Head Sprint Pro 3.5 Men's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 3.7

The ventilation of the Head Sprint Pro 3.5s kept our playtesters' feet nice and cool, but opinions varied when it came to cushioning. Chris thought the best performance occurred early in the testing. He explained, "I found the Sprint Pro 3.5s to feel good right out of the box. The shoes required practically no break-in, and I was moving around the court comfortably on my very first hit in them. I thought the ventilation was top notch; Head is definitely on to something with its 360-degree venting. I liked the level of cushioning because I felt connected to the court, with just enough cushion to protect my feet and joints. The uppers flexed well with my feet, but as the test wore on they became too flexible. The ankle collar and heel areas felt too soft after about three weeks of hitting and lacked the support I needed, which led to some aches on the lateral side of my feet and also my ankles. I would have liked some additional TPU support on the lateral side of the shoe around the heel to help hold my feet in place."

Sage couldn't believe how well the ventilation performed, but he acknowledged a few downsides. He said, "The ventilation was the highlight for comfort. As soon as I removed the sticker underneath the insole, these shoes breathed really well. The arch support worked for me; if I'm not thinking about it, I'm happy. As a lightweight design, the cushioning isn't intended to compete with heavier shoes, but in this case, I was still left wanting a more substantial ride. I'd gladly trade a few tenths of an ounce for superior underfoot cushioning. For me, there wasn't enough cushioning to keep me comfortable."

In contrast to Sage, Jason fully appreciated the comfort this update offered. He said, "Even though this is a lightweight shoe, I thought the underfoot cushioning wasn't too bad. It's definitely more minimal to give you that low-to-the-ground ride, but there was enough cushioning to absorb shock from tougher landings. I like the ventilation system in the bottom shank and through the insole. I think it really does a good job with breathability."

Mark had similar thoughts regarding the overall comfort. He said, "Of the four more major traits relating to overall tennis shoe comfort, I felt the Sprint Pro 3.5s hit a bull's-eye with three out of the four. They offer a breathable upper, a medium arch height and medium toe-box width, and true-to-size length. The result was a nearly perfect fit for my foot type. Underfoot midsole cushioning was the only thing that was slightly lacking, which does help keep the shoe low to the ground but at the expense of comfort. I played both singles and doubles in a local tournament in the Sprint Pro 3.5s, and my legs did feel a little more taxed than usual."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.3

If the Head Sprint Pro 3.5s have an Achilles' heel, it would have to be its lateral stability. Sage was happy in most situations, but there were a few scenarios where the shoes fell short. He explained, "These were perfectly fine for most rallying and drilling. My forefoot was locked in when I was hitting in a more casual environment. It was during point play that they put pressure on my ankles. I was hesitant to sink into shots on the run and during any lateral movement in general. In other words, I felt my ankles (muscles, tendons and ligaments) working hard to remain stable. The positive was that I wasn't overly concerned they'd completely roll over. It was more that I experienced soreness in my high ankle after a full-speed hitting session."

Jason also had some issues with movement. He said, "I liked that I was able to get a good, locked-in fit with the Sprint Pro 3.5s. I could get it cinched nice and tight and feel confident that my feet weren't going to move around within the shoes. Unfortunately, though, the lack of stability was noticeable to me. When moving out wide and trying to plant my feet or stop and change directions, I could feel the uppers flex more than I wanted."

"The Sprint Pro 3.5s are low-profile tennis shoes, which definitely contributes to their speed and maneuverability," Mark added. "So during take-offs, they performed perfectly. However, during deceleration or abrupt directional changes, the upper lacked a little support."

