Skechers Viper Court Pro Performance Review

The Skechers Viper Court Pro is one of the newest basketball shoes on the market and also takes input from the brand’s signature athletes in a way not seen before in the sport. Worn and marketed by top-ranked pros Tyson McGuffin and Catherine Parenteau, the Skechers Viper Court Pro becomes the first pickleball shoe to receive a full WearTesters performance review.

Pros

Durability

The Skechers Viper Court Pro utilizes a Goodyear rubber outsole patterned in a thick herringbone that holds up well (both in wear and performance) even after months of playing on gritty pickleball surfaces. For comparison, air jordan I have played with on dedicated pickleball courts show significant signs of wear after only a week or two, to the point I need to give them a break and move on to something else.

Not only is the Goodyear rubber ultra-reliable when it comes to durability, thanks to input from pickleball pros the rubber was reformulated prior to hitting the market to allow more advanced players the ability to slide into shots without grinding down the rubber any more than normal.

Materials are also a plus in the durability department. The ripstop upper maintains side-to-side support while resisting damage and includes rubberized reinforcements around the toe and medial side of the forefoot for protection against foot drags during intense dinking rallies. Playing in a shoe made to last in the sport has been eye-opening, and it’s hard to see myself go back to anything not made for pickleball like the Skechers Viper Court Pro.

Support

The usual necessities for support are present in the Skechers Viper Court Pro — an internal heel counter, TPU midfoot shank, strong materials along the upper, an aggressive outrigger, and an adjustable fit. Skechers takes things a bit further with the Archfit system.

Though Archfit seems like nothing more than a simple EVA insole, it does work as advertised. Along the arch of the insole are cored-out holes almost acting in the reverse of pillars. The rest of the insole along with this area molds to the foot, providing just enough support around the arch without sacrificing comfort. This in tandem with the midfoot shank works perfectly for both a secure and comfortable experience.

Fit

Another staple of the Skechers brand is the relaxed fit upper which allows just enough wiggle room in the toe box to splay on quick bursts forward to the kitchen line. Though some may prefer no wiggle-room up front, the Skechers Viper Court Pro works because the fit is near one-to-one throughout the rest of the shoe, so unnecessary movement within the shoe is rare to nonexistent.

In addition to the Relaxed Fit upper remaining true to size, the Viper Court Pro is also available in wide options, so wide footers will have an option even if the Relaxed Fit upper in standard width is not enough.

Cons

Cushion

It has really been hard to find a true downside to this shoe on the pickleball court but if I had to nitpick, it would be the midsole. Though this is one of, if not the lightest pickleball shoes on the market, one could argue the denser foam compound makes the shoe somewhat bottom-heavy.

In addition, impact protection is somewhat lacking. Although it isn’t as much of a necessity in pickleball as it is in other sports, a little bit more of a protective feel would be nice.

Most of the comfort comes from the Archfit insole in areas it does not mold/bottom out. If you happen to look for bounce underfoot this is not a shoe for you. However, it will work for those that love a stable, but reasonably responsive feel.

Skechers Viper Court Pro Summary

The Skechers Viper Court Pro is most certainly a bar-setter when it comes to KD shoes. A below-average weight shoe with plenty of durability no matter the surface is tough to beat. At a retail price of $115, the Viper Court Pro is a great value and one that I personally wouldn’t mind owning multiple pairs of — although the one seems it will last quite a bit. Look out for this shoe to show up on more feet at your local place to play as the sport continues to grow.

Saucony Freedom Crossport Performance Review

There’s never been a better time to look for your perfect training shoe – from the Reebok Nano X3 to the Air Joradn to the RAD One, there’s a training shoe for everyone. Now the Saucony Freedom Crossport offers something different from an elite running brand that’s not well-known in the cross training space.

But chances are that if someone mentioned Saucony, even the most ardent gym rat might raise an eyebrow and ask if you’re not speaking about running (where the company is undoubtedly in an elite class).

So when Saucony reached out about their new Saucony Freedom Crossport shoe, we said “Huh, that’s interesting”, remembered how much we’ve been blown away by the last couple of years of runners and immediately couldn’t wait to try them on.

