How the ASICS Solution Speed FF2 tennis shoe enhances the speed of players like Alex de Minaur

Leading footwear brand ASICS have three tennis specific shoes in their range, with the Solution Speed being the lightest. In 2021 the Solution Speed was updated focussing on new technologies designed to improve players speed.

The trainer is targeted at those attacking players who like to use the whole court. This explains why three of the quickest players on tour David Goffin, Alex De Minaur and Jennifer Brady all wear these trainers.

Kaizen, which means continuous improvement, is something that ASICS are all about, relying on research and technology to update existing shoes and finding those small little improvements that can make the difference between winning and losing.

Along with a selection of vibrant colour schemes, the Solution Speed FF2 has five new technologies; Dynawrap, Flytefoam, Flytefoam propel, Twisttruss and ASICS grip.

As a collective these technologies aim to mainly improve speed, which is essential on a tennis court, and comfort, which Flytefoam helps deliver.

We arranged a play test with some of our expert testers including George and Will.

George has been playing tennis for 30 years and sees himself as a ‘baseline grinder’ and liked what he saw when he first opened the box, “I was pleasantly surprised with the colour, an unusual colour, a bit muted but I like having a bit of colour on my feet and I think they go great with the socks so I really like them.”

Will, who has been playing tennis for 16 years, describes himself as a ‘counter puncher’. He noticed the use of the Flytefoam technology when first putting these shoes on, “Straightaway I realised how supportive these are. They are tight in all the right places. I can really feel the stability between the ankles and where it matters.”

Practicality when it comes to movement when some balls is vital for a tennis shoe, and George loved the weightless feel of them. “To be honest I didn’t notice they were on my feet which I think is an amazing thing for a pair that you’ve literally just put on. They feel very light, very stable. I felt fast around the court. Really nice.”

Good lateral movement is crucial on a tennis court and Will pointed out how much these trainers support that, “I think I could definitely feel that. The flexibility in the shoe was very good. The lateral movement was very good. I could really push off of my toes and the cushion on the heel allowed me to absorb the impact, so it felt really good.”

With the shoe being used by top players on both the ATP and WTA tour the price is always going to be a talking point, but neither seemed to be put off by £130.

George said, “For a top of the range shoe which they are I think that’s a comparable price and I would pay that for them without a doubt.”

On this point Will commented, “£130 is fair I would say so. Like George said, the shoes are top of the range with this new technology. I think they are definitely worth it compared with other shoes on the market.”

Our testers seemed to be very impressed with the fit and practicality of these shoes, with both noticing some of the new technologies affecting the way they played.

With the shoe seemingly delivering decent value for money there’s nothing to stop you getting a pair for yourself.

We stock the full range of ASICS tennis shoes here at All Things Tennis so we are confident you'll find something to suit your budget and playing standard.

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