KSwiss Ultrashot Women's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 3.4

As our resident wide-footed playtester, Tiffani appreciated the fit and was the first to compliment the modern performance features in the new KSwiss Ultrashots. "KSwiss has a bit of a reputation for making shoes that fit wide feet well, and the Ultrashots did fit my wider feet comfortably," she explained. "I really liked how these shoes had an updated fit that felt sleeker and more streamlined than any KSwiss shoes I can recall. The cushioning felt good to me and wasn't like the pillowy cushioning of the BigShot models. I liked how close I felt to the ground in the forefoot compared to other KSwiss shoes. I did struggle with what felt like an arch support on the lateral side, and each time I played in these shoes it took my feet about 20 minutes to settle in and adjust to the underfoot feel. Also, these shoes weren't super breathable, but it never bothered me during play. I mainly noticed it after I was done on the court — sorry, this is gross, but the tongues of my shoes felt like they were completely soaked through with sweat. Just a cautionary note: I would recommend wearing dark colored socks with these shoes. I tested the red version, and the shoes did stain some of my white socks."

Michelle also reported some arch support issues and dissatisfaction with the design of the tongue, but her main objection to the Ultrashots' fit came from all the extra room in the toebox. Like Tiffani, she did appreciate the new direction that KSwiss took with these performance shoes. She noted, "These shoes feel more performance oriented than the rest of the KSwiss line. KSwiss shoes are always comfortable on the court, and the Ultrashots offered that same step-in comfort, but they felt a bit firmer in terms of cushioning. I did have a few comfort issues while playing, though. These shoes seemed to fit just fine, but once I started moving on the court I experienced a lot of sliding in the toe box. This resulted in some severe rubbing and a blister under my big toe on my left foot. I also noticed that my big toes were jamming into the corners of the shoes a lot, especially on my left foot. These things together were a bit frustrating. Also, the arch support left my high arches aching and left me craving a bit more support, or perhaps the support needed to be moved, because it was hitting the back of my arches instead of the highest point of my arches. The tongue was a bit bulky, and I have to admit that these shoes were too hot; the tongues of my shoes were consistently soaked in sweat after I took them off."

With no break-in required, Brittany was greeted with satisfactory cushioning, and she instantly adapted to the performance feel. "When I first slipped these shoes on I found the most modern feeling KSwiss shoes I have ever playtested," she said. "I didn't need any sort of break-in period and found the cushioning underfoot to be adequate for my needs. The tongue didn't have as much padding as I'm used to, and it sat really high against the front of my ankle. I thought the arch support felt standard, and I didn't have any issues with it. However, we playtested the shoes at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, and I found the shoes to run very hot — even in the cool weather. When I took the shoes off the tongue would be pretty damp, and I noticed some color bleeding if I wore light colored or white socks. The Ultrashots fit on the wider side, and with my narrow-width feet I had a lot of extra room, especially in the toe box area."

Hannah also had extra room in the toe box, and she fell victim to toe jamming and the associated pain, but this didn't stop her from finding a lot to like about the Ultrashots. She noted, "I have to say that players with wide feet should give the Ultrashots a try. My feet are narrow, and a lot of the comfort and performance grievances I have with these shoes are simply due to the fact that the design is not suited to my foot shape. I experienced toe jamming and toe numbness, mainly due to the extra space in the toe box, but I am impressed with these new shoes from KSwiss as a whole. As compared to past KSwiss models, where the cushioning was plush and pillow-like, I found the Ultrashots to be much more performance oriented. The inviting underfoot cushioning and the flexible uppers were a world away from shoes like the BigShot 3 Light, which are traditionally very stiff. Despite my fit issues, there was absolutely no break-in period, and I could move very aggressively and freely in the Ultrashots, which I think is a testament to the modern performance features KSwiss implemented into these shoes. Also, I appreciate any shoes that provide me with the opportunity to put my personal insoles in without the heel ending up too shallow. The Ultrashots were easily customizable in that regard. Lastly, I have some specific notes on comfort that I think could take these shoes to the next level; if KSwiss implements these changes in the next model then the Ultrashot 2 would really be something special. Ventilation in the uppers can definitely be improved. The collar around the ankle is soft, but the size of the tongue could surely be reduced, because there was some rubbing there. And finally, I would say that the bulk on the medial edges hindered some of my movements; these shoes would play even faster if that area could be slightly streamlined."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.9

