Breakdown

Comfort: 7.8

KSwiss spared no expense when it came to the comfort of the KSwiss Ultrashot Teams. Zsofi thought these shoes offered enough cushioning for long hours on the courts. She said, "If you are looking for great value and comfort, the KSwiss Ultrashot Teams will be a good choice for you. The comfort levels were top notch. I have medium-width feet, and I felt super comfortable even after putting in long hours in these shoes. KSwiss is famous for having wider-fitting shoe options, and the Ultrashot Teams would definitely make that list. I felt like I had just enough cushioning under the heels, and the shoes were nicely padded where they needed to be."

"I very rarely switch shoe sizes," added Tiffani, who has wide feet. "I'm usually happy with a size 6 (D width if available), but when I tried on these Ultrashot Teams, I immediately thought they felt too short. They also fit a bit snugger in the toe box than KSwiss shoes have fit me in the past. I tried on a half size larger and opted to wear 6.5 for the test. The toe box did open up a bit as I wore these shoes, which made them even more comfortable, and the length felt perfect for me in that half size up. The cushioning felt soft rather than responsive underfoot, and I enjoyed the ventilation."

While the KSwiss Ultrashot Teams felt a little roomy to Ana, she did like how they felt on her feet. She said, "These shoes felt super comfortable right from the start. I thought they were soft for tennis shoes, and I didn’t need any break-in time to play in them. However, it took some time to get used to them since I had been playing with narrower shoes. They have a lot of space in the toe box compared to my go-to tennis shoes, which is why they initially felt so different. The only time I experienced any type of pain was when I was either stopping too aggressively or stepping too heavily, and the shoes didn't feel like they had enough cushioning underfoot. I was hesitant to move around too aggressively on the court in them due to all the room in the toe box, and I felt like my feet were moving inside the shoes. The width felt like a standard medium fit around the midfoot with a nice generous toe box. Ventilation felt great; It didn’t feel like the material of the shoes retained much heat."

Michelle also struggled to get the right fit. She described, "When I first tried these on, I found the length to be short in my size 10s and instantly went to see if I could go up a half or even a full size. Unfortunately, the KSwiss Ultrashot Teams max out at size 10; I made them work, but I would recommend sizing up for the best fit. The Ultrashot 3s are great high-performing match-day shoes that I recommend to lots of players, but they also became great coaching shoes for me. They were comfortable around my heels and underfoot. I could wear them for hours at a time if I wasn't moving super aggressively. But if I was hitting aggressively, my toes were definitely getting squished and jamming into the ends of the shoes. With that being said, I was really happy with what the Ultrashot Teams offered me in the comfort category at this price point."

Foot Support / Stability: 7.3

Our playtesters agreed that the Ultrashot Teams offered adequate ankle support but lacked some support overall. Tiffani compared the Teams to other models in the Ultrashot family. She said, "The Ultrashot 3s are some of my favorite supportive and stable shoes, so I was curious to see how the Ultrashot Teams would feel. The Teams did feel stable enough for me, and my ankles felt secure, however, I struggled with the support. The longer I wore my shoes, the more they started to open up and have a more relaxed fit. That felt comfortable, but the uppers started to not support my feet very well. I had some toe jamming issues, and to help minimize that I was pulling my laces tighter and tighter."

Michelle thought these shoes were more stable than supportive, which worked fine for what she was wearing them for. She said, "The uppers were comfortable, but there was not tons of support. However, the shoes were built to be stable and they kept me confident in my movement. They did the job well for a full day of coaching with light hitting, but I would prefer the Ultrashot 3 when it comes to intense drill sessions or super competitive point play."

"The one area where I did have issues was support," added Zsofi. “The Ultrashot Teams were not holding me well enough when I was changing directions quickly, and my feet were moving too much inside. This caused me to lack confidence when moving aggressively. As the playtest went on, the uppers opened up a bit too much for my liking, which also added to me not feeling that supported."

Ana was in a similar boat, though she did note a few positive points as well. She said, "The foot support was not great. The width of these shoes felt a bit too roomy for my feet. The support would have been better if the uppers wrapped around my feet a bit more. Besides that, I liked that my feet felt close to the ground, even though this meant that there was less cushioning. I also liked the ankle stability on these shoes. They came up quite high on my ankles compared to other tennis shoes I have worn."

Overall Sole Durability: 8.1

For the most part, the durability of the KSwiss Ultrashot Teams impressed our playtesters. Michelle had high praise for the outsoles. She said, "I think KSwiss shoes are always really durable, and these Ultrashot Teams were no exception. The rubber is clearly a durable compound. I am not seeing much wear at all, and I know these will last for a while!"

Zsofi expects that she still has plenty of time left with her pair of KSwiss Ultrashot Teams. She said, "I barely saw any wear on these shoes, and I was very impressed by that. The outsoles were holding up nicely, and I have a feeling that the uppers would give out before the outsoles wore down."  

Tiffani agreed with the rest of the team. She added, "These shoes feel lighter than the Ultrashot 3s, but they're holding up pretty well for me. I did use them mostly for casual hitting, though, because the support wasn't where I wanted it for more aggressive play. I did put in about a dozen hours on the court in these shoes, and the outsoles and toes look fine. For their price, these shoes are holding up well."

While Ana doesn't think the Ultrashot Teams are the most durable tennis shoes for intense match play, they were plenty durable for her. She explained, "I didn't get to play many matches in them, which is where I slide the most around the court. However, I wore them to coach several times and during several hitting sessions, and the soles still seem almost brand new. I do not think these shoes would last a long time for players who like to slide on a hard court and move aggressively, but the soles will last quite a bit for beginner tennis players! I am not seeing any wear in the uppers, but they did start to open up."

Traction: 7.8

The Ultrashot Team's traditional herringbone tread pattern offers a nice blend of give and grip. Traction was optimal for Zsofi, who said, "I can’t really complain here at all. I thought I had just enough give to slide out of my shots a bit if needed, but they also gripped the court well." 

The Ultrashot Team's outsoles worked perfectly for Tiffani's game. She said, "I think the traction is on the stickier side of the spectrum, but it wasn't too grippy. I could move well, and my transitions were smooth, which is what I really look for from my shoes. I want to be able to pivot quickly while still being confident that I'm not going to slip as I push off to move to the next shot."

Michelle also prefers grippy traction from her tennis shoes, so she was right at home in the Ultrashot Teams. She said, "The traction was just fine for me. I think they were a bit sticky, but that's all good in my world. I like traction I can rely on, which tends to be sticky rather than slick!"

Weight: 8.1

Weighing in at 10.3 ounces (size 8.5), the KSwiss Ultrashot Teams are light and flexible. Ana thought they had a slipper-like feel. She said, "The Ultrashot Teams feel light and flexible. As soon as I put them on, it almost felt like I wasn't wearing tennis shoes."

Zsofi also felt lightning fast in the Ultrashot Teams. She said, "When I first put the shoes on I was honestly surprised by how light they were on my feet. I could barely feel them, and I felt super speedy on court."

The KSwiss Ultrashot Teams were lighter than Michelle expected. She said, "I thought these shoes would feel a bit bulky, but they were mid-range in terms of weight for me. They definitely did not feel heavy. I never felt weighed down."

Tiffani found the Ultrashot Teams to be around average in terms of weight. She wrapped up the playtest, saying, "These Ultrashot Teams are flexible, so I thought the weight felt nice. They aren't as built up as the Ultrashot 3s, so they do feel a bit faster. I still wouldn't classify them as lightweight shoes, but I think they're a good middle-of-the-road option in terms of weight."

Breakdown Summary