Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.0

Thanks to the Joma Ace Pro’s plush cushioning and soft upper, comfort was the highlight of this playtest. Even though these are the first Joma shoes Tiffani has worn, she couldn't wait to head to the court and test them. She said, "It's always exciting to try new shoes, even more so when it's a new brand. The Ace Pros are the first Joma shoes I’ve tried. I enjoyed the wider fit in the forefoot, and the cushioning felt soft under my feet when I first put them on. As I walked around, it felt like the arch was too far back, right at the start of my heel. Like the rest of the footbed, though, it was soft and didn't cause any pain. Actually, I didn't notice it at all once I started playing. I also can't remember thinking about any heat build up in these shoes, although it was wintertime during this playtest."

After Brittany slipped the Ace Pros onto her feet, the first thing she noticed was the fit. She said, "I have narrow feet, and I was definitely swimming in these shoes. They fit very wide, and I thought they were a tad long, too. If you have narrow or medium-width feet, I would recommend going down a half size for a better fit. I next noticed the cushioning underfoot. It’s on the more supportive, firmer side, but it did a good job absorbing shock when I was moving around the court. I’m not sure if there was additional padding or if the arch was set a little too far back, but I noticed a bump in the cushioning closer to my heel. Although I felt it when just standing around, it didn't cause any issues on court. The uppers are on the softer side, so I didn’t need any break-in time."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.0

Both playtesters had a bit of an issue with the support and stability of the Joma Ace Pros. Due to her narrow feet, Brittany struggled to feel secure in the Ace Pros. She critiqued, "These shoes are wide from heel to toe, so I had to make an effort to get a fit I could work with. I was able to get a slightly snugger fit after wearing two pairs of socks and cinching the laces as tightly as I could get them. However, this did not stop my feet from moving around in the shoes. When I was playing singles, and moving around more, I ended up developing a little hot spot underneath my right foot from all the friction. Like I mentioned in the comfort section, the uppers are on the softer side, which allowed my feet to move even more in these shoes. My feet continued sliding sideways inside the shoes even after I stopped and was trying to change directions. This made me feel less confident in the stability."

"Here's where I began to struggle with the Ace Pros," said Tiffani. "These shoes fit me well width-wise, but the toe box was quite deep. I ended up having a lot of extra material on top of my feet. The uppers were quite soft, which made these shoes feel comfortable; it also meant that they weren't holding my feet well when I was moving side to side. I kept trying to pull the laces down harder to get the uppers to hug my feet, or at least provide more support. Unfortunately, because of all that extra material, the uppers just bunched up on top of my feet. I never felt like I was going to tip over in these shoes, but I was sliding around too much inside them to feel fully confident in my movements."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.0

The Joma Ace Pro’s durable rubber outsole held up for our playtesters throughout the playtest. Tiffani didn't put a dent her shoes. She described, "After putting in a few hours on the court in these shoes, I'm not seeing much wear. The toes and outsole look like they still have a lot of life left in them. I have no complaints about durability."

Brittany got about eight hours on court with her pair. She said, "The shoes have held up well thus far. I see no smoothing or balding, and I expect them to last a couple more months. The toe bumpers were no different. They protected the shoes from my toe dragging and had plenty of life left at the end of the playtest."

Traction - Score: 3.7

The Joma Ace Pros did their job perfectly when it came to traction. Brittany had no complaints, saying, "I thought the outsole did a good job of offering that excellent combination of give and grip. The shoes never felt sticky or slippery when moving around. They also offered a consistent response from the first hit to the last."

Tiffani completely agreed. She added, "I didn't think much about feeling stuck or slipping, so I would say I'm pleased with the traction levels of the Ace Pros. Although, I do have to say I was a bit distracted because I was slipping and sliding inside the shoes."

Weight - Score: 3.4

Our playtesters found that the weight of the Joma Ace Pros felt adequate, but not especially impressive. Tiffani had both positives and negatives to share. She said, "For the amount of comfort these shoes offered me, I was pleased with the weight. They never made me feel weighed down, but unfortunately, I didn't feel particularly quick in these shoes. The lower support levels made it difficult to transition quickly to the next shot, so I felt a step slow."

The weight of the Ace Pros seemed about average to Brittany for most of her on-court movements. She concluded, "They didn't feel light, but they weren't bulky either. When I was moving side to side during the playtest I didn't notice the shoes or their weight. When I was moving up toward the net aggressively, the shoes weren't flexing as well I needed, and they became 'slappy.' This made their weight more noticeable."

Overall - Score: 3.6