Nike Lunar Ballistec 1.5 Women's Shoe Review

Overall Comfort - Score: 3.9

Our playtesters found the fit and cushioning of the Nike Lunar Ballistec 1.5s slightly different from the fit and cushioning of the Lunar Ballistecs, and they required a longer break-in period. Brittany compared them to the previous version, saying, "When I slipped these shoes on my feet I noticed they fit very narrow (which is good for me!) and slightly longer than average. I was unsure if I should go down a half-size, but since the fit was rather narrow I stayed put in my normal size 8s. These shoes needed a slightly longer break-in period than the previous model; it took four to five hours for them to soften and the uppers to open up a little. They continued to loosen throughout the playtest, and by the end I was wondering if I should have gone down the half-size after all. The cushioning felt firm and supportive, which was surprising because the previous version felt much more plush to me. However, the padding around the ankle was very plush, which I did appreciate. I thought the arch support was just fine for my medium arches, and the support hit in the right spot. Even though Nike updated the ventilation in the 1.5s, they felt about the same as the Lunar Ballistecs, which were slightly on the warmer side."

The playtest started with some fit issues for Tiffani. She explained, "When I tried on these Nike Lunar Ballistec 1.5s I thought they ran a bit long. I ended up deciding to drop down a half-size. Although they worked out OK, if I had it to do over again I would have stuck to my usual size because I have wide feet. The Lunar Ballistec 1.5s run a little narrow through the midfoot, and that was the biggest drawback for me comfort-wise. I did need to break these shoes in for about six hours to get the right amount of heel-to-toe flex, but no matter how long I wore them they weren't going to get any wider. Otherwise, I loved the plush padding around the heel collar, and the low, firm cushioning under the forefoot. These shoes were on the hot side, but it really didn't bother me while I was on the court."

The original Lunar Ballistecs were among Michelle's favorite shoes of 2014. She said, "I still really like the Lunar Ballistecs, but I have to admit that some great shoes have come out that have taken the top spot. I'll start with the positives. I loved the ankle collar and the initial plush feel and comfort when I put the Lunar Ballistec 1.5s on. My feet were enveloped in padding. However, the underfoot cushioning is pretty minimal. I really didn't feel much cushioning at all under my feet, to be honest, and the older I get and harder I work off the court the more cushioning I feel like I need on the court. I had no discomfort, though. The arch support was quite low for my higher arches, so there were a few instances when I was looking for more support. Ideally, I would replace the stock insoles with aftermarket insoles for more cushioning and better arch support. Nike has added some breathability to this update, but the shoes do still run pretty hot."

"These shoes look plush and pillowy on the inside, but all that padding was a little misleading," said Karly. "I wasn't expecting the Lunar Ballistec 1.5s to feel as stiff as they did when I first put them on, and I thought they took longer to break-in than most shoes. I had the hardest time with the ankle collar, which dug into both of my outer ankles and caused a lot of rubbing. It wasn't until I had worn them for about three hours that they started to flex better, and then it took another three hours before the uppers completely loosened up. However, once the break-in was over they felt fine on my feet. It was just the first six or seven hours that caused some discomfort for me. I also thought the ventilation wasn't much of an improvement over the previous version -- they still ran hot even with the added mesh windows on the medial sides. I don't normally mind warm shoes, but the higher temperature of the 1.5s was pretty noticeable."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.1

Nike's Adaptive Fit and Dynamic Flywire technologies helped increase the stability and support of the Lunar Ballistec 1.5s.Tiffani used the tighter fit to her advantage. She offered, "The support and stability of the Lunar Ballistec 1.5s served me well on the court. As I mentioned earlier, the 1.5s ran narrow for me through the midfoot, and although that caused me some comfort issues, I was locked in tightly when I was up on my toes and moving around the court. My feet had no room to move in these shoes, making these Nikes supportive and stable."

"These shoes offered me just enough support and stability," Michelle explained. "I felt confident moving on the court in these shoes. I liked the way they laced up with the Adaptive Fit; I'm able to tighten them and feel secure for explosive movement. I was never worried about twisting an ankle. They weren't so heavy that I felt like I couldn't move well in them, but they are still stable and supportive."

Karly said, "Although I had problems with the ankle collars prior to the break-in, I really liked how high the material came up around my ankles. They were almost like mid-tops, and they offered a ton of support. I never worried about hurting my feet when I was moving in all different directions. Even when the uppers loosened up and didn't hold my feet as well (I experienced some sliding within the shoes toward the end of the playtest), I still thought the stability of the material was great for aggressive movements. The stable feel of the 1.5s was one of its best features, in my opinion."

Brittany agreed with Karly, saying, "At the start of the playtest the Lunar Ballistec 1.5s wrapped tightly around my feet, holding them in position when I was moving aggressively. After about two weeks the uppers loosened up and there was much more room inside the shoes. My feet were moving around a little bit more, but not enough to cause an issue. With the low to the ground feel I felt less likely to roll an ankle, and I felt much more comfortable moving around. The only thing I didn't like was the ankle collar not wrapping tighter around my heel. When my shoelaces were looser I noticed the collar buckling out when I took a step. I was constantly trying to tie my laces tighter to keep the ankle collar secure. Once the laces were tightened I didn't have as much of an issue."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.4

Lightweight shoes aren't known for their durability. However, the Nike Lunar Ballistec 1.5s definitely surprised our TW playtesters. Michelle raved, "The durability was pretty awesome. I have worn these a lot (more than 20 hours), and I am seeing very minimal wear. The outsole looks almost new. Definitely a strong point for these shoes!"

