KSwiss K-Frame Speed Women's Tennis Shoe Review

The cushioning in these KSwiss K-Frame Speeds did not disappoint. Our playtesters found a plush feel from the Hyper Foam underfoot and the padded heel counters and sockliners. They did, however, have differing experiences with the fit. After going up a half size, Zsofi found herself perfectly dialed in. She explained, "I wasn't sure what to expect coming into this playtest, but the new KSwiss K-Frame Speeds shocked me in the most amazing way! When I first saw them I thought they were going to be very heavy, bulky and firm, which is everything I don't like in a tennis shoe. But to my surprise, they turned out to be the exact opposite! I did have to go up half a size to find the right fit for me, but that half size was enough to make me feel very comfortable and still locked in. I don't think my K-Frame Speeds needed much break-in time at all. One of my favorite aspects of these shoes was just how comfortable they were! They felt super plush underfoot, and the uppers were very comfortable around my feet."

Brittany felt secure testing the K-Frame Speeds in her usual size. She said, "I have playtested many KSwiss shoes, so I was excited when I tried the new K-Frame Speeds on and noticed they fit a little narrower than the traditional KSwiss shoes. For me and my narrow feet, they were a great fit throughout the length of the shoe. Another thing I was excited about was the bootie construction, which provided a secure and glove-like fit. I could feel plenty of plush cushioning underfoot and around my ankles and heels. Although the tongue was a little on the thin side, I didn't have any issues with the laces digging in. My only negative for the whole playtest happened toward the end. I experienced some discomfort underfoot and around my arches that I will touch on more in the durability section."

The K-Frame Speeds' overall comfort level was good for Michelle, although she struggled with the fit. She said, "I had to take some time off from playing tennis, and these K-Frame Speeds were my first shoes back from hiatus. I was able to wear them while I was coaching and during some hitting sessions, plus I got a lot of use wearing them off court for appointments. With that being said, I am not playing an intense level of tennis at the moment, and comfort and aesthetics are more important to me for the time being. These K-Frame Speeds look great and are super fun style-wise; no matter where I was wearing them (on or off court), I got compliments on their bold and bright vibes. The guys had been raving about these shoes, so I had pretty high expectations. I found the length to be slightly short and snug with a roomy toe box. That translated into some toe jamming for me on the court, but truth be told, I'm definitely not moving as fluidly as I was, so that could be on me. The toe box just felt a little sloppy."

Having wider feet, Tiffani compromised on the sizing and appreciated the cushioning and ventilation of the K-Frame Speeds. She said, "I could tell these were plush shoes when I first slipped them on, especially around the heel area. However, I also noticed that they seemed to fit slightly short and felt narrower and more true to medium than KSwiss shoes have in the past. Even though I liked the width fit better in the 6.5s rather than my usual 6s, I stuck with my size 6s because the 6.5s felt much too long. The uppers were pretty pliable, so I wouldn't call it painful, but my feet were definitely squeezed in the toe boxes throughout the playtest, and I could feel the edges of the shoes under my feet. I did like the amount of cushioning throughout, and the breathability was also nice. I had no issues with arch support either."

The K-Frame structure in these KSwiss K-Frame Speeds ensures lateral stability, while the bootie construction helps provide a secure and dependable fit. This combination of stability and support impressed Tiffani. She said, "With their bootie fit, these K-Frame Speeds felt very supportive to me. My feet also had no room to wiggle around anywhere inside these shoes, so I didn't have any problems with rubbing, toe jamming or feeling unsupported. The cut of these shoes also came up pretty high around my ankles compared to most other 'low-cut' shoes, and it was especially noticeable at the heel. I felt really locked in and stable, plus these shoes felt like they were transitioning well right from the start, so I had no issues whatsoever with my heels lifting out of the shoes. My one note about the higher cut is that I did like to wear slightly higher socks, rather than my no-shows, so my skin didn't touch the shoes."

Zsofi was very pleased with the K-Frame Speeds' performance in this category. She said, "The level of support in these shoes was amazing, and I felt nicely locked in when I was moving around. The K-Frame Speeds held up even during harsher turnarounds, and my feet were not moving around inside the shoes much at all. The K-Frame Speeds felt extremely stable and supportive throughout the playtest."

The stability earned high grades from Brittany as well. She said, "The K-Frame Speeds offered a nice locked-in feel. I felt like my feet were sitting deep within the shoes, and I was able to get a secure fit around my ankles (although the fit is slightly higher than a typical women's tennis shoe). This led to excellent stability, which my ankles very much appreciated. When it came to support, the bootie construction helped keep my feet in place, and I didn’t have any movement within the shoes. I should note that my uppers were starting to loosen up slightly toward the end of the playtest. By the time the playtest concluded, though, they hadn't stretched out too much and were able to maintain the support I needed."

