ASICS Solution Speed FF3 (2024) tennis shoe review
The 3rd version of the Solution Speed, the most recent addition to the ASICS premium tennis shoe range and their lightest trainer, has hit the courts. Worn by Aussie speedster Alex de Minaur, we wanted to discover for ourselves how this version differs from the popular 2nd version and what improvements have been integrated.
Speed and flexibility are crucial elements of movement especially in a sport as dynamic as tennis. No other mainstream sport requires the variety of movement you’ll need on a tennis court and so a player’s connection with the court surface is absolutely critical. The Solution Speed has been specifically developed for those players that rely on their speed around the court and want to be able to turn defence into attack wherever they find themselves.
What’s new in the ASICS Solution Speed FF3?
We spoke at length with Peter Hermanns who’s the Product Manager for Tennis at ASICS Europe and heavily involved with the creation of the new shoe. He explained the key updates to this 3rd version of the shoe.
Overall the shoe has been “developed with advanced 3D modeling and ASICS’ traditional Japanese craftsmanship, the PRECISION-SOLE™ provides a better combination of grip and flexibility on the tennis court – essential requirements of the fast, all-court player.”
In a ‘first’ for a tennis shoe, the Solution Speed FF3 now benefits from “woven mesh which replaces TPU for a lighter and more comfortable experience.”
ASICS continuous efforts to improve mean this fast shoe is now even faster thanks to the “updated SPEEDTRUSS™ technology that improves flexibility and speed for a split-second head start.”
And maybe most importantly, the ethical credentials of this shoe can be in no doubt as ASICS announce “the SOLUTION SPEED FF™ 3 is the first tennis shoe in the industry to include the transparency logo reporting on total CO₂ emissions for every pair of shoes created, a step in lowering total emissions in the value chain for a brighter tomorrow.”
Watch as our experts test the ASICS Solution Speed FF3 tennis shoes
The Solution Speed FF3 review
It’s crucial for our credibility and the integrity of our reviews that when we take a new shoe onto the tennis court we simply let the players try it out and we publish exactly what they report. It’s the only truly unbiased method of reviewing a product. This time we were joined by David and Sean who are both professional tennis players plying their trade on the ATP Tour.
Sean Hodkin is currently ranked 1173 in the World. He’s an aggressive baseline player who relies on big hitting and benefits from a gorgeous single handed backhand. Sean is already a fan of ASICS shoes having moved to the Court FF3 for his matches recently, however he’s never before tried the Solution Speed.
David Quayle is 23 years old and ranked 1974 in singles and 922 in doubles on the ATP Tour. David likes to win points both from the baseline and the net so he’s a perfect candidate for the Solution Speed, but he’s never worn a pair of ASICS shoes prior to this test. His current shoe is the Adidas Barricade.
What do you want from a tennis shoe?
Sean: “Number 1 is comfort. Also space as I don’t want them feeling too tight or narrow. Also stability as I don’t want to feel like my ankle is going to move a lot.”
What was your first impression when you tried on the ASICS Solution Speed FF3?
David: “I’d heard good things about ASICS shoes from the guys I play with. They say it’s the best tennis shoe. The first thing I noticed when trying them on was how light they are. I was surprised as you don’t normally find tennis shoes that light. It’s normally a running shoe that feels that light. But then you also get a feeling of stability as the shoe hugs your foot and is narrow which is what I like.
“When I started to move around the court it gave me great stability and I felt like I could move to and from the corners of the court really fast which was great.”
Sean: “They’re definitely lighter so I’m interested to see what they’ll be like once we get moving at full pace because on first impressions I could possibly see myself sliding in these, which I don’t normally do”
When you first started moving around the court in the Solution Speed FF3 how did the shoe perform?
Sean: “Initially the lightness really stood out as my usual Court FF3 is heavier than this, so this Solution Speed felt very manoeuvrable and really quick but it doesn’t feel like you lose any stability.”
On the support and flexibility these shoes offered when hitting groundstrokes?
David: “The good grip offered when I moved to the corners was noticeable which could have been down to the grip or the weight of the shoe. This allowed my to be super quick which for my game style is very important.”
ASICS are the only brand that build a split sole into their shoes which helps deliver greater flexibility and grip, the ethos behind their Solution Speed range. Did this come across in testing?
David: “As someone that’s never worn ASICS before I’d honestly say that you do feel that increased flexibility but it still stable. It’s quite a weird (and good) feeling compared to my normal shoes.”
Sean normally wears the ASICS Court FF so we asked him what he felt where the biggest differences between the two different models?
“Interestingly is that I’m not normally a slider on court but the Solution Speed FF3 gave me that ability because they’re so light. Normally I’m apprehensive about sliding and in other shoes I feel like I could roll my ankle when sliding, but the ASICS helped support my foot when moving quickly into the corners of the court and reaching for a tough shot.”
What’s your thoughts on the design and colour scheme of these new ASICS Solution Speed FF3 tennis shoes?
Sean: “The design is awesome. They look really fresh and I can’t fault them.”
What’s our conclusion about the new ASICS Solution Speed?
According to Tatsuya Ishikawa, Global Product Manager, tennis footwear, “With each new product we launch, we start from the core pillars of the ASICS Design Philosophy: ASICS uses athlete wear testing, biomechanical science, recycled materials and decades of continuous innovation to create products that feel best for both body and mind”
ASICS have created a shoe with a real point of difference from not only their own shoes but also all other tennis shoes on the market. Lightness may seem like an obvious win for tennis trainers but actually it’s stability that a lot of players, especially club players, will keep mentioning, so to create a shoe that feels light and stable is impressive and was thoroughly backed up by our testers in this review.
Is the Solution Speed FF3 considerably different from the previous model? We think the areas that stand out are the introduction of the mesh material on the upper which moves the shoe towards what running shoes will feel like. And the ethical credentials of this new model do also stand out as something ASICS have put a lot of effort into and take very seriously.
Buy the ASICS Solution Speed FF3
Two options if you want to purchase this very popular shoe are:
Option 1 is to join the Tennishead CLUB and choose the Solution Speed from our list of membership benefit options.
Option 2 is to head over to our retail partner, All Things Tennis, and purchase the ASICS Solution Speed FF3 from a trusted independent tennis specialist
