Nike Air Zoom Mystify III Tennis Shoe Review

If shoes were designed just for pros, the Mystify line would definitely be a winner for Nike. This Mystify III is worn by top professionals, including Maria Sharapova and Daniela Hantuchova. Like those pros, this shoe brings performance, glamour and high style to the courts.

Beneath the shining cosmetics is Nike's Zoom Air technology, which is designed to bring players' feet closer to the ground for optimum feel and maneuverability. The Momentum Control System keeps the shoe stable and offers optimum comfort and performance. To give an added performance feel, Nike's Contour Speed Fit allows the shoe to conform to the foot, giving each player a glove like fit.

Even with the latest and greatest technologies packed into a shoe, finding the right footwear can be a mystifying experience. Did our playtesters find the shoe as satisfying as some of the tour's top pros? Read on to find out if the Nike Air Zoom Mystify III solves the dilemma of finding a performance shoe that excels across the board.

Comfort

With Nike's Zoom Air technology in the heel and forefoot for cushioning, the Air Zoom Mystify III provides a low-to-the-ground feel without being heavy. The upper is a lightweight, flexible synthetic. Most of our playtesters found the Mystify III to be a comfortable shoe with few drawbacks. Heidi enjoyed the shoes' glove-like fit. "I was surprised by the comfort level of these shoes. Nike shoes tend to be too narrow for my feet, and these fit quite comfortably. They are not the type of shoes that scream cushioning, but the more I wore them the softer they became, and they have molded to my feet nicely. There wasn't any discomfort. " Also enjoying the supple upper was Tiffani. "The upper of these shoes was soft enough that I could wear them with no discomfort, even though the initial fit was too narrow for my feet. The upper expanded to accommodate the width of my feet. I also really enjoyed the breathability of the shoe. The mesh tongue helped the shoe breathe, and that was especially noticeable when I wore performance socks with mesh on top of the foot."

Carol, however, needed some time to break in her pair. "I found the heel a little roomy. I had to tighten the lacing, which then made the shoes too tight over the ball of my foot. I needed to incorporate some creative lacing. I liked these shoes, but I'm accustomed to wearing shoes that require little or no break-in time." DeeDee worked past initial stiffness and enjoyed the light feel of the shoe. "This shoe felt stiff at first, but after a week it actually formed to my foot. There's not as much cushioning for high impact, but less 'shoe' on the sole made me feel light on my feet." The thin cushioning left Eileen wishing for more. "The cushioning is minimal. This shoe feels pretty light because of that, but for me more cushioning in the sole of the shoe would be better."

Arch Support

The arch support on the Mystify III fit a variety of arches well for our testers. Carol found the arch fit unusually well. "Surprisingly, I found the arch support just right. I have a high arch and usually put in arch supports, but that was not necessary with the Mystify III." DeeDee, too, felt comfortable. "This was a very close to being a perfect fit on my high arched foot."

Eileen found the arch support comfortable. "I have a medium arch and the fit was just right. It was a very comfortable fit right from the start." Having some issues, though, was Heidi. "I could have used just a little more arch support. The arches seemed to be fairly low. After playing for a long time my feet felt more fatigued than normal. I think this was probably a result of the minimal arch support."

Tiffani's low arches were comfortable for the most part. "The arch was fine for my flat feet. I noticed it once or twice when out playing, but it didn't hurt my foot much or for long. I was always comfortable enough to move around freely."

Foot Support

The Contour Fit and soft upper molded to our playtesters' feet. After a short break-in period DeeDee felt as if the shoes were made just for her. "My first impression of the shoe was that it was too stiff. But after wearing them for a week they've become one of my favorite pairs of shoes. The shoe molded to my narrow foot. There was absolutely no sliding around, and I never felt like my ankles were going to roll over. It's a great shoe for my narrow foot." Carol also needed some time to break in the shoes. "I felt secure when I laced the shoes tightly. I found the shoes a little loose in the heel and a little tight in the ball of the foot area. However, with more playing time they relaxed a little more in the toe box."

With wide feet, Tiffani was not confident with the support. "I had no problems with forward and back movements, and my feet never slid inside the shoe. Extreme side-to-side movements caused problems, though. While the soft upper was great for getting the shoe to fit, it caused the lateral stability of the shoe to suffer for my wide feet. When I was pulled out wide on the court I really could feel the shoe flex. I felt like I was sitting up on top of the shoe rather than being down in it."

The stability was excellent for Eileen. "The support was good. The shoe hit my ankle at just the right height. I didnŐt have any foot movement in the shoe. I felt very stable when taking off and stopping, and had no fear of my ankles rolling over." Heidi felt safe and secure. "The Mystify IIIs held my feet great. I've worn several shoes recently that didn't hold my feet well, and my toes were in pain after playing. These were the complete opposite. My feet were held very securely."

