New Balance 1296v2 Women's Shoe Review

Overall Comfort - Score: 3.6

Fantom Fit technology in the uppers and RevLite cushioning in the midsoles contributed to a comfortable fit in the New Balance 1296v2s. Having had experience with the previous version, Michelle started by saying, "We tried playtesting the original 1296 and had serious comfort issues. With the 1296v2s, New Balance has done an awesome job revamping the original and has created a shoe that features step-in comfort! These shoes fit my feet well right off the bat. The uppers were super soft and breathable. I enjoyed feeling connected to the court, yet I still felt like I had a cushioned response under my heels. I wore the medium B width, and they were perfect for my medium width feet. To me, these shoes felt like the 996v2s, but a bit bigger and with more cushioning. I really love the outsoles New Balance uses. They're not as bulky as other outsoles, and the softer rubber makes me feel connected to the court. These 1296v2s were easy to slip on and wear for whatever I was doing, whether it was tennis or the gym or even pickleball!"

Karly was impressed with the comfort. She offered, "The cushioning in these shoes was outstanding. I loved how plush and pillowy they felt inside. The 1296v2s were so soft they didn't need a break-in period. I wore them straight onto the court after taking them out of the box. Their flexible, soft uppers prevented pinching and kept my feet comfortable. I wore a D width for my wider feet, and I thought the shoes fit great."

"I wore the D width New Balance 1296v2s because I have wide feet," added Tiffani. "I also tested the D width 1006s earlier this year, and there's a definite difference in the fit of these New Balance models. I found the 1296v2s' D width to be wider and more of a true D width than the 1006s. The cushioning of these 1296v2s felt firmer, providing a lower ride with good court feel. The soft mesh uppers provided plenty of ventilation and needed little break-in. I did find a short break-in was needed for the S-Curve technology. I couldn't wear the first version of these shoes because that technology wasn't placed correctly for my feet and caused immediate pain. That was not the case with the second version, but I needed to work on the heel-to-toe flex of my shoes and wear down where the S-Curve hit my arches before my feet felt settled into these shoes. Even with the short break-in, these 1296v2s were much improved in the comfort department over the original model."

Brittany was a little nervous going into this playtest because the original version didn't fit her feet and caused some issues. She stated, "I really wanted to make these shoes work so I wore them around and did a couple longer walks in them to break them in. Like the previous version, I could feel the S Curve technology on the outside of my arches. However, I could feel the arch support was breaking in faster with this update. By the end of the playtest the outside arches had compressed a lot more, and while they weren't painful or causing issues, I could still feel them. All in all, it took about five hours (both on and off the court) for the shoes to completely break in for me. The heel cushioning offered shock absorption, but I would have liked a little more cushioning in the forefoot. As far as width, the B width held my narrow feet perfectly in place. I had no issues with ventilation."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.6

The S-Curve technology in the New Balance 1296v2s offered excellent support and stability on the court for the TW playtesters. Tiffani said, "The uppers of these shoes are very soft, so I was a bit worried that the support levels would be less than stellar. For the most part, my preconceptions were unfounded. I had a couple of instances when I slid forward on very hard stops, but I managed to escape without harsh toe jamming. My lateral movements were secure, and the S-Curve technology really did its job by keeping these shoes rigid enough to handle my footwork when I was pulled out wide. I didn't find that I needed it, but I liked how far back the last eyelet was placed. I could lace them all the way back if I had any issues with ankle support."

The foot support was good for Karly. She explained, "The uppers felt so soft that they didn't feel extremely supportive, but I still felt confident enough to move aggressively. The lace system wrapped around my ankles well and kept my feet locked in. Because the 1296v2s held my feet in place well I was never worried about rolling an ankle or hurting my feet. I was pleasantly surprised with the secure feel from these ultra soft shoes, but I wanted more support in my arches. I thought they felt too low and flat, which caused my arches to ache. I replaced the insoles with more supportive ones because the lack of support became too painful for me."

"I liked feeling like I was sitting in the shoes and not on top of them," Brittany said. "The ankle collars came up high, and I used one of the top eyelets for extra security. When I was moving aggressively there were times that my feet slid out over the sides of the shoes due to the soft uppers. However, I was never in any fear that I was going to roll an ankle. It was more just getting used to the sensation. Even though there wasn't any extra room in the shoes for my narrow feet, I didn't get a complete glove like fit, and there was some foot movement inside the shoes."

