Comments: The outside support is great but please fix the string loop at the top so it doesn't pull loose like the previous model from years ago did. Or bring back the preventer with the strap.
From: Anon, 3/13

Comments: FINAL Update 25-04-2012:

1. Comfort. These tennis shoes doesn't need a break in period. Them are very comfortable since first use. Rating: 4.5, but check "ventilation".

2. Weight: K-swiss Ultrascendor are heavy (17,1 oz.). Rating: 3.0

3. Stability: Superb, I think this is outstanding and justifies weight of these shoes. Rating: 4.5

4. Traction: Very good. Rating: 4,0

5. Durability: Nice materials, seems long lasting. Rating: 5

6. Ventilation: Bad. After 3-4 hours you will feel your feet hot, hot, hot!Good probably for winter, not for hot climate. Rating: 1,0/5. Poor ventilation.

7. Price: Above other similar options and of course you pay for the brand, Rating: 3.5

8. Appearance: Awesome. Rating 4.5.

9. Sizes: I use 9.5 and these are width. I think these are good tennis shoes for "short use" (less than 2 hours) for a tennis player.
From: Luis, 4/12

Comments: I have had 5 pairs and will continue to buy these as they support my entire foot comfortably, but did have a pair that cut into my little toe until I removed the stitching from that area.
From: Ev, 9/11

Comments: The KSwiss mid-high works great in providing a notch more stability than the typical low cut -- it's also got great torsional stability -- tough to twist the shoe side to side. In my experience, torsional stability is very important to quick stable turning and response. There's excellent heel shock absorption, better than the Prince's I previously used, which I thought were great. My plantar fasciitis has virtually gone away since using these shoes... For those who think any mid-high should prevent rolling ankles, they're delusional -- adjust your lazy technique to point your feet in the direction of your anticipated movement...
From: Fred, Snohomish, WA, USA, 11/10

Comments: This shoe does not provide needed ankle support that a low profile tennis shoe should provide. This shoe cuts into both sides of my little toes. This shoe caused very painful sores to my toes. I called to ask the width of this shoe and I was told D.
From: Steve, New Orleans, LA, USA, 08/10

Comments: I have D+ width feet and all the KSwiss shoes I have tried fit extremely well. The Ascendor is very comfortable, requires just a single day of break-in and has a very cushioned feel. However, the treads on the soles do not last. If you play 3-4x per week on hard courts, these shoes will not last more than 2 months. After that, the tread on mine was worn away over much of the sole; the shoes were too slippery to play in. They are now my gym shoes. Looking for more durability, I switched to the Nike CB 1.3s. Fit is OK (slightly more cramped in the toe box compared to KSwiss) and the Nikes are stiffer. But the support is tremendous and the sole has a 6-month guarantee. The CBs weigh more than the Ascendors but actually feel lighter on the court. The Ascendor is great for cushioned feel, but durability and lateral support are lacking.
From: amadou, NY, NY USA. 11/09

Comments: I have bought two pairs of these shoes every year for the past six years, one for the indoor season, one for the outdoor season. My loyalty to them is based on their fit for my wide feet, their comfort, their durability, and their modest price. Soles are fairly slick after six months, but I wouldn't want to wear a shoe longer than that anyway. Never among all these pairs has a sole or a seam separated or split. The indoor season has begun--time to order my next pair.
From: Len, Indiana 10/09

Comments: I had a pair of the K-Swiss 7.0 System shoes prior to this and they were great. I got these and in the first clay court tournament a week after I got them the sole started coming off the side. They have continued to get worse. They are horrible. The sole has split in the middle and you can feel it roll-up under your shoe on quick stops, that was the right shoe the left shoe a large piece of the sole under the ball of the foot area just ripped off. If they had a warranty they would be gone back and would get a different pair. But they are about to go in the trash.
From: Chris, Birmingham, AL, USA. 10/09

Comments: I love these shoes for every aspect of their construction and wear except, the shoe laces! There is substantial "frayage" and they do not stand up like the rest of the shoe.This exhibited with several repeat pairs. Change the lace material!
From: PJ, Concord, NH, USA. 09/09

