ASICS Solution Speed FF 2 review

Having put this long-standing ASICS shoe through its paces, we believe that it will make a great match for the players who:

• need a lightweight and speedy tennis shoe
• move from the baseline to the net a lot
• want an agile shoe that doesn't lack stability

Players with wider feet who need extra space in their tennis shoes are likely to find this ASICS shoe constricting. We can recommend the Mizuno Wave Enforce Tour to these folks.

And if you are an aggressive player who needs more stability and goes through tennis shoes within weeks, we think that the ASICS Gel Resolution 9 and the ASICS Court FF 3 would be more suitable options (but albeit heavier).

Despite its lighter-than-average weight, the ASICS Solution Speed FF 2 still packs a great amount of cushioning for all those hard landings on the heels.

Measuring the shoe's stack height in the heel, we got 31.2 mm on our calliper. This is even slightly thicker than average.

In the forefoot, the amount of cushioning is also sufficient and on par with the average. According to our calliper measurements, it is 20.7 mm thick.

The difference in stack height between the heels and toes comes in at 10.5 mm. This is a standard drop for tennis shoes as it offers more impact protection in the heel and controlled movements in the forefoot.

ASICS also added their proprietary Gel cushioning unit under the heel. We can attest that it added a nice rebound and helped us transition quicker from the heels to the toes.

Checking the shoe's FlyteFoam cushioning under the heel, we got 33.1 HA on the durometer. It is a moderately firm foam, just like most tennis shoe midsoles.

ASICS skipped adding Gel to the forefoot part of the Solution Speed FF 2. However, it did add a piece of softer foam which we measured at 16.8 HA. This is as much as 97% plusher than the primary FlyteFoam!

This softer foam created a very responsive experience under the ball of the foot. We felt bouncy on split steps and comfortably supported while staying on our toes.

The Solution Speed FF 2 also couldn't go without a well-padded and plush insole. Measuring its thickness with a calliper, we got 5.0 mm in the heel. That's a standard amount of padding for a tennis shoe.

Wide footers beware!

The ASICS Solution Speed FF 2 comes with a very intimate one-to-one fit and its "hard shell" upper protection doesn't have any give. But for our medium-width feet, the fit proved to be just right.

Using a calliper, we measured the widest part of the shoe's forefoot at 99.5 mm. It's not narrower than average but is precisely medium.

The good news is that the she's toebox is not aggressively tapered. Measuring the toebox width at 74.9 mm around the big toe, we found that it narrows down just the same as the average tennis shoe.

When a tennis shoe is marketed for speed, we don't really expect it to excel at stability. And yet, the Solution Speed FF 2 managed to surprise us in that department.

The shoe features a Twistruss support system which is a stiff TPU shank that embraces the shoe's midfoot. Never once did we feel at risk of twisting our ankles, even as the game picked up the pace.

For comparison, here we put the Solution Speed FF 2 next to the brand's most stable tennis shoe, the Gel Resolution 9.

ASICS Solution Speed FF 2

ASICS Gel Resolution 9

While there is a bit more ankle movement in the Solution Speed, it is not that much different from the Resolution.

The Twistruss chassis on the Solution Speed FF 2 does a fantastic job of stabilising the foot for rapid movements. It added a lot of torsional rigidity to the shoe which made us quick and surefooted on forceful lateral movements and cuts.

In our manual test, we rated the shoe's torsional stiffness with a maximum 5 out of 5 score. Ankle rolls are out of the question!

We can't help but notice how secure the heel hold is in the ASICS Solution Speed FF 2. Our ankles felt locked inside its heel cup with no in-shoe play or slipping out.

Assessing the shoe's heel counter stiffness in our manual test, we gave it a rating of 4 out of 5.

There is a tangible flange on the lateral side of the shoe's forefoot. It helped to create a more stable platform to fall back on throughout the game.

Measuring the distance between the widest points of the forefoot, our calliper showed 111.0 mm. This is within the typical width range of tennis shoes and we think that ASICS did a great job of keeping the weight down without trimming the platform.

Looking at the heel of the shoe's platform, we found that it is slightly narrower than average. With a calliper reading of 82.4 mm, it wasn't as wide as in the stability-oriented Resolution 9 (88.3 mm) or the Court FF 3 (93.2 mm).

Remember that the Solution Speed FF 2 is more about staying on your toes and moving around the court than it is about guarding the baseline.

Naturally, a stiff shank would prevent a tennis shoe from flexing that much. To measure the exact stiffness of the Solution Speed FF 2, we used a gauge that showed how much force it would take to bend the shoe to a 90-degree angle.

We got a reading of 31.4N which is just the same as the average across tennis shoes.

But it's not a bad thing at all! We felt that the ASICS' Twistruss chassis actually added a bit of propulsion to our moves.

