KSwiss Hypercourt Express 3 Women's Tennis Shoe Review

The KSwiss Hypercourt Express 3s offer extra padding in the tongue and ankle collar, as well as Surgelite + underfoot for a plush, responsive feel. Comfort was one of the highlights of these shoes for Brittany. She said, "While KSwiss updated the look of the Hypercourt Expresses to a modern, sleek look, it maintained the bones of previous generations. I found the fit to be standard length, and I stayed in my true size. I did find the arch support to be on the low side and just a little farther forward than other shoes (similar to the last generation). I could feel the arch support at the initial try-on, but I didn’t think about it by the time I started hitting in them. The width started out as medium, but by the time I finished the playtest the midfoot and toe box had opened up to a very generous medium/wide fit, which turned out to be too wide for me. With that being said, the comfort waone of my favorite features of the Hypercourt Express 3s. I didn’t experience a break-in period and was able to comfortably wear the shoes from the very first hit. Additionally, there’s a lot of plush-feeling cushioning underfoot, around the ankles and on the tongues. I wore the all-black colorway, and there was enough ventilation in the uppers that I didn't have any issues with my feet overheating."

Tiffani appreciated that KSwiss also made a wide version of these shoes. She explained, "I've been a fan of the Hypercourt Express line for some time, and when I tried on the Hypercourt Express 3s in the standard width, they felt a bit snug on my wide feet. I tried the wide version on and knew right away I wanted to wear them for this playtest. These shoes didn’t need a break-in, and I felt comfortable moving around in them right away. The cushioning didn’t feel too thick underfoot. Everything from the heel collar to the arch support felt comfortable to me. I also didn't notice the shoes feeling overly hot. This line of shoes has always focused on comfort to me, and that really hasn't changed in my mind with the Hypercourt Express 3s."

Michelle noticed the cushioning right away, but she needed a break-in period for more overall comfort. She commented, “These Hypercourt Expresses have always been comfortable and cushioned, and that made my expectations high going into this playtest. I loved the new styling for these shoes, and once on, I felt a familiar underfoot cushioning and support. However, they felt a bit bulky and slappy once I wore them down to the court, and that continued as I played in them for the first week. I also had toe jamming issues until I really got the shoes to fit my feet around the second week of wear. The toe box just felt a bit too big. (Ironically, with the last pair of shoes we tested, the toe box was too small for me. I fully acknowledge my Goldilocks syndrome.) As they broke in, I began to tie them tighter and found the width to be a bit too wide; they were flexing right at the toe box but felt almost 'pudgy' when tied. However, after they were broken in they felt a bit quicker and less bulky. I didn’t have any rubbing or hot spots, and aside from the initial break in, comfort was solid and cushioning was nice. They just fit a little wide for my medium-width feet, so I just really leaned on cinching them up tightly. Lastly, they did seem to run a bit hot for me."

A midfoot shank and a stay-tied lacing system help give these KSwiss Hypercourt Express 3s plenty of stability and support. Although the shoes were a little on the wide side for her, Michelle felt secure moving on court. She noted, "When wearing shoes that are a tad wider, I sometimes struggle with support and find my feet twisting inside the shoes. Thankfully, I didn't have that issue with the Hypercourt Express 3s! I thought they offered a good amount of stability and support. Once tied up snugly, support wasn't ever an issue or cause for concern, and the stability was super stable -- no issues here."

For Tiffani, the updated lacing system was key to keeping the Hypercourt Express 3s supportive as they broke in. She said, "Initially, these shoes fit like a glove, but the uppers did stretch out a bit as time wore on. I needed to pull tightly on the laces to get a more secure fit as my shoes broke in more. Once I did that, I felt supported and had no issues with any toe jamming or my feet sliding around. I really appreciated the design of these laces because they stayed tight once I tied them."

The wider fit was a concern for Brittany, who has the narrowest feet of the playtesters. She explained, "I was initially extremely excited for the slightly snugger fit because I have had support issues with previous Hypercourt Expresses. For the first few hours, the support was excellent, and I had no complaints. As the upper started to loosen and the toe box opened up, my feet started to move around within the shoes pretty aggressively, and I couldn't get a locked-in feel. However, like in generations past, I did appreciate the stability. I was able to sit nice and deep within the shoes and use the laces to really cinch the collar tightly around my ankles. I never had the feeling that I was going to tip or roll an ankle."

Sturdy Aosta II rubber outsoles and Durawrap x overlays on the uppers help these KSwiss Hypercourt Express 3s stand up well to heated action on hard courts. Michelle gave these shoes high marks for durability. She said, "This was a longer playtest, and I was really impressed with how well the outsoles held up. I am seeing little smoothing, and I’m fairly sure I can get a solid six more months out of these shoes!"

After many hours of intense training, Brittany was impressed with how well the Hypercourt Express 3s held up. She said, "I have been training a lot for tournaments, so I have been spending more hours on court than normal. By the end of this playtest I had easily logged 20-plus hours of high intensity tennis, and the outsoles have held up well for the most part. I am seeing some smoothing in one of my high wear areas under my toes. The toe bumpers held up even better, and they have no signs of wear. I’m also not seeing any damage to the uppers.”

Tiffani also found these shoes to be quite durable. She added, "I have about 15 hours of hard-court time on my pair of Hypercourt Express 3s, and I'm seeing very little wear. I don't foresee me wearing through these any time soon. My toes also look to be in good shape. I'm happy with the durability of these shoes."

The Hypercourt Extreme 3s make use of a high-density, non-marking rubber on the outsoles in a modified herringbone pattern with pivot point under the balls of the feet for optimal traction. Tiffani didn't give a second thought to the traction. She noted, "Nothing is sticking out in my mind in terms of traction, so that's a win in my book! I can't recall feeling stuck to the court, and I didn't slip either. I can't ask for more when it comes to the traction of tennis shoes."

Although the soles were slightly grippy at first, Brittany enjoyed how the traction improved after a short period of play time. She said, "For the first hour of the playtest I found the traction of the Hypercourt Express 3s to be a tad on the sticky side. However, as time wore on the traction started to smooth out, and there was a better balance of give and grip. This allowed me to move seamlessly in and out of my shots without having to think about my shoes."

"Traction was never an issue for me," Michelle said. "If anything, the soles were a bit sticky, but never slick or slippery. Because the outsoles were so durable, the traction remained really consistent throughout the playtest."

Weighing in at 12.4 ounces (size 8.5), the KSwiss Hypercourt Express 3s are in the mid-range when it comes to court shoes. Brittany felt comfortable with the weight of these shoes, saying, "The weight of the Hypercourt Express 3s felt about average to me. They felt a tiny bit lighter than their actual weight, but overall, they fell in the middle of the range. They weren't heavy enough to slow me down, but they also had enough substance to not feel lightweight. The weight didn't hinder my movement on court, and I felt like I could move around without any issues."

Tiffani thought the weight of these shoes was appropriate for the court. She said, "The Hypercourt Express 3s land in the mid-weight category for me. They don't feel light, but they also don't feel too cumbersome. There's a good balance of features and comfort, so I'm happy with the way the shoes felt on court."

Michelle was expecting these shoes to be more lightweight than the last version. She explained, "I have been really harsh on shoes this year. I struggle when I see updates that are just as heavy and just as bulky as previous versions. That was the case with the Hypercourt Express 3s for me. They felt heavy, and I felt slow in them. With the quicker-looking cosmetics I was expecting them to feel a little lighter and faster, and I just didn't get that. For me, the weight was the biggest complaint I had with this playtest."