Without question, our playtesters admired the stability of the Ultrashots, and most were happy to label this category their favorite aspect of these shoes. Able to chase down shots without hesitation, Michelle had faith in the Ultrashot's support and stability. She said, "Although I had a few issues with comfort, the support and stability were positives for me. I was really happy with how well these shoes held my feet in place, despite the roomy toe box. I could move aggressively and felt confident making cuts on the court or pushing my movement to the limit. This was probably my favorite part of the playtest, and of these shoes overall."

"With the wider fit, which I mentioned above, I had a harder time locking my feet completely into the shoes," Brittany admitted. "I was able to cinch my laces tight enough around my midfoot, but I still had too much room around the ankle and forefoot. This caused my feet to slide around when I was moving aggressively. On the other hand, I did appreciate the stability these shoes offered. I never found myself worried about twisting an ankle or tipping over the side of the shoes."

Although the Ultrashots were not the right fit for her feet, Hannah discovered excellent support and stability. She was excited to report that she could still lock in her feet and move aggressively on court without fear. "The support and stability features of these Ultrashots were impressive," she began. "Despite the fit issues, I remained confident in my movements. Although the KSwiss shoes I've tested in the past have always ranked fairly high in this category, I think the contemporary feel of these shoes will complement high-performance movements while remaining supportive and stable throughout the court. The toe jamming interfered with my playtest, but my heel and midfoot were both held and supported with no issues. I felt low to the ground throughout my matches, which also aided in stability. Even with my insoles in place, my ankles were held secure. The slightly bulky medial edges did cause some minor instability on quick cuts, but that's the only knock I have in this category."

Even with her wide feet, Tiffani experienced some toe jamming in the Ultrashots. Luckily, after she cinched up the laces and found a more secure fit, the jamming issues faded into the background and the impressive support was able to shine through. She explained, "Although the lateral stability of these Ultrashots felt outstanding from the first wear, I initially struggled with the support. I wore these shoes for pickleball a few times early on, and with all the forward movement in that sport, I had quite a bit of toe jamming. I noticed it in tennis as well, but it was less of an issue. The toe jamming wasn't terribly painful like it's been with other shoes, but it still was an annoyance. To solve this issue I had to take the extra time to individually tighten the laces at each set of eyelets. The laces didn't allow me to cinch up the shoes all at once, so it took me longer to get these shoes nice and snug. Once I did this the toe jamming issue mostly subsided, and I enjoyed wearing these shoes because they held up to all my movements on the court."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.4

After this playtest was over, our team agreed that the Ultrashots' durability was something to brag about. Hannah lauded the durability as excellent, recounting, "Based on my playtest, these shoes should last a long time for all types of players. I usually have at least some sort of smoothing on the tread after a few weeks of use, but with these shoes I barely saw any signs of wear at all. The Dragguard on the toes also seems really sturdy, and my guess would be that it would withstand heavy toe dragging. The six-month outsole guarantee is icing on the cake!"

Brittany's experience with this shoe's durability echoed Hannah's. She said, "The shoes held up to my standards on both toe and outsole durability. I had no smoothing underneath my high-wear areas, and I expect them to last well past three months. I was very impressed with the toe durability as well. As a slight toe dragger, I can do some damage to shoes if there isn't proper protection, but I didn't have any issues with the Ultrashots."

The praise continued with Tiffani, who was pleased with the lack of visible wear following many hours on court. She added, "These shoes are plenty durable for me. I wasn't worried about wearing them out at all, but it was still nice to have the durability guarantee to fall back on. I've worn these shoes for about a dozen hours, and I see minimal wear on the toes and the outsoles. The texture at the tips of the toes is about the only thing I've started to wear away, but I haven't started to grind through the rubber there at all. Durability is a definite strength of these shoes."

Michelle recommended the Ultrashots to players spending almost every day training on the court. She said, "While I haven't spent as many hours in these shoes as I have with some of our other playtest shoes, I was impressed with the durability. I see no serious signs of wear after several weeks on court. I'm impressed that KSwiss is offering the six-month outsole durability guarantee, it's generally a sign that a manufacturer is confident in the quality of their product. I think these are great for the serious player who is on the court five or six days a week, training several hours a day."

