Disappointed with Reebok Match Day Pump Men's Shoes

[Loco4Tennis]

my rant, on these shoes, it needs to be said
i just received these shoes after much anticipation
i was looking for very cushioned shoes to take the pounding on the hard courts i play in, these shoes are not it
i have to start by saying that i have not used these shoes outside of my house, only tried them on for size and walked on the carpet floor a bit and thats all, i placed them in the box and off they go to TW for store credit
i read all the reviews on this shoe, and also ran searches on the forum, plenty of people stated "most cushioned shoe", which is why i tought this shoe would be great, nope
what people should have said, these are the most cushioned shoes everywhere except where it counts,,, the sole of the shoe ,
look at the picture and now imagine a 1/2" to close to an inch of padding on every side of the shoe, on the left, on the right, on top of it, but not on the sole of the soe where the contact of the ground is gonna take place, what good is having this much padding if it does not protect against foot hitting the hard court, their is almost no cushioning material on the sole of the shoe
there is a 1/8" thick insole through out the sole of the shoe, removable, that is a joke, their is nothing i could feel or see below that that would make me think maybe their is something,, nope, look at the outside of the shoe, their is no adiprene or foam material that would take the pounding, none
the look of the shoe is a bit out there for a tennis shoe, but tolerable,
the strap, i guess would be an ok feature to have, but the plastic it wraps arround on the bottom makes the sole even harder, and thats where your arches go, which by the way, their is no or close to no arch support, the 1/8" sole insert does not have arch support either
now lets talk about the thickness of the padding on this shoe, its about 1" thick on a lot of the sides of the shoe, the only time i would think you would want this, is if you are in the havit of hitting yourself with your racquet on the sides of your feet, its ridiculous how much padding it has all arround the shoe, your feet are incased in padding from the sides and ontop when you tie these,
the pump also does nothing to the sole of the shoe, its all for the sides and top, why do you need so much padding, and it took me 20 or 30 pumps just to feel the shoe a litttle snugg,
here are the 2 biggest problems with having this much padding:
1 - the shoes are heavy and bulky, not just a little, alot,,, felt like putting on a brick on each foot and it almost looked like clown shoes on how they were so bulky, but number 2 is what did it for me, or rather made me put them back in the box,
2 - very very hot, imagine how your feet would sweat if you had a 1"thick padding on them on a hot day, this shoe would be good for someone who lives in really cold weather and wants to keep feet warm, if you plan to wear these outside on a sunny day, try something else
now i cannot review a shoe and not give some good thiings about it, so here it is:
the picture shows the outside like it really is
the sizing is right on, true to size (i got the 9 1/2)

but thats it for the good points, what you do not see in the picture is all the padding, one would think lots of padding is good, well yes, but not when its on all the wrong places, no sole cushioning support, if there is, then i would have felt it when i pressed down the inside with my fingers hoping for something i would not see, nope nothing, if you are a big guy like me looking for a cushioning shoe with good arch support, stay away from these

 

[dirkgnuf]

Loco4Tennis,
Sorry to hear about your experience.
However, as an owner of these shoes I'd like to offer my opinion and I do disagree with a couple of your points.
First, you state that you didn't try these on court. While I agree that initially it doesn't seem plush or soft, one defintely needs to run on court with these. Try making fast runs and stops, and then it becomes clear how much "sole cushioning support" is present.
Yes, I agree with the OP that these shoes are not heavily ventilated, but I've played with them in 90 F weather, and it's doable, just a matter of pereference.
Overall, I found this shoe to be like a tank, well supported and comfortable, and yes the weight is there, but once you get used to them, it's not that noticeable

 

[Loco4Tennis]

one thing i forgot to mention, was the ankle support, very notisable, and very excesive, might be a very good thing for people with anckle problems
this shoes does ride up a bit higher on the anckle than standard shoes and yet its low to the ground for the lack of padding at the bottom
if you do not need that much sole cushioning, and rather like a very anckle friendly and snugg shoe, then this might be it

 

[Lendl and Federer Fan]

This shoes are heavy!! Great for practicing court speed only. :twisted:

 

[coolblue123]

Iam considering this shoe cause of the price and cushion. But I have really wide feet. (2E to 4E range) Will my feet get "sardined"? Had a bad experience with the Reebok Premier's already (red and black), but willing to give another try if its good.

