K-SWISS Men's Ultrascendor Tennis Shoe

Over decades of running on tennis courts, I have run hundreds of miles. Like racquets, shoes are a personal choice. But shoes are more important than racquets for sport equipment. If your feet aren't happy, your body suffers, as does your game.K-Swiss is the ideal shoe for my foot style and playing style.My playing style is to run down shots across either side of the court and move up to net. It requires hard stops and fast change of direction. I typically roll on the outside of my ankles and heels.The padded ankle foam keeps me from rolling my ankle. The outsole in the heel absorbs shock and is thick enough to withstand my landing on the outsides of my heels. The padded tongue supports and cushions my instep, as do the leather straps on either side of the lacing. As you lace the shoe, the five bands that support the laces tighten to secure your foot.I like that the shoe has more leather than other brand shoes with more color and style.I have played in Nike, Wilson, Prince, and Head tennis shoes, but K-Swiss is by far the most comfortable shoe for me.Wilson gave me foot problems that required physical therapy. Prince and Head were so heavy I felt I was running in boots. Be aware that my evaluation of other brands is based on past use. I have worn my K-Swiss for over 4 years.After several years, I wore the soles down on my previous pair of K-Swiss, but the toeguard was only scuffed. The padding and last did not break down.When my new pair arrived, I wasn't sure how they would fit without actually trying them on for size. They fit like a comfortable pair of old shoes.For me, K-Swiss is my tennis shoe of choice for comfort, support, durability, and ease of movement. And it's ok that I don't sport red, yellow, or blue shoes on court.

Let's be clear on a few things here. Tennis shoes run narrow. It is part of their design, narrowness allows you to stop and change directions easier than a clunky wide shoe. It's why people don't play tennis in Saucony's. However, if you have even a slightly wide foot, or wear orthotics like me, this can make finding a tennis shoe difficult. Also, I wear a 6.5 which is not an easy size to find.This shoe has a wide fit for a tennis shoe. It has better cushioning than most and is plenty durable despite what some reviewers might say. BTW, if you look at the reviews of any shoe there will be a few that say that the shoe gave out or broke down right away. It also costs a lot less than many other shoes that I don't think are any better.However if you need an extra-wide shoe, this is not the shoe for you. Check out Prince shoes if you can find them. I bought some a few years ago that were so wide I could only play in them if they were laced extra tight. I believe New Balance also makes extra wide tennis shoes.Bottom Line: A quality, comfortable shoe at a decent price. Can't get much better than that.

On my 26th pair over the years. I have played five day tennis tournaments with this shoe right out of the box and have never been uncomfortable. No blisters, no hot spots, just plain comfort. Consistently great materials and workmanship over the years. This shoe has been in production for some time now. My only criticism is that the tread wears out way before the upper parts. Expect a little below average wear index on tread. Exceptional comfort and traction on wet courts. This shoe does tend to favor the wider foot.

Bought these based on some reviews that claimed this shoe to be a close replacement for the NB804/6, not even close as far as my fit is concerned. Yes I am one of those also disappointed with what the other company did with my favorite shoe and am looking for a replacement.1st off, K-Swiss does not seem to make different widths so if you have very wide feet, you are out of luck. Major differences are the Ultrascendor has a much higher arch and only offers a normal width (narrower) toe area, the heel height is higher from the ground and there is less ankle clearance - meaning the foot sits deeper in the shoe or the sides come up further towards the ankle. So overall, this is quite a different fitting and feeling shoe from the NB804/6 series, and I would not call this an equivalent alternate. However, by no means is it bad shoe, it is just quite different.Now the good part: it is a stiffer shoe that does provide additional stability over the NB804/6 series even though it places the heel higher up off the ground. The grip vs wear also seems to favor longer lasting wear though grip on the hard courts that I play on has never been an issue. The shoe does feel bulkier with more padding in the uppers and the heel cup can rub the back of the achilles slightly. I do not feel that the heel reinforcement is as strong as the NB804/6 series since it does not have that hard heel cup, so I would suggest not to slip on the shoes without undoing the laces first as this one is easier to collapse.It took me about 90 minutes to adjust to this shoe before it faded into the background and I no longer thought about it. So from a replacement point of view, it is not a direct replacement for the NB804/6, but I would re-order this shoe in a 1/2 size larger next time. Construction and quality wise, it is as good as the NB804/6, the lower price seals the deal. I've been converted.

had Ultrascendor back when they came out and these are my 2nd pair... love 'em ... the fit; the style; the durability ... top notch

I have worn this shoe in the past and thought it was discontinued. Whatever, it looks like its now available and I snapped up a pair hoping to relive yesteryear's fit and the shoe did not disappoint -- I will say that the toe box is a little snug compared to what I remember. Great high arch support -- better than any shoe that I have tried recently, and I have tried a few trust me. I am happy with them and wish that they would bring back the same shoe with the higher ankle support. This should be a good market for that type of shoe especially given the growth of senior sports and athletics.