KSwiss Hypercourt Express 2 Men's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.3

For most of our team, the KSwiss Hypercourt Express 2's comfort was a highlight of the playtest. As soon as he slid these shoes on, Mark found the tried-and-true KSwiss comfort he was expecting. He said, "I cannot recall too many KSwiss tennis shoes that did not provide a high degree of out-of-the-box comfort. From my initial step into the new KSwiss Hypercourt Express 2 all the way to the last groundstroke of this test, I was not disappointed. Although not quite as wide as its predecessor, the Hypercourt Express 2 is fairly wide fitting, so my feet never felt crowded inside. I also liked the level of cushioning the shoe provided, which was soft but not overly cushioned. The breathability was sufficient, which I was able to put to the test during our recent heatwave. Arch support was just about perfect for my feet, and there is enough vertical clearance in these shoes to accommodate a custom orthotic or aftermarket insert."

Chris may have narrow feet, but these shoes still fit him quite comfortably. He said, "I found a very comfortable ride in the Hypercourt Express 2s. There was ample room in the shoes, and I wore my usual two pairs of socks to help fill them out. In the heel area the fit was snugger and more supportive. I was able to get a nice, locked-in fit in these shoes without them ever pinching or poking my feet in any way. I had no blister issues throughout the test and found the ventilation adequate to help keep my feet from getting too soaked even on hot days. My arches felt well supported, and the shoes flexed nicely under my toes, which kept fast sprints stress free."

Jason's wider feet felt right at home in the updated Hypercourt Express 2s. He said, "Like with the original Hypercourt Express, I found this second generation very comfortable to wear on court. The cushioning underfoot felt plush, and the uppers were supple from the start, so there was no need for a break-in. The fit was wider than normal with a lower arch, which is ideal for my foot shape."

Troy struggled to get the right fit, and as a result, he didn't find these shoes as comfortable as the rest of the team. He explained, "When I tried these shoes on I noticed they were a bit big on my feet. They felt slightly long and had that wider fit that KSwiss shoes tend to have. I was somewhat between sizes, so I decided to go down a half size, hoping they would break in and stretch out a bit as time went on. I found the underfoot cushioning to be decent, but not quite as plush as I found with the KSwiss Aero Knit. The arch support was slightly lower than I would have liked, and there were a few times when I wanted a little more rigidity in that region. The ventilation was fairly average, and the original Hypercourt Express offered more breathability. Overall, I thought these shoes had better than average comfort, but I struggled with the fit."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.0

According to our playtesters, the KSwiss Hypercourt Express 2s offered improved support and stability over the previous model. Jason was very impressed. He said, "This is the one area where I noticed the most improvement over the previous version. I was able to cinch the uppers tightly around my feet and lock them in place. I didn't experience toe jamming with the update, which was a big relief. I thought the uppers were also plenty stable during side-to-side movements."

Troy thought the support and stability were solid overall, but he again struggled with the wider fit. He said, "I found the lateral stability to be improved over the original Hypercourt Express, and these shoes felt a bit more stable when changing directions. The original Hypercourt Express had decent stability but could be too flexible at times. I was impressed with how the designers at KSwiss were able to lighten these shoes up slightly while increasing their stability. I found support to be decent, but because these shoes were a bit too wide for me, I struggled to find a glove-like fit. For some added support, I think I would go with the KSwiss Ultrashot 2."

These Hypercourt Express 2s felt even more secure than the previous version for Mark. He described, "Throughout the entire playtest, the Hypercourt Express 2s comfortably held my feet in place, which is exactly what I look for in a tennis shoe. I have a foot type that is pretty middle of the road, maybe a little on the narrow side, yet I never had to pull too tightly on the laces to get a secure fit. Overall, both versions of the Hypercourt Express were stable and supportive for me, but it was much easier to secure my feet in place in the Hypercourt Express 2s."

Chris felt confident moving aggressively in these shoes. He said, "Even though the Hypercourt Express 2s offered a roomy fit and I have narrow feet, I was still able to find a secure fit inside the shoes. I liked the way my heels felt locked in, and I had no slippage issues there. The shoes also provided a solid ride with plenty of torsional stiffness to keep me feeling safe. I liked the way the shoes flexed at toe-off. I felt both secure and fast in these shoes, and I can't ask for much more than that."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.8

Considering their weight, the KSwiss Hypercourt Express 2s held up surprisingly well for our playtesters. Jason explained, "For being on the lighter end of the scale, these shoes ended up being quite durable. I was able to get in about 10 hours of play time, and there are only small signs of tread loss."

