On the court, the last thing you want to think about is your feet while you’re playing. But they are also one of the first things that will distract you if you’re slipping and sliding while chasing the ball all over the court, right?
So you’re looking for traction—you need to be able to stop on a dime and change direction…NOW!
And you’re looking for lateral support—there’s no point in the rubber bottoms of the shoes being able to stop, only to have the upper keep going.
Comfort is also key. You want to slip your soon-to-be-sweaty feet into something that is going to make you eager to lace ‘em up.
The Radical II fits the bill on all three fronts—with style.
Initially a bit stiff, the Radical II quickly softened up enough to feel like we’d been wearing them for a week. the wide base in the forefoot area provided excellent grip on the floor. At first, the slight “ridge” on the outside of the shoe was a concern as it seemed like the shoes would be prone to “rolling over” when stepping hard to the side, but none of our play tests proved that to be problematic.
The Radical II has a slightly narrow fit on the inside (might be tough on wide feet), but the leather uppers do stretch (as expected) to form to the foot. the lace system is excellent, as the eye holes wrap the ankle area well—a critical element with the low cut in the heal.
Bottom line is the HEAD Radical II is light weight, provides excellent grip on the floor, and does exactly what you want—perform without making you think about them.
You can find all kinds of technical info on the HeaD website (HEAD.com/ squash)—Vi pod™, energy Bridge™, Radial Contact™ and Lateral Control™.
