KSwiss Ultrashot 3 Men's Review

Comfort - Score: 4.4

Comfort was a highlight of the KSwiss Ultrashot 3 shoes for our testing squad. Mark thought the updated cushioning felt even better than the previous model. He said, "Just like the last two iterations of the KSwiss Ultrashot, this third evolution had a lot of carryover in terms of fit and feel. The width and depth of the toe box felt pretty much the same, and the lacing system allowed me to easily dial in the level of support from the upper, which, by the way, provides noticeably better ventilation than the two prior models. Other than increased breathability, another change I noticed relates to the midsole material. This update to the Surgelite combines with the traditional 7.0 Aosta rubber to create an even more cushioned feel underfoot while still maintaining support."

For Chris, the Ultrashot line just seems to get better and better in terms of comfort. He said, "The Ultrashot 3s offered a very comfortable ride. I feel the level of comfort has improved with each version. My one knock was that the shoes ran a tad hot. On the plus side, the uppers felt well padded, and I didn't feel any discomfort when sprinting around the court. The fit was good, and even though I had to cinch the laces almost all the way, I was able to secure my skinny feet inside the shoes well enough to not have much sliding around inside them."

With their well-balanced design, the Ultrashot 3s were right in Sage's wheelhouse. He described, "I gravitate toward cushioned shoes that offer a connected feel to the ground, and these Ultrashot 3s fit the bill. They aren't overly plush or overly spartan in design. With very minimal break-in time, they were comfortable immediately and stayed consistent. I really appreciated the overall support in the toe box, although it did fit slightly wider than I'm used to. I didn't feel the need to adopt the two-sock method, but there was definitely extra room for my average-width feet. If they were any wider, I would have started to worry about foot slippage leading to my ankle rolling over laterally. As for breathability, I wanted to change out of the shoes quickly after hitting to cool my feet down and air them out as soon as possible. This is being picky, but if I were to play multiple matches over a weekend tournament, it isn't hard to imagine stepping into damp shoes."

Jason found these shoes to fit his wider feet perfectly, and he was very impressed with this update overall. He said, "I've always found excellent comfort with KSwiss shoes, and the Ultrashot 3 is no exception. First, the fit was spot on for me. The width was roomy enough for my E-width feet, and with a lower arch, there were no pressure points. I found the underfoot cushioning to be plush and responsive. The only slight knock for me was the breathability. They felt a little warm to me throughout the playtest, and this is during the winter months. I could imagine finding them to be fairly warm during spring and summer."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.5

The KSwiss Ultrashot 3s provided a stable and secure ride for our playtesters, keeping them locked in and ready to go. Chris explained, "I found the stability to be impressive in the Ultrashot 3s. On aggressive lateral cuts, the Ultrashot 3s allowed me to stop and push off with confidence. My ankles felt secure, and I was able to get a nice locked-in feel from the top lace eyelets. For support, the shoes held my feet surprisingly well. KSwiss shoes tend to run a bit too wide for me. With the Ultrashot 3s, I got a decently locked-in ride and didn't have to worry about sliding around inside them, which can lead to too much rubbing."

Sage felt that he could move at full speed into and out of shots. He said, "These shoes were great stability-wise, especially laterally. I felt locked in and stable when changing directions. The Ultrashot 3s fit pretty high on my ankle, helping instill confidence in my movement all over the court. There was no hesitation sliding into a shot, then exploding out of it to get back into position. Those classic tennis movements were smooth and predictable throughout the playtest."

Other than minor heel slippage, Jason enjoyed the support and stability of these shoes as well. He described, "I felt very confident moving around the court in these shoes. The stability felt great when changing directions, and even though the shoes fit a little wider, my feet were locked in and didn't move around. I was experiencing slight heel slippage, but it wasn't bad enough for me to use the highest eyelet. I just needed to cinch up my laces and I was good to go."

Mark had no complaints with the Ultrashot 3s here. He said, "As far as overall support and stability, I give the Ultrashot 3s two thumbs up! No matter what directional changes I made in them, I felt safe and comfortable. And like I mentioned above, the lacing system enabled me to easily modify the level of support and get a customized fit."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.5

Our playtesters found the KSwiss Ultrashot 3s to hold up well thanks to the Dragguard 7.0 rubber outsole. Sage thought the durability felt solid throughout the playtest, and the durability guarantee gave him peace of mind. He said, "I put plenty of court time into these shoes, and they answered the call. I love the six-month durability guarantee offered by KSwiss. Based on the amount of wear following the playtest, I'd guess they'll last about four months of consistent playing before it's time to ship them in for the replacement pair per the warranty. I tend to wear out shoes at the ball of my foot near my big toe, but these Ultrashot 3s held up just fine in that area."