Comments: The first pair lasted about 1.5 years playing around twice a week. I've had problems rolling my ankles in the past so I was hoping this would support my ankles as high-tops used to. I can't find any high-top tennis shoes anymore. Well, it happened... I rolled my ankle (the shoe provided no support). I hate missing months of play. Looks like I'll have to find something else for my ankles. 4.5 player hardcourt.
From: Anon. 2/09

Comments: Ugliest shoe I have ever bought in my life.... SO heavy and they drag about the court NO ONE BUY THEM!
From: James, NY, USA, 10/08

Comments: I first bought these shoes to replace my Adidas Barracudas that, after going through 3 pairs, were separating at the front where the sole met the leather. Also, when I bought them, they were 1 week before going to USTA Sectionals. I put them on and immediately felt comfortable in them. No break in required and movement was just fine. The issue I had with that first pair is that they started to show wear within a week HOWEVER keep in mind that I wore them the week before Sectionals then played 3 straight days of 5.0 tennis in 90+ degree heat on a hard court. I sent them back to K-Swiss right away and they gave me a new pair no questions asked. Fast forward a few years and I still wear them esp. since they are one of the few mid cut shoes out there. Durability has been pretty good. I'll go through 3-4 pairs a year based on 6 hours a week on hardcourt. I do speculate that they changed some of their manufacturing because it is my opinion that the arches and cushioning breaks down a little quicker and I've noticed more aches in my arches...could be older age (late 30's) too but I'm not convinced. Bottom line, I'd recommend these shoes and will continue to buy them. Great for those who do a lot of moving on the court, as the ankle support is terrific. Question for K-Swiss is why they provide an extra foot of shoelace? Have to triple knot these things so the laces don't drag on the ground!
From: Efren, Heartlands, USA, 02/08

Comments: I bought these shoes and tried them with serving practice and was fine. The next day went and hit around, and the right shoe started to dig into the inside part of my foot. My friend's strings luckily broke, or I would have had a very nasty blister with these shoes. On further inspection the right shoe is quite different than the left shoe. Perhaps I'll put in some quality insoles in these shoes and see if that will help any. The ankle support is unremarkable for this shoe. Pretty disappointing. The insole is terrible on this shoe, just a little tiny 1/8th of an inch flap thing, so no wonder it has ankle support, you just lowered the shoe K-swiss!
From: Russ, Vegas, USA. 12/07

Comments: I have worn these shoes for over three months now. It's definitely a very durable shoe. However, recently the top of my right shoe began "cutting" into the skin of the top of my right big toe, causing a nasty and bloody blister during one of my tennis matches. I tried to loosen the shoestrings to no avail. It then began to hurt the side of my right big toe causing yet another painful blister. The soles of the shoes are still adequate enough for more playing time, however I just can't continue anymore with these shoes. I realized I tolerated too many bad things about this shoe - slightly heavy, too tight around the toes, unremarkable ankle support. The only plus side is its durability. Considering it caused my foot to bleed, I would not recommend this shoe.
From: Adrian, SF, CA, USA, 08/07

Comments: I have fractured both ankles as least once and have tried a number of mid-height shoes. These shoes are by far the most comfortable shoes I have ever found. Unless they change the shoe I'll never need to look at anything else. I was also happy with the longevity of wear since I am pretty tough on shoes.
From: Mike, St Louis, MO, USA, 08/07

Comments: I think these are the best shoe for me. I have not ever rolled my ankle although close one time. the flat wide sole is the key to that not happening, off to buy my third pair now. Hope if the discontinue this shoe they replace it with something better or as good.
From: Tom, Irving, TX, USA, 03/07

Comments: I wonder if KSwiss did any polling to see if there was a market for the Protector with the ankle strap across North America. As more of us become 50 to 60 years of age, we're looking for ankle support. The ankle strap was great. Even if the demand is less, they could make them from time to time. I know I'd probably buy 4 to 6 pairs at a time and so would a lot of other people if they knew it was a limited production lot. That might make it worth their while to produce them from time to time. But it's all about profit margins, not loyalty to the customers in the older age group. Pity.
From: John, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 02/07

