Faris's Playtest: Hypercourt Express 2
I would like to begin this playtest by first of all thanking
@TW Staff for giving me this opportunity to playtest. I hope I am able to do a good job and provide an in-depth review of the Hypercourt Express 2.
Some pictures below, followed by the review.
(these TW Fitsock socks are fantastic btw)
Tennis experience/background:
I’m 6'2”, 175 lbs and athletic build. Have been playing all sorts of sports all my life. Currently play at 4.0 level but I can hang with most 4.5 and give them a tough time. I play maybe once or twice a week. Would love to play more but finished grad school this year and new work is keeping me very busy.
As for my shoe history, I have a very diverse tennis shoe background and have played with almost every mainstream shoe of every brand out there.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
I will describe my style as an aggressive baseliner who likes finishing off points from the baseline. I have a big serve and big forehand. I do love playing doubles as well and I'm good at the net too. I wear my shoes out quick on outdoor courts because I drag feet on serves and I move a lot on the court. My friends sometimes describe my game as scrappy for a tall guy.
Current shoe:
Current shoe of choice is Adidas Solecourt Boost. As mentioned above, I have played with most popular shoe from the current major brands available in US (except for maybe K-Swiss). Was coincidentally just discussing my old Lottos in another thread as well.
How many hours did you play with the shoe?
Approximately 20 hours total on outdoor hard. This includes singles and doubles play along with a few warm ups and drills.
Normal size:
9.5
Playtesting size:
9.5
Comments on Shoe Performance:
Comfort:
Top notch. Did not require any breaking in and they were very comfortable right out of the box. I loved the roomier toe box where my fingers and toes weren't bunched up pushing on the sides of the shoe.
The shoe opened a bit more for me after putting in a couple of sessions but remained comfy enough where feet were relaxed without too much wiggling going on inside. I did have to tighten up my laces but only once and then I cinched them up every time, no issues. The whole plastic/rubber Durawrap Flex upper is soft enough to keep foot comfy and strong enough to maintain shape of the shoe. Absolutley no comfort issues moving front to back or side to side. Insole felt great as well. Definitely one of the most comfortable shoe I have tried in recent times.
Fit:
Fit was perfect for my feet which are medium probably on a little wider side if I'm being absolutely picky about it. The lacing was on point locking foot movement on top too giving entire foot a snug yet comfortable feel. Shoe loosened up a bit more after a couple of seasions but not enough to make my feet slide around. Felt a little bit of heel slippage in the beginning but after tightening up shoelaces, it completely went away.
Arch support:
I have medium arches and I can adapt easily to most shoes. These Hypercourt Express 2 shoes worked well for and I had no pain in arches at any time. I also had no pain or feeling of pressure either.
Ventilation:
Good although it didn't get too hot when I played so I couldn't test it to great extent. At first it looked like the Durawrap Flex material on top would not be very breathable but didn't feel like my feet were hot and it never felt like they were not gettting air in thanks to the mesh underneath. Ventilation is definitely better than Solecourt Boost which can sometimes make feet suffocate.
Stability/support:
Hypercourt Express 2 were great in lateral stability and provide ample overall support. Except for the heel slippage incident in the very beginning that I mentioned, I felt heels were deep enough inside the shoe to stop slippage and if you cinch up laces, the little bit of heel lift goes away. Even though shoe definitely opened up a bit more after usage, I experienced zero toe-jamming or feet movement inside toe box (I mostly wore Thorlos too for this playtest). In the end I felt feet were secure and ample support was there. Stability and support felt on par with Solecourt Boost to me which is rating it very high.
Sole durability:
After roughly 20 hours of playing in these I don't see too much wear and tear happening although the tread, compared to Solecourt Boost, has worn more and you can see certain areas in bottom wearing out more than other areas. The shoe made squeaking noise initially in first few hours of play but that is gone now. Overall not Barricade like durability or even Solecourt Boost, but pretty decent I would say for its tier level.
Toe durability:
I drag my toe on serves and wear my shoes out quite fast on outdoor hard courts. Toe durability seems excellent for this pair. Tread so far hasn't shown terrible signs of wear. It feels a little firmer under the toe area for me but nothing of concern.
Traction:
Very decent. The shoe was sticky at first and made the squeaking noise, but then became a bit silent after a couple of hitting sessions. Shoe had the right amount of give and take. Side stepping, split steps, lateral movement and front back running felt good and I felt sure footed. Felt no hesitance in stop/start and in abrupt changes of direction too. No traction issues on hard courts for me.
Weight:
Definitely a lighter shoe as compared to Solecourt Boost. Didnt measure on my kitchen scale but felt ligter on feet. Feels fast on feet and not clunky. For a shoe this light, I was impressed by the combo of speed, stability and cushioning it offered.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Here are a few of my general comments on the shoe:
1. Very impressed by the quality of this shoe. Having never worn K Swiss I was used to other major brands. I did not see any glue marks, or rubber splittings or any factory blemishes etc. The shoes felt premium.
2. This colorway is gorgeous. Have gotten several compliments already. Goes well with both black and white socks. I am glad it was thia because I really dirty up whites.
3. To those looking into buying a new tennis shoe, this one is on the light side, feels fast, and is a well cushioned shoe. It is stable and has decent enough durability. If you are in the market for those traits, I say do it. Definitely worth it.
Thank you once again
@TW Staff Tennis Warehouse &
K-Swiss for giving me this opportunity to playtest this shoe. Appreciate it.