Support was a bit of an issue for Michelle when she was playing aggressively. She explained, "I thought these K-Frame Speeds had good stability, but I was looking for a little more support. I completed this playtest at a time where I was not 100 percent sure of my body and movement (and that is all on me), so I was relying a lot on the shoes to help me feel completely confident at all times. Toe jamming did happen because the toe box felt a little big in volume but the length was a little short, and I felt like I was slipping a bit inside the shoes when I was playing a higher level of tennis. However, I loved coaching in these K-Frame Speeds because I could just lace them up and start hitting with my players if needed, but I could also enjoy the support and stability all day."

Dragguard 7.0 rubber on the outsoles and strategic areas of the uppers provided a high level of durability for the KSwiss K-Frame Speeds. Zsofi described, "Durability-wise, the K-Frame Speeds are top notch. I barely saw wear on the outsoles, and they are so thick they should last a long time. Any wear that I did see seemed to be more cosmetic than anything, so I really don't feel that durability will be an issue at all." 

Brittany had a slightly different experience with this category. She said, "I was training for a tournament during this playtest, so I put even more hours on the K-Frame Speeds than normal. I ended up playing 20-plus hours on both Tennis Warehouse's gritty indoor court and some slightly smoother outdoor courts. I see slight wear, specifically smoothing of the bumpy texture under my big toes. However, I feel confident I have a good amount of life left in my K-Frame Speeds. The toe bumpers and uppers are showing absolutely zero wear as well. The only durability aspect I wanted to mention was actually the cushioning, which I mentioned in the comfort section. I found that the cushioning started to soften up too much after 15 to 20 hours of wear, and the bottoms of my feet needed some more support. This caused some underfoot soreness, specifically in my arches. Going forward, I think aftermarket insoles could help resolve the issue."

Michelle wasn't able to test these K-Frame Speeds as much as she usually does, though she was pleased with what she saw. She explained, "Unfortunately and fortunately, I didn't wear these outsoles out. I wore these shoes often to coach in and to play light tennis, plus a few more intense training sessions, but I didn't really put their durability to the test. With that being said, I’m having no issues with durability, and for what I have used these shoes for, I know I have a lot of life in them, thankfully, because I do love the styling!"

Tiffani also did not put as many hours onto her K-Frame Speeds as she normally would. She added, "I was hit with some respiratory illnesses during this playtest, so I was limiting how much running I was doing on the court. I wore them in total for about 10 hours of court time. I'm not seeing much wear at all, but I can't say that I put them to as much use as I normally would."

Our team agreed that the Dragguard 7.0 rubber compound and the modified herringbone tread pattern gave these KSwiss K-Frame Speeds excellent traction. Michelle moved confidently throughout the playtest. She said, "I had no issues with the traction of these K-Frame Speeds. The traction was good enough to keep me upright, and it allowed me to feel confident even if the steps I was taking weren't always perfect."

The balance of grip and give was optimal for Brittany. She noted, "I loved that I didn't have to think about traction the entire playtest. The K-Frame Speeds did exactly what I expected them to do when I needed them to do it. They gripped the court when I was coming to a quick stop and had just enough give that I didn't feel stuck in place. This was consistent throughout the entire playtest."

Traction was a high point of the playtest for Zsofi. She described, "The traction was just perfect. The K-Frame Speeds had the perfect blend of grip and give. KSwiss really nailed that on these shoes. I have tested many shoes recently, and the traction levels on the K-Frame Speeds was the best." 

"Two thumbs up from me in the traction department!" Tiffani added, "I really have to think hard about any instances of traction issues, which is a good indicator that the traction levels were spot on for me. I couldn't recall a single time when I slipped or felt stuck. I was also never bothered by any sound, which means the outsoles were quiet on hard courts.”

KSwiss packs many great features into these K-Frame Speeds while keeping them relatively lightweight and speedy. They ended up being more well-rounded than Brittany had anticipated. She explained, "With the word Speed in their name, I was originally expecting these shoes to be super lightweight and speed-oriented. I could tell they had a little more substance after I tried them on, but that didn't slow them down. I still felt like I could move quickly around the court and transition smoothly in the K-Frame Speeds. I honestly thought the weight was ideal."

The lightweight feel of the K-Frame Speeds impressed Zsofi as well. She said, "The somewhat bulkier look didn't translate into a bulky feel. I never felt sluggish on court — actually the opposite! The K-Frame Speeds felt light, and even with the thicker outsoles, I always felt nicely connected to the ground. That's very impressive for bigger presenting shoes!"

Michelle thought the K-Frame Speeds struck a good balance weight-wise. She said, "For me, these K-Frame Speeds didn't feel heavy or super light. Since they almost feel more like a mid, I was expecting a heavier feel and thought the weight was nice. Again, I was wearing these shoes for coaching, light hits and off the court, and I had no issues with the weight."

For well cushioned, stable shoes, the K-Frame Speeds felt speedier than Tiffani expected. She said, "Although these shoes are called the K-Frame Speeds, I would not say they are the lightest or fastest shoes out there. Although they feel more like mid-weight shoes, I think they are nimble enough on the court. They have more cushioning and stability than a lot of 'speed' shoes, and I think the heel-to-toe transition allows me to move around the court easily."