Head Revolt Evo 2 Tennis Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.1

With a lightweight mesh upper and plenty of underfoot cushioning, the Head Revolt Evo 2.0 offered easy comfort from the first step. As a fan of other Head Revolt shoes, Tiffani was excited to dive into this playtest. She said, "I like the Head Revolt Pro series quite a bit, so I was curious how the Revolt Evo 2.0s would feel on court. I immediately noticed a wider fit throughout the shoes, which was great for me. The toe box felt quite generous and wider than medium. I had no break-in time with these shoes and could play comfortably right away. The cushioning was sufficient for me, but it's not what I would call super plush. The padding around the ankles was substantial, though. The arch support and ventilation levels never stood out while I was playing, so I would call them average."

"These shoes were comfortable right out of the box, and they didn't need a break-in period," added Jason. "I really enjoyed the fit of these Revolt Evo 2.0s because they are a bit wider, especially in the toe box, and had a lower arch. I thought ventilation was good, like other Head shoes that have the ventilation piece in the midfoot. As for cushioning, I thought it was adequate, but not exceptional."

Brittany knew going into this playtest that the Head Revolt Evo 2.0s have a wider fit and that her feet are on the narrower side. Even so, she still found a good fit in these shoes. She described, "I prefer shoes that have a roomy toe box and had high hopes I would get the best of both worlds with the Evo 2.0s. When I did slip these shoes on, the toe box fit my feet perfectly; I had plenty of space. The midfoot section was on the roomier side as expected, and I was happy to see that the back of the shoe was keeping my heels in place. I also thought the cushioning was leaning toward the plush side. The shoes felt very comfortable from the first hit, and they didn't need any sort of break-in period. My feet also stayed relatively cool, even in the warmer summer months of the playtest."

Mark has plenty of experience with Head shoes, and some of his favorite tennis shoes are the Head NZZZO Pros of the past. He said, "The midsole material and stock insert of the Head Revolt Evo 2.0s provided sufficient, but not plush, underfoot cushioning, which is expected from a court shoe that is pretty low to the ground. The arch height of that stock insert was low, but it was pronounced enough to be just fine for my higher arches. Ventilation was top notch for these shoes, and as far as overall support, the light and breathable upper was substantial enough for proper foot support."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.8

Across the board, our playtesters were able to get the support and stability they needed out of the Revolt Evo 2.0s. The shoes exceeded Mark's expectations in this category. He explained, "If a tennis shoe weighs less than 13 ounces (men's US 10.5), I am pretty certain I will appreciate the speediness aspect, but I will be concerned about how well the shoes will support my feet during play. That said, I felt comfortable and supported no matter what directional change I made in the Revolt Evo 2.0s, so I have to say these shoes offered a higher-than-expected level of support."

"These Revolt Evo 2.0s definitely fit wider than standard, but with my wider feet, I enjoyed the fit and feel," said Tiffani. "That continued for the support and stability. I didn't find myself sliding around in the shoes or feeling like I was going to tip over. Because the fit was more generous than most standard-width tennis shoes, I was cinching up the laces more than I'm used to. They didn't feel as substantial as the Revolt Pro 4.0s I tested earlier in the year, but the Revolt Evo 2.0s offered plenty of support and stability for my game."

Jason thought his feet were pretty well supported once he had his laces cinched up tightly. However, he was looking for a little more in terms of stability. He described, "I was left wanting a bit more rigidity in the uppers to help with stability. When planting and cutting aggressively, I could feel the uppers flex more than I wanted. I also thought the shoes could benefit from a slightly higher ankle collar."

Before her first hit, Brittany made sure she had tightened the laces as best as she could and used the last eyelet for the most secure fit possible. She said, "I played a variety of singles, doubles and drilling with the shoes and am happy to report my ankles, which need a little extra support these days, were very content in the Revolt Evo 2.0s. I had no soreness after playing and never felt like I was going to tip over on court during aggressive movements. However, I did have some movement within the shoes (as expected), but I attribute that to the slightly wider fit. For the most part, this did not hold back my on-court movement, but I did lean toward playing doubles or more casual, controlled hits with the shoes."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.1

Our team had no complaints when it came to the durability of the Head Revolt Evo 2.0s. Brittany ended up playing more than 15 hours in these shoes on a gritty indoor court. She described, "The outsoles have held up remarkably well, and I'm just starting to see slight smoothing in high-wear areas. The toe durability is much the same story. I think the shoes get high marks for the level of durability for both toe and outsole."

Mark had similar feedback. He added, "I refer to tennis shoes that I like as being 'meat and potatoes.' The Head Revolt Evo 2.0s provide most everything I need, including the level of outsole durability. They're definitely meat-and-potato shoes for me."

Continuing the high praise, Tiffani said, "I put a solid 15-plus hours of hard court time on these shoes, and they're holding up really well. I don't see much wear on the toes or the outsoles."

As a player who slides and can do some real damage to his outsoles, Jason found that these shoes passed the test. He explained, "I was happy with the durability of the outsoles, especially for their weight. I put between 10 and 12 hours on mine, and they only show slight wear on the medial forefoot areas."

Traction - Score: 4.0

For the most part, the Revolt Evo 2.0s offered the traction necessary to move aggressively on the court. Jason was able to utilize the balanced grip to benefit his movement. He explained, "I liked that the traction wasn't too sticky and had some give to it. It allowed me to slide out of my shots, and because the uppers were on the more flexible end, I didn't feel like my feet got stuck and my ankles were going to roll over."

"Throughout the entire playtest, the traction in the new Head Revolt Evo 2.0 was predictable and consistent," said Mark. "I have maybe 30 hours of play time in them so far, which was on various hard courts, not all clean either, and I never had to give any thought to traction, which is precisely what I want."

The Revolt Evo 2.0's traction was never an issue for Tiffani. She said, "I think these shoes offered a good level of grip on the hard court. I don't recall ever feeling stuck or sliding out. I moved with confidence in the Revolt Evo 2.0s."

On the other hand, Brittany thought these shoes leaned slightly toward the grippy side of the spectrum. She said, "I didn't feel a lot of give when I was pulled out wide and changing directions. I also think I was sitting up a little higher in my shoes, so I wasn't feeling as connected to the court. That being said, I never felt stuck or slowed down, but I just have a personal preference for a little more give. I also thought the traction remained consistent throughout the playtest."

Weight - Score: 4.1

Although the playtesters didn't come to fully agree about the weight of the Head Revolt Evo 2.0s, nobody had any complaints. Mark thought there was a good balance of weight and stability. He said, "This was one of the more attractive qualities about these shoes, and the Head Revolt Evo 2.0 definitely delivers on being speedy without having to trade away support or stability, which may be even more important to me than the shoe being lightweight."

Jason thought the shoes felt on the lighter side, which was great for him. He said, "I felt quick moving on court with these shoes and didn't feel that the weight was cumbersome at all."

While Brittany wasn't blown away by the Evo 2.0s in this category, she thought they did the job well. She explained, "These shoes felt middle-of-the-road weight-wise to me. They definitely didn't feel streamlined and light, but at the same time, they were flexing in the right spots, allowing me to move around with ease. I didn't have to think about my shoes while I was playing, and that is all that matters."

Wrapping up the playtest, Tiffani was in the same boat as Brittany. She said, "These shoes didn't feel super light, but I wouldn't call them heavy either. They are middle-of-the-road in the weight performance category. I was happy with the balance of features, so I can't knock the weight at all."

Overall - Score: 4.0