Nike Air Max Breathe Cage Shoe Review

It seldom makes sense to take something that's free and cage it.

That is, of course, unless you are talking about the Breathe line of shoes from Nike. Introduced as the Air Zoom Breathe Free, the Breathe line of shoes quickly gained a popular following both on the tour and with amateur players.

The second and third iterations of the Breathe Free saw a switch to a Max Air cushioning unit in the heel for increased impact protection. Like in the original Breathe, Zoom Air was retained in the forefoot for optimal court feel.

On the latest version of the Breathe, the Air Max Breathe Cage, the Drag-On Direct Inject upper gets an all new look, with thicker strips of the Drag-On material resembling bars - hence the Cage name.

Most notably worn by World Number 2, Rafael Nadal, the Air Max Breathe Cage has become the "must have" shoe for aggressive players who like to make a statement with their footwear.

To put the latest version of the Breathe line to the test, we closed the tennis court gates and caged in our review team for an extended playtest.

Comfort

For a comfortable ride and fit, the Air Max Breathe Cage offers a combination of Max Air and Zoom Air underfoot with a very lightweight, breathable mesh in the upper. The uni-tongue is back for this latest version after a brief absence with the Air Max Breathe 3. Finding the shoes to keep getting better with each wear was Jon "The Air Max Cages felt great out of the box. The width was perfect and the toe box was not like I have previously experienced with Nike shoes. I felt the shoe felt better each time I put it on. The heel uses the Max Air where the forefoot uses Zoom Air, which is a great combination of cushioning and support/stability." Danny found nothing but comfort in his Air Max Breathe Cages. "I didn't experience any discomfort during my playtest of these shoes. I've enjoyed my playtesting of all versions of the Nike Breathe - including this latest version. I found the interior cushioning was nice and the uni-tongue design was more comfortable then the models in the past."

Both Granville and Chris also came into the test having worn all previous versions of the Breathe. Granville said, "These Air Max Breathe Cages are exceptionally comfortable and I found the fit to be true to size. They felt light and supple - made of soft, flexible materials that allowed my feet to breathe. I also found a fairly contoured fit for my feet. There was good cushioning in the heel and forefoot, but a lack of padding directly under the toes made for an up on my toes feeling." Chris offered, "I loved the feel of these shoes on court. I found lots of comfort during play and was able to get a fairly snug fit from the lace system. They felt roomier than the Air Max Breathe Free IIs, but not excessively so. I played in these shoes right out of the box with no issues. After about an hour of hitting they softened up some and became very comfortable. The mesh material under the Drag On rubber felt extremely thin and light. My feet seemed to breathe well. I also liked the padding around the ankle collar and was pleased to see the uni-tongue construction back. With the wider opening I was able to get my feet in these shoes very easily, even when wearing my ankle braces. The on court comfort got better with each wear and I enjoyed playing in them. Due to the very performance inspired fit and feel, I didn't like wearing these shoes casually and would find my feet aching if I was on my feet extended periods when standing or walking. Very comfortable for practice and matches, though."

Arch Support

Our team found the arch support in the Air Max Breathe Cages to be adequate, with a fit slightly lower than medium height. Chris found enough support with his shoes laced tightly. "The arch support was OK. I would have liked a little more height for a perfect fit. If I didn't have the shoes laced properly, I would feel some strain to the arches of my feet." Danny also found the arch support to work during aggressive on court movement. "The arch support was OK for me. I know that it wasn't too high. In fact it was a little on the low side for me, however, it worked out."

For a custom fit, Jon switched the insole for an aftermarket unit, but found the stock insole tough to remove. "I have fairly particular arches and rarely do I find a shoe that fits my arch well, this shoe was no exception. A player needing low-medium arch support will be happy with the support. My biggest complaint was that the insole was glued in to the shoe, making it very difficult for me to replace the insole with my custom foot bed." Granville also noted a lower than medium height arch support. "There seemed to be very little arch support built into the shoe - what was there seemed to be provided by the insole, which was glued into position."

Foot Support/Stability

The Air Max Breathe Cages offer a slightly wider, more relaxed fit compared to previous versions. Even with some added room inside the shoes, the majority of our team found a supportive fit. Enjoying the stability and good court feel offered by the shoes was Jon "The Nike Cages are very stable. The sole has a unique feature I haven't seen on other brands. The outer edge of the sole at the ball of foot area has an extended lip where the sole extends beyond the midsole of the shoe, giving added stability and better traction. The ankle cuffs are thicker, giving better ankle support and comfort. The Zoom Air in the forefoot gives good cushioning, but more importantly, my feet felt stable and I found good court feel." Finding a supportive and performance inspired ride was Granville "I felt very stable in these shoes. The soft materials can be cinched up when lacing and it felt like it was locking in my foot. On the court I felt light on my feet and the shoes gripped the court. No sliding around and no pinching - a fairly smooth and contoured fit all around."

Danny would have liked some increased stiffness in the upper materials for additional support. "I thought the shoes were too flexible to be supportive and the upper had a relaxed forefoot fit. While comfortable during slow movement, my feet would slip inside the shoes when I stopped abruptly." Finding much more support and stability was Chris. "I was able to get a very supportive fit in these shoes. The lace system seemed to do a good job of pulling the uppers snugly around my feet. I was not sliding around in the shoes, which made for comfortable playing conditions. I didn't think these were extremely solid shoes in a stability sense. However, I found enough stability for aggressive play. Whereas some shoes are very rigid and stable, these tended to flex a little. I actually liked the flex, as the shoes offered enough give for comfort without sacrificing anything in terms of foot security or speed."

