Head Sprint Pro 2.0 Women's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 3.8

After a few hours of break-in time our playtesters felt that the Sprint Pro 2.0s offered solid comfort across the board. "Upon first wear, I did have some rubbing at the inside of my foot around the ankle, which was not the way I wanted to start this playtest," began Michelle. "However, I grabbed higher socks, tightened my laces and that issue dissipated after the initial wear. I had no other complaints in the comfort department. These shoes fit my feet very well; they definitely have a more minimal cushioning style, and aren't super plush or loaded with padding. The cushioning felt supportive and provided good feel without weighing me down. Although I normally gravitate toward shoes with a bit more cushioning underfoot, the Sprint Pro 2.0s worked well for me. They also feature Head's unique cooling system under the insole. I never found these shoes to be hot enough to bother me, but the weather was relatively mild during this playtest and my feet rarely run hot in general, so your mileage may vary there."

Even after the break-in period, some of the Sprint Pro 2.0's comfort features just weren't clicking with Hannah. She explained, "I wore the Sprint Pro 2.0s in the gym before I took them to the court, and they felt good walking around, but the uppers needed some time to soften up and break in. From a comfort perspective, I liked that these Sprint Pro 2.0s were fairly light and streamlined while still featuring some good support and durability qualities. I know that in the review of the previous version our playtesters mentioned that they ran a little bit hot, and I'd have to say the same with this update. The ventilation wasn't the best. The cushioning is prominent, especially in the heel, but it felt a little bit stiff and hard at times, even after the break-in period. I found myself wishing for a more pillow-like feeling. While playing, I noticed that these shoes had some built-in arch support. My flat feet tend to reject arch support unless it's from supplemental insoles, so this hindered the performance slightly for me. It caused some cramping, and I missed that low-to-the-ground feel. Lastly, the overall fit was really good. I had no rubbing or toe jamming issues, and I think these shoes should be able to accommodate a lot of different foot types."

At the start of this playtest Tiffani was wearing an ankle brace due to an injury. Luckily, these shoes accommodated that well. She said, "These shoes fit me comfortably right of out of the box. I didn't notice any squeezing in the toe box or midfoot, which are both areas I struggle with in shoes because of my wider feet. These shoes did require a break-in period for me. They felt stiff and weren't flexing enough from heel to toe, which caused me to feel strained through the arch area. The cushioning felt firm and supportive, and offered some good court feel. The ventilation was average, and I actually didn't remember to remove the sticker covering the vents (it's beneath the insole) until after my first hit."

Brittany also found the uppers to be a little stiffer than she prefers when she first slipped the Sprint Pro 2.0s onto her feet. She said, "I had a three- to four-hour break-in period before the uppers loosened up. However, the cushioning was well balanced and comfortable, so the break in wasn't all that unpleasant. The Spring Pro 2.0s fit me rather well, and I didn't feel like there was a ton of extra space in the toe box to slide around in. I struggled a bit with ventilation in the previous version, and I was encountering the same problem in this updated model. Then another playtester told me I could increase the ventilation by taking off the sticker that was blocking the mesh under the insole; I had no issues with ventilation after that."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.1

Our team agreed that the Sprint Pro 2.0s offered an impressive combination of support and stability. One of Hannah's favorite parts about this shoe was its balance of support and speed. She said, "My feet always felt supported and locked in. Because of this, the stability was also fairly high. My footing did catch a couple times, but I think this was actually because of the stickier traction and not due to the construction or fit of the shoes themselves."

"For lightweight shoes, the Sprint Pro 2.0s had all the support and stability I needed," raved Michelle. "As I mentioned above, I tend to gravitate toward more supportive and stable shoes, and this pair was really a standout on that front. I was never worried about rolling over in these shoes, and I felt very confident moving in them. The lacing system was awesome too; I could really customize the fit and cinch them up tight, which is how I prefer to wear my shoes."

Brittany was happy with how the Sprint Pro 2.0s hugged her feet, and she didn't have any extraneous movement within the shoes when moving aggressively. She explained, "At the beginning, I wasn't getting the locked-in feel in the heel area, and my heels were moving up and down inside the shoes. I made a small adjustment and used the last eyelet of the shoes, and was able to alleviate most of the problem. My ankles felt very secure as well."

Tiffani also appreciated the Sprint Pro 2.0's support and stability — both in and out of the ankle brace. She said, "My feet didn't move inside the shoes, and they always felt stable. As I mentioned, I was dealing with an ankle injury during the test period. Although I was wearing a brace initially, I transitioned out the brace toward the end of playtest, and I liked how high the shoes came up around my ankles. The stable fit helped me feel confident that I wasn't going to re-injure my ankle."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.0

The light and fast Sprint Pro 2.0s kept all of our playtesters satisfied when it came to durability. Brittany was able to put over 10 hours on the shoes without seeing any signs of wear on the outsoles or on the toes. She offered, "These shoes still have plenty of life left in them, and I'd say that they're some of the more durable shoes I've worn in the past year. I was definitely impressed in this area."