Overall Sole Durability

The XDR compound on the outsole stood up to the hard courts for most of our playtesters. Heidi was pleased with how the shoe was holding up. "After playing for about 12-14 hours there is no visible wear in the tread pattern on the sole of my shoes. Very impressive." Eileen was also impressed. "Very little wear was visible on the sole. The wear was on the outer edges of the sole, and it was minimal. The ball and heel of this shoe show no wear at all. Another plus for this shoe."

For DeeDee, being light on her feet was a bonus. "Because of the 'lightness' of the shoe, I didnŐt have to drag my feet. This shoe might last longer than most of my other shoes." Carol agreed. "I thought the durability was good, and they grip the court very well."

Tiffani, though, was having some trouble with durability. "The areas under the balls of my feet were wearing out, but the rest of the outsole was standing up OK to the hard courts. After about 15 hours in the shoe I saw the tread smooth out on the pivot point on both feet. I wouldn't put this shoe in the durable category for hard court play. I felt, though, that its light weight made up for what I lost in durability."

Toe Durability

The Mystify III has reinforced synthetic for added durability in the toe area and the medial side of the forefoot. Tiffani, unlike the other playtesters, thought more protection was needed on the upper." After looking at this shoe I was expecting to tear through it. However, I was surprised at how well it held up. I scratched the upper my third time out -- much to my chagrin because it's such a cute shoe. I thought once the snag in the upper was there I would put a hole in it quickly, but I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't turn into a full-blown hole. I was beginning to scuff the sheen off the shoes, though, in just a few wears. Like I said earlier, I felt like the speed of the shoe was the feature that made up for the loss in durability."

Eileen was pleased with the durability. "I drag my toe a lot on my serve, and this shoe held up great. After 20 hours of play there were no signs yet of the toe breaking down."

The non-toe draggers had no problems, including Heidi. "I'm not a toe dragger, but there's no visible wear."

Traction

The traditional herringbone tread pattern provided the grip on hard courts our playtesters needed. The support features of the shoe also helped keep Eileen grounded. "I felt great support throughout the shoe. The sole gripped the court nicely." Heidi was also impressed. "I think the traction was above average. I never felt uncomfortable when I was stopping or changing directions."

A good fit complemented the good traction for DeeDee. "For stopping and starting, the Mystify III was great because of the compactness. This shoe is a perfect fit for my narrow foot, and I had no problem changing directions, either." Finding lasting traction was Tiffani. "I didn't have any problems with the outsole gripping the court, even after the forefoot started to wear. My biggest problems with movement had to do with lateral stability, not the traction. The tread pattern and rubber outsole worked well on hard courts. One caveat, though: Do not try to play if the soles get wet. I played on a court with a puddle, and I wandered through to pick up a ball. The shoes were really slick until they dried completely."

Carol found she got caught up at times. "I had very good traction, but I had a little problem with too much gripping on the lateral moves."

Weight

At 12.7 ounces (size 8.5), the weight of the Mystify III pleased most of our playtesters. Carol, though, is used to lighter shoes. "They felt heavier than what I am accustomed to in my New Balance shoes." Heidi enjoyed the streamline feel of the shoe. "This shoe seems super lightweight. Since it's not bulky or weighing me down, I felt like my footwork improved, and I was able to get to more balls."

Tiffani felt like she could fly. "I've been wearing shoes that are much heavier, so I felt really light on my feet. I don't know if I actually moved faster, but I felt the pick-up-and-go factor was really there with the Mystify III. When I was facing a drop shot, I could transition easily. Covering the court was no problem with these shoes." Put the weight on the list of pros for Eileen. "This is a very light shoe; a definite plus."

DeeDee simply says, "I love the light feel of the shoe!"

Overall

Our playtesters enjoyed wearing the Air Zoom Mystify III on court. It stood up to the rigors of hard courts for most of them, and it also impressed the playtesters with its cosmetics. The TW playtesters noted how the shoe molded to the their feet, creating a comfortable and somewhat customized fit. The light weight of the shoe impressed most of the team as well. All in all, the Air Zoom Mystify III should satisfy players who are serious about their footwork and speed, and most players will find themselves "zooming" around the court in this performance shoe from Nike.

Nike Air Zoom Mystify III Scores
The Up Side	The Down Side	Play Test Scores
Cosmetics Arch Support Light weight Fit	Cushioning too firm for some	Comfort 4.0 Arch Support 4.5 Foot Support/Stability 4.4 Overall Sole Durability 4.0 Toe Durability 3.8 Traction 4.3 Weight 4.5 Overall 4.2 Scores (1-Horrible 2-Poor 3-Average 4-Good 5-Tremendous)

Playtesters' Foot Types: Carol - Wide width / High arch. DeeDee - Narrow width / High arch. Eileen - Narrow width / Medium arch. Heidi - Medium width / Medium arch. Tiffani - Wide width / Low arch.

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

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