Please note that while Saucony did provide these shoes for review, they have no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and have not attempted to influence this review.

Saucony Freedom Crossport

Release Date: May 2023

Price: $150

Weight: Men’s 8.6oz, Women’s 7.4oz

Drop: 4mm

Sizing: True to size

• Rundown: The Saucony Freedom Crossport is going to appeal to Saucony running shoe fans as it’ll provide a similar feel for the gym.

How do the Authors Train?

Arune Singh (age 41, 5’11”, 205lbs): Trains daily with functional fitness programming provided by Deadboys Fitness, founded by Colby “Seth Rollins” Lopez and Josh Gallegos. He also runs five times a week, averaging 15 miles per week, and will be participating in multiple 5K races this year. He also has a medical history of Sleep Apnea and Myasthenia Gravis, meaning Arune’s focus is on lean muscle mass.

Drew Whitcomb (age 41, 6’6″ 195lbs): Trains daily with a focus on running, strength training, and mobility. He writes the majority of our running shoe reviews and runs a lot of miles both due to testing needs and his growing affinity for long-distance races. He recently completed the London Marathon. More marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races are in his future. His strength training and mobility regimen center around maintaining flexibility and lifting heavy to build power as a counterbalance to all the long-distance running he’s doing. His number one focus is staying injury free so he can keep up the sweet gig of reviewing shoes for a living.

What is the Saucony Freedom Crossport?

Saucony describes it as:

Start with the run. Stay for the workout.

The Saucony Freedom Crossport has just the right amount of performance capabilities. Designed to handle both on-road expeditions and HIIT sessions with ease, this shoe’s got stability written all over it. Here’s to a better workout.

The shoe has a 4 mm drop, weighs 8.6 oz in a men’s size 9 and it’s vegan, so no animal products here.

Pros

Cardio Beast

Arune: When someone tells you who they are, believe them, right?

Well, Saucony tells you from the beginning that you “Start with the run. Stay for the workout.” And that’s where the shoe excels.

This shoe is built for starting your workout with cardio – it’s an incredibly comfortable runner (I’ve done up to 3 miles in it), fits perfectly with a rower or exercise bike, and that PWRRUN PB (PEBA-based) midsole rewards you the harder you push.

While most training shoes treat the lifting as the true virtue and cardio as a necessary evil, the Saucony Freedom Crossport asks you to come at it from a different POV where cardio is your focus, but your fitness is incomplete without further training.

That’s still something I’m wrapping my head around because lifting has always come first, but I’m curious to hear what Drew says given that The Tallest Shoe Reviewer In The World puts in some ridiculous miles each week.

Drew: Now I’m wondering if I actually am the tallest shoe reviewer in the world…anyway, back to the matter at hand. The Saucony Freedom Crossport immediately dispenses with the idea of being a stable platform for lifting by using the pelletized PWRRUN PB, a staple in its high-end running shoes. PWRRUN PB is super bouncy, but, like most high-end foams used in running shoes, is a bit unstable. Bounce and squish are the priority.

And that’s great for cardio. This is immediately the best cross training shoe for running even though the amount of PWRRUN PB is much less than the best Saucony running shoes. It also excels at plyometrics, jump rope, lateral drills (though lace it tight because the upper is malleable if left loose), and any other quick movements with potentially hard landings. Depending on the philosophy of your HIIT or Metcon instructor, this could be the perfect shoe to handle the mileage and harsh impact forces.

Perfect for Plyo

Arune: Despite a tough initial adjustment period (see below), the Saucony Freedom Crossport really started to make sense to me when I put it through the paces with some intense plyometric training.

This shoe really wants to make me keep moving (sometimes for the worse, which we’ll discuss), so intense movements like mountain climbers, skater hops, and jumping air squats were a true joy compared to training shoes where it’s all about relative discomfort,

The toe box and curve really are especially perfect for burpees and I felt like I was confidently popping up in a way I haven’t felt in any other training shoe.

Drew: I agree with everything Arune mentioned. It’s helpful to think of the Saucony Freedom Crossport as a running shoe (the Saucony Freedom was a thing for five iterations) adapted to the workout world. Its DNA is mostly running with some HIIT-centric aspects thrown in. Its geometry, cushion, and weight still scream everyday running shoe.