Karly was extremely pleased with how well the outsoles held up, particularly considering how fast and light the Lunar Ballistec 1.5s played. She said, "I have yet to see any wear or smoothing at the bottom of the shoes, which is rare for a pair of lighter weight shoes. It was only the midsole material at the toes that started to show some slight signs of wear, but it wasn't bad at all for how I move. I'm not much of a toe-dragger and hardly ever inflict any damage to the front of shoes. My Lunar Ballistec 1.5s have plenty of life left even after the playtest."

"I always expect the outsole durability of light weight shoes to be worse than the durability of more heavy-duty models, but I thought these shoes held up fairly well," Brittany explained. "They were very similar to the previous version, if not slightly better. At the end of the playtest I still had many more hours left on court. The toe bumper helped increase the durability, and for the most part my shoes held up very well to dragging. However, there is a weak spot just slightly on the outside of the toe bumper where the midsole cushioning is exposed. At the end of the playtest I had taken a good chunk out of that section on my left shoe. It didn't affect the shoe and was more of a cosmetic issue, so I wasn't worried about it."

Tiffani added, "I think the first generation Lunar Ballistec had a reputation for wearing out quickly, but Nike has beefed up the amount of rubber in the high wear areas of the Lunar Ballistec 1.5s. I've got plenty of tread left on these shoes, and most of the toe area is in good shape, too. My only wish is that the toe protection came down farther on the lateral side. The soft midsole material comes all the way up to the toes, and this is where I've done the most damage to the shoes and where I'll likely wear them out. I've scraped off a good layer of EVA material there."

Traction - Score: 3.7

Our playtesters felt the Lunar Ballistec 1.5s had a lower to the ground feel than the Lunar Ballistecs, and they had less traction. Karly noted the slightly more slippery feel, saying, "The traction had more give than grip, but I didn't mind that at all, which is unusual for me because I'm generally someone who prefers tackier outsoles. When I planted my feet in the Lunar Ballistec 1.5s I noticed a little movement. However, it was never enough to make me feel unsafe when I was making quick stops. I was always able to stay upright without sliding too much. I thought their traction actually helped make them play like faster shoes because I didn't feel stuck to the ground when I wore them. Overall, their slightly slicker feel didn't bother me at all."

Brittany thought there were a couple differences in the traction between this update and the Lunarb Balllistec. She said, "The Lunar Ballistec 1.5s had a lower to the ground ride than the Lunar Ballistecs. I felt more connected to the court and didn't feel like I was sitting as high up in my shoes as I did in the previous version. This was definitely a positive change for me. The second difference was that the outsoles were slipping more than the previous version. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, just something that I had to get used to. It took a couple of hits to get used to the extra slippage, but once I adjusted I didn't think any more of it."

Michelle had mixed feelings, explaining, "I didn't find the best traction from these shoes, but it was never detrimental to my game. There were a few times when the outsoles felt a bit slippery, and for me to put these shoes into the stable, durable category I would need to see more traction."

"These shoes felt slippery to me, and the traction level was not quite up to where I like it," added Tiffani. "I got used to the give, but I didn't always quite know how much the shoes were going to let me slide. I noticed the slickness on both stops and starts, and sometimes I had to adjust my footwork to accommodate the outsole's give."

Weight - Score: 4.5

One of our playtesters' favorite features of the Lunar Ballistec 1.5s was their fast and light feel. Brittany gave the Lunar Ballistec 1.5s an almost perfect score on weight. She raved, "These shoes were lightweight and extremely fast when I was moving around on the court. I prefer lightweight shoes, and these are exactly what I am looking for. The Lunar Ballistec 1.5s almost felt like slippers, and they're perfect match day shoes."

The weight came as a surprise to Michelle. She explained, "I am shocked to see the Lunar Ballistec 1.5s weigh in right around the same weight as a Vapor. They don't feel as fast to me. These shoes seem to have more of a comfort and stability story than a speed story, in my opinion. I usually gravitate toward stable, comfortable shoes rather than minimal, quick shoes. It feels like these fall in between those two categories. They don't feel as quick as a Vapor, but they do feel quicker than the Zoom Cage 2."

"The key to the weight of the Lunar Ballistec 1.5s was breaking them in," described Karly. "Initially, I thought they felt heavier than their actual weight because of how stiff they felt. They didn't flex with my feet and seemed a bit clunky, but once they loosened up I was able to move much faster in them. I was able to take my focus off the stiff feel and appreciate the extra give in traction and the noticeability low-to-the-ground forefoot, a combo that allowed for quick take-offs and kept me on the balls of my feet. I also relied on their good stability for fast, aggressive direction changes. I didn't have to slow down my movements at all because the support was there in these lightweight shoes. I'd say there were several features that made these shoes so fast, not just their low weight."

Tiffani had nothing but positive things to say about the weight of the Lunar Ballistec 1.5s. She praised, "I felt light on my feet in these shoes. The super low ride in the forefoot gave me a really good feel for the court, and the tight fit gave me the sense that they moved with me."

Overall - Score: 4.0