Michelle was happy with this update. She said, "I remember the original version featured a pretty strong S-Curve for lateral support that wasn't comfortable. Thankfully, New Balance fixed this. The S-Curve technology wasn't at all painful and kept me feeling stable. Once during the playtest the outrigger did make me feel a little high off the ground, and I was worried that I would tumble over the side of my shoe, but luckily that didn't happen. Aside from that issue, I found the shoes to be perfectly stable, as well as supportive."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.9

An NDurance outsole in a full herringbone pattern and a one-year durability guarantee are a perfect combination for the New Balance 1296v2s. As a fan of New Balance outsoles, Michelle had nothing but positives to share. She raved, "I love New Balance outsoles. Somehow, they just feel like they are made from a softer rubber that isn't as bulky as other brands. Sometimes I think that means they aren't going to be as durable, but these shoes held up well for me. With good durability and the New Balance one-year guarantee, these shoes are a great option for the player who is going to be on the court for hours every week!"

"I wasn't expecting the 1296v2s to be so durable!" Karly exclaimed. "The shoes were very lightweight and soft, so I was surprised at how well they had held up when the playtest was over. I put in more than 15 hours with these shoes and didn't see any wear. I couldn't even see any smoothing on the tread! As for the toe durability, I didn't notice any scuffing either. However, I'm not much of a toe dragger, so toe durability isn't generally an issue for me. I was very happy with their durability, especially for being so light."

Brittany found the outsole durability to be about average compared to other tennis shoes. She continued, "I was hoping for a tad more durability from a shoe in the 12 ounce range. I saw some smoothing under my big toe after about eight hours. However, if I would have to guess I would say I definitely have at least a month or two more in these shoes. I noticed the mesh on the upper of my right shoe starting to stretch out where the shoe flexed. While there is no hole there yet, I could see a hole forming in the next 5-10 hours on court. On the other hand, I thought the toe durability was excellent, and it held up to my toe dragging without any issues. I don't see any damage to the toe bumper."

Tiffani was starting to see some wear after just a couple of hours on both the outsole and upper. She described, "These outsoles seem on the softer, grippier side, but they're holding up fairly well. I noticed just a bit of wear and tear on the outsoles after a few hours. However, after just about two hours I noticed the top of the toe smoothing out. It remains to be seen whether I could do serious damage to the toes of these shoes, but I was surprised that I smoothed the ridge on the toes after about four hours."

Traction - Score: 3.8

The TW playtesters found more grip than slip when moving aggressively around the court in the New Balance 1296v2s. In the beginning Karly thought the traction was stickier than most shoes, but she liked that. She explained, "The outsoles weren't so tacky that I felt stuck to the ground, but when I planted my feet I felt confident that the shoes weren't going to slip at all. After a few hours the tackiness dropped and the outsoles offered more give than grip. I hadn't had any slipping issues by the time the playtest was over, but I noticed that the tacky feel only lasted for a few hours."

Tiffani had no complaints, saying, "I found a nice amount of grip on the court from these shoes. Honestly, I don't recall ever thinking about whether I was going to slip or feeling stuck to the court, and I moved without any hesitation. They definitely offered more grip than slip."

Michelle stated, "The full herringbone tread pattern is becoming a favorite of mine, and New Balance executed this one well, in my opinion. There was a perfect level of give and grab. The shoes did play a little bit stickier at the beginning of this playtest, which is when I felt like I was going to fall over the edge of the outrigger on these shoes."

On the other hand, Brittany found the traction to be a little too sticky for her liking. She observed, "I felt very connected to the court with the low-to-the-ground feel that the 1296v2s offered, especially in the forefoot. However, I noticed how grippy the outsoles were from the first hit. I don't mind some grip, but I also like to have some give when I am moving aggressively. There were many times when I was trying to quickly change directions that I felt stuck on the court. I was hoping the traction would become less sticky over the course of the playtest, but it remained pretty consistent."

Weight - Score: 3.9

The playtesters unanimously agreed the New Balance 1296v2s played lighter than their weight. Amazed, Brittany said, "I was actually surprised when I looked at the weight of these shoes. They felt much lighter than their actual weight. If I would have had to guess, I would have said they weighed in the low 11 ounce range, which is more than an ounce lighter than what they actually weigh. New Balance did a great job of distributing the weight."

"I thought the weight was great," continued Karly. "These shoes felt light on my feet, and I felt low to the ground and very connected to the court. I could move quickly and never felt like they weighed me down at all. The only other thing that I would've liked is a more supportive feel from the uppers so I could make even more aggressive cuts, but I still thought they were a very fast ride."

Michelle agreed, commenting, "I'd say these shoes play lighter than you would expect. I'd consider them an average weight -- not being super fast but not feeling bulky or slow either. I sometimes think comfortable shoes will be heavier, but the 1296v2s never felt heavy, and I never felt slow in these shoes."

Tiffani was also impressed with how light the 1296v2s felt. She concluded, "When I think of stability-oriented shoes, I think of heavier shoes. These 1296v2s manage to offer that stability while still feeling pretty light. They're lower to the ground, especially in the forefoot, so I felt pretty quick around the court. I had to check the weight after the playtest (I try not to look beforehand), and I have to say I'm surprised that they are a middleweight shoe. They feel lighter than what they weigh."

Overall - Score: 3.9