Prince T22 Lite Women's Shoe Review

Overall Comfort - Score: 3.5

The Prince T22 Lites brought plush cushioning and a wider fit to the court. Tiffani was more than happy with the wide width. She started, "I'm not usually one to offer car analogies, but these Prince T22 Lites reminded me of riding in a big classic Cadillac sedan. They're wide and heavy, but they are ever so comfortable as I sink into the cushioned ride. I have wide feet, and it can be a struggle to find shoes wide enough. These Prince shoes are plenty wide for me and wider fitting than the New Balance D width 1006 shoes I recently tested. There's also plush cushioning that fans of the T22s will recognize. What's improved for me over the T22s was the suppleness of the uppers and the quickness of the break-in. These T22 Lites treated my feet to comfort with virtually no break-in needed. I never noticed any foot pain from a narrow toe box or a misplaced arch. Ventilation was about average compared to other well cushioned shoes. A little heat in these shoes was not going to spoil the cushioned ride my wide feet have been seeking."

"I have to preface this playtest by mentioning two things. First, I've had some struggles with a few of the shoes we've been playtesting, and second, I have never worn a pair of T22s," said Michelle. "With that said, initially, I didn't think these shoes would cause any problems in the comfort arena. But once I got moving aggressively in these shoes I felt like I was having deja vu from the Wilson Kaos playtest. Again, I experienced some bad toe jamming. It became a bigger issue since my toes were already sensitive from the Kaos shoes. I was afraid to stop quickly when running side to side, which made it hard for me to be quick. I started taking slower steps because I was trying to find a way to avoid the toe jam. It was a big issue for me. I had to change them mid-session many times. Besides that, which was obviously a big deal for me, the shoes were plush and comfortable in every other way."

Brittany had some issues due to her narrow feet. She said, "When I slipped these shoes on my feet I noticed two things; They fit extremely wide and had a ton of cushioning. I have very narrow feet, so I was definitely swimming in the shoes from the toe box to the heel. I tried several things hoping get a more secure fit, including wearing two pairs of socks, using the top eyelet and tying my laces extremely tightly. Unfortunately, I couldn't get my feet to stop moving around inside the shoes, and this caused some blisters on the top of my toes. On the other hand, I found the cushioning to be present throughout the shoes, and it was very comfortable. I found plush cushioning underneath my feet as well as soft padding around the ankle collar and tongue. I didn't have any issues with the ventilation since the all mesh upper allowed plenty of air to flow in and out of the shoes. The arch support was medium, and it hit my arch in the right place."

Karly was really pleased with the comfort when she first stepped inside the T22 Lites, saying, "They offered excellent cushioning underneath my feet, and I appreciated the wider fit, especially at the toe box. They only needed a slight break-in, too. It was during the first hour of play that they began to loosen up and flex better. However, the biggest downside I had with the comfort was how the back of the shoes grabbed my heels. The stiff material came up and forward, digging into the back of my feet. I tried wearing taller, thicker socks, but that only helped a little."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.3

There were mixed reviews from the TW playtesters when it came the Prince T22 Lites' support and stability. Michelle was impressed with the support. She praised, "There's no doubt these are stable and supportive shoes. I felt pretty secure when moving in these and didn't really worry about losing my footing. The one thing I will note, though, is that I felt pretty high off the ground. Initially I felt like I would tip over wearing these shoes. Luckily, that never happened, and they ended up feeling solid and stable on my feet. Again, similar to the Kaos we playtested, if I attempted to avoid toe-jamming by going up or down a half-size I would have lost the support I enjoyed while wearing my normal size 10."

"These shoes have a pretty wide fit from front to back, and it was a perfect fit for me in the toe box," Tiffani explained. "However, the heel fit was slightly wide for me, so I used the final eyelet to up the support around my ankles. I wish Prince would have used longer shoelaces since I could barely tie them once I did this. Of course, that's easily remedied by buying a new set of laces, but I would rather not have to do that. Aside from the slightly roomy fit in the heel, I didn't have any issues with support or stability. I always felt confident in my movements."

Karly was looking for more support and stability out of these shoes. She said, "Unfortunately, I couldn't play very aggressively in the T22 Lites because of their unstable feel. My feet sat too high off the ground, and I was constantly worried about rolling my ankles, especially when I was moving side to side. The material around the ankles was pretty soft, too, so I felt like I had to slow down my movements and play much more cautiously. I wish the uppers were sturdier and my feet didn't feel like they were sitting so high above the court."

