Unless you haven’t already noticed, there’s an on-going quest among the tennis shoe majors to come up with the lightest tennis shoe ever possible, supposedly without sacrificing stability or comfort. Can the Asics Gel-Solution Speed 3 shoe deliver?
Our guest writer and fellow racquetholic Magnus Pettersson will give his take on the Asics Gel-Solution Speed 3 
in this shoe review. If you want to contribute your thoughts about racquets, strings or other tennis gear, or other tennis matters completely where you feel you have something to say, don’t hesitate to e-mail us to helloATtennisnerd.net (AT = @). Sadly, we can’t offer any payment at the moment since this is a humble tennis website without significant profits, but making your thoughts heard to fellow tennis lovers should be payment enough, right? Okay, back to Magnus!
Of course, there’s a strong selling point to be able to provide “speed” to the customers. Not surprisingly, there’s in general a hefty premium to be paid for these “high-tech” shoes. Is the price for “speed” really worthwhile?
I’ve played with the 3rd iteration of the Asics Gel-Solution Speed
series for about a year now. I play 2-3 times a week normally, about 1-2 hours each session, and usually indoors on hardcourt. During the summer (which is about three months where I live), I play much less and rarely outdoors. I haven’t tried any of the previous Asics Speed iterations but I’ve played the Gel-Resolution 6, which I liked a lot. I’ve also tried many of the other well-known brands so I’m reasonably able to compare.
I’ll try to fast-forward directly to how I perceive these shoes perform on the tennis court. There is a slight break-in period required, slightly more than for the Gel-Resolution 6 series, which is a softer shoe overall. The heel section on Speed 3 is slightly firmer. And, one of the few knocks I have on the Speed 3 is that the upper inside part of the lacing digs slightly in to my ankle. It’s not as bad as with some other brands I’ve tried (Adidas Barricades 7
is the worst) and with some medical tape on the ankle you’re ready to go!
The shoes are light and there’s absolutely enough stability for my level of play. I’m never afraid to roll the ankle in any situation. Comfort is good but not great. There’s a low-to–the-ground feeling, a feature I like in general. Cushioning is perhaps not enough for long days on the court. I’ve felt some soreness in my knees compared to when I’ve played other shoes (or maybe it’s my ageing). One other slight knock I have is the ventilation. The quest for reduced weight means that a lot of plastic has replaced other more breathable materials.
Playing indoors it’s not a huge problem but I can image that these shoes can get quite warm if you play in hot conditions. The Gel-Resolution 6 had better ventilation. So would I choose Speed 3 over Gel-Resolution 6? Frankly, there’s not a huge difference but I do feel that the Gel-Resolution 6 is slightly more comfortable and offer better ventilation. There’s also a slight price advantage in Gel-Resolution 6’s favour. The weight difference, to me, is barely noticeable. Durability-wise I would say the shoes are about the same, not the best in class but not a reason to avoid a purchase. To sum it up, both are great tennis shoes but if I had to choose I’d pick the Asics Gel-Resolution 6
. However, the Asics Gel Speed 3
is an excellent game-day shoe.
What do you think of Asics Gel Speed and Gel Resolution shoes? Do you have another favourite tennis shoe? Please comment below!
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4 comments
Hi,
I’m between the GR6 and the GS Speed 3. I mean, a new pair of GS Speed 3 already is in my tennis cabinet, while the GR6 are still next to the door.
I just love the GR6 – very comfortable, stable, fast and well ventilated.
I play exclusively on clay (outdoor/indoor) and I had a very fruitful summer/autumn with the GR6. I mean, I’ve managed to play 3x2h at least / week and 2x1h/week since I bought this pair back in July. Two weeks ago have appeared the first cracks on the upper side, around the joint between the plastic and the textile sides. I’m not sure if this is normal or not. It’s worth saying that I’m +90kg, so I guess it’s rather normal.
Regarding the GSS3, I don’t know what to say yet. They are too narrow (width) for me, but I think the problem is solvable after few hours on the court, so they definitely need break in time (my foot is not wide at all, rather normal).
Thank you for the post, Magnus.
Great job, Jonas.
Cheers,
Seb
Thanks for your comment, Seb!
Seb, same thing happened to my GR6. But overall durability was better than expected.
Magnus
Hi,
i’m not heavy (70 kg for 185 cm) and play on hardcourt.
As i like to be fast and dynamics when move, i can tell you that GSSpeed3 is the best shoes for me (i have test many shoes since past years and GR6 of course among mizuno, adidas, yonex, nike zoom…).
> The problem of GR6 for me is that the outersole is in one part instead of 2 parts+ a shank between for the GSSpeed3 : so your lateral moves are a litle more “massive” ans your max speed to the filet is not easier to reach.To be caricatural, for me GR6 will fit well to tsonga and GSSpeed3 for goffin.
> but i agree with you, GSSpeed3 is less confortable but the good of this is that you have a great real sensation in feeling the court. As a shoe without cruise control.
> agree too with the ventilation wich isn’t optimum because the upper is not a mesh but a sort of plastic. That’s why i will test the “new” babolat jet all court wich is on the same segment of GSSpeed3