Lotto Syn Raptor 2 Tennis Shoe Review

When we reviewed the Lotto Raptor Syn Pulse in 2007, the level of comfort and cushioning the shoe offered blew us away. The great ride offered by that shoe came courtesy of an innovative technology consisting of elliptical cushioning units in the midsole, called the Syn Pulse System.

With the Syn Raptor 2 we see the return of the Syn Pulse cushioning system, as well as some subtle updates to the upper and outsole of the shoe.

Eager to see if the Syn Raptor 2 could keep in step with other top-of-the-line performance shoes currently on the market, we let our testers loose for a three-week playtest.

Comfort

Out of the box, and onto the court, we found the Lotto Syn Raptor 2 Shoe to be immediately comfortable. Danny felt this updated version was just as good as the original. "Just like the first version of this shoe, I thought the Syn Raptor 2 was very comfortable. The interior and exterior cushioning of this shoe is just as good as any other shoe that I've tested this year." Spencer agreed, "They're extremely comfortable right out of the box. These shoes don't need any break-in. They are match-ready straight from the box. They offered plush cushioning - just as I remember in the original Raptor Syn Pulse. I found a bouncingly firm ride from the ellipse cushioning with a soft upper, making it easy to hop right on the court and go full speed."

Reporting back with glowing remarks was Granville. "These shoes have an excellent glove-like fit for my feet. I found a very stable feel throughout the entire shoe. Furthermore, the shoe provides excellent cushioning, both in the heel, with the Syn Pulse technology, as well as the forefoot, while maintaining a low-profile feel. The firm cushioning is really something new in that it does not offer that mushy cushioned feel of EVA, which so often compresses with time. This cushioning is firm and precise, and it seemed to get better with time." Jason put the Dual Fit System into use. "One of the first things I noticed when I slipped on these shoes was how comfortable they were. Not only was the cushioning soft and responsive, but the uppers also seemed to be made out of velvet; they flexed in all the right places. A great and unique thing about these shoes is that they come with two different types of insoles, a firmer one for training and a softer one for match day. I always had the competition insoles in, and that just added to the overall comfort of the shoe."

Even with narrower feet, Chris still experienced a very pleasant ride. "I found these shoes very comfortable. The uppers felt very soft and supple, and they wrapped my feet comfortably. The fit was a little wide for me, but with two pairs of socks I found a solid blend of comfort and support. I liked the level of cushioning, too. My feet felt well protected during aggressive court movements and landings." Troy was taken aback by the responsiveness of the cushioning. "The Syn Pulse system was a pleasant surprise for me. The response that I received from the ellipses was very effective for my kind of movement. I found myself exploding out of every aggressive plant, and I cut better than usual. The cushioning that came along with it was about the best I have experienced. I'd put it right up there with the Nike Max Air system and the Asics Gel system, which have been my favorites thus far. The soft and flexible inside of the shoe added to the overall comfort - never poking or pinching my feet."

Arch Support

Our playtest team found the arches in the Syn Raptor 2 fit just a tad lower than medium. The majority of our playtesters experienced no discomfort or soreness. Chris and Danny needed a bit more support. "The arch support was a tad low for me," Chris said. "While not ideal, I could live with it. I was too preoccupied to bother with the alternate insoles that ship with the shoes and just played in them with the competition insoles that came installed. As stated, the support was not ideal, but it wasn't so off that it made me want to try the other insoles." Added Danny, "I thought the arch support was a little low or flat for me. I thought the arch support was good for the first week, but after I broke in the shoe, the support disappeared."

Really enjoying the arch support was Granville. "I feel the mid arch support, and it feels good. Once on the court it seemed to provide that extra feel and stability. I often downplay the significance of this arch support due to my low arch, but I really get some added comfort and stability having such a contoured fit as supplied by the arch support here." The soft insoles gave Jason no problems. "If I can't feel it, it must be good. Listed as a medium arch, I'm guessing the soft insole and midsole squished down relatively well so that my low arches experienced no soreness or pain."

Troy could've used a higher arch, but it did not affect his comfort at all. "The arch support of these shoes was a little lower than that of shoes I typically find comfortable. This did not bother me, and I never felt any discomfort. I do feel that a person with a lower than average arch could adapt to these shoes better than other shoes that will typically have a medium height arch." Spencer said, "The arch support was unnoticeable. I've always believed that if I notice the arch support then there's an issue."

Foot Support/Stability

When it came to judging support and stability of the Syn Raptor 2 our team was somewhat divided. Spencer loved the initial feel. "I had no problems changing directions when it came to support and stability at the beginning. I did notice that the newer the shoe, or fewer hours put in, the better they performed. Once they got worn in a bit the inside of the shoe started to stretch, making the fit and support slightly sloppy. This, in turn, created some movement or sliding inside the shoes, providing less efficient movement when changing directions, both laterally and front to back."

