K-Swiss Knitshot Men's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.4

For the most part, our testers were very happy with the comfort of the Knitshots, particularly from the cushioning underfoot and the soft and supportive fit of the knit uppers. Chris was very pleased with the comfort of these shoes for his narrow feet. He explained, "I found a nice and secure fit inside the Knitshots. The uppers flexed well in the forefoot but felt very supportive when I moved aggressively on court. I did experience some pinching around the ankle collars when walking around in these shoes, but I didn't notice it during play. I liked the amount of arch support I got. The shoes felt like they had a good shank built into them and flexed in the perfect spot. I often add aftermarket insoles to my shoes but felt no need with the Knitshots. I also liked the level of cushioning. These shoes offered a very comfortable ride without making me feel overly elevated."

An impressive aspect of the knit uppers was the accommodating fit for different foot types. Jason has wider feet than Chris, but he also found these shoes to be comfortable. He shared, "There really isn't much for me to complain about. The fit of the Knitshots matched up well with my foot type (wide, low arch). Also, due to the knit uppers they were comfortable right from the get-go, with no break-in necessary. There was enough ventilation built into the uppers to keep my feet from getting overheated."

Andy also had a minor comfort issue until the ankle collar broke in, but this issue didn't define his experience. He praised, "These are very comfortable performance shoes. They fit extremely well right out of the box, with plush cushioning underfoot and a soft, form-fitting wrap over the foot from the knit uppers. They were plenty breathable and offered good support through the arch area. My only issue was with the back of the heel collar. It almost felt like it was folded inward, and it rubbed on my Achilles a bit. This went away over time as the shoes broke in, but for the first few hours of wear the rubbing I was getting in the heels was a bit irritating. Once the rubbing stopped the Knitshots ended up being extremely comfortable shoes that I always looked forward to slipping my feet into."

Troy liked the fit of the Knitshots out of the box, but the knit uppers became a bit too loose over time. He explained, "When I first slipped these shoes on the uppers contoured to my feet well. As I walked around in them for a couple of days prior to taking them on the court I found a good fit and a decent amount of cushioning. They began to break in after my first couple of sessions on court, but the upper materials stretched out to the point where the fit was a bit too roomy. I ended up having to wear two pairs of socks to get a secure fit. The cushioning in the midsole provided enough padding underneath the balls of my feet and heels, but the arch support was too low for my feet so I had to install my Superfeet Insoles Orange to get the support I need. I found the ventilation to be average for a shoe in this weight class."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.3

Our testers felt very comfortable and confident in the Knitshots' ability to support their feet as they moved around the court. "As the new flagship shoes for KSwiss, I was expecting a certain level of stability from the Knitshots, and they delivered," Jason praised. "My worries about the knit uppers were gone after the first hit. I was moving side to side and changing directions with zero hesitation. However, I did notice a little bit of sliding within the shoes when going forward and trying to stop. Nothing that would make me not wear these shoes, but something that was there enough to point out."

"I felt very secure moving around the court in the Knitshots," Chris added. "The fit worked well for me, and the uppers wrapped my feet supportively. I liked how the knit upper material flexed comfortably in the forefoot, yet when I pushed hard into it on aggressive moves it offered great support. I also thought the shoes had a nice, stable build to them. They resisted twisting well on side to side moves yet allowed my feet to transition quickly from heel to toe."

"These shoes offered all the support and stability I needed to feel comfortable and confident moving around the court at top speeds," Andy said. "The knit uppers did a phenomenal job keeping my feet protected and in place during aggressive lateral movements. The low-to-the-ground design also provided a stable base. The ankle collar did feel a bit thin, so players who like having a lot of support through that area might want a bit more, but it didn't affect me at all or stop me from feeling completely confident going all out in these shoes."

On the other hand, Troy wasn't finding the support he needed until he added his aftermarket insoles. He said, "With these shoes fitting a little loose after break-in and the arch support feeling lower than I'm used to, I ultimately wasn't satisfied with the level of support. Once I installed my Superfeet Insoles and began wearing two pairs of socks the support was much more to my liking. The lateral support was average among other shoes in this weight class. Whenever I put these shoes under a lot of torsional stress I felt secure that they would prevent me from rolling an ankle. The lateral stability was good, but it took me some time to get used to the overall foot support."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.2

The Knitshots held up very well for our playtest team, and not just the outsoles. "I put about 10 hours of good hard wear on these shoes (along with probably double that time just wearing them around casually), and they held up very well," Andy remarked. "The outsoles show no signs of balding and they look like they've got lots of life left. Once again, the knit uppers impressed me with their resiliency and how well they held up to my hard court sliding. I can normally do some damage to the medial side of the upper -- especially when there isn't an extra protection piece there -- but my pair doesn't show any signs of wear there! I'm incredibly surprised with how well the knit uppers performed, both their durability and stability, given their soft, supple feel."

