Joma Pro Roland Men's Review

Comfort - Score: 3.8

With a medium width and medium arch, the Pro Rolands sit low to the ground, offering a minimal amount of extra padding and cushioning. Although this doesn't translate into a plush ride, it does result in an ultra-responsive feel on court. Known to appreciate feeling connected to the court, Chris enjoyed the feel these shoes offered. He commented, "The Pro Rolands felt very minimal on court, but in a good way. There was just enough cushioning to keep me comfortable. I found the ride to place an emphasis on feeling low to the ground rather than being plush and pillowy, while the uppers were nice and flexible, which made them very comfortable. I didn't really have to break in the shoes, but they did soften up, flexing better and better as the test wore on. The arch fit was low for my high arches, but the support from the midfoot shank was plenty adequate to prevent any unnecessary aches or strains. My feet never ran too hot in these shoes, which kept me feeling comfortable and blister free."

Like Chris, Sean could appreciate the minimalist build of the shoes, but he was a little sore in the end. He said, "Although we have the width listed as medium, I would describe the overall fit as a contoured medium. I felt locked into the shoe, and I also noticed that it was very low to the ground. The upside of that was that I was connected to my movement, but the downside was that the cushioning was minimal, and the pads of my feet often felt sore after a hit."

Having played with the previous generation, Mark felt this update held onto the best aspects of the line while being notably improved in a few key areas. He explained, "I enjoyed a high degree of comfort with a rather spartan level of cushioning, like I did with the first generation of these shoes. The midsole of the new Pro Roland was not too thick, which kept me centered and connected to the court but left much of the underfoot cushioning to the insert. The stock insole not only provided some cushioning but also featured a decent level of arch support. There were no internal seams that my feet rubbed against while playing in the new Pro Roland, but again, there was not much cushioning either. Width-wise, I got a nearly perfect fit, and the ventilation was top notch, which is what I would expect of a high-performance tennis shoe that weighs around 13 ounces."

Erik agreed with the rest of the team, adding, "These shoes aren't especially cushioned, but I felt very connected to the ground thanks to the thin midsole, and that gave me confidence when moving around the court. There is good ventilation and solid arch support too. The fit is a little snug, but the shoes do break in and are very comfortable despite the lack of cushioning."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.2

Relying more on their low, responsive feel rather than large shanks and rigid material, the Pro Rolands prove that less can be more on the court. The connection between our testers' feet and the court translated into surprisingly good feel and stability. Whether Erik was making lateral cuts or digging into a slide, he felt locked in and supported on court. He described, "I get very solid foot support with these shoes. They're not super cushioned, but I felt extremely stable and could slide effectively without worrying about ankle roll or the shoe giving out on the sides. I was extremely locked in, especially when moving laterally along the baseline."

From start to finish, Mark felt the shoe's stability was top notch. He said, "I was impressed with how the upper held its shape throughout the entire playtest and how it kept my feet centered over the last. I cannot apply the brakes on the tennis court the way Sean can, but I didn't have any support or lateral movement issues playing in the Joma Pro Rolands."

Chris also thought that his shoes had a healthy amount of flex without completely sacrificing the support. He said, "The Pro Rolands are not stiff and stable shoes, but I found them to support my feet quite well. The uppers wrapped my feet nicely, and as a whole, the shoes felt like they flexed and moved well with my feet. If these shoes were any more flexible I think I would have been spilling over the midsoles on aggressive lateral cuts. Fortunately, I found enough support for the duration of the test to be able to comfortably move and cut at full speed. The Pro Rolands rode nice and low to the ground, which gave them a secure and speedy feel."

Despite the light weight, Sean was impressed with the support of these shoes. He noted, "For 13 ounces, I was surprised how stable these shoes felt on court. The upper has plenty of material to resist unwanted internal movement, and the low-to-the-ground feel helped me move naturally. By the end of the playtest I noticed a decent drop-off in lateral stability, but it was still manageable."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.0

If there was one part of the playtest that consistently exceeded expectations, it was how durable the Pro Rolands proved to be, despite their minimal feel. Sean reiterated his astonishment with the shoes' performance, given the weight. He said, "Again, for 13 ounces I was surprised by the durability of my pair. I would describe the durability as average, although I expected my shoes to wear out much quicker than they did."

