Head Sprint Pro 2.0 Men's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.2

During their routine fit test, our team found that the Head Sprint Pro 2.0s ran short and narrow, which prompted half of our playtesters to go up a half size. Despite this minor hiccup, our playtesters were still pleased with the Sprint Pro 2.0's comfortable ride on court. Mark, who has enjoyed Head shoes in the past, ultimately decided to stay in size. He said, "Since I've found great success and comfort playing tennis in the Head NZZZO Pros (formerly Nitro Pro), I fully expected to get a similar feel with the Sprint Pro 2.0s. Not only did I get the same high degree of comfort with the Sprint Pro 2.0s, but I also enjoyed a little extra room in the toe box area, which was the only knock I could give the NZZZO Pros. I've racked up approximately 40 hours of play in the Sprint Pro 2.0s, and their comfort level might be even better now than when I first stepped into them."

Troy found that the Sprint Pro 2.0s fit his narrow feet true to size. He described, "These shoes contoured to my feet like gloves. The first time I slipped the Sprint Pro 2.0s onto my feet I was reminded of the Head Nitro Team shoes that I playtested in 2016. I really enjoyed the Nitro Team's fit and feel, and the Sprint Pro 2.0 had a very similar level of comfort. I never experienced any unwanted rubbing, pinching or jamming of my toes, which is surprisingly rare among the shoes I've tested over the years. These shoes had better-than-average ventilation from the mesh material on the upper and the vents in the midfoot shank. The cushioning underneath my feet was adequate, so I wasn't experiencing any soreness after a match or hitting session. These shoes didn't have as much plush cushioning in the forefoot as the Asics Gel Resolution 7s or KSwiss Knitshots, but there was enough to keep me feeling content."

Sean had to go up in size to get a proper fit. He said, "These shoes fit snug and short, so I decided to go a half size up. I wouldn't say the length was perfect (maybe a bit long), but the width fit really nicely once I made the adjustment. I thought these shoes were above average in cushioning, ventilation and arch support. Sometimes it's a positive sign when nothing really stands out — not much to complain about."

Playtest veteran Chris also decided to size up for his Sprint Pro 2.0s. He elaborated, "I went up half a size in this updated version of the Sprint Pro. Compared to the original, I found the fit to be much narrower through the forefoot and toe box. Once the fit was sorted I enjoyed a very comfortable ride. The Sprint Pro 2.0s required little to no break-in. The uppers flexed well, and I never had any rubbing, pinching or discomfort while playing. I liked the level of cushioning, too; the ride felt pretty plush under my heels and low to the ground at the forefoot. Ventilation was another positive, as my feet never felt too hot inside the shoes."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.3

The Sprint Pro 2.0s' ability to hold up to the demands of aggressive movements definitely impressed our playtesters. Chris emphasized this point, and he was hard pressed to find any downsides to the level of support he received. He said, "The Sprint Pro 2.0s offered a nice and supportive ride. The uppers held my feet well, so I was never sliding around inside them. I wouldn't say the chassis was ultra stiff, but there was enough there to protect my arches and keep the shoes feeling stable. I felt very locked in when I was moving aggressively side to side. Most impressively, the shoes offered great support and stability without making any sacrifices in the comfort or speed departments."

Mark has tested dozens, if not hundreds, of tennis shoes in his time, and he's having a tough time recalling a shoe that felt more stable than the Sprint Pro 2.0. He said, "I'm not certain of the exact heel-to-toe drop with the latest Sprint Pro 2.0s, but whatever it is, it definitely worked for me. There's a fine line between supportive and restrictive, and these shoes walked it perfectly. Overall, the Sprint Pro 2.0s are some of the most supportive shoes I have ever worn or tested."

Troy was also more than satisfied with the amount of security he felt in the Sprint Pro 2.0s. He said, "The support and stability of these shoes made me feel confident in my movement around the court. With the glove-like fit that these shoes provided, I found a high level of support. The low-to-the-ground ride in the forefoot helped me feel connected to the court when coming to a quick stop. The TPU shank felt rigid and provided good stability for my aggressive lateral movements. Overall, I thought that the Sprint Pro 2.0s had plenty of support and stability without feeling too built up or clunky."

While Sean was satisfied with the support level, the Sprint Pro 2.0s were a bit stiff for his taste. He explained, "I thought the TPU shank definitely did its job. I would venture to say that these shoes are on the safer side with their support level and are not the most flexible shoes. I never felt insecure about pushing off or making sharp turns, though, which was nice. The Sprint Pro 2.0s opened up pretty nicely over the course of the playtest, but I was still wishing that they were less stiff at the end of the playtest. However, it's still impressive that Head managed to make these shoes so stable when you take their weight into consideration."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.7

The Sprint Pro 2.0s held up well against the intense friction of hard courts and drew praise from the majority of our playtesters. Unfortunately, this update does not come with the six-month outsole warranty that the previous generation had, and our team would have liked to see that deal carry over to this model. Sean was most excited about the durability. He said, "I was impressed by how well these shoes held up over the duration of our playtest. I've put roughly 15 hours on them, and I'm seeing little to no wear. For lighter shoes, I consider this to be really solid; I just wish it came with a durability warranty."