 

[Loco4Tennis]

the padding is very soft all throughout the upper portion of the shoe, i hope someone whos used the shoe for more than 30 minutes like me can chime in
in the 30 minutes i had it on i did not notise any discomfort on the toe box portion of it

 

[samster]

I had a pair of these but only was able to wear it for a few times. They are heavy and can get hot quickly in the summer. My German Shepherd had other ideas with it.

 

[LafayetteHitter]

I have always thought those were horribly ugly.

 

[Mike Danger]

Yeah I didnt liek these either, they were hot and heavy and fit loose, I was almost tripping on them. I ended up removing the pump bladder, and trimming the tounge, then cutting holes in the upper to it would breathe some.

 

[Loco4Tennis]

^ and ^^ what about the sole of the shoe, did you all notise any cushioning there??
all the cushioning i saw was the 1/8" thick removable foam pad, no arch support visible to me
number one reason why i returned them, they seemed like they would hurt after using them in the hardcourts
i whish they would have put just as thick cushioning on the shoes as the rest of the shoe, i would then be singing a different tune here

 

[bigair1987]

Are you kidding me!

You can't walk around your house in your new tennis shoes and then expect to make the decision that they are bad tennis shoes. Maybe you should try playing tennis in them.

 

[Loco4Tennis]

You can't walk around your house in your new tennis shoes and then expect to make the decision that they are bad tennis shoes. Maybe you should try playing tennis in them.

well thats your take on them
first, do you or have you handled these shoes before?
if so then you can relate to what i am trying to say on this thread
i do not need to run x number of miles to tell me what i saw on the bottom of the shoe is no where near the type of cushioning a shoe needs to take abuse on hardcourt tennis courts, where i spend 98% of my time
most if not all the reviews i read said nothing in regards to the lack of cushioning on the sole of the shoe, thats my biggest grief with this shoe
i understand that their are people that do not need all that much, i do, i not only need a well cushioned shoe, but i also need one with good arch support, something else this shoe was lacking
these shoes are very low priced, now i know why
if there are some good aspects of the shoe you liked, post them here, i want people to read this and find out what they are getting, then it will not be a disappointment like they where to me
i whish every shoe they had was reveiwed in this fashon here on the forum, it would make for a better buying experience and much more educated buyer,
the 2 or 3 line blurps from people who reveiwed the shoe on TW, imo did not descrive entirely the shoe i got, this thread should help

 

[Mike Danger]

actually the cushioning was decent, as was the traction, but thats about it.
I didnt like the mid strap but unfortunately due to the loose fit I had to use it, and it would make my arches hurt if too tight(didnt feel to tight, but id know after about 10 min)

 

[TenniseaWilliams]

I like mine. They are very heavy, but very cushy. I use them when I have sore feet. The black/red size 12's make quite the visual impact.

Have you tried gel insoles?

 

[MomentumGT]

I had these shoes last year and I thought they were the most cushioned tennis shoe I've owned and I'm going on 13 years playing. I ran these things to the ground with holes on both shoes. The weight is definitely heavier than most if not all tennis shoes but I can squat over 450lbs so weight anything isn't an issue for me.

When I first used them on the court they were definitely harsh and stiff on the feet but what do you expect from an outsole so thick. I've owned quite a bit of shoes with outsole warrenties from Wilson, Addidas, and some limited Nikes, and all thick out soled shoes felt the same-harsh till they were broken in. But once broken in these were by far the best. I also have a wide toe box and it seems, through out the years, that Reebok's are the only ones that truely fit my feet. Now that is the only brand of athletic shoe I wear.

