Nike CourtBallistec 1.3 Tennis Shoe Review

Take a deep breath. The Nike Breathe shoe lineage will not see a new model for 2009.

But fear not, replacing the Air Max Breathe Cage II is the all-new Air Max CourtBallistec 1.3.

Designed to meet the needs of the most explosive player on tour, Rafael Nadal, the Air Max CourtBallistec 1.3 features an evolved DragOnX upper and the same unitongue design as the popular Air Max Breathe Free II. The DragOnX is featured from the forefoot forward for durability and support. A mesh underlay provides impressive airflow to the feet when in motion.

As with the Breathe models, the Air Max CourtBallistec 1.3 comes with a six-month durability guarantee.

Nike's new LunarLite material is used in the midsole to reduce weight, keeping players light on their feet.

To put the speed and durability of the Air Max CourtBallistec 1.3s to the test, our team hit the courts for a month-long playtest.

Comfort

With Max Air cushioning in the heel and little break-in required from the uppers, the CourtBallistec 1.3s proved to be very comfortable out on the courts. Thrilled with the level of comfort he found in the shoes was Danny. "This was the most comfortable Nike shoe that I have ever worn. This shoe has a similar fit to the Nike Cage and Breathe Free series shoes. I think it will favor a narrow foot. Previous Nike shoes that have had the unitongue design have bothered me, but I had no problems with this shoe. My feet could not have been more comfortable. I did not have any poking, pinching or rubbing issues." Jason echoed Danny's sentiments. "This is one of the most comfortable tennis shoes I've ever put on. From the initial wear, I noticed how well cushioned the shoe was from the forefoot to the heel. The area around the collar of the shoe was very plush; there was absolutely no rubbing or pinching. I can't remember having any awkward, jarring landings when I had these strapped to my feet. "

Granville was happy with several comfort aspects of the shoe. "The CourtBallistec 1.3 is a very comfortable and solid shoe. This shoe is tongue-less, which I have never had a problem with. It was a little more difficult to get on my foot, but once on, the fit was tremendous. For me, the fit was contoured all the way around, much like the adidas Barricade. It may look a bit heavy or clunky, but it is solid, stable, comfortable and light feeling for such a stout shoe. The cushioning was just right for me - soft, but not so soft that rolling became a concern. It also provides a low enough ride so I can feel the court. It offered great heel cushioning while maintaining a low-to-the-ground feel." Spencer enjoyed the performance-type feel of the shoes. "I really liked the fit from the initial try-on. What a great combination of supportive comfort and firm stability. It reminded me of the plush driver's seat of a performance car. It conformed very well to my feet, making me ready for competition. There was no wasted space; I was just locked in with the right amount of support in the right places."

Chris enjoyed the cushioning and comfort after the first wear. "I found these shoes to be very comfortable after a brief break-in during the first hitting session. The uppers don't look breathable, but I found them to vent well on court. Off court, if I was just kicking it, the shoes felt hot. However, moving around in the shoes provided good airflow. I liked the level of cushioning and found the combo of Max Air and Zoom Air to be ideal. The uppers did a good job of holding my feet in place, so I had no rubbing or sliding around inside the shoes." Delighted with the all-around comfort was Paul. "These shoes were so, so comfortable. This was the most cushioning I've found in such a low-to-the-ground shoe. These were soft, pliable and breathable. They were great for both on and off court wear. The synthetic mesh upper is deceiving as they appear stifling, but in fact they breathe quite well. I really felt my feet sink into these shoes after I broke them in. They became quite comfortable for playing tennis or just walking around."

Arch Support

Our entire crew found the arch support of the Air Max CourtBallistec 1.3 shoes to be sufficient. Chris found the level of support to be worry-free. "The arch support felt just a hair lower than ideal for me. I had no issues in this shoe and the level of comfort and support was good, just not exceptional." Enjoying the fact he didn't notice the arch during play was Spencer. "The medium height arch hit in the right place. It offered enough support that I didn't notice it, and that's good."

Noticing a slight flattening of the arches with wear was Paul. "The arch was supportive throughout the test period. However, it did seem to flatten out a bit toward the end. Although I noticed a slight change in support, it didn't cause any adverse effects." Jason found a better fit after break-in. "The medium arch was definitely noticeable the first time out, but after that the arch area settled in, and I had no problems with it."

Granville felt the support was perfect. "The arch support was pronounced, and it was in the perfect position for my foot. It added to the overall comfort and glove-like fit of this shoe." The arch support surpassed Danny's expectation. "I thought the arch support was better than normal due to the great foot support and stability."