The wide fit caused some issues for Brittany. She critiqued, "As I mentioned in the comfort section, my feet were moving around a lot inside these shoes. When I was making quick changes of direction my feet were sliding sideways within the shoes, inhibiting my movement. Since the shoes were wide I couldn't get a secure fit around my ankles, either. I was also sitting higher off the ground in the T22 Lites and could definitely feel the edge of the shoes and their tipping point. Overall, I was left wanting a little more support than I received."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.0

The sole durability of the Prince T22 Lites was among the playtesters' favorite features. However, the toe draggers would have liked some extra protection. Brittany found the outsole durability to be excellent in these shoes. She raved, "After the playtest I couldn't see any smoothing or balding on the outsole, even under the big toes. I have many miles left in these shoes and anticipate them lasting several more months. However, I would have liked better toe durability. The toe bumper doesn't go all the way up, and there is a thin layer of protection on the upper. I have started to see some smoothing in that area and could probably go through it down the road."

Tiffani said, "I saw little wear on the outsoles. These shoes are holding up really well on our indoor hard court. However, the toes are a different story. I wore through the top layer of material within a couple of hours. The toes are very supple and the material feels thin, and I'm just about to wear through the toe on my left shoe. This was my biggest issue with the T22 Lites."

"I found that the durability was pretty average" Karly offered. "The outsoles began to smooth down after a few hours, but that was expected from shoes with 'Lite' in their title. However, I also wasn't moving as aggressively as I normally do because of their instability."

Michelle wasn't able to put as many hours on the court as she would have liked. She said, "I have to admit, this is the first time my playtest was cut short due to comfort issues. Because of the toe jamming I didn't exceed 15 hours in these shoes. However, from what I can tell these are quite durable shoes. Plus, the six-month outsole warranty is always a welcome feature on shoes! Durability seems to be a definite positive in these shoes."

Traction - Score: 3.8

The herringbone tread pattern of the Prince T22 Lites offered some good grip when the playtesters were moving around the court. Tiffani found her footing in the T22 Lites, saying, "These shoes offer a nice amount of grip on hard courts. Players who like to slide on hard courts probably wouldn't be able to do that with these, but then, the T22 Lites aren't really built to be lightning fast around the courts."

"I was happy with the traction levels of these shoes," added Michelle. "I never slipped, and I felt there was enough tack to get moving when I needed to. I enjoy a tackier outsole, and I think the tread combined with the weight of these shoes to help them remain tacky throughout the playtest. Since I was trying to keep my toes from jamming into the end of the shoes I had to slow myself down instead of letting the shoes do the work for me."

Karly found too much grip. She said, "The T22 Lites' tacky grip had its pros and cons. I usually like a grippier feel for added security, but since I was already moving so cautiously I really didn't need that extra tack. I felt too stuck to the ground, and the grip made it even harder to pick up my feet. However, on the positive side, I was never worried about slipping when I planted my feet."

Brittany said, "One of the biggest things I didn't like about the T22 Lites was that I felt disconnected from the court due to being so high off the ground. However, the traction itself was fine. There was good grip and give (more grip than give), and I didn't have any issues with slipping."

Weight - Score: 2.9

Although these shoes are called Lites, the Prince T22 Lites felt a little heavier than expected. Tiffani enjoyed the cushion-to-weight ratio, saying, "Lightweight is relative. The T22 Lites are lighter than their T22 counterparts, but they're not light compared to most shoes on the market. These shoes do feel more supple and flexible than the original T22s, which gives them a faster feel around the court. However, players who value lightweight speed on the court will find these shoes to be on the cumbersome side. I never had an issue with the weight, though, considering how much cushioning there is in these shoes. There's a give-and-take, and sometimes cushioned comfort is going to outweigh speed for me."

"Don't let the Lite in the name fool you," continued Brittany. "While these shoes are lighter than the original T22s, they are not what I would describe as lightweight. My size 8 shoes came in around 12.7 ounces, and I could definitely feel that weight when I was moving around the court. Since my feet rode higher off the ground in the T22 Lites due to the cushioning, they felt clunky at times when I was moving aggressively."

Karly didn't feel as quick as she would have liked in the T22 Lites. She stated, "Even though the T22 Lites didn't actually feel all that heavy, when I started moving on the court they seemed heavier than what they actually weigh. Since my feet sat up so high within the shoes I felt really disconnected from the court. The shoes felt clunky, and I had a harder time picking up my feet. The uppers around the ankles weren't very sturdy, either. I was concerned about rolling my ankles when moving laterally, so I was playing more cautiously and backing off the aggressive cuts. All in all, I thought the T22 Lites hindered my movement on the court."

Michelle agreed with the other playtesters. She commented, "For me, these 'light' shoes didn't really feel all that quick. I realize it is a lighter version of the original T22s, but they felt bulky. I can't say I would put them in the lightweight category (they are over 12 ounces, and we normally consider anything under 12 oz to be light shoes)."

Overall - Score: 3.3