monologuist
Hall of Fame
Well, in my quest to find a good tennis shoe that accomodates a wide forefoot, has good support and comfort, but is light/quick, low to the ground, and is durable, I have to pass on the word that the Asics Gel Sensation shoe is a really great choice (so far). I've have my pair for about 2 weeks, and have used them for both practice and match play, and they are a really great blend of these characteristics, and few people seem to know about them. They also have a 6 months outsole warranty, so I have a feeling the soles will be holding out for quite some time.
They have a very light, low to the ground, "match day shoe" feel to them, similar to something like Diadora Speedzone, Nike Vapor Speed, Adidas A3 accelerate, etc. You can feel the court very well, but they have just enough cushioning and support that your feet don't take a beating like the Speedzone. The uppers are very soft and breathable, although appear to be less durable than some of these mentioned competitors. The good news though is that there is a reinforced toe area for toe-draggers such as myself. They are good to go straight out of the box, but after a few matches, they really start to mold to your feet; I'm assuming this is the "Gel" sole. The arch support is on the low-medium side, so I'm not sure that they'd work for high arched feet. They fit true to size, and while they accomodate wide feet like mine, the lacing system is such that they'd probably work for most any shaped foot....the uppers are very plaible and mold to your feet.
In summary, these shoes look really great with their unusual grey/white/red colorway, have a really performance-minded/sleek fit (not clunky at all), and have the benefit of a 6 month sole warranty that none of its competitors seem to have ( in terms of a lightweight "match day shoe")...making them a great choice for not only serious match play, but day in day out training. The only potential weaknesses are that the uppers are pretty thin and potentially less durable than competitor's (but are extremely comfortable and breathable as a result), and that the support may be a little less than some may want for an every-day traning shoe (but ideal for match day) like a Barricade....but ultimately, they are impressively comfortable for having such a thin, feel-the-court sole.
They have a very light, low to the ground, "match day shoe" feel to them, similar to something like Diadora Speedzone, Nike Vapor Speed, Adidas A3 accelerate, etc. You can feel the court very well, but they have just enough cushioning and support that your feet don't take a beating like the Speedzone. The uppers are very soft and breathable, although appear to be less durable than some of these mentioned competitors. The good news though is that there is a reinforced toe area for toe-draggers such as myself. They are good to go straight out of the box, but after a few matches, they really start to mold to your feet; I'm assuming this is the "Gel" sole. The arch support is on the low-medium side, so I'm not sure that they'd work for high arched feet. They fit true to size, and while they accomodate wide feet like mine, the lacing system is such that they'd probably work for most any shaped foot....the uppers are very plaible and mold to your feet.
In summary, these shoes look really great with their unusual grey/white/red colorway, have a really performance-minded/sleek fit (not clunky at all), and have the benefit of a 6 month sole warranty that none of its competitors seem to have ( in terms of a lightweight "match day shoe")...making them a great choice for not only serious match play, but day in day out training. The only potential weaknesses are that the uppers are pretty thin and potentially less durable than competitor's (but are extremely comfortable and breathable as a result), and that the support may be a little less than some may want for an every-day traning shoe (but ideal for match day) like a Barricade....but ultimately, they are impressively comfortable for having such a thin, feel-the-court sole.
