Breakdown

Comfort: 8.5

KSwiss and comfort go hand in hand, so our playtesters were very enthusiastic to try the Ultrashot 4s. Zsofi was not surprised to find the Ultrashot 4s extremely comfortable, with no break-in required. She began, “The Ultrashort 4s fit me pretty well right away, and they felt amazing underfoot. The cushioning was probably the highlight of this playtest for me."

Having previously been a fan of the Ultrashot 3s, Tiffani was looking forward to trying the latest update. She said, “When I put on the Ultrashot 4s I sensed that they were fitting me a bit tighter in the forefoot and were going to need some breaking in, unlike the the Ultrashot 3s. After about three hours, the uppers relaxed a bit and felt more comfortable, and the shoes started to mold to my feet and flex better. That left me to enjoy a really padded feel underfoot. The cushioning let my feet sink in, and they felt protected. I never had any issues with the arch support and the ventilation was fine but not excellent."

Michelle also thoroughly enjoyed the previous version of these shoes. She said, "I judged this update with a fairly critical eye because the Ultrashot 3s were so awesome. On the positive side, the shoes offered that signature step-in comfort with good cushioning underfoot as well as around my ankles and heels. I would say comfort remains a standout feature. The Ultrashot 4s were a bit stiff to start and took a little bit of a break-in. I also noted toe jamming during quicker dashes to balls that did cause some pain at the end of my toes. Breathability seemed pretty average in this update -- not too hot but not the most breathable."

Right out of the box, Brittany found a medium width and a generous toe box for her narrow feet. She described, "The length was standard, and the arch support was on the low side. I stayed in my true size (US 8). The shoes are built up, and it took a small break-in period of a couple of hours for the shoes to soften up. However, throughout the break-in period and the rest of the playtest, I found the Ultrashot 4s to be very comfortable. There is a lot of plush cushioning underfoot in both the heel and forefoot, as well as around the ankles and tongues. Lastly, the ventilation was just OK for me."

Foot Support / Stability: 9.0

Our playtesters all agreed that the Ultrashot 4s provided loads of stability and support. Michelle actually thought these shoes were possibly more stable than they needed to be. She explained, "I tend to love the more stable shoe options, but similar to another shoe that was updated this year (the Asics Gel Resolution X), it seems like these Ultrashot 4s are even more stable than the version they replace. The uppers were incredibly supportive. There is noticeable TPU that adds to the support on the uppers and some nice tech callouts to the shank. If you are looking for support and stability, you won't be disappointed with the Ultrashot 4s! However, I had zero issues with the stability and support from the previous version, and it seems like this feature may have added a bit of weight to this model."

"I thought the stability of the Ultrashot 4s was excellent," added Brittany. "I felt like I was sitting within the shoes and not just on top of them. There isn't an extra eyelet, but I did’t need it. I was able to cinch the laces and get a locked-in feel around my ankles. My ankles felt very secure when moving around, and even with all the cushioning underneath, I never felt like I was going to 'tip' or roll over the shoes. While the midfoot and heel felt secure, I was looking for some extra support in the forefoot. With the generous toe box, my narrow feet had too much extra space to move around in. When I was moving side to side, so were my feet within the shoes. At the end of a practice session or match, I could feel the effects of the sliding.”

One of Tiffani's favorite things about these Ultrashot 4s was how effective the lacing system felt. She described, "I could pull on the laces, and the entire shoe would tighten up to support my foot. I didn't need to fiddle with tightening the laces eyelet by eyelet. These shoes also felt really stable, and the platform was good and sturdy. I never felt like I was going to tip over, and I liked how I could feel the sides of my feet sink into the cushioning when I was pulled out wide."

Zsofi felt nicely supported in the Ultrashot 4s throughout the playtest. She said, "This definitely feels like a very stable shoe offering. If you are looking for a supportive tennis shoe, you shouldn’t miss the Ultrashot 4s!”

Overall Sole Durability: 9.0

The Ultrashot 4s already scored highly in comfort, support and stability, and they did not disappoint in the durability category either. The six-month outsole durability guarantee from KSwiss was just the icing on the cake. Tiffani put a solid 15 hours of court time on her shoes and saw virtually no wear underfoot. She said, "I won't be wearing through these outsoles anytime soon! I do drag my toes, especially on the backhand side, and I have scraped up some of the uppers. The raised bits on the toes are starting to peel. It's mostly cosmetic, though, and I'm not worrying about a hole developing anytime soon."