Comments: Do Not buy these shoes. I bought two, and both pairs had the little blue circle on the sole unglued on both. Kswiss customer service absolutely sucks! Too bad because I really was a loyal Kswiss customer.
From: Marcel, Johannesburg, South Africa 5/11

Comments: Excellent shoe with good support and stability. They beat all other mid shoes I've tried and will be sticking with K-Swiss in the future. A great product which I highly recommend.
From: Harry Wood, Adelaide, South Australia 04/06

Comments: Fifteen months ago I broke both ankles (and my L2 vertebrae) in an airplane crash - my own plane. Anyway, I have two screws in one ankle and one in the other. My feet and ankles have a lot of pain. Just walking barefoot is uncomfortable. So, I went and tried on all the mid shoes I could find. These were BY FAR the most comfortable. They are soft on the feet. I have been using them for around 5 months now and love them. I use them for working out on the bike and elliptical machine as well. These shoes are great, I highly recommend them. After a couple months, I started wearing ankle braces with them. Not a bad thing to do for those of you who don't have ankle problems to help prevent injury. I'm very pleased with these shoes.
From: Craig, Dayton, Ohio 01/06

Comments: After wearing this shoe about a dozen times, the left side of the left shoe began cutting into my ankle. It was very painful and I had to stop playing. The shoes had been supportive until then. The quest for a mid-cut shoe that is both comfortable and supportive continues. It is unfortunate that none of the many tennis shoe manufacturers make a light- weight hi-top shoe. It's all based on what the pros wear and the last pro to wear a shoe that completely covers and supports your ankles was McEnroe.
From:Gary C. City, State, Country: Kinnelon, NJ, USA

Comments: Within an hour of receiving these shoes I was on the court; and impressed. I have extra wide feet and I need the support of a mid. I normally wear a 9.5 EEEE in New Balance and I have been wearing the new Nike Resolve Mid in an 11. This is my first pair of K Swiss shoes. They were comfortable right out of the box. No hot spots. Normally my small toe rubs the top of the toe box. Not so with these shoes. I felt a lot more confident while sprinting due to solid lateral support. I wear a hard orthotic with thin double layer socks. The lacing system is very good. There's plenty of padding in the tongue so when lacing tight I did not cut off circulation. These shoes did not feel heavy. I felt very nimble in them. I don't expect to be changing shoes for quite some time.
From: Lou, Couer d 'Alene, Idaho, USA 06/05

Comments: A nice shoe. It has a nice balance between ankle support and shoe weight. Some ankle support shoes are heavy and clunky but provide a lot of support. Others are light but provide little ankle support. These provide a decent amount of support but are still relatively agile and light feeling. Very comfortable right out of box.
From: Richard, Palm Desert, CA, USA 06/05

Comments: These shoes are great right out of the box. The Achilles tendinitis that the prince shoes gave me is feeling better already.
From: Don, Seattle, WA, USA. 06/05

Comments: I have a tendency to roll my left ankle while playing. I have tried almost every mid cut shoe on the market (Unfortunately there aren't too many) and Ultrascendor mid is the best one for me. Although I wish it was cut higher up on the ankle the shoe does give good support. It is also very stable and not too heavy. It's comfortable out of the box and requires very little break-in time if any. The shoe is very durable shoe and plays well on all surfaces.
From: Sean, Tucson, AZ, USA. 04/05

Comments: The K-Swiss Ultrascendor does not give the same level of support as the former K-Swiss Preventor (the shoe with the ankle strap). That shoe was a very good shoe for people who wanted to protect their feet and ankles.
From: Tom, San Diego, Ca, USA. 04/05

Comments: It appears K-Swiss doesn't make the "Protector" shoe anymore. That shoe had the ankle straps. This is a comfortable shoe. However, by comparison, the Ultrascendor does not offer nearly the ankle support that the Protector did, the Protector also felt closer to the ground. I have bad ankles - and I'll try another shoe next time.
From: Jack, Seattle, WA, USA. 01/05