K-Swiss surprised us with a blast from the past last week when they resurrected their popular Ultrascendor Tennis Shoe for a limited time. After having been replaced by the Hypercourt Express back in 2014/2015, many thought the longtime favorite had been permanently laid to rest. They were wrong. To celebrate the shoe’s 20th anniversary, K-Swiss has allowed customers to experience the classic shoe yet again. Will you be among them? We were…
The K-Swiss Ultrascendor
It was a day like any other: I got to work, started to go through my emails, and thought of bad puns to share with my coworkers that morning. That all changed, though, when I stumbled across the news that K-Swiss was bringing back the Ultrascendor. While I never personally played with the shoe, I knew quite a few others who had, and just needed to get my hands on a pair to test them out.
– Style: Right when I took the shoes out of the box, they screamed retro. This was true from the leather upper and striped shoelace closure all the way down to the old-school outsole. They felt a little bit heavier and bulkier than many modern shoes, which was confirmed when I weighed my size 10 at 14.7oz.
– Fit: As I slipped on the shoes for the first time, I immediately noticed the extra space. I thought that it may be an issue, but they did a nice job of tightening up when needed. The arch was a little bit high for my liking, but not excessive. Inside, there was a moderate level of padding around the ankle and forefoot, and the wide tongue felt comfortable against the top of my foot (inside seen at right).
– Performance: Overall, I thought the Ultrascendor was relatively stable with good cushioning. It doesn’t compete with top-of-the-line shoes of today, but it has a really classic feel that I know a lot of players enjoy. This is especially true considering the leather construction. As expected, these shoes did not have the best breathability, but despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed testing them out.
As always, you can shop for these shoes and more at Tennis Express.
Play Tester: Chris Worman
Height: 5′ 10″Weight: 190 lbs
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