Mark echoed Sean's sentiments. He appreciated his pair's resilience, but he was also disappointed that Head didn't include a warranty. He said, "I put approximately 40 hours of hard court play on the Sprint Pro 2.0s and probably have another 20 hours left in them before I wear down the outsoles in the toe area. I would not expect a younger, more mobile player to get quite the same level of durability out of the Sprint Pro 2.0s that I did, but they are very durable overall, even though they don't feature a sole warranty."

Although he felt fine about the durability, Troy was seeing a bit more wear than he would have liked. He noted, "The durability of the Sprint Pro 2.0s was average considering their overall weight. The majority of the outsole held up well throughout the playtest. The tread pattern had some slight balding underneath the balls of my feet, and I saw a bit of balding in the toecaps as well. With another month of wear I would likely wear a hole through the toe region. From a consumer standpoint, I would be more confident purchasing these shoes if they were backed by an outsole guarantee."

For their weight class, Chris thought these shoes were about as durable as he expected. "The outsoles were not the most durable, but they held up well considering how light and fast the shoes felt," he said. "I would consider the durability comparable to shoes like the Nike Air Zoom Vapor Xs or the adidas adizero Ubersonic 2.0s. By the end of the playtest the toe bumpers showed lots of scuffing and wear, but nothing significant enough to be of concern."

Traction - Score: 4.3

Though the Sprint Pro 2.0s started out with a generous amount of tack, our team ended up preferring the shoes once the outsoles had a little extra wear on them. "During the initial break-in period the outsoles were a bit sticky for my liking," Troy began. "But I found the traction to wear in nicely after a few hitting sessions. The grip of the outsoles helped me come to a controlled stop without feeling too sticky. When I pushed off to chase down the next shot, these shoes grabbed the court surface well. I never slipped at all on takeoff, which helped me to maximize my energy toward the ball."

Chris also experienced excessive grip at first. He said, "I enjoyed the traction I found in the Sprint Pro 2.0s. The outsoles felt a tad sticky for the first few hits, but they opened up over time to provide a solid blend of grip and give. I was able to slide out of shots easily, yet still found ample grip to get off to a quick start. I felt like I could move at top speed in these shoes and I knew I'd always get the level of grip I needed to control my movement."

While he didn't have any major grip issues, Sean never quite found his preferred footing. He explained, "I think these shoes played it a little too conservatively with the traction; there was always more grip then I needed. I never slipped or slid, but I just prefer shoes that are slightly less sticky. I liked the traction of the Sprint Pro 2.0s much more on sandier public courts than on the tacky surface of the Tennis Warehouse court. The shoes did improve over time, though, and I'd still give good marks to the Sprint Pro 2.0s' traction."

Mark was able to test his shoes on a variety of courts and surfaces, but he found that the 360-degree ventilation system backfired somewhat on clay. He recalled, "The Sprint Pro 2.0's hard-court traction with was spot on for me. I like traction that allows for a quick, but not abrupt, stop and slip-free acceleration, and that's precisely how these shoes performed for me. On clay, the traction was fine with the Sprint Pro 2.0's modified herringbone outsole, but the vents on the bottom of these shoes sort of stuck to the court surface and made it difficult to release."

Weight - Score: 4.4

Although static weight is a good starting point in understanding how maneuverable a shoe will feel, it is far from the whole picture. Where and how that weight is distributed is key to how a shoe will impact your performance, and our team was definitely impressed with the Sprint Pro 2.0s. Troy really enjoyed how he moved in his pair, and even felt the shoes could have had more weight to them. He said, "The feel of these shoes on my feet was pretty indicative of what the scale showed. I found these to be a nice middle ground between speed-oriented shoes such as the adidas adizero Ubersonic 2.0s and more supportive shoes like the KSwiss Knitshots. The Sprint Pro 2.0s felt a bit on the stiff side during my first hitting session. Once they broke in, though, they flexed well with my feet and felt light. For the level of support and stability they offered, I found that these shoes felt surprisingly fast. The weight and glove-like fit meant that my on-court movements never felt sloppy. I wouldn't mind the addition of a bit more weight in these shoes to enhance the forefoot cushioning, which would make them more similar to my Asics Gel Resolution 7s."

Sean thought that the Sprint Pro 2.0s were a nice compromise between lightweight performance and mid-weight durability. He said, "At 13.9 ounces (size 10.5), these shoes are right on the border of what we at Tennis Warehouse define as lightweight. They don't feel super light to me, but the weight was never remotely cumbersome. And, although I think the name 'Sprint Pro' might be slightly misleading, this shoe's durable outsole is well worth the extra bit of weight."

Mark elaborated on the nuances of the shoe's weight. He noted, "On paper, I'd consider any tennis shoe that weighs less than 15 ounces 'lightweight,' but weight does not always tell the entire story. I've worn some tennis shoes that are light on the scale but felt like I was steering an SUV around the court. In terms of weight, the Sprint Pro 2.0s are definitely lightweight, and they also feel light on the court (more of a sports car than an SUV)."

Chris felt both quick and secure in his pair of Sprint Pro 2.0s. He said, "I liked the feel of these shoes and they felt fast on court. Any weight to the shoes seemed to be well hidden. I felt like I could move at top speed in them, and I think the snug, supportive fit meant that there was no unnecessary bulk to slow me down."

Overall - Score: 4.1