Men's Shoe                      Women's Shoe

Intro

Wilson’s new Kaos 3.0 SFT features a redesigned upper that drops the webbing pattern of the Kaos 2.0 SFT, and replaces it with a more streamlined and uniform SkinGuard construction. We also see the implementation of a Quicklace system instead of standard laces. These changes help cut roughly half an ounce from the already light Kaos 2.0 SFT. The Kaos 3.0 SFT also aims to provide above average comfort for a lightweight, responsive tennis shoe. With this and more in mind, I was excited to take the court.

Fit

First impressions were good when I tried on the Kaos 3.0 SFT. The update maintained a pretty average width and medium arch height. For a shoe with a bootie construction, I found very little difficulty putting it on. The bootie material was pretty light and soft compared to others I’ve tried. My main concern came with the Quicklace system. I’m a huge fan of shoe laces because of how you can customize the way they’re tied based off of your needs (so please keep my bias in mind). I found the Quicklace system to work okay. I didn’t have many issues tightening the shoes, but it was sometimes tough to get all of the excess cord to easily fit within the tongue’s storage compartment. It would usually stay in just fine once there, but wrapping it up to get it inside could be cumbersome when I wanted to tighten my shoes in a hurry.

Cushioning, Breathability & Response

Cushioning was great as expected for this lightweight shoe. Wilson has always done a good job of keeping their Kaos lineup soft and padded, both around the heel/ankle and underneath. I was pleased with the out-of-the-box comfort; however, you may not want to wear ankle socks due to the Symbiofit bootie. It runs a little high and can rub against your ankle. Breathability was about average. SkinGuard offers protection, but does block some potential ventilation. I didn’t think the bootie construction caused much excess heat as other inner booties and sleeves can. In terms of response, I thought this model moved very well. It felt very light and adaptive to allow for quick changes in direction.

Durability & Support

I thought the durability was pretty typical of a lightweight shoe. The Kaos 3.0 SFT is reinforced where it needs to be, but doesn’t compare to the durability offered by the Rush Pro 3.0, for example. As someone who appreciates extra support, I would have liked to have more firmness throughout the shoe. It was a little bit too flexy for my liking, although others may appreciate the light and flexible feel. I thought the Quicklace system provided comparable support to laces when pulled tightly.

Overall

The Wilson Kaos 3.0 SFT is a great shoe for someone seeking a lightweight tennis shoe with out-of-the-box comfort. It offers a couple of innovations that will likely be a hit or miss depending on your preferences, but the core benefits of the shoe make it worth a shot if you have the opportunity to try them out.