goober
Legend
Here are my thoughts on the play-test shoes that TW sent me. I want to thank them for giving me the opportunity to test shoes for them.
My foot type: Medium width prefer slightly wide in fore foot. Over
pronator and toe dragger.
Past favorite shoes: 1. Matchday: Adidas barricade II, Nike BFII 2. Practice: Adidas BIV, Nike Air Resolve plus
Testing conditions: Hardcourts, doubles and singles, competitive and social, 10+ hours
Style: Wilson shoes have always tended towards conservative styles and this shoe is no different. While having little more color than the prior Prostaff line, if you want to turn people's heads or have them notice your new stylish shoes, this won't do it. The shoe materials itself are rather unusual in that the hindfoot is mesh except at the Achilles area. The forefoot is leather and mid-foot is plastic with a Wilson logo. Usually mesh is put in either forefoot or mid-foot.
Traction: The Trance's have a deep herringbone pattern. I like this type of pattern and I had excellent traction on hard courts with no slippage.
Comfort: There is a definite break in period with these shoes. I wore them around for two days before playing in them. After a couple times playing the shoes felt broken in. The leather however is not super soft leather so it is still a little stiff.
As far as cushioning- this shoe is I would say at best average. The forefoot cushioning was particularly deficient. I wore some level 3 thorlos which seemed to help. I think the culprit though is the removable insole. It is very thin. Toward the end of the test period I replaced it with a Spenco insole and the cushioning was considerably improved. Of course this did add to the overall weight. The heel cushioning with the DST foam on the other hand seemed quite adequate if not plush.
Fit: The fit for my foot type was perfect. I think those who wear a D or E width would be happy. The length was true to size.
Flexpoint: Towards the toe of the shoe. (This is for AndrewD)
Weight: The listed weight on TW for size 10.5 is 14.9 oz. This feels slightly lower than I would have guessed. While the shoe definitely feels lighter than prior models such as Prostaff series, it is rather clunky so you don't feel like you are flying around the court.
Stability: I felt this was a very stable shoe. Hard cuts, change of directions, it took everything I threw at it. There was very little slippage and no feeling that I may roll my ankle. I always felt like I was on a firm foundation.
Arch Support: I have low arches and felt no discomfort.
Durability: While I think I can't give a good assessment on durability with such a short testing period, there was no premature wear. I certainly have noticed other shoes that started balding after 10 hours of play, but this showed very little if any wear. There is also a beefed up toe guard which I liked because of my toe dragging.
SUMMARY
Likes: Stability, traction and overall solid feeling.
Dislikes: Average cushioning in forefoot- I felt this was alleviated with aftermarket insoles. Clunky feeling despite relative low weight.
Overall Impressions: Wilson in my mind has tended to be favored by players who wanted nonflashy stable, solid shoes. They have ventured into the performance oriented shoes recently with their Open and Tour models. The results appear mixed from this foray based on personal observation and comments of others on those two models. The Trance appears to be an attempt to go back to the traditional Wilson model of shoe with some concession towards a lighter shoe. I would say it is comparable to the Wilson Prostaff Elite in a slightly lighter package. Club players who like the prostaff series will be happy with this model. Club and tourney players that want gameday performance shoes with some pizazz probably will not switch over to this shoe. I personally thought the shoe overall is a good addition to the Wilson line and I will use this shoe for doubles and practice sessions in singles.
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