Foot Support/Stability

True to the needs of the player they were designed for, the Air Max CourtBallistec 1.3s provided Rafa-like levels of support and stability. Paul found he could push it to the limit in these shoes. "I loved the fit. They felt contoured to my feet. It felt like I could lock my feet into place with complete support and stability. I found myself pushing harder around the court than usual. I actually started to get a little ankle fatigue from exceeding what I am used to withstanding." Happy with the low-to-the-ground feel, along with the fit, was Granville. "Once I sank my foot into these shoes I found a nice, low ride, which produced a very stable feel. Complemented by the superb fit, the Courtballistec 1.3 stands alone in the performance category. After extensive play I never had a moment of hesitation with regard to rollover, slippage, etc. Again, like the Barricade, simply an exceptional fit on a very stable platform."

Experiencing a glove-like fit was Chris. "The fit of the shoes on my feet was excellent. Due to that solid fit I had no slipping or sliding going on inside the shoes. I found a very glove-like level of support, and the stability was also impressive. The shoes flexed enough for speed, yet there was ample support for aggressive lateral cuts and quick stops and starts. I came away very impressed by the support and stability." Jason was also impressed. "I initially didn't love the way the shoes supported my feet because I was having a small heel slippage problem, but they were fantastic once I laced the shoes all the way up to the last eyelet. It's rare that a shoe offers as much cushioning as this shoe does and also offers you a low-to-the-ground feel. My feet were riding in the cushioning as opposed to riding on top of it."

Danny felt locked in when on court. "I can't think of another shoe that I have tested that has more stability than these. My foot was firmly locked within the shoe. It offered a tight, narrow fit for me and fit like a glove. I gave this shoe five out of five for support and stability." Spencer agreed, "My feet were locked in with a contoured fit. There was no sliding around inside this shoe with the snug fit it provided. The strength of stability proved positive, as my lateral and forward and back changes of direction were solid. I felt like I had no wasted motion in these shoes. With some shoes I have issues with wasted energy, whether it's movement inside the shoes or the shoes sliding on the court -- I experienced neither with these."

Overall Sole Durability

Nike backs up the durability of the XDR outsoles on the Air Max CourtBallistec 1.3 shoes with a six-month guarantee. Impressed with the durability was Jason. "The XDR rubber held up very well. There was less balding on this pair than usual. There were only slight signs of wear and tear on the medial toe of both shoes. I found them to be very impressive. " Danny felt these shoes were highly durable. "I didn't see any signs of wear after the 15-20 hours that I tested them. These shoes seem, to be highly durable and they also come with a six-month guarantee for those concerned about them lasting."

Feeling these shoes lived up to his expectations was Spencer. "There were no surprises here, and the shoes held up as expected. I expect a lot from durability-guaranteed shoes, and these delivered. I had no issues with the wear on the outsoles." Granville agreed, "These have very good durability. I was showing wear in all the usual areas, but nothing excessive and nothing unexpected after 8-10 matches."

Happy with a long lasting outsole was Paul. "I found good durability. I had more than 50 hours on court and didn't even put a dent in them. Granted, a lot of that was doubles play, but they were very solid nevertheless." Chris was hoping for more durability from the outsoles. "The outsoles did not hold up as well for me as the Air Max Breathe Cage IIs, or even the Breathe Free IIs. I'm not sure if it was due to less material or just how the shoes contacted the court. I saw the most wear under my big toes and started to see some wear in that area early on in the test. I will be through these before six months is up, and that would happen much faster if it were not for all the other shoes I'm currently testing."

Toe Durability

Featuring Nike's DragOnX, toe durability of the Air Max CourtBallistec 1.3 proved to be adequate for all but one playtester. Granville felt there was plenty of protection. "Not an issue - Nike's XDR is very tough stuff and has ample protection for toe draggers. The DragOnX material on the upper should offer additional protection, even for the worst toe dragger offenders."

Having no worries with protection was Danny. "The toe held up well. I didn't see any signs of noticeable wear during my test play. There were a few scratches at the toe, but nothing to worry about."

Putting the toe protection to the test with his toe-dragging strokes was Chris. "I wore down the DragOnX material on the toe of my left shoe pretty quickly. With the DragOnX nubs worn smooth, I started impacting the layer of material under the DragOnX. Even though the outsoles were wearing somewhat quickly, I felt like the toe on my left shoe would be first to fail on a durability front."