Hannah also found durability to be one of the Sprint Pro 2.0's strong points. She noted, "The tread and the toes look like they'll hold up for a really long time past the period of the playtest. I think that there's a lot of value in these shoes, especially considering that they're on the lighter side. The materials aren't too built up either, so the durability doesn't come from bulk, which is really nice. The one complaint I have regarding the durability is that a glued piece on the upper was starting to come off toward the end of my playtest. It's hard to say if this would be a problem for anyone else — even so, it has yet to come close to affecting playability."

"I didn't have any issues with durability on the toes or the outsoles," said Tiffani. "I should note that I wasn't moving quite the same since I was coming off my injury. I usually drag my toe on my backhand, but the ankle brace wasn't letting me do that comfortably so I had to pick up my left foot instead."

For shoes that fit into the lightweight category, the Sprint Pro 2.0s impressed Michelle with their durability. She said, "While I don't normally put holes in my outsoles during these playtests, I did put enough time on these to test the traction after a few weeks of wear. I've noticed that lighter weight shoes tend to lose their traction quickly, but that wasn't the case here. The outsole rubber was durable and the deep-groove traction held up well. There was a little smoothing under my big toes, but nothing out of the ordinary."

Traction - Score: 3.5

No matter the play style, each playtester agreed that the Sprint Pro 2.0s offered some sticky traction. That tacky feel worked well for some, but wasn't ideal for others. Although she was never fearful of losing her footing, Tiffani was left feeling stuck to the court in a few instances. She explained, "When I tried to change directions quickly, sometimes it felt like I was getting caught up on the court, and my attention was drawn away from the point. Although I don't like to slide into shots, I want my shoes to pivot quickly when I'm moving to my next shot, and the Sprint Pro 2.0's sticky traction slowed me down at times."

"These shoes offer more grip than give," said Brittany. "I felt like I was gripping the court more than I would have personally liked, and at times I was sticking when I wanted to be moving. I was hoping that the traction would start to give a little toward the end of the playtest, but it ended up staying pretty much the same throughout. I had to focus more on my footwork since I wasn't feeling as fluid as I like."

Michelle prefers a stickier outsole, so she had no issues with the Sprint Pro 2.0's tackiness. She said, "The Sprint Pro 2.0's traction levels gave me a good amount of confidence when I was moving aggressively. We just playtested the Nike Vapor X shoes, and the biggest issue I had with them was the traction, because they became a bit slippery and I fell in them. I was impressed with the Sprint Pro 2.0's outsoles; they never felt too tacky, but they didn't feel slippery, either."

These shoes had one of the grippier tread patterns Hannah has played in. She said, "As an aggressive mover, I actually prefer shoes with slicker traction, so the Sprint Pro 2.0s felt like they were hindering my movements at times. I never fell, but I did have to be hyper aware of my starts and stops to make sure my footing was where I wanted it. With slicker outsoles I can be more fluid with my movements. I like when my stops can smoothly transition to starts without too much thought. Ultimately, this boils down to personal preference."

Weight - Score: 3.8

For players looking for generous support from shoes weighing less than 12 ounces, the Sprint Pro 2.0 is a great option. "These shoes were nice and light, with a quick feel," said Michelle. "They had enough body to them to keep them stable and supportive, but they still allowed me to feel fast and pick up my speed whenever I needed. Weight was never an issue; they were built up enough to not feel super minimal, but they also weren't heavy."

Hannah liked the Sprint 2.0s fast and streamlined feel. She said, "The construction, although durable and really stable, wasn't bulky, and it made me feel quick on the court. I thought the weight distribution was good too; there wasn't one part of the shoe that felt particularly heavy or weighed down. These aren't the lightest shoes, but coming in under 12 ounces, they still feel lightweight and offer impressive support and cushioning."

"The Sprint Pro 2.0s never felt out of place on my feet," added Tiffani. "I did feel slower in my movements due to the ankle brace, but that wasn't the fault of the shoes. Although they weren't heavy or bulky, the Sprint Pro 2.0s weren't super light either. Considering the durability and stability levels, I thought the weight was just right."

As a fan of lightweight shoes, and having just come off a couple playtests of ultra-light shoes, Brittany found the Sprint Pro 2.0s to feel slightly heavier than she would have liked. She explained, "They are by no means the heaviest shoes I have playtested, but they do feel slightly heavier than the weight indicates. I did notice them on my feet when moving around, and I wanted to feel a little faster at times."

Overall - Score: 3.8