Troy was happy with the durability of the Knitshots, saying, "The outsoles held up well for me throughout the playtest. I typically wear through the outsole beneath the balls of my feet the quickest, and these shoes had enough rubber to hold up to my standards. However, I didn't find them to be as durable as the Asics Gel Resolution 7 or the adidas Barricade 2016."

Normally extremely hard on his shoes, Chris' pair of Knitshots had plenty of life left after the playtest was complete. He shared, "My pair of Knitshots are holding up decently. At the end of the test the outsole under my big toe on the right shoe had worn smooth. However, it seems KSwiss has thickened the rubber in this area, and I still have plenty of material to wear through. I also have to consider that I put more hours on them than I do with most shoes simply because they became my first choice among the many pairs I'm testing. The uppers also held up well. On my left shoe I've been dragging the toe area right up onto the knit upper, and you'd have to look very closely to tell. I'm amazed a knitted material can resist abrasion so well."

Echoing the others' sentiments, Jason said, "At the time these comments were written I had put about 13 hours on these shoes, and they still have a significant amount of tread left. The area where I typically wear shoes out first -- the medial forefoot -- appears to have been beefed up with a thicker and wider herringbone pattern."

Traction - Score: 4.4

The Knitshots continued to impress our playtesters when it came to how well they gripped the hard courts we tested them on. Troy fully trusted these shoes when making aggressive cuts. He praised, "The amount of grip provided by the outsoles of the Knitshots allowed me to feel confident in my movement. Whenever I came to a quick stop the outsoles allowed me stop safely. The rubber wasn't so sticky that it caused me to roll an ankle when putting on the brakes, but at the same time, when I needed to make an explosive start to run down a shot I didn't 'spin my wheels.'"

Jason found a nice blend of grip and give, saying, "I thought I was getting plenty of grip on the hard court with these shoes. The rubber wasn't too sticky and had just the right amount of give. I had a handful of instances when I slid when trying to stop and change directions, but I got accustomed to that, and it wasn't much of a problem."

"I thought the traction offered by the Knitshots was top notch," Chris raved. "I felt very confident moving around the court in them. I found all the grip needed to push off quickly and make quick changes of direction. When coming to a quick stop the shoes offered great traction as well."

"I was very happy with the level of traction these shoes provided," Andy concluded. "I found them to be more on the 'grippy' side, so I had to put a little more effort into my slides or I wasn't going to cover as much ground as usual. The grip was very predictable, though, and I had full confidence that they were going to lock up with the court when I needed them to help propel me in another direction."

Weight - Score: 3.7

There were some mixed feelings on how heavy the Knitshots felt on court. The most common thought was that the weight was about average for a shoe in this category. As Jason noted, "They don't feel heavy and cumbersome, but they don't feel lightweight either. They kind of just sit right in the middle of the shoes I've tested. Luckily, the heel-to-toe transition was pretty seamless, which made them feel faster than their static weight would suggest."

"The Knitshots felt like middleweight shoes," Chris concurred. "I've played in faster shoe, such as the Hypercourt Expresses, and also in much heavier shoes. I felt like I was moving well in the Knitshots, and I was getting all the support and stability I needed. I also found them to be durable. With all of the performance benefits considered, I'd say what weight the Knitshots do have has been put to good use."

Andy thought that the Knitshots played lighter than their weight. He said, "These shoes have a very low-profile design, and they felt light and fast on court. I never felt inhibited by their weight or design, and I was able to move at (what I thought was) top speeds around the court. There's a layer of cushioning underfoot that I could certainly feel, but I still felt close to the court and very connected to each step."

On the other hand, Troy thought the shoes felt heavy during play. He said, "After my first couple of hitting sessions I could feel that the shoes were a little on the bulky side. It took me about 5-10 hours of playing in them before I really felt them flexing with my feet. I found them to play just what their 16.1 oz (size 10.5) weight would indicate -- a little on the bulky side."

Overall - Score: 4.3