Like Sean, Chris was surprised by how little wear his pair was showing. He added, "Considering how light and fast the shoes felt, I was surprised that the outsoles held up as well as they did. I saw some usual wear under the big toe of my right shoe, but nothing excessive. The uppers also held up well. Again, there was some scuffing around the toes, but the shoes still had plenty of life left in them. Are these shoes Barricade-like in their durability? No. But they feel much lighter, flex better and play faster on court."

Compared to the last version, this update's durability was much improved for Mark, who said, "I feel I should mention that I broke through a seam in the toe box area of the first iteration of the Pro Roland long before the end of the testing period. Over the duration of this playtest I wore the new Pro Roland almost exclusively and walked a lot off court in them as well. After a solid 30-plus hours of court time I have begun to smooth out the herringbone pattern of the outsole, but I have not yet exposed any of the midsole, and the upper is totally intact. For lightweight, high-performance tennis shoes that do not feature a sole warranty, I have to give the Pro Roland high marks for durability."

Even though Erik is usually tough on his outsoles, he was barely able to make a dent in the Pro Rolands. He explained, "This shoe's durability is extremely impressive. I've tested this shoe for about a month now, and I haven't worn the outsole down much, if at all. The toe is just starting to show a little bit of wear, but not much."

Traction - Score: 4.4

When it came to traction, the Pro Roland pleased most of our playtesters with its ability to grab the court when needed, while offering just enough give for smooth transitions between stopping and starting. The versatility of the Pro Roland seemed to follow a trend that Mark has spotted recently. He described, "I am noticing that many tennis shoes are being paired with an outsole that is versatile enough to offer good traction on both soft and hard courts. Personally, I didn't have the chance to play on a clay court with this Pro Roland update, but obviously, the modified herringbone tread pattern is conducive to great traction on that court surface. My test time was spent on hard courts, and I loved the way the new Pro Roland allowed me to maneuver around the court."

The Pro Rolands continued to impress Chris in this category. He said, "I was able to slide nicely out of my quick stops and aggressive cuts in these shoes. I liked the blend of grip and give. More aggressive movers should find it very easy to control their slides in the Pro Rolands. When it came to taking a quick first step, the shoes provided ample traction to help me get going quickly."

Erik also found the balance of grip and give to be nearly perfect. He said, "These Pro Rolands have very solid traction, but I was still able to slide with them, especially when moving laterally along the baseline. The outsoles aren't slick, though, so I didn't find myself slipping when changing directions abruptly."

Sean, however, found fault with his pair's traction. Unfortunately, the wheels seemed to spin at a certain point. He explained, "I noticed generally good grip, although there seemed to be a 'breaking point' while I was moving. This happened when I had to change directions quickly; the outsole would give a little, and I would occasionally slip out."

Weight - Score: 4.5

The trade-off for making shoes lighter usually comes in the form of diminished stability and durability. However, despite weighing only 13 ounces, the Pro Roland seemed to impress our testers in these categories. The weight was on point for Chris, who said, "I thought the Pro Rolands felt very fast on court. I liked the way the shoes flexed with my feet. I think that aspect helped them hide their weight well. I personally wouldn't change a thing here, as any added weight for increased durability or stability could take away from the flexible and fast feel I enjoyed so much."

Sean, on the other hand, felt that some extra cushioning would have been appreciated. He noted, "I think the durability and support were both impressive given the weight of the shoes. I do feel that Joma skimped on the midsole cushioning, and I definitely missed having some extra padding between the court and me. That said, these shoes never felt heavy on my feet, and I was moving near my fastest on court."

After seeing the number on the scale, Mark was not surprised by the speedy performance of his pair. He said, "On paper, at an average weight of 13.0 ounces for a size 10.5, the Pro Rolands should feel fast, and they do. Between their lightweight construction and low-to-the-ground feel, I was more surprised with the level of durability than how easy it was to change directions or stop in the Pro Rolands."

The low weight helped Erik move quickly. He concluded, "I would compare the Pro Rolands to a Vapor X, weight-wise. These shoes felt fairly lightweight, and it was easy for me to pick up my feet and really get them moving."

Overall - Score: 4.2