Jason didn't find much wear and tear on his pair. He said, "I put plenty of court time on these shoes, and they still show plenty of tread. I'd estimate that I have about 20 hours on them, and they only show slight tread loss around the medial forefoot. Just looking at them, you can see how deep the grooves are and how much rubber you have to work with."

The Ultrashot 3s even seemed to be tough enough to stand up to Chris' aggressive footwork. He said, "The Ultrashot 3s held up well for me. I tend to be pretty hard on both the outsoles and the toes of my shoes, and the Ultrashot 3s took all the abuse I threw at them. Even my highest wear area on the outsoles looked in good shape at the end of the test. The uppers at the tip of the toes show a bit more abuse, but the materials are holding strong."

Mark put dozens of hours of hard-court play onto his Ultrashot 3s, and they were still ready for more by the end of the playtest period. He described, "For this particular playtest, I had two pairs of the Ultrashot 3s, and I have to say that the level of their outsole durability rivals any of the other high-performance tennis shoes that feature an outsole warranty. All of my play time was on hard courts for this test, and after more than 40 hours of play on both pairs, they still have some quality hard-court time left in them."

Traction - Score: 4.5

The KSwiss Ultrashot 3s provided the right balance of give and grip for the hard courts our team played on. Mark noted a slight break-in period before the traction settled in where he wanted it. He said, "For maybe the first 30 minutes of play, I did get the sense that the outsole was sort of sticky and didn't allow for the slight bit of give, or slide, that I prefer. That said, their level of hard-court traction was nearly perfect for the next 39.5 hours of this playtest."

Sage had no issues at all with the traction of these Ultrashot 3s. He described, "They shone in this category. KSwiss found a happy medium between too much grip and being too slick. Stopping abruptly and pivoting felt effortless. I want shoes I can wholeheartedly trust with quick movement. I rely on my foot speed to extend points and often try to chase down the extra ball to keep the point alive. These shoes gave me the option to plant and hit or slide into a shot."

The Ultrashot 3s hit that perfect traction middle-ground for Jason. He said, "For the most part, I enjoyed the traction. It wasn't as sticky as the Hypercourt Supremes and reminded me more of the Ultrashot 2 or Hypercourt Express 2. There was plenty of grip for pushing off and pivoting, and a bit of give when trying to quickly change directions."

Agreeing with the rest of the team, Chris added, "I liked the level of traction offered by the Ultrashot 3s. I was able to slide out of shots easily, and I also found enough give to be able to pivot quickly. When I needed to make a quick start, the Ultrashot 3s offered plenty of grip."

Weight - Score: 4.2

At 15.3 ounces (size 10.5), the KSwiss Ultrashot 3s didn't weigh down our playtesters, but they were still robust enough to offer respectable stability and durability. Chris described, "The Ultrashot 3s felt pretty middle of the road in terms of weight. Considering these shoes are very durable, I was impressed that KSwiss kept the weight in check. I felt like I moved very well in them and didn't feel slowed down at all."

The Ultrashot 3s felt about as heavy as Jason expected, and they tended to fade into the background once he got moving. He said, "The weight of these shoes is a non-issue. Once I had them on my feet I stopped thinking about them. For as durable and stable as they are, the weight of these shoes is actually not bad."

Sage found these shoes to feel slightly heavier than similar models, but this added to the overall stability. He said, "I had no problems with explosive movements on court, but these Ultrashot 3s definitely feel heavier than some of the other shoes available. I don't mind the added weight when the stability is as rock-solid as it is in this case."

Mark thought that these shoes felt relatively light on court despite the listed weight. He concluded, "It appears that the new Ultrashot 3s are about the same weight as earlier models, which is around 15.3 ounces for a men's size 10.5. I definitely consider the overall weight when I'm testing shoes, but I also realize that weight does not always indicate whether a shoe is going to feel speedy or clunky around the court. That said, I feel the Ultrashot 3s are true court shoes, keeping my feet low to the ground and making it very easy for me to maneuver."

Overall - Score: 4.4