In addition, we always check for potential rubbing and pinch points from the material creasing in the metatarsal area. But despite being reinforced, the toebox of the Solution Speed felt quite soft and caused no pinching at all.

The primary reason to choose the Solution Speed FF 2 from ASICS is its very light, aerodynamic, and speed-oriented construction.

Weighing the shoe in a men's US size 9, we got 11.9 oz (336g). This is notably lighter than average and is certainly lighter than the ASICS Gel Resolution 9 (13.8 oz/393g) and the ASICS Court FF 3 (14.3 oz/406g).

Having experienced the shoe's agility and acceleration on the court, we believe that it is one of the best options in its weight class.

We have seen many ASICS tennis shoes struggle with breathability but that's not the case with the Solution Speed FF 2.

On the playtest, we could feel a sweet breeze passing through the shoe's upper and giving our socks a refreshing touch. And when we got back to the lab, our experience was fully backed up by a smoke-pumping test.

Filling the upper with smoke, we saw that it not only passed through the mesh tongue but also through the reinforced toebox! This was convincing enough for us to rate this shoe's breathability with a high score - 4 out of 5.

To show you how large the shoe's ventilation pores are, we hovered its half-cut upper over a light source. You can see how the entire toebox and side panels just light up!

We also grabbed our microscope to investigate the texture of the upper up close.

Right beneath the polyurethane coverage, we see very fine threads, making up a porous mesh layer. That's the shoe's little secret to staying ventilated.

Whenever we see that thick polyurethane coverage on an ASICS shoe, we know it's ready for some serious court battles.

To imitate friction from toe dragging, we used a Dremel with a sandpaper tip and set it to a 5K RPM speed. We pressed the tool against the same spot and with the same pressure (3.2N) as we do with other shoes in our lab, for consistency.

After 12 seconds of drilling the Solution Speed's toebox, our high expectations were fully satisfied! Seeing a mere scuff on the polyurethane coverage, we readily gave the shoe's toebox durability a 5 out of 5!

Our only concern here is that the toe protection doesn't extend that much on the shoe's medial side. Constant toe dragging is likely to frail the exposed foam on the side. You can see the difference in protection between the Solution Speed FF 2 and the Court FF 3 below.

Aggressive players may want to go for the Court FF 3's enhanced protection.

As often happens, the inner lining of a tennis shoe deteriorates sooner than any other part due to its delicate nature. And the Solution Speed FF 2 is no exception.

We held the Dremel against this area for only 4 seconds and it left tangible damage on the textile.

On a 1-5 scale, we cannot give it a score higher than 2 for heel padding durability.

Having a lot of experience with ASICS' AHAR rubber, we didn't have a shadow of a doubt about its durability.

Checking its hardness with a durometer was a good start. The rubber returned 82.8 HC which is within the normal range for a tennis shoe.

But we were most pleasantly surprised when we attempted to drill the shoe's rubber with a Dremel. We even turned up the speed to as much as 10K RPM and pressed it against the outsole for 22 seconds.

Is it just us or is the damage not even visible on the rubber? Either way, it is THAT minor! Where most tennis shoes get up to 1 mm of damage, the Solution Speed FF 2 only got a 0.2 mm dent! We are surprised that our tread gauge was even able to catch that!

Impressive wear resistance from ASICS. We rated the outsole durability of this tennis shoe with a maximum score of 5 out of 5 for obvious reasons.

One important thing to note, however, is that the rubber on the Solution Speed FF 2 is thinner than average. Our calliper shows 3.3 mm which is about a millimetre thinner than most tennis shoes. There is also no durability warranty for this model.

So even though the outsole on this ASICS shoe is incredibly wear-resistant, an aggressive player who is on the court multiple times a week will probably burn through this pair as quickly as the other models.

The traction pattern on the ASICS Solution Speed FF 2 is not a very aggressive one. But it still has a number of multi-directional razor treads to grip from different angles.

On the other hand, these treads are not very deep which also makes the shoe appropriate for sliding and pivoting with ease when needed.

Even though the ASICS Solution Speed FF 2 is a lightweight shoe, it doesn't cut corners on comfort at all! Measuring the shoe's tongue thickness with a calliper, we got a whopping 12.8 mm! That's notably more padding than in the average tennis shoe.

This generous padding also extended to the shoe's collar, creating a plush yet secure confinement for our ankles.

Contributing to the shoe's highly secure foothold is a fully gusseted tongue. It made the upper feel like a one-piece unit around the foot and eliminated the risk of tongue shifting.

There are no pull tabs or finger loops on the Solution Speed. And because of the shoe's gusseted tongue, we recommend using a shoehorn to avoid premature breaking down of the heel counter.

We see no glaring issues with the shoe's stock insole but if you do need an aftermarket one, it is quite easy to swap.