Traction - Score: 3.6

Our team agreed that the traction on the Ultrashots gripped the court more than average shoes. In the end, this feature is one that boils down to individual preference, and Brittany prefers slicker outsoles. "After drilling and playing singles in these shoes I was left a little confused with the traction," she said. "I could not tell if the traction was too sticky or if I was slipping. When I was moving side to side and changing directions quickly I found myself spinning my wheels a couple times. At first I thought it was because I was slipping and not getting enough grip. However, I came to the conclusion that I may have had too much grip and was almost getting stuck in place. I wasn't able to fully acclimate to the traction by the end of the playtest, but luckily this was only happening every so often."

On the other side of the coin, Michelle likes outsoles with less give. When it comes to foot placement on the court, she acknowledged, "I'm the playtester on our team who really likes the sticky outsole feel, which is great since the Ultrashots offered a very grippy feel. The outsoles really allowed me to move confidently. The traction remained consistent throughout the playtest as well. I would definitely say that the Ultrashots were on the stickier side, so if you're looking for something with more give then these shoes might not be for you. I know the rest of the team prefers slicker outsoles, so this probably wasn't to their taste, but for players like me who like to stick their feet to the court, the traction level is great."

Tiffani was in the same camp as Brittany; she described a similar feeling of being too stuck to the court. She elaborated, "These Ultrashots felt stickier than I prefer. The traction was quite grippy, so I didn't ever feel like I was going to slip. However, I didn't feel like I could transition as quickly to my next shot because I would get stuck to the court. The traction started to offer a slight amount of give around the 10-hour mark, but it was still pretty sticky."

Hannah rounded out the discussion, conceding that even though she would have preferred less grip from the Ultrashots, she at least found the traction to be predictable. "It is always a little difficult for me to gauge traction levels when shoes don't fit me quite right," she explained. "I would say that the traction of these Ultrashots tended to provide a lot more grab than give. I think that this traction will be really well received by players who like the feeling of having extra control over their footing. I prefer a little extra give when it comes to traction, but that said, I could still move pretty confidently in these shoes."

Weight - Score: 3.9

Compared to other KSwiss models, Michelle felt light on her feet in the Ultrashots, and she was pleased with the way the weight of the shoes translated to the court. She said, "These aren't the lightest feeling shoes, but in all honesty, they didn't feel as heavy as they weighed on the scale. For the amount of stability, traction and durability they offered, I was happy with the weight. They didn't weigh me down the way some KSwiss shoes in the past have, and they didn't feel clunky or chunky on the court, so that helped them feel lighter to me. I never felt that my speed was hindered in any way."

"I was actually surprised when I looked at the weight of the Ultrashots after my first session in them," Brittany said. "Combined with the low-to-the-ground feel, I thought the Ultrashots played much lighter than their weight indicated, and I thought KSwiss did a great job distributing the weight throughout the shoes. I was able to move around the court freely and never felt like the shoes were weighing me down. I felt light and quick on my feet at all times."

Like the other playtesters, Tiffani was satisfied with the weight of the Ultrashots, especially considering the top-notch durability and stability. She said, "The Ultrashots are not really lightweight shoes, but I like their overall fit and feel on the court. With their stability and durability, the Ultrashots felt like they were at the right weight. The only thing that would probably make these shoes feel lighter to me on the court would be more give in the outsoles."

Conceding that these are not the lightest shoes on the market, Hannah still felt quick on her feet. She was willing to carry some extra weight considering the cushioning, stability and durability the Ultrashots offered. She said, "When I first put the Ultrashots on I thought that they were in the mid-range: not necessarily heavy, but also not lightweight. As the playtest progressed I actually found these shoes to play lighter on the court than I expected. I didn't find myself worrying about, or even noticing, the weight of the shoes on my feet, and that is always a positive. In general, I felt quick, my movements never felt weighted down and the underfoot cushioning was so plush that I didn't mind the extra weight it entailed. I do think that these shoes have the potential to feel lighter and play even faster with some minor updates to the uppers and the bulk on the edges."

Overall - Score: 3.8