Head Sprint Team Men's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.5

Scoring highly across the board in comfort, the Head Sprint Team proved to be one of the most comfortable shoes on the market. Chris said, "I really enjoyed the ride offered up by my Sprint Teams. These shoes required hardly any break-in, and they felt light, fast and comfortable from the first wear. I enjoyed wearing the Sprint Pros and these Sprint Teams even though they are very different shoes. The Sprint Pros are much stiffer and offer a wider fit. These Sprint Teams were flexible, and the flex combined well with the glove-like fit. The soft uppers held my feet in position well enough to prevent any sliding or rubbing inside the shoes. I liked the way the uppers breathed, and the use of mesh through the vamp further increased the flex and comfort on toe off. The inner parts of the shoe came together well, and I never felt any discomfort from seams, etc. Under my feet, the cushioning did a great job of adding comfort without leaving me feeling disconnected from the court. The arch support was just solid enough to get the job done, and the insoles quickly molded to the shape of my feet. All in all, I found these to be very comfortable shoes."

Offering similar praise, Marco found immediate comfort. He added, "These shoes provided comfort from the get-go. I liked the soft mesh that lined these shoes toward the front and around the sides; it gave these Sprint Teams some nice flexibility and also supported ventilation. My feet weren't feeling too locked in, and there was definitely some space, particularly up front, for my feet to move and breathe."

Having worn these shoes through a few stinkingly hot days, Granville noted how well they held up and how comfortable and cool his feet stayed. He said, "These shoes felt great the first time I sank my feet into them, like an old pair of comfy blue jeans. There's nice cushioning below, and a comfortable plush feel surrounded my feet above. I had just the right amount of room in the forefoot for movement, pivoting etc. The mesh upper provided some ventilation, and these Sprint Teams remained very comfortable even on the hottest days. Arch support is in line with the rest of the industry -- minimal. I used my Superfeet insoles and really enjoying these shoes."

Sebastian noticed how the comfort level remained solid even as the test wore on. He explained, "I felt the Head Sprint Team provided exceptional comfort, support and fit. I really enjoyed the soft cushioning in the heel, tongue and uppers. The lightweight uppers, along with the noticeably fast and low-to-the-ground feel, allowed me to move around the court quickly and effortlessly. I loved the fit of these shoes right out of the box, and even though they opened up over time I still had that comfortable, flexible and supportive feel after almost 25 hours of use."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.1

Most of our playtesters felt the Sprint Teams could've had more rigidity. Sebastian liked the support offered up, however, and said, "I really enjoyed the foot support and stability of these shoes, despite their light weight. I really felt my feet were locked into my shoes at all times. One thing I noticed was that the overall fit loosened up over time, and while I still enjoyed solid support and stability, I had to tighten the shoelaces a bit more as the playtest wore on."

Chris liked where the support was offered in these shoes, particularly the secure fit he felt from the uppers. He said, "I found these shoes to be very supportive in the way they fit my feet. The uppers wrapped my feet very well, and that prevented me from sliding around inside the shoes. The shoes felt flexible and fast. While they lacked the rigidity of the Sprint Pros, they offered a much more secure fit, so I felt totally safe when sprinting around in them. The guts of the shoes also offered just enough stiffness to help support my feet where needed."

Marco noticed these shoes flexing a bit on hard turns, and some twisting within his shoes. He explained, "While my feet did turn a little bit inside my shoes on sharp turns, it never felt like a safety issue. There was enough support from the heel and the lacing to provide a stable ride. As I mentioned, these shoes didn't provide me with the most locked in, cinched feel, but there was a good mix of support and flexibility from these shoes."

Granville liked the level of support offered up by these lightweight shoes. He said, "For such light shoes (13.3 oz) with considerable cushioning, they are remarkably stable. I could feel the toe box flexing when pivoting, which provided nice firm feedback and a stable platform to push off for recovery. I also found that as stable as these shoes are, they are not clunky."

Durability - Score: 3.9

For such light and fast shoes, the Head Sprint Team maintained a decent level of outsole durability. Granville enjoyed how the durability didn't come at the expense of the superb traction these shoes offered up. He said, "I've played 6 or 7 matches in these now and they remain in very good shape. The outsoles are showing wear in the normal places, like the toe box, but far less than I had expected. These are durable, but they're still VERY sticky shoes on the court."