Chris also experienced very little wear throughout the playtest. He said, "I was pretty happy with how these shoes lasted. I saw the most wear under the big toe of my right shoe. I drag that area on every serve and most forehands, so it always takes the most abuse. Although the tread pattern had smoothed out in that area after about eight hours of play, there was still plenty of rubber left. The toe-tips of the shoes and forefoot upper materials held up well. At the end of the test, I saw plenty of scuffing but no significant damage."

Mark added, "Even though the Hypercourt Express 2 does not include an outsole warranty, both the outsole and toe box are pretty durable on hard court surfaces. These shoes should hold up well for most players, perhaps with the exception of the extremely aggressive mover on hard courts. Ironically, the Nike Vapor Xs are heavier, but the Express 2s are far more durable. Kudos to KSwiss on that!"

Troy thought the Hypercourt Express 2 offered similar durability to previous KSwiss models. He said, "I found the durability to be pretty average compared to other KSwiss shoes that I have tried. With that said, it was pretty good considering how light these shoes are. I found some slight balding in the high-wear areas after about 15 to 20 hours in these shoes, including the toe region and the balls of my feet. There wasn't a ton of rubber to wear through, but the outsole was reinforced in the high-wear areas."

Traction - Score: 4.2

Our team thought that KSwiss found the right balance of grip and give for the Hypercourt Express 2's outsoles. Chris described, "I liked the level of traction I found in the Hypercourt Express 2s. On quick sprints the shoes offered all the grab I needed to make a quick start, yet when coming to a quick stop, there was enough give to allow me to slide out of a shot if I wanted. I was also able to pivot and take small adjustment steps without the shoes getting hung up on the court surface, so for me, the amount of give from the outsoles was spot on."

This update's outsoles felt familiar to Mark, which was okay by him. He said, "The outsoles of the Hypercourt Express 2 are pretty much the same design and compound as the first-generation Hypercourt Express, Hypercourt Supreme and Ultrashot 2, which all worked very well for me on hard courts. On this test, I did not get any time on a clay court, but my guess is that it is more of a hard-court-specific outsole."

Troy also thought the level of traction was solid. He said, "I enjoyed the overall traction of these shoes. As with most KSwiss shoes that use the Aosta 7.0 rubber compound, there was plenty of grip to the court, and I liked how the tread performed after wearing these shoes for a couple of weeks. After about seven hours of wear, the tread pattern started to wear down just slightly and gave me a little extra give when I slammed on the brakes. When changing directions laterally, I felt like I could grab the court and push off with maximum force, but I also didn't find the rubber to feel too sticky."

The Hypercourt Express 2's outsoles had everything Jason needed to move confidently. He said, "I really enjoyed the traction of these shoes. They have enough grip to bite into the court when taking off for a shot, but they're slick enough that I was able to slide out of a shot a bit."

Weight - Score: 4.2

The 13-ounce weight (size 10.5) of the KSwiss Hypercourt Express 2 had our playtesters feeling quite speedy on court, and allowed them to play without any hesitation. Chris explained, "I never had to think twice about these shoes on court, which is always a good sign. When I can just focus on my tennis and forget about my shoes it means they are hiding their weight well and feeling natural for me to move in. I liked the way the Express 2s transitioned from heel to toe, and I felt like I moved very well in them."

"These shoes didn't feel too heavy or notably lightweight," Jason added. "I'd say that once I put them on, I didn't have a second thought about their weight, so that is a testament to them. It's not necessarily a weight issue, but I would have liked a lower-to-the-ground ride."

Troy found that the Hypercourt Express 2's weight on paper did not match up to his experience on court. He said, "The weight of this shoe is almost identical to the original Hypercourt Express, but the new version feels slightly heavier to me. I think this is because the uppers feel more rigid, and when combined with the wider fit, I felt like they were a bit clunky for their 13 ounces. However, after a slight break-in they started to feel closer to their actual weight and were still lighter than just about every KSwiss I have tried, except for the Aero Knit."

The weight struck a good balance for Mark. He described, "Both versions of the Hypercourt Express weigh around 13 ounces (size 10.5). Just because a tennis shoe weighs less than 14 ounces, it doesn't necessarily mean it will feel fast on court. That said, the newer Hypercourt Express 2s walk that fine line between being so lightweight you are sacrificing some support and building up the shoe to the point where charging directions becomes a chore."

Overall - Score: 4.1