The Prince Venoms offered impressive comfort and a great fit for the entire playtest team. Straight out of the box, the Prince Venoms worked perfectly for Howard. He said, "After several hours of play, the cushioning still matched the comfort level from when I first put on the shoes. Arch support was a bit lower than I normally like, but this did not affect comfort. Playing in the summer Georgia weather, I was happy with how the shoes did not feel overwhelmingly hot."

"I liked the overall fit and feel of the Venoms," added Chris. "The shoes felt true to size, and I was able to get a snug enough fit from the medium width. The shoes flexed and moved with my feet well and didn't require much of a break-in. While the mesh uppers flexed well, they did not prove to be breathable, and my feet ran hot inside these shoes. I did like the level of cushioning. I felt low to the ground in the forefoot, yet still had plenty of cushioning to find a comfortable ride. The heel cushioning felt like it had a good blend of being plush enough for comfort yet also responsive enough for aggressive play. Interestingly, the cushioning felt a little lacking compared to other shoes when I first tried them on, but on court that feel went away, and the cushioning felt more than adequate."

Troy experienced a small break-in period before the shoes softened up. He described, "During the initial phase of testing these Prince Venoms, I wasn't all that impressed with the overall comfort. Trying them on for the first time, they felt slightly on the rigid side, and the cushioning underneath my forefoot felt rather minimal. After walking around in them for a couple of days, and then having a couple of hitting sessions in them, my opinion started to change. The TPU material on the upper started to contour to my feet, flexing well as I moved. I also started to feel a slight bit of give and bounciness under the forefoot region as the outsole broke in. The overall fit was good for me, and I didn't really have any issues with pinching or rubbing."

For the most part, the Venoms provided enough support and stability for the playtesters to move around the court aggressively. Chris had no complaints here. He said, "The Venoms are not super stiff and rigid for stability, but rather, they are comfortably supportive. I liked the way the shoes flexed with my feet, and I was able to play in them without having to think about them. I never had any issues when making aggressive lateral cuts, and I was able to sprint around the court at full speed while feeling safe."

"Support and stability were pretty good overall," added Troy. "I'd say that the stability of these shoes wasn't quite at the level of an Asics Gel Resolution 9 or adidas Barricade, but it was enough for what I need and pretty solid overall. When I cinched up the laces tightly and used the last eyelet up top, I felt like I was locked in and well supported."

On the other hand, Howard could have used a little more support. He said, "The only issue I ran into with the Prince Venoms was the foot support. While the roomy toe box offers great comfort, I did run into an issue with my feet sliding to the front during hard stops. However, ankle stability was good, and I didn't have any issues with possible ankle rolls during the playtest."

With each tester putting over 10 hours on their Prince Venoms throughout this month-long playtest, our team agreed these shoes were on the durable side. To Howard's surprise, his pair held up amazingly well. He described, "No complaints with the overall durability! I tend to be a bit rough with my court shoes, but I had little to no wear in the toe area, so I was really impressed. If I were in the market for a nice durable shoe at a great price, the Prince Venom would be it!"

Chris agreed, adding, "My pair of Venoms held up well. Both the outsoles and uppers still looked good after 15 hours of play. I drag my toes when I play and have worn through shoes in under two hours, so I was impressed to see how good these shoes looked at the end of the test."

Troy found average durability compared to the other tennis shoes he's tried. He said, "The rubber outsole and toe cap held up well throughout the playtest. I noticed some slight balding under the balls of my feet and near the toes, but I had no major issues. Overall, the outsole wasn't quite as beefy as the Asics Gel Resolution 9s or Nike Vapor Cage 4s, but it also held up better than most of the lightweight, speed-oriented shoes that I have tested."

The unique wave tread pattern of the Venoms impressed our team. Troy found a little more grip than give when it came to traction. He explained, "I found the rubber outsole to feel slightly on the gummy side, or a little bit softer compared to the average hard court shoe I have tested. With that said, I felt like the outsole was gripping the court very well, and when I needed to change directions or push off, the outsole gripped easily. I would say that these shoes felt slightly on the sticky side, but for me that was OK since I don't tend to slide into my shots on hard courts."

"Traction was a bit sticky out of the box, but that stickiness went away after about two hours of play, and I still enjoyed the level of grip I was getting out of these shoes," added Howard. "On quick scrambles, I didn't run into any issues with the shoes slipping on the court, and this gave me the confidence to push off with full force to track down drop shots."

Chris found the perfect balance of give and grip in the Venoms. He said, "When I was looking to take a quick first step, there was enough grab for the outsoles to help me get going quickly. On aggressive stops, I was able to slide out of my movement enough to take the stress off my knees and ankles. All in all, the traction worked well for me, and I felt confident during point play."

Weighing in at 14.7 ounces (US men's 10.5) on the scale, the Prince Venoms landed between the lightweight and heavy categories of tennis shoes. On court, the Venoms felt pretty much middle of the road in terms of weight for Chris. He said, "Considering these shoes proved to be durable and also nice and supportive, I think the weight has been put to good use. I felt fast in these shoes on court, and it was easy to forget about them and focus on my tennis."

Troy agreed with Chris' assessment. He explained, "Overall, the weight of the Prince Venom felt pretty average to me. It didn't feel too hefty or bulky like the original Prince T22, but it also wasn't the speediest shoe I have tested. The more I wore the Prince Venoms, the better they flexed, and the easier it was to shuffle my feet and make transitions from baseline to the net, which helped with the speediness."

Howard thought the weight of the Prince Venoms was perfect for their design. He said, "These shoes did not feel too light or too heavy. I honestly thought they felt a bit lighter than the weight on the scale indicated, and I would have guessed they were somewhere around 13.5 ounces. The blend of their overall weight and low-to-the-ground feel makes the Venoms rock-solid shoes."