Overall Sole Durability

Nike's all new XDR (extra durable rubber) compound is utilized for the full-length of the Air Max Breathe Cage outsole. Our team found the new outsole material to make this the most durable Breathe shoe yet. Very impressed by the durability of the shoes was Danny. "I didn't see that much wear on the shoes after 15 hours of on-court play. If I had to choose a spot where the shoe was showing some signs of wear, I would have to choose under my toes. Overall, I thought this was the most durable Breathe series shoe." Jon found the durability a good match for his game. "I am a larger player at 6'2" and 230lbs., and durability is always a great concern of mine considering my playing style. The Air Max Breathe Cages held up exceptionally well compared to other shoes (including other Nikes) that I have worn."

Finding only slight wear to the outsoles of his shoes at the end of the test was Granville. "My shoes showed slight wear at the outside edge beneath the lateral outrigger, or "Fed-Wedge" as we like to call it (due to its first appearance on the Air Zoom Vapor IV). I was playing very aggressive matches during this test and the outsoles held up very well." Chris also noted an improvement in durability compared to previous versions of the shoe. "I found some improved durability from this latest version of the Breathe. The outsoles held up well from the toe tip to the heel with no excessive wear. Even at the end of the test I had hardly made a dent in the tread pattern, and I expect to keep enjoying these for some time. Top marks from me here."

Toe Durability

Nike's Direct Drag-On material covers the upper of the shoe, providing improved durability and support. At the toe tip of the Air Max Breathe Cages Nike's XDR rubber compound outsole wraps up to protect the shoe. Chris found a high level of durability from his shoes. "I loved the toe durability with these shoes. The Drag On rubber protected the entire upper from court contact. The shoe seemed to slide across the surface without the surface damaging the uppers at all. Parts of the toe tip and upper showed scuffing, but apart from the Drag-On changing from a matte finish to a glossy sheen, there was no damage to the shoes." Jon found the shoes to be more durable than he expected. "The top of the toe has just a thin layer of Drag-On material and I did have some wear in this area, but it held up much better than I expected." Also impressed with the toe durability was Danny. "The toe durability was surprisingly good. The XDR outsole that wraps over the toe works great for durability. Most shoes that I wear show signs of wear after a few hours on the toe, but this shoe did not."

Traction

The Air Max Breathe Cages feature a unique tread pattern for traction on all court surfaces. Finding impressive traction from the shoes was Jon. "I play mostly a baseline game, but I do like to chase shots all over the court, and very rarely did this shoe break traction. I had a lot of confidence wearing this shoe due to it's consistent grip and stability." Danny found the level of traction to be worry free. "Making abrupt stops with the Air Max Breath Cages was not a problem. I didn't experience any slipping or sliding on the tennis court with these shoes."

Finding adequate traction from the shoes was Granville. "Fair to good traction. The outsole pattern is a variation of a herringbone. I did have two instances during my test where I encountered unwanted sliding. I didn't fall to the ground, but lost the "push-off" and the points. Overall, I'd say these shoes offered adequate traction for all but the most extreme situations." Most impressed with the level of traction was Chris. "I loved the traction I was finding from the first wear to the last. The rubber compound worked great on hard courts, offering the perfect balance between grip and give. I felt like I was moving very well in these shoes. The flex I noted in my stability comments seemed to allow lots of the outsole to stay in contact with the court, rather than an edge of the sole lifting off due to a lack of flex."

Weight

Our team found the 16.1 ounce Aix Max Breathe Cage shoes to feel light and maneuverable on court. Finding the shoes to feel well balanced was Jon. "The shoe has good weight distribution and felt light on my feet." Feeling light-footed in his Air Max Breathe Cages was Danny. "The Air Max Cages were not heavy playing shoes. I felt very fast and maneuvered well in these shoes."

Finding a solid balance between lightweight performance and support was Granville. "These shoes felt very light on my feet. When taking weight into account, these felt like very robust shoes for being so soft and supple." Chris was very impressed with the weight and feel of the shoes. "Another area where I gave these shoes top marks was weight. I thought these shoes offered a very high level of performance without being heavy or bulky feeling. I was very impressed by the streamlined fit and feel of these shoes."

Overall

Nike offers up another serious all court performance shoe in the Air Max Breathe Cage. A newly designed fit offers a wider opening and a more relaxed width, making this version of the Breathe suitable to a wider variety of foot types. Now players with wide feet or a high vamp can gain easy access into the shoes and enjoy the comfortable fit of a uni-tongue design. Underfoot we found Nike's combination of Air Max in the heel and Zoom Air in the forefoot to perform flawlessly. Air Max took care of the heavy landings, while the Zoom Air unit in the forefoot enhanced court feel and offered a responsive ride. This current version is likely to also impress players longer, thanks to the XDR outsole. We found the Air Max Breathe Cage to be the most durable Breathe yet - making it a great choice for frequent players.

Comparing the Air Max Breathe Cage to other shoes and brands our testers said: and brought a level of performance back to the Breathe line similar to that of the Breathe Free IIs - another top notch shoe."

Nike Air Max Cage Breathe Scores
The Up Side	The Down Side	Play Test Scores
Support Traction Durability Weight Fit	None we could agree on.	Comfort 4.1 Arch Support 3.4 Foot Support/Stability 4.0 Overall Sole Durability 4.2 Toe Durability 4.2 Traction 4.1 Weight 4.4 Overall 4.1 Scores (1-Horrible 2-Poor 3-Average 4-Good 5-Tremendous)

Playtesters' Foot Types: Granville - Narrow width/low arch, Chris - narrow width/medium arch, Danny - wide medium/medium arch, Jon - medium width/medium arch.

Review date: May, 2007. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

All content copyright 2007 Tennis Warehouse.