These shoes worked perfectly for Granville. "There was no sliding whatsoever for me - a truly exceptional fit all around my foot. The uppers are firm and the insole and midsole provided a bucket seat feel, where there is simply nowhere for my feet to go inside them." Danny found support lacking as the test wore on. "The foot support and stability wasn't that bad until after testing the shoes for about a week to two weeks. After about two weeks, the material really stretched out and became extremely flexible, which created poor foot support and stability. Rolling my ankle is something I thought about every time I tested these shoes. I felt any quick movements had to be done with caution."

Doubling up on his socks to get a supportive fit was Chris. "The uppers softened up considerably in these shoes, and I wore two pairs of socks for a supportive fit. Even then, I had to lace the shoes very tightly for a secure fit. Like many players, I prefer wearing two pairs of socks for blister protection, so it was not a big deal. While the ride felt fairly soft and supple, the shoes offered ample stability even when I was really pushing hard." Finding a better fit was Troy. "These shoes wrapped around my feet just right. The upper of the shoe is very soft and form fitting, and I could really tighten-up the laces for a great fit. After a couple weeks of hard play, the toe area stretched out a bit, but by doubling-up on socks this was not a problem for me. A downside for me was that I felt as though my feet were a little too high off the ground. The feeling was that my feet were sitting more on top of the shoe, rather than inside of it. I never rolled an ankle while playtesting this shoe, but if I were going to play a tourney in these, I would definitely put on my ankle braces for full confidence in my movement."

Jason would've liked some added support and stiffness. "The support and stability of this shoe was the inverse of how supple and comfortable it was. Because the shoes seemed to bend and flex with the flow of my feet (which is why they were so great to wear), they lacked the rigidity to be a great supportive ride. I did not experience that 'locked into place' feel I get with other performance-oriented shoes. There were some issues with my feet sliding in the shoe. I also noticed slight ankle rolls on more than one occasion."

Overall Sole Durability

We were impressed with how well the outsoles held up through out the three-week playtest. Not able to put a dent in the outsoles was Jason. "Durability was very impressive! I saw minimal wear and tear after testing these shoes. The outsoles look to be in great condition. Granted, I am not the harshest playtester in the crew, but I can typically put some damage on most shoes. I had trouble wearing the outsole down, which is a good thing." This was the case for Granville as well. "I found good durability that was in line with what I would expect from a shoe priced at $99. I am pretty light on my feet and do not tear through shoes the way some do, so I'd be interested to see what the others had to say."

These shoes stood up to Troy's harsh playtest. "For my durability needs this shoe held up well under some aggressive hard court action. Like every shoe I play tennis in, the toe was the area I noticed the most wear. By looking at the Syn Raptor 2, it wouldn't appear to be well protected from hard-court rash, but this shoe lasted about as long as any durability shoe has for me. The one thing that would make these more appealing to me is if they came with a durability guarantee. I definitely can't knock the shoes, though, because not a large number of players will wear out shoes as fast as I do."

Chris put in considerable court time in the shoes as well. "The outsoles started to wear under my toes. The rest of the soles look solid even after lots of on court testing - more than 35 hours of actual playing time. I usually see most of the wear under my big toes, but I also saw wear under my middle toes in these shoes. However, the amount of wear was not excessive and the shoes still have plenty of life left in them."

Danny was surprised by the durability of the shoes. "These shoes were more durable then I thought they would be. The areas under the ball of my foot and at the toe were the parts that showed the most wear." Seeing nothing out of the ordinary was Spencer. "There was no unusual wear on this shoe. My shoes normally show signs of wear first under the balls of my feet and there was no exception here. This shoe doesn't offer a durability guarantee, but I was happy with the longevity of the outsoles."

Toe Durability

The toe box of the Lotto Syn Raptor 2 incorporates a Reinforce2 toe cap, which protects the midsole and upper. Our toe-dragging testers were quite pleased with the durability of the toe guard. A reformed toe dragger, Granville had this to say. "I'm no longer a toe dragger, but I did see ample material to handle all but the worst offenders." Troy was also impressed with durability. "despite this shoe not having a beefy toe guard, the added material that capped off the top of the toe was really strong. The rubber compound was strong even though it didn't have the firm feel of other durable rubber compounds. Toe durability was definitely better than average for me."

Danny found the toe guard to feel more substantial. "I thought the toe durability was above average. The toe guard that the Syn Raptor 2 offers is thick and heavily guarded for people that toe drag." Chris put the shoes through the ringer. "I drag my toes a lot, and the toe bumpers of both shoes held up great. There was plenty of rubber at the tip and the medial side of the toe-box to protect the uppers, and I hardly made a dent in it during the test - very impressive."