Great Everyday Option

Arune: One of the great things about Saucony shoes is that they have incredibly sleek and timeless silhouettes – the Triumph, Ride, and Endorphin lines will look great ten years from now (even if midsole stacks are probably 80mm tall by that point).

This is a shoe I wore for my AM workouts and then kept wearing through business meetings all day long, runs to the grocery store, and then a short evening cardio session.

The Saucony Freedom Crossport looks like a million other shoes you’ve seen and that’s why it works – it blends in perfectly no matter what you’re doing. But it doesn’t look like so many of those training shoes that look like…training shoes and so if transitioning from workouts to everyday life is a priority, this is a pretty hard training shoe to beat in the aesthetics department.

Drew: Yes, the Saucony Freedom Crossport is a great athleisure shoe in addition to its helpfulness in a high-impact workout class. The versatile appeal will help Saucony sell more of these puppies because not everyone wants a shoe that’s hyperfocused on one use case.

Cons

Bad First Impressions

Arune: Look, I’ll be real – I didn’t like this shoe at all for the first few workouts.

The shoe felt incredibly tight for my Hobbit feet, with the toe box being cramped and some intense pressure on the walls of my midfoot. That’s since improved as the upper stretched out with further workouts but I don’t know that this is going to be a good option for most wide footers.

And the foundation as a running shoe made my lifts feel incredibly unstable at first like I couldn’t ever really get a solid feel for the ground. I’ve figured out how to push down into the ground more, but I still find single-leg lifts (like REFSS or RDL variations) kinda perilous in these shoes.

As you’ve seen above, I worked through these initial first impressions but I don’t know that I would’ve had the same patience if I’d paid for these and there was any question about a return policy.

Drew: My first day wearing the Saucony Freedom Crossport included some heavy squats and on-leg bosu ball mobility work. The Crossport made both harder. Be prepared for an adjustment period as this is not the typical workout shoe being released by major brands these days.

No Olympic Lifts

Arune: There’s a lot that’s great about this shoe, but I cannot recommend Oly lifts like snatches, cleans, or heavy squats in this shoe.

My feet couldn’t ever really feel the ground and I can’t remember the last time my legs were shaking that much on the first rep.

And any time I had to get up on my toes, I felt like I might fall forward – the running shoe DNA here means the shoe wants to propel you forward but with these lifts I want to be moving up and down, not worrying if I face plant.

Drew: You’ll quickly learn what this shoe isn’t good at…lifting heavy weights and balance work. But once you know that, you can avoid those types of exercises when wearing the Crossport.

Is this for you?

Arune: We talked about this early on, but it really depends on your focus in the gym – are you there for cardio first and doing some lifting as an accessory, maybe even some HIIT classes? Then this is a really interesting choice for you.

If you’re a hardcore lifter or in something like Crossfit, I don’t know that this makes a whole lot of sense in a world with so many other dedicated options.

Drew: Do your workouts involve jumping and/or lots of active movements? The Saucony Freedom Crossport needs to be on your radar. If you prefer lifting heavy above all else, stay away. If you do a lot of lateral movements, the Crossport can handle that but the question will go back to what the rest of your workout schedule looks like.

Saucony Freedom Crossport Summary

Arune: This is a shoe I plan to use every day for rowing, the air bike. and all my plyometrics sessions, so the Saucony Freedom Crossport has secured a place in my rotation. It fits really well with the kind of training I do at home.

However, for compound lifts and heavier sessions, I’ll be sticking with the Under Armour Project Rock 5 or even my old trusty KD 16.

This is a solid accessory to my training, but it doesn’t really replace any other shoe and it wouldn’t be my first choice for my one training shoe.

Drew: For me, the Saucony Freedom Crossport is going to appeal to Saucony running shoe fans as it’ll provide a similar feel for the gym. For myself, my gym routine really goes against the principle purpose of the Crossport so it won’t find a place in my rotation. And on days I do tackle plyometrics or heavy lateral movements, I’ll likely turn to a basketball shoe such as the Nike LeBron 20 or another shoe on our Best Shoes for Jumping list.