Marco didn't find a massive difference between the durability of these shoes and other lightweight shoes he has tried in the past. He noted, "The soles on these shoes wore through in standard fashion. While I didn't tear through them quickly, they don't have a heavy outsole that is going to withstand players who are hard on their shoes. I did scuff up the front and medial sides of the shoe a little bit, but the scrapes only caused superficial markings, which I was pretty impressed with. Typically for me, these scuffs can go through the material and start to create a hole, but the guarding on these shoes fully prevents this."

Sharing a similar experience to Marco, Chris noted that these shoes performed well for him and still had plenty of life left in them at the end of the playtest. He stated, "I was surprised at how well the Sprint Teams lasted considering how light and fast they felt on court. I saw the first wear under the toe of my right shoe since I drag that area on both forehands and serves. While the tread in that area smoothed out during the test, it still looked like I had ample material left to wear through, and the traction remained solid. I'd say these shoes are every bit as durable as the heavier Sprint Pros and more durable than the Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tours, which come in at a similar weight."

Sebastian is notoriously hard on his shoes, and his Sprint Teams wore in all the usual areas. He said, "Durability was about average, but in relation to their weight the outsole durability of these shoes was great. I did notice some wear on the outsoles and the soft uppers, as well as the toe areas. Overall, I was pleased by the durability."

Traction - Score: 4.6

Our playtesters were blown away with the level of traction the Head Sprint Teams offered, and they felt insanely connected to the court. Marco found traction like never before, claiming, "They gripped the court extremely well! I was very surprised by the way these shoes seemingly dug into the surface when I was making big lateral moves around the court. Most importantly, the traction wasn't sticky, and therefore I never felt like I was in danger of going over on my ankle. It was a form of traction I haven't come across on many other shoes."

Singing similar praise was Granville, who found the traction to be very effective. He said, "I'd say excellent traction! I found myself looking at the outsoles on a few occasions just to see what the outsole material was due to its effectiveness. The traction felt like an extension of my feet, with soft friction between court and outsole."

Chris got all the grip he needed, and more, with these shoes, noting, "I was very happy with the level of traction I found from these shoes. I was moving very well in them, and I was able to find the grip needed for a quick first step. The outsoles never got hung up on the court surface, which further added to the sense of security I felt in them. I was able to slide in these shoes when needed with enough control to come to a comfortable stop."

As aggressive as he is on court, Sebastian requires good traction, which he found in buckets with the Head Sprint Team. He said, "I was really impressed by the traction of thse Head Sprint Teams. I never felt that these shoes were too grippy, yet I had enough traction to maintain solid balance when sliding and moving aggressively on the court. Also, traction basically stayed the same throughout the playtest. Even with some wear on the outsole these shoes gave me just enough grip for my aggressive movements on the court."

Weight - Score: 4.4

Unanimously, our playtesters the found the Sprint Teams to be comfortable and lightweight on court, which aided their movement and speed. Marco felt as though he was floating over the court. He said, "I was treated to a light and fast ride around the court with these shoes on my feet. The weight matched the style and performance of these shoes, with the light mesh in the uppers coupling with the lighter outsole."

Sebastian felt the weight of these shoes matched his game perfectly. He explained, "At 13.3 ounces the Head Sprint Teams are among the lightest shoes I have tested so far. I loved these lightweight shoes, and I enjoyed their speedy, low-to-the ground feel. Despite their light weight, I always had sufficient support and stability when playing in them. The fact that I didn't think about the shoes too much during play was a positive sign for me and ensured that the weight and overall performance of this Head Sprint Team is just right for me."

Chris was also gliding to each ball in these lightweight shoes. He added, "These shoes felt super light and fast on court. I found it very easy to forget about the shoes and focus on chasing down the next ball -- always a good sign.. I also liked the way they transitioned from heel to toe. The uppers featured ample mesh, which kept them feeling light and flexible. The way I could move around the court in these shoes quickly made them a 'go to' choice for me."

The Sprint Teams are a lot lighter than the shoes Granville usually wears, but he noted that he often wasn't even thinking about the shoes on his feet. This was a good thing, as he explained, "13.3 ounces is well below my 16 oz per foot range - with this in mind, I was NOT thinking about my shoes during this playtest. It felt like there was nothing on my feet, and the material seemed to be holding up well. The EVA midsole was showing some compression, but less than I had expected. Based on that, these shoes may last a good long time."

Overall - Score: 4.3