Traction

Our TW playtesters found great traction thanks to the Double Traction Outsole, which sports a modified tread pattern somewhat reminiscent of a performance car tire. The Lotto Syn Raptor 2 also features dual pivot points, designed to help the player transition laterally, as well as turn quickly during changes of direction. Spencer noticed some minor issues with traction. "As with the support and stability, I didn't have any issues during the first half of the playtest. As the hours logged on, I did have a couple of slips on the hard court with hard changes of direction. The slips weren't major, but enough to notice."

Needing a bit of a break-in time before he felt comfortable was Troy. "When I first began testing these shoes I found my movement not at its best due to some slipping when stopping and starting. With the amount of force I put into my plants and cuts the rubber just was not quite gripping the way that I like. Sometimes I find myself liking the traction of a shoe better after the rubber has been ground down a bit; that is what I found with this one." Granville felt these shoes were one step ahead of him. "Bingo - another home run for Lotto here in regards to the traction of the Syn Raptor 2. I found myself stopping, starting and pivoting with very precise control. Sometimes the level of traction took me by surprise. Yes, it was so responsive I found myself trying to catch up to my shoes!"

Finding the traction to be one of the highlights of this shoe was Jason. "I know this shoe is suitable on multiple surfaces, but I only had the opportunity to try it on the hard courts of San Luis Obispo. I thought the traction was phenomenal. I don't recall slipping or losing my footing once. The dual pivot points allowed me to cut and turn while keeping most of the outsole in contact with the court, which translated into maximum traction." Forward sprints were great for Chris. "Traction was better for me in this shoe compared to the original, but still not at a top level. When sprinting to net the traction was there. However, I found the traction to be about average going side to side. The outsoles seemed soft enough, but there was more give than some of the other top of the line shoes I've worn this year. I continued to have some slippage moving laterally in the shoes. It never seemed to take me out of the point, but there was some noticeable give during changes of direction and quick lateral stops."

Danny couldn't fully comment on the traction, finding his experience to be inconclusive. "It's hard to comment on the traction of the shoes considering how bad foot support and stability were for me. I don't recall experiencing any type of slipping or sliding on the court, but then I had issues sliding inside the shoes."

Weight

With the weight nearing 17 ounces, these Lotto Syn Raptor 2 seemed destined to feel substantial. Our testers were all pleasantly surprised with how they felt once they were on their feet.

Troy was thoroughly impressed. "I never checked what the weight of these shoes was until I was done testing them. I would not have guessed that they weighed 16.6 ounces because this shoe felt like one of the lightest shoes I've played in. I felt like I could turn my steps over without restraint. The Gel Resolution is 14.7 ounces, and I felt that the Syn Raptor 2 was just as light. Very good distribution of weight." Danny added, "It's a fairly light feeling shoe. I think that it plays lighter than the listed weight."

Jason was surprised by the lightweight feel of the shoes. "I typically like to comment on how the weight of a shoe feels without looking at the actual number, and with this shoe, I would guess it was around 15 ounces. I was surprised to see the actual weight of 16.6 ounces. They felt light, and I thought I moved around the court fairly well with these strapped to my feet." Chris didn't expect this combination of weight and performance. "The weight felt good to me. The shoes felt pretty light on my feet so what weight there was must have been distributed well. Considering the level of durability, comfort and cushioning, the shoes are very light." Not letting the weight slow him down was Spencer "A weight of 16.6 ounces would be considered on the heavier side for a performance shoe, but I didn't feel it hampered my movement at all. I think Lotto did a good job with how they distributed the weight." Granville found the shoes to be a perfect match. "These were right in my sweetspot - a pound a foot for my 10.5s. They played lighter than that though, and I really found myself feeling very confident on the court with these shoes on my feet."

Overall

Our TW playtesters were pleased with how comfortable the Syn Raptor 2s felt right out of the box. The elliptical cushioning system provided great cushioning while the uppers were soft and supple. Several of our testers would've liked a bit more support and stability, especially for lateral movements. Both toe and outsole durability was impressive. We were surprised there was no durability guarantee here as the shoes certainly perform on par with those offering a six-month guarantee. The solid overall performance we found makes this a great choice for players looking for a well cushioned, well ventilated ride.

Lotto Syn Raptor 2 Shoe Scores
The Up Side	The Down Side	Play Test Scores
Comfort Cushioning Toe Durability Outsole Durability Weight	Traction Support for narrow feet	Comfort 4.5 Arch Support 3.8 Foot Support/Stability 3.4 Overall Sole Durability 3.9 Toe Durability 4.2 Traction 3.5 Weight 3.9 Overall 3.7 Scores (1-Horrible 2-Poor 3-Average 4-Good 5-Tremendous)

Playtesters' Foot Types: Chris - Narrow width/Medium arch, Spencer - medium/medium arch, Danny - Medium/Medium arch, Granville Narrow/low arch, Jason Wide/Low arch, Troy Narrow/medium,

Review date: August, 2008. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

All content copyright 2008 Tennis Warehouse.