s made for a secure, albeit a bit sticky, ride on court. Michelle noted, "The traction levels are definitely a bit higher than some of the more modern outsole patterns we've seen. This outsole doesn't have a ton of give to it, so if you do want a slicker outsole, these shoes are not going to be for you. I'm the playtester on our team who really likes a sticky outsole, so I had zero complaints. I do wonder if a bit slicker outsole would have helped remove some of the painful toe jamming by allowing my shoes to slide into shots rather than completely stopping on a dime."

Brittany agreed, though she felt that the grip could be a bit much sometimes. She said, "The traction is definitely on the stickier side. There is a lot of grip, and I felt very connected to the court — almost too connected at times, which could make me feel a little stuck in place. I'm not sure if it was due to the tread pattern, but the Ultrashot 2s are extremely squeaky on court and can be distracting."

Julie found that the stickier traction broke in a bit after some hours on court. She reflected, "The outsole is definitely squeaky and sticky, and I did feel stuck on the court a few times at the beginning of this playtest. After four to six hours on the court I liked the traction much more, and the stickiness wasn't an issue anymore. However, I did experience a few slides during point play, especially on sudden lateral stops, which made it complicated to step back to recover."

Though Tiffani also noticed how noisy the Ultrashot 2s could get, she had no major complaints about the outsoles. She said, "These shoes were on the grippier side. I didn't feel stuck to the courts, though, and I could move smoothly from shot to shot. I really noticed the grippier nature of the Ultrashot 2s when I was taking small adjustment steps, and I also noticed that they were a bit too squeaky for me, although that's being pretty picky on my part."

Weight - Score: 3.9

Although lighter than the previous iteration, the Ultrashot 2 didn't quite make the cut for classification as a lightweight shoe. Tiffani explained, "Although I didn't feel sluggish on the court, I would call these more middle-weight shoes than light shoes. For the durability and stability the Ultrashot 2s offer, I would expect them to feel heavier. It's an impressive combination of features."

While Michelle didn't think that the Ultrashot 2s felt particularly light, she didn't find them sluggish at all. She said, "I wouldn't put these shoes in the lightweight category, but they were not heavy either. For the amount of stability, traction and durability they offered, I had no complaints about the weight. They don't feel as speedy or streamlined as the Aero Knits, but they don't feel too bulky or heavy either.

Brittany found that these shoes felt true to their listed weight. She noted, "I found the original Ultrashots to play lighter than their actual weight. With this update, KSwiss made the shoes one ounce lighter. However, I thought they felt similar to the previous version. Nonetheless, I still felt pretty light on my feet and didn't feel like the shoes weighed me down at all."

Julie was happy to deal with a bit of weight if it made for a more durable shoe. She described, "I didn't have any issues with the weight of the Ultrashot 2s. I love lighter shoes, but they can wear out quickly. The KSwiss Ultrashot 2s felt a bit heavier, but they were very durable, which is a tradeoff I'm more than happy with."

Overall - Score: 3.9