Lotto Viper Ultra Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.8

Both playtesters were extremely pleased with the comfort of the Viper Ultras. They found tons of plush cushioning under foot and a soft, flexible upper that moved naturally with their feet. The shoes cradled Chris' feet from the heavy impact of longer hitting sessions. He said, "I loved the comfortable ride I found in these shoes. They felt very plush and comfortable right from the get-go. The level of cushioning was very generous -- especially under my heels. The forefoot cushioning was lower profile but still very comfortable. I felt very well protected from the pounding of hard courts. I also liked the way the uppers flexed and moved with my feet. The uppers were very pliable -- if they were any softer they'd feel like running shoes -- so I had no issues with any undue poking or rubbing from the shoes."

Andy had a very similar opinion, saying, "Comfort and cushioning are certainly among the strengths of these shoes. There's a thick, plush midsole that takes the edge off harsh landings and provides plenty of comfort for those long hitting sessions on a hard court. The fit is nice and roomy, and the uppers flex naturally with your feet on every step. Players who place a large priority on comfort and cushioning will not be disappointed."

Ventilation - Score: 4.5

Breathability was never an issue throughout the playtest. Our team found more than enough air passing through the Viper Ultras during play to keep their feet cool and dry. Andy said, "Plenty of perforations in the upper expose a layer of mesh and provide more than enough breathability. My feet never got overly hot or sweaty, even during longer hitting sessions. The ventilation was more than adequate."

Chris agreed, adding, "These shoes breathed well for me. The mesh on the uppers did a solid job of letting some of the hot air out of the shoes. My feet never felt overheated during play, and I could actually keep the shoes on after play, unlike some shoes that I'm dying to get out of."

Arch Support - Score: 2.9

Neither tester found enough stability through the arch area of the Viper Ultras to keep his feet fully supported during play. Chris thought the lack of a substantial mid-foot shank caused the shoes to flex in the wrong spot, causing some arch pain. He critiqued, "My one knock on these shoes was the lack of arch support. The chassis was just far too flexible for me. I like shoes that feel stiff under my arches to offer stability and support. These shoes are flexible and lack a significant mid-foot shank. The result was the flex point was too far back in the shoe rather than being correctly under the balls of my feet."

Andy also didn't find a comfortable amount of support through the arch area. He explained, "The arch support in the Viper Ultras was good, but not great. I typically like to have a pretty healthy dose of arch support, otherwise my feet will start to ache after long hitting sessions. I did find that after some long hours in these shoes that I'd start to get that sensation. I think for most people the arch support would be more than adequate, but if I were competing in these shoes I'd be throwing in an aftermarket insole for more support."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.3

The soft and pliable uppers of the Viper Ultras that contribute to the exceptional comfort of the shoe ended up providing more stability than expected, but it still may not be enough for players who are extremely hard on their shoes. It took a while for Andy to trust these shoes during aggressive lateral cuts. He shared, "As the playtest wore on I began to feel more and more confident moving around the court in these shoes. When I first tried them on I thought the uppers were way too flexible to provide enough stability for aggressive lateral cuts. In addition, my feet sat fairly high off the court -- a consequence of the plush cushioning in the midsole -- so naturally I was skeptical. However, as I grew more accustomed to the shoes and began testing their limits I found I could move quickly and even execute some aggressive sliding on the hard courts. These shoes offer good, but not great, support and stability."

Chris found some support but unfortunately not enough stability for his liking. He said, "I found a supportive fit in these shoes, which was a good thing since the uppers are extremely flexible. My feet did not slide around inside them, but the flex meant there was a lack of stability. I was able to find just enough support from the fit of these shoes to make them work for me, but the feel was borderline on whether I could trust them. The flex from the shoes meant they moved well with my feet, but I didn't get the stability that I love from a shoes like the Raptor Ultra IV and adidas Barricade 2015."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 2.9

The durability of the Viper Ultras proved to be about average, but on par with some other faster shoes. Chris offered, "The level of durability of these shoes was comparable with other speed-oriented shoes, such as the Asics Gel Solution Speed 2 and adidas adizero CC Feather III. However, these lasted me much longer than the Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tour and Lunar Ballistec. The Viper Ultras started to wear first under the big toe of my right foot. After 15 hours or so of playing in them I still have some outsole life left to go, and I'd rate these average in terms of durability compared to most of the shoes available right now."

Andy was able to noticeably wear down the outsole quickly. He said, "After just a short while into the test the outsole began to show some signs of wear. I started to smooth out the area of the outsole where I normally do damage -- under the ball of my foot and big toe on both shoes. If I were to train for multiple hours a day in them I think I could wear through to the midsole in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, I didn't find outsole durability to be a strength of these shoes."

Toe Durability - Score: 2.3

The toe area of the Viper Ultras turned out to be even less durable than the outsole. Andy, who doesn't usually do much damage to that area, was able to wear it down during this playtest. He said, "I'm not even a significant toe dragger, but after just a couple of hitting sessions the shoes started to show signs of moderate wear in the toe area. There isn't a whole lot of extra protection, so avid toe draggers should be a bit wary."

The Viper Ultras had no chance against our resident toe dragger, Chris, who explained, "The toes of these shoes did not hold up as well for me as the outsoles. I have put holes through both toes, but especially the left shoe. The soft toe bumper -- while feeling very comfortable during play -- didn't hold up well to contact with the hard courts."

Traction - Score: 4.7

The excellent traction of the Viper Ultras helped provide more stability and confidence for our aggressive playtesters. Chris was finding a nice blend of grip and give for quick cuts back to the middle of the court. He raved, "I was impressed by the amount of grip I found. I was able to sprint around in these shoes and get all the grip I needed to make that explosive first step. They also gripped well when I was changing directions. I liked that there was some give when coming to a quick stop. I'm not a huge slider on hard courts, but I do like the outsole to break free and allow some slide to take pressure off my ankles. These shoes were consistent in the amount of grab they provided, and that allowed me to easily control a lateral slide if needed."

Andy found a near perfect response from the outsole with every step. He said, "Traction was excellent in these shoes. They provided a great blend of grip and give, which was one of the main reasons I began to grow more confident in the level of support and stability they offered. I was able to execute some aggressive slides, and I never experienced any sort of unwanted 'slippage' when trying to chase down an unexpected drop shot. Near top marks here!"

Weight - Score: 3.9

There was a slight difference of opinion between the playtesters when it came to the weight of the Viper Ultras. Chris was very pleased, praising, "These shoes felt very light and fast. I think the very flexible feel added to the sensation of them being light. The shoes moved and flexed a lot and that gave them a running shoe feel. I would actually welcome some additional weight to these shoes if it meant more stability and toe durability."

On the other hand, Andy felt that the super plush cushioning actually slowed him down a bit. He explained, "The emphasis of the design of these shoes (to me) was the plush cushioning and comfort, so they weren't the lightest shoes out there. Even though they may not weigh as much as some of the heavyweight shoes out there, their high ride off the ground and roomy design certainly didn't make them feel like the speediest option either. They were middle of the road for me in this category."

Overall - Score: 3.7

Scores

(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)

Playtester Foot Types

Chris - Narrow width / Medium arch

Andy - Medium width / Low arch

Review date: March 2015. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

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