The down side of these were that the pumps blew out on me towards the end of the life of the shoe. Also the ventilation wasn't the greatest but not OMFG these things are burning my feet! I had the black and red ones and I thought they look pretty cool. Yes the shoes are really bulky but so am I so it matched well. A definite buy if you have wider feet. My .02

-Jon

 

[dirkgnuf]

Loco4Tennis,
You looked under the insole and you saw what seems to be no cushioning.
And...?
So what?
Like I said, just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not there. I don't mean to be critical here, but I think if you want to buy a tennis shoe, you shuold stop focusing on what the inside looks like, and INSTEAD run around with them a bit, jump footwork etc, and focus on HOW THEY FEEL, instead of WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.

 

[Loco4Tennis]

I like mine. They are very heavy, but very cushy. I use them when I have sore feet. The black/red size 12's make quite the visual impact.

Have you tried gel insoles?

yeah, after several minutes of just walking back and forth i threw in a set and walked some more, but then thought to myself, why am i putting gell insoles on brand new shoes, seems like something i do when the support/cushion on a shoe has had it, thats when i said, i think i'll try something else

 

[Loco4Tennis]

Loco4Tennis,
You looked under the insole and you saw what seems to be no cushioning.
And...?
So what?
Like I said, just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not there. I don't mean to be critical here, but I think if you want to buy a tennis shoe, you shuold stop focusing on what the inside looks like, and INSTEAD run around with them a bit, jump footwork etc, and focus on HOW THEY FEEL, instead of WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.

the look was never an issue, whether inside or outside of the shoe,
i was mainly going for the feel, read a post that said the shoes felt like "pillows on your feet", i did not feel pillows!!, i felt the ground on every step i took, i even walked on my garage to try to get the hard ground feel,
i wish reebok would have put some more effort into the sole of the shoe, or atleast about the same effort they put into the other portions of it
i think i was hoping for too much, and after not finding the sole cushioning i expected, then the other dislikes just pilled on, you know the other stuff people are saying as well here, how hot they get, how heave they feel, and how bulky once on your feet
but like everything, this shoe does have some good aspects to it, which did not outweigh the negatives to my liking, such as:
the snugg feel
the ankle support
good shoes for cold weather
significant toe drag material
low to the ground

 

[EZRA]

I have a pair of the match day pump and I agree that the shoe is overly cushioned. The sole may be a little less cushioned but that's nothing an after-market insole couldn't fix.
The shoe is also heavy.. heavier than most. Certainly not for people who's looking for a lightweight shoe with good ventilation since this shoe is pretty warm on the inside (Reebok overkilled with the cushioning).

I agree with what the others said though .. you should've taken the pair to the tennis courts first before deciding on returning them - or at least fit them with an after-market insole and see how they feel. They're a decent pair of tennis shoes IMO. I'm pretty happy with mine - I use them mostly during practice - kinda like a weight system for my feet.

 

[chopstik]

i still wear my match pumps and love them over any nike shoe i have ever worn aside from the zoom pounce and old air tech challenges....only problem with nike is that they wear out too fast.....

i'm looking to try out the KFS pumps from reebok with the new color schemes...the black ones look sick

 

[Bagdatis toy hippo]

I did a search for most cushioned men's tennis shoes and found this thread.

I've always played tennis on a true hard court and still do but the only tennis shoes I've ever had that made running on hard court comfortable were Nike from over 20 years ago and were part of a matching Aggasi outfit with black cool max shorts with grey splotches and a white cool max cardigan shirt with green and black design on it along with the grey splotches. (even if I did remember the name of them how could I find a comparable pair?).

Does anyone have suggestions of any cushioning comfort comparable?

Thanks in advance

 

[logansc]

Personally I had two pairs of these shoes, and I immediately took out the insoles and put in some Dr. Scholl's sports gels, and these had to be the most comfortable shoes I've ever word while on the tennis court. They do get a bit hot but I never once rolled an ankle in them which to me is more important than sweaty socks. I just bought some Barricades but only because they are a bit lighter and they were on sale at a place near my house.

