Intro

K-Swiss has been a staple California tennis brand for ages, continually delivering some of the best shoes for the sport. The first edition Hypercourt Express, released in 2015, truly was an outstanding shoe that took the market by storm. Its lightweight, breathable and traditional fitting style worked for almost every tennis player imaginable. Now, the brand is building off that success to create a second edition, the Hypercourt Express 2. With this update, players will benefit from a lighter overall build, more supportive upper, and new Surgelite midsole technology. It maintains its comfortable fit, and introduces a modern style to keep your feet looking fresh.

Responsiveness & Durability

I was pleasantly surprised by the overall performance of the Hypercourt Express 2. At first glance, I thought this shoe would be kind of heavy and weigh me down compared to its predecessor. However, it was astonishingly light, allowing me to make quick cuts all around the court. I never felt wrong footed on defense, and could easily get into position when I wanted to transition to the net. I also felt the traction was very solid, a little sticky, which allowed me to plant and push-off the ground to hit my shot.

Durability-wise, I do feel this version is better than the first. K-Swiss really made the Aosta 7.0 rubber outsole feel like it could take on any hard court surface for years. Even after about a month of playing in the shoe, I never saw much baldness or scuffs from the court surface. The upper construction with DuraWrap Flex and DragGuard technologies, make it more suitable for toe draggers like myself. This helped protect the mesh upper over time and keep it in a more pristine condition for longer.

Fit, Comfort and Aesthetics

I’m very happy to see the Hypercourt Express get a modern, stylish update. The slightly different upper design gives it a nice appeal from far away that really stands out on court. The fit and comfort didn’t change much with this updated model which is good for those that loved the first version. The wider overall fit makes this shoe easy to take on and off, without making it feel too loose. I felt locked-in to the shoe as I was moving thanks to the padded tongue, Stay-Tied laces, and Heel Grip Liner. The updated Surgelite midsole technology did help keep the shoe lightweight, cushioned and supported, allowing me to move around with ease. The cushioning isn’t super plush, but gave me plenty of responsiveness on the court.

Breathability

One downside with this shoe is its breathability. To me, the ventilation is not as good as the first version mainly due to the added DuraWrap Flex around the upper toe box. The mesh underneath gives you some airflow, but I still found my feet getting overheated after a couple hours of play. On the plus side, though, my feet felt locked-in to the shoe and the excess sweat didn’t cause any unwanted movement.

Overall

Hypercourt Express fans will fall in love with this updated version from K-Swiss. It still has a comfortable feel, slightly wider fit, and great support where you need it most. You’ll also feel locked-in to the shoe thanks to the secure laces and heel liner, even if your feet get sweaty. While it may not breathe as much as its predecessor, the Men’s Hypercourt Express 2 proved it’s certainly capable of keeping players’ feet happy on court.

About the Reviewer: Chris Virk-Brown currently works at Tennis Express on the Content Marketing team. He previously played at Neumann University and coached at the collegiate level for 3 years. He is an active USTA League and Tournament player at the 4.5 NTRP level.