Sardines
Hall of Fame
Over Black Friday sales, I thought I'd try something new at the local tennis store and tried these shoes. Even in the store, these Fly 3 with the Blushield were very cushy to just basic static jumps etc. I was afraid I'd feel disconnected from the court, but liked the padded cushy feel so much, I bought it to try.
I did minimal break in walking, and really liked the plush sensation of the midsole. Coming from Adidas, Nike, NB and Asics, the EVA/Blushield combo feel so much more cushy. Now I'm only just around 170lbs, so I don't crush midsoles faster than I wear out the outsoles, but Lightstrike tends to compress and give up the fastest, having used the N3xt L3v3ls and also the Ubersonic 4, where I found the midsole isn't as durable as the outsole.
The overall fit is slightly generous for my leanish foot. The forefoot fit is a smidge wider than my D foot, but the lacing system is excellent is securing the foot down from sliding. I could wear a thick sock like the Thorlos TX and the tighter lacing still felt comfortable, because the tongue of the sock liner is well padded. In fact the SF3 the most comfortable sockliner shoe I've worn, better than any Asics, Nike or Adidas shoe, with only the Yonex Eclipsion with a comparably padded sockliner tongue . Tying down tight on the FF2, Ubersonic ¾, Nike Vapors, Cage and Zooms felt either uncomfortable or just ok. The padding makes the entire fit very plush for my foot. I have a normal neutral arch, and the double hoops at the collar allows runner's knots for an extra secure fit. The pointed toe design does make it difficult for plateau or squarish toe shaped feet a normal length size fit.
Stability is very good, pretty much on par with the Stycons. The Duratech rubber is tough and traction is excellent on hard courts. Direction changes are secure and Being 70+g lighter (and about 20g heavier than the Ubersonic 4 @ size 11) than the Stycon, it can work as a daily playing shoe because of the durability of the outsole and cushy feel, but light enough to be a fast match day shoe. The shank is stiff enough for grinding and retrieving,
The only niggle I have is the arch support is lower than I'm used to, but I only had a mild arch ache first time out after a 2hr singles match and covering 1.7 miles on court, at least according to my Garmin watch using GPS. A switch of the insole to my custom carbon fixed that issue. In fact, I had no real foot aches for doubles, and the bouncy energy return was a slight but noticeable benefit. That Blushield stuff works!
Overall, comparing the various lightweight speed shoes, the Fly 3 is more responsive, plush cushioned and comfortable fit shoe that's a little (20+g) heavier. When compared to the durable/stability shoes, it proved to be as durable as any other type of rubber and the stability to use it. The plush cushioning of the midsole makes it easier to wear for lots of feet pounding. If it fits your foot, it's really an excellent "tweener" shoe that is dual purposed.
I did minimal break in walking, and really liked the plush sensation of the midsole. Coming from Adidas, Nike, NB and Asics, the EVA/Blushield combo feel so much more cushy. Now I'm only just around 170lbs, so I don't crush midsoles faster than I wear out the outsoles, but Lightstrike tends to compress and give up the fastest, having used the N3xt L3v3ls and also the Ubersonic 4, where I found the midsole isn't as durable as the outsole.
The overall fit is slightly generous for my leanish foot. The forefoot fit is a smidge wider than my D foot, but the lacing system is excellent is securing the foot down from sliding. I could wear a thick sock like the Thorlos TX and the tighter lacing still felt comfortable, because the tongue of the sock liner is well padded. In fact the SF3 the most comfortable sockliner shoe I've worn, better than any Asics, Nike or Adidas shoe, with only the Yonex Eclipsion with a comparably padded sockliner tongue . Tying down tight on the FF2, Ubersonic ¾, Nike Vapors, Cage and Zooms felt either uncomfortable or just ok. The padding makes the entire fit very plush for my foot. I have a normal neutral arch, and the double hoops at the collar allows runner's knots for an extra secure fit. The pointed toe design does make it difficult for plateau or squarish toe shaped feet a normal length size fit.
Stability is very good, pretty much on par with the Stycons. The Duratech rubber is tough and traction is excellent on hard courts. Direction changes are secure and Being 70+g lighter (and about 20g heavier than the Ubersonic 4 @ size 11) than the Stycon, it can work as a daily playing shoe because of the durability of the outsole and cushy feel, but light enough to be a fast match day shoe. The shank is stiff enough for grinding and retrieving,
The only niggle I have is the arch support is lower than I'm used to, but I only had a mild arch ache first time out after a 2hr singles match and covering 1.7 miles on court, at least according to my Garmin watch using GPS. A switch of the insole to my custom carbon fixed that issue. In fact, I had no real foot aches for doubles, and the bouncy energy return was a slight but noticeable benefit. That Blushield stuff works!
Overall, comparing the various lightweight speed shoes, the Fly 3 is more responsive, plush cushioned and comfortable fit shoe that's a little (20+g) heavier. When compared to the durable/stability shoes, it proved to be as durable as any other type of rubber and the stability to use it. The plush cushioning of the midsole makes it easier to wear for lots of feet pounding. If it fits your foot, it's really an excellent "tweener" shoe that is dual purposed.
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