The durability was also a highlight of this playtest for Zsofi. She added, "I saw zero wear on the outsoles of my Ultrashot 4s. I can tell the Ultrashot 4s will last a long time before showing any damage. It is a nice plus that they come with a six-month outsole durability guarantee. The only spot I saw any wear was at the toe box, where I noticed some scuffing.The Ultrashot 4s will be a very durable option."

"These shoes are very durable!" exclaimed Michelle. "I had a chance to test both a pre-production model and the final production model, so I split my playtesting hours (20-plus between the two pairs), and while I’m not always the toughest on my shoes, I am hardly seeing any wear on the outsoles of these shoes."

Brittany tested the Ultrashot 4s on several different hard court surfaces in both practice and match play. She said, "I got in a total of 15-plus hours on them. Looking at the outsoles, I am seeing little to no wear even in my high-wear areas. I would say these are some of the most durable outsoles I have playtested this year. However, while I am not much of a toe dragger, by the end of the playtest I was noticing some wear right above the toe bumper on the uppers on both shoes. I will note that the toe bumpers don't come up all the way, so I feel that the uppers were a little exposed, which may be why I am seeing that material 'peeling' off. However, there is still plenty of material left to go through."

Traction: 8.1

With an updated herringbone tread pattern, the Ultrashot 4s had better traction than previous generations for our team. Brittany explained, "There was a better balance of give and grip in this new version. In the past, I felt like the Ultrashot's outsoles were a little too sticky, and I wasn't able to move fluidly out of my shots. With this update, I had enough give to keep me from feeling stuck when changing directions. All in all, I didn't have to think about the traction, which was a good thing!"

The Ultrashot 4's outsole provided just a bit too much grip for Zsofi's liking. She said, "As an aggressive mover, the traction was a little sticky. I would have preferred just a bit more give."

Tiffani found a good level of traction in the Ultrashot 4s. She said, "The outsoles of the Ultrashot 4s were pretty grippy to me, which I thought matched the build of these shoes. However, the feel wasn't so sticky that I felt that I couldn't move effectively. I could move and pivot out to the next shot as needed."

The sticky tread made the Ultrashot 4s feel just a little clunky for Michelle. She said, "The traction of these shoes was a bit on the stickier side, in my opinion. I don't mind stickier outsoles too much, but pairing that with a heavier shoe wasn't necessarily the best combo, and they could have used slicker traction. The Ultrashot 4 just didn't feel as fluid as the previous version."

Weight: 6.8

Our team was a bit more critical when it came to scoring the weight of these Ultrashot 4s. Michelle did not think the update's extra stability was worth the increased weight. She described, "I thought these Ultrashot 4s felt a bit bulky. They came in an ounce heavier than the previous version. I'm just not sure the trade-off for more stability and durability was needed. The Ultrashot 4s feel clunkier on court, and you can see some additional TPU on the upper that I also think may have added to the weight of these shoes. This was probably the feature that I had the most issues with."

"I was honestly shocked to see that KSwiss increased the weight of this shoe by over an ounce in this iteration," Zsofi said. "With this added weight, the shoe became way too clunky, and I did feel like my movement suffered as a result of this. I like to feel light and speedy on my feet, and it just seemed like I really couldn't put enough into these shoes to get the most out of them simply because they were too heavy."

While Tiffani doesn't favor this update's bulkier design, she figures that it may work well for players who prefer stable, durable shoes. She explained, "These Ultrashot 4s are not light, and I did prefer the slightly lighter feel of the previous version. Still, I think these shoes provide plenty of stability and durability, so it's worth the trade-off for those who want to feel protected on the court. The Ultrashot 4s are not fast shoes, but I don't think they're meant to be."

Because the Ultrashot 4s are so stable and durable, Brittany was not surprised by their substantial feel. She said, "On the scale, the Ultrashot 4s are on the heavier side (and over an ounce heavier than the previous generation). While I didn't think they felt as heavy as the scale indicated, they still felt above average compared to other shoes on the market. So overall, I didn't feel as quick or agile as I usually do.”

Breakdown Summary