Breakdown

Comfort: 8.3

Our playtesters walked away from the Solution Speed FF 3 playtest with their feet feeling fine and dandy, with no real complaints as far as break-in goes. The shoes are minimally constructed compared to some more cushioned alternatives on the market, yet they do not skimp at all on comfort. Chris was impressed by how natural the shoes felt once he stepped onto the court. He said, "The Solution Speed FF 3s took no break-in for me. They felt comfortable enough for a long training session on my very first hit. I liked the way the mesh on the uppers flexed and moved with my feet. The shoes felt well ventilated, and my feet never overheated. I had zero blister or rubbing issues from these shoes throughout the test. The Solution Speed FF 3s felt very natural on my feet, and it was easy to forget about them and focus on my tennis, which is always a huge compliment on the performance of any pair of shoes. The level of cushioning was pretty perfect for me, with a nice blend of comfort and responsiveness." 

For Troy, these shoes outperformed their predecessors in terms of overall comfort and breathability, though they still didn't quite line up with his preferences. He explained, "Considering how light these Solution Speed FF 3s are, coming in at roughly 11.8 ounces (size 10.5 US), I felt like the comfort was pretty decent. However, those who know my taste in shoes know that I tend to like my underfoot cushioning to be plush; more is better in this case. So while I wouldn't say the comfort was bad by any means, there just wasn't enough cushioning in the midsole for shoes I would choose to go play a match in (at least on hard courts). The ventilation was better than the last version, the Solution Speed FF 2, and while not the most breathable shoes that I have tried, it was sufficient for my needs. The arch support felt slightly low, but the feel wasn't too flexy in the midfoot region where the Speedtruss is located, so it wasn’t bad. The fit was also average for me. I liked the contoured feel of these shoes, but the downside was that they ran slightly long right at the tip of my toes (wearing my size 9.5), and they would be a bit too tight if I were to go down to a size 9.0. It was one of those instances where I felt like I needed a size 9.25, if that makes sense."

These shoes were a perfect fit for Jason, and he was wowed by the overall comfort they provided. He said, "For being such lightweight, speed-oriented shoes, I thought these Solution Speed FF 3s were really comfortable. The cushioning was minimal but responsive and effective at absorbing shocks. I also had no issues with the width, length or arch fit." 

"The initial comfort of the Solution Speed FF 3 was more than sufficient," Mark added. “But I would say the comfort was outstanding after maybe two hours of play, and my shoes felt as though they molded to the form of my feet for a custom fit. In terms of the length, the Solution Speed FF 3s felt accurate to me. I would say the width and arch height were both medium, which was nearly perfect for my middle-of-the-road foot type. As expected, the uppers never allowed my feet to overheat, and they also minimized trapped moisture."

Foot Support / Stability: 8.1

Overall, the Solution Speed FF 3s proved to be plenty supportive for our playtesters, assuming the fit was a good match. While the majority of our team felt that they could trust these shoes wholeheartedly, Troy experienced some hesitation when under pressure. He described, "The Asics Solution Speed FF 3s make me feel sort of split in terms of support and stability, or at least how I perceived it during the playtest. For such lightweight shoes, I was actually impressed by the lateral stability. I think it was partly due to the low-to-the-court ride being very connected and responsive, but the new Speedtruss system in the midfoot shank region also helped to resist twisting under lateral forces. I think there was a lack of support for me, and that is largely due to some of the fit issues I was having. I didn't feel completely locked in at the opening of these shoes. I used the last eyelet to try to get a more snug and secure hold around my ankles, but once I started playing points I just felt a bit more flexibility than I would have liked. That openness around the ankles and a slightly long fit made Solution Speed FF 3s feel a little loose when under pressure. It wasn't a huge issue, but being that I am such a big fan of the Asics Court FF 3s, which have that snug bootie construction, these Speed FF 3s sort of let me down in comparison."

On the other hand, Chris thought the level of support felt more than adequate. He said, "I liked the way the Solution Speed FF 3s supported my feet. The shoes held me in place while still being flexible enough to feel forgiving where needed. I felt very fast and secure moving on court in these shoes. My arches felt very supported, and the rigidity under the rear of the shoes had me feeling stable on aggressive lateral cuts. The shoes flexed perfectly through the vamp when I was up on my toes, which allowed me to sprint around in comfort. I did have to crank down on the laces at the last couple of eyelets to get a secure fit around the ankle collar. As a result, I had a bit of lace pressure on the tops of my feet which was more and more noticeable on longer hitting sessions." 

The Solution Speed FF 3s kept Mark moving quickly and confidently on the courts. He explained, "I never questioned the agility of the Solution Speed FF 3s (I've seen Alex de Minaur move in them), but I was a bit surprised with the degree of support these shoes afforded me, which was excellent considering their light weight."

The stability of the Solution Speed FF 3s was also a major highlight for Jason. He said, "How can shoes be so lightweight, yet provide really good support and stability? I don't know, but Asics certainly figured it out. My feet felt locked into place, and when changing directions, the Speedtruss system made the shoes rigid enough that I didn't feel like I was going to roll an ankle. They do not feel as stable as a Gel Resolution or Court FF 3, but it certainly was enough to get the job done."