 

[Loco4Tennis]

Personally I had two pairs of these shoes, and I immediately took out the insoles and put in some Dr. Scholl's sports gels, and these had to be the most comfortable shoes I've ever word while on the tennis court. They do get a bit hot but I never once rolled an ankle in them which to me is more important than sweaty socks. I just bought some Barricades but only because they are a bit lighter and they were on sale at a place near my house.

i still dont know what reebok was thinking adding that much padding to the shoe, but i agree with you on all the points highlighted above
the ankle support, i think is something i mentioned as well, and i will give credit to this shoe if all that padding was meant for that, but, again way too much padding
not a shoe for me, but im glad you got it to work for you

 

[Loco4Tennis]

I did a search for most cushioned men's tennis shoes and found this thread.

I've always played tennis on a true hard court and still do but the only tennis shoes I've ever had that made running on hard court comfortable were Nike from over 20 years ago and were part of a matching Aggasi outfit with black cool max shorts with grey splotches and a white cool max cardigan shirt with green and black design on it along with the grey splotches. (even if I did remember the name of them how could I find a comparable pair?).

Does anyone have suggestions of any cushioning comfort comparable?

Thanks in advance

one pair of shoes that are good tested shoes IMO on hardcourts is the adidas prevail, i also posted a mini review on them if your interested
some of the other shoes i have read that are good is asics gels, check thoes out
also kswiss is getting good reviews
recenttly ive been seing good cushioning from adidas adiprene material, most of their shoes have this stuff, check it out, but like anything else, adiprene + something else would make the shoe even better and last longer

 

[HyperHorse]

one pair of shoes that are good tested shoes IMO on hardcourts is the adidas prevail, i also posted a mini review on them if your interested
some of the other shoes i have read that are good is asics gels, check thoes out
also kswiss is getting good reviews
recenttly ive been seing good cushioning from adidas adiprene material, most of their shoes have this stuff, check it out, but like anything else, adiprene + something else would make the shoe even better and last longer

This is what you do with the shoes. You put them on.
Lace up firmly.. And then KEEP PUMPING until you feel the difference.
Don't stop until you do, and quit your damn yapping.
And then adjust the velcro strap to your liking.
Never again will you know a more stable supportive shoe.
Not even the Barricade. If this doesn't work for you then you must have weak legs.

 

[Loco4Tennis]

This is what you do with the shoes. You put them on.
Lace up firmly.. And then KEEP PUMPING until you feel the difference.
Don't stop until you do, and quit your damn yapping.
And then adjust the velcro strap to your liking.
Never again will you know a more stable supportive shoe.
Not even the Barricade. If this doesn't work for you then you must have weak legs.

hey duchh, bite me!!
if you like all that padding on the shoe, you wear them, you should also wear a helmet ,,, on your head!!!! when you play tennis, since you think you need that much padding

 

[HyperHorse]

Lol just trying to help...
Yeah i like the padding, stops your feet moving around a lot and i like to be comfortable. I do have 2 pairs of these.
What size did you get anyway?

 

[Loco4Tennis]

i got the 9 1/2s
what about the heat, i would think this would be a bit of concern being in australia and all, have you looked into the adidas with mesh? i just got a pair of tyrant 3s when i returned the rebooks, they are light and cool for summer play, im not in a big heat spot, but it does get up in the upper 90s here in Virginia

 

[HyperHorse]

i got the 9 1/2s
what about the heat, i would think this would be a bit of concern being in australia and all, have you looked into the adidas with mesh? i just got a pair of tyrant 3s when i returned the rebooks, they are light and cool for summer play, im not in a big heat spot, but it does get up in the upper 90s here in Virginia

Rather cool in Sydney atm, they make great slippers when you're sick.

Yes they are too hot in summer, but i have big legs from doing weights, and even though im not training now, they've stayed big, from cycling i guess.