Just like the comfort, Chris thought stability was best early in the testing. He described, "Support and stability started out great in the Sprint Pro 3.5s. However, the shoes broke down with continued wear and became too flexible laterally. The uppers stretched out and no longer held my feet well. The TPU heel cup is built up nicely on the medial side, but that's where I need the shoes to flex. On the lateral side there's not as much material there, but that's where I need the stability. Other than that, I didn't have any toe jamming on quick stops, and the forefoot of the shoes held my feet just fine."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.1

The Head Sprint Pro 3.5s performed well in this category considering they were engineered to be lightweight. Jason slides more than the rest of the playtesters, so he usually wears through shoes quickly, but that was not the case with the Sprint Pro 3.5s. He explained, "For lightweight, minimalistic shoes, I thought the durability was good. I had a dozen hours on my pair and did see some slight balding, especially in my left forefoot area, but I'd definitely be able to put another 10 hours on them."

Given the Sprint Pro 3.5s' intended use, Mark was impressed with the shoe's durability. He said, "Considering the Sprint Pro 3.5s are designed to be speed-oriented, game-day shoes rather than for support and longevity, the level of durability is pretty darn good."

While Chris noted mostly positives here, his uppers were starting to look pretty worn by the end of the playtest. He said, "Although the Sprint Pro 3.5s are built for speed rather than to last, I found the outsoles to hold up well. After a month of solid play, I still had plenty of outsole material to wear through, which is not always the case due to my toe-dragging tendencies. The uppers showed more of a beating, and I was starting to wear through the left shoe."

Sage agreed with the team, adding, "My Sprint Pro 3.5s only showed wear under the balls of my feet after about 20 hours. Aside from the uppers feeling stretched out, they were intact as well. For shoes designed to be lightweight, I think Head did a great job squeezing as much court time as they could out of the Sprint Pro 3.5s."

Traction - Score: 4.5

From start to finish, the Head Sprint Pro 3.5s gave our team a solid connection to the court. Mark described, "This was another part of the playtest where the performance of these shoes was top notch. I played on several hard courts (some clean, others not so clean), with the outsole providing comfortable starts and stops throughout the entire testing period and beyond."

Chris pointed to traction as one of his favorite features of these shoes. He said, "I liked the level of grip I found in the Sprint Pro 3.5s. I was able to change directions with confidence. On quick sprints, the shoes grabbed the court well, allowing me to get that crucial quick first step."

Although Sage stopped short of fully sliding, he liked these shoes after a short break-in. He said, "Traction was another positive. Out of the box, the shoes had plenty of grip. As soon as they wore in a little bit, I could rely on a controllable blend of slip on the hard courts. I actually preferred the feel of these over the Revolt Pro because they supplied a more even feel moving around the court."

Similar to Sage, Jason had reservations when coming to a hard stop. He explained, "I thought the traction was really grippy. I had no issues with slipping while making that initial step forward, but to be honest, I didn't really try to plant and slide because I didn't trust the uppers to give me the stability I needed."

Weight - Score: 4.6

The weight of the Head Sprint Pro 3.5s is far and away the highlight of the shoes. They helped Chris accelerate effortlessly across the court. He said, "I was able to go out and play in the Sprint Pro 3.5s for the first few weeks without even thinking about them, which is always a good sign that the shoes feel natural to play in. I felt light and fast in these shoes. However, I'd happily have some extra grams added for improved stability over the long haul."

Jason echoed Chris, saying, "The Sprint Pro 3.5s feel very lightweight. Combined with the low-to-the-ground ride, these shoes definitely make me feel quick on court."

"Weight is a huge redeeming quality," added Sage. "These shoes felt lightning fast from everywhere on court. Although they don't necessarily align with my preferences, I couldn't help but feel my acceleration was more explosive than normal. I loved pushing off and almost floating across the court."

This new iteration reminded Mark of his time wearing the outgoing model. He explained, "As of this writing, I am not sure of the exact weight of the Sprint Pro 3.5s, but they are certainly lightweight tennis shoes that also deliver a decent degree of support. If I had to guess, I would say it feels like the same 12.5-ounce range (U.S. men's 10.5) as the prior Sprint Pro 3.0."

Overall - Score: 3.9