Overall Sole Durability: 7.3

As the Solution Speed FF 3s are more minimal by nature, concerns about their overall durability were sure to arise. However, those concerns were put to rest for the majority of our team as the playtest wore on. That said, Jason did feel that this category was a weak spot for the Solution Speed FF 3s. He said, "This is the one area where the shoes didn't shine, but I had no illusions that they would have excellent durability considering they are sub-12-ounce shoes. I put in about 12 to 15 hours and definitely see a decent amount of wear and tear." 

For the rest of our team, though, the durability was much more impressive. Chris enjoyed the functional rigidity of the uppers and outsole. He noted, "For being light and fast shoes, I thought the level of outsole durability in the Solution Speed FF 3s was acceptable. I saw some wear under the toe area of my right shoe since I drag that part on serves and forehands. On backhands, I tend to drag the toe tip and upper of the left shoe, and I was impressed that the mesh uppers held up well." 

Troy was also struck by how well the Solution Speed FF 3s held up. He said, "I am not one of those guys sliding all over the hard courts, but after playing a lot of doubles, dingles and some scrappy singles points during my court sessions, I found that the new Precision-Sole held up well. It seemed like the rubber was a bit beefier in those high-wear areas, like the pressure points of the forefoot and the medial toe region. I don't drag my toes too much, but that area held up like I would expect for a lightweight shoe — decently well, but not nearly as beefy and built-up as the Gel Resolution 9. I will also note that I don't turn over on the medial side of the shoe very much, but there were a few times when I dragged my back foot on a volley or whatnot, and the PGUARD did a solid job of protecting the medial side upper." 

For our counterpunchers out there, Mark has you covered, and these shoes had him covered. He said, "For lightweight court shoes, or an older player like myself, Asics' Solution Speed FF 3s are pretty darn durable. However, if you are able to hit the gas and brake pedals hard, so to speak, the outsole will not be quite as durable compared to the Gel Resolution 9." 

Traction: 9.3

All of our playtesters felt that they could depend on the grip and traction of the Solution Speed FF 3s. For Troy, the traction made up for some of the other aspects he didn't love quite as much. He explained, "I loved the traction with this new Precision-Sole, and even though they didn’t have my preferred level of cushioning, these shoes had a lot of feel for the court. I felt connected to the court right out of the box, and the rubber felt nice and grippy initially. After a few hours of testing, when there was some slight wear to the tread, the traction felt very well balanced — not too sticky on the court and just a little bit of give when hitting the brakes. I am not a hard court slider, but I liked how sure-footed I felt whenever I needed the quick stop and powerful first step."

Likewise, Chris appreciated the sure-footed feel of the Solution Speed FF 3s, which afforded him lots of footwork options. He said, "I found the level of grip to be pretty much perfect in the Solution Speed FF 3s. I was able to take small adjustment steps without feeling like the shoes were getting hung up on the court surface, yet there was ample grip available when I needed to push off quickly for a sprint."

Mark found the traction to be fully obedient, allowing him to easily take advantage of the shoe's capabilities. He said, "Although I am definitely not a slider on a hard court, applying the brakes in the Asics Solution Speed FF 3s was exceptionally smooth, and the shoes were compliant no matter which direction I was accelerating." 

Jason had nothing but praise for the Solution Speed FF 3's outsole traction. He said, "This new AI-assisted outsole pattern is amazing. It has great grip for when I was pushing off, but I was able to easily slide out of shots when stopping or changing direction."

Weight: 9.4

As the Solution Speed FF 3s are inherently lightweight, our testers were impressed by Asics' commitment to the design vision for these shoes. The team all enjoyed the light feel and didn't experience any weight related issues in their performance. Chris liked that the shoes faded into the background and just let him play tennis. He explained, "I never gave the weight of the Solution Speed FF 3s a second thought. The shoes felt light and fast on my feet, and I felt like I was moving as well as possible in these Solution Speed FF 3s. I liked the way they flexed, and my court coverage felt very natural." 

For Jason, the enjoyment factor was impossible to deny. He said, "These Solution Speed FF 3s are such great lightweight shoes, and I felt really fast moving around in them. Whether I was or not is yet to be determined." 

"The Solution Speed FF 3s feel very lightweight and extremely fast," added Troy. "I think in terms of weight and speed, the only shoes that really compare are the Babolat Jet Mach IIIs. Asics did a good job maintaining performance at such a light weight, but I would sacrifice a bit more added weight for some more cushioning in the midsole, as well as a bootie in place of the traditional tongue for a more secure ankle fit." 

Based on their impressive performance, Mark thought these shoes were heavier than they turned out to be. He said, "I guessed that the Asics Solution Speed FF 3s weighed more than they did, and not because they did not feel fast around the court. The shoes actually provided such good support and stability, I figured they had to weigh at least in the mid-12-ounce range."

Breakdown Summary