Traction

The low-to-the-ground ride combined with the multidirectional tread pattern of the Air Max CourtBallistec 1.3 to provide an excellent level of traction on hard courts. Spencer was more than pleased. "The traction was excellent. I felt the non-traditional sole pattern worked very well on the hard courts. I experienced no slips or slides even in the most intense baseline exchanges. I couldn't be happier with the grip." Loving the combination of traction and the low-to-the-ground feel was Chris. "I was getting lots of grip from these shoes. Add all that traction to the low-to-the-ground ride in the forefoot and I was moving very well in them. I felt very confident pushing off hard and making aggressive, full speed cuts in these shoes."

Jason put his initial concerns aside once played in them. "Without a pivot point on the outsole I was slightly concerned about traction on changes of direction, but my worries were put to rest once I hit the court. The rubber gripped the hard courts very well, even on days when there was a significant amount of pollen and dust. I was confident in finding the necessary traction no matter which direction I had to move." Granville liked the dense, sticky feel. "The XDR outsold material is very tough. The outsole material felt dense, yet remained very sticky on the court for the entire test. I had no issues with any unwanted sliding."

Danny also gave high marks for traction. "This was one of the best shoes for traction that I have ever worn. Most shoes that I have tested that have good traction usually have a low-to-the-ground feel like these. I could stop on a dime with these shoes." More than satisfied with the amount of grip was Paul. "The traction was amazing! I found myself completely confident on quick sprints, stops and changes of direction. I found myself chasing down a drop shot from a full sprint on a dirty public court without any fear of slipping. And when I slammed on the brakes, the shoes really responded."

Weight

Our testers found the Air Max CourtBallistec 1.3s to feel light and nimble on court, despite weighing in at 17.7 ounces for a size 10.5. Danny felt the shoes played lighter than he expected. "I have to give a high score for weight, not because they are light shoes, but because they have a light weight feel. We list them at 17.7 ounces for size 10.5, but they play much lighter than that. No clunky feel at all." Granville was surprised by the actual weight of the shoes. "I was surprised to see the printed spec on this shoe; it does not feel like a 17-ounce shoe. Considering how tough this shoe is, it is remarkable it feels so light and flexible."

Chris liked the combination of support and mobility. "The shoes felt solid, yet fast. I was getting the sensation that there was enough shoe there for support and stability, yet I was also very, very happy with my foot speed in them. For me, these shoes struck that elusive balance between speed and solid support." Having similar feelings was Spencer. "Being one of the heavier shoes we carry, I was surprised how well I could move around in them. There was no sloppiness whatsoever, and they did not feel as heavy as they're listed. The weight was well distributed throughout the shoe."

Jason was satisfied with the weight-to-performance ratio. "Not much to complain about here. Sure, it could've been lighter, but it's loaded with technology and well cushioned, so that's the trade off." Unaffected by the weight of the shoe was Paul. "I didn't find these shoes to feel heavy whatsoever. Although they seem to be heavy on paper compared to some of the other performance shoe offerings, I would never have guessed they were as heavy as reported. I never really felt them or thought about them as I was moving around the court. They wrapped around my feet really well. Another great Nike design."

Overall

The Air Max CourtBallistec 1.3 impressed our testers immensely. Many testers found this shoe to be the best they've tested in 2009. While our testers had to move down a half-size to find the correct fit (order a size 10 if you wear a 10.5), once adjusted, most found the fit to be perfect. Few shoes provide support and comfort to such a wide range of foot types, from narrow to wide, low arch to high, but the Air Max CourtBallistec 1.3 pleases all. Our testers were also impressed with their court speed in these shoes. The combination of grippy outsoles, excellent support and a low-to-the-ground ride made this a very fast feeling shoe -- much like its Breathe predecessors.

Nike Courtballistec 1.3 Shoe Scores
The Up Side	The Down Side	Play Test Scores
Comfort Stability Traction	Weight	Comfort 4.5 Arch Support 4.1 Foot Support/Stability 4.5 Overall Sole Durability 4.3 Toe Durability 4.1 Traction 4.5 Weight 4.0 Overall 4.4 Scores (1-Horrible 2-Poor 3-Average 4-Good 5-Tremendous)

Playtesters' Foot Types: Chris - Narrow width/Medium arch, Danny - Medium/Medium arch, Jason Wide/Low arch, Paul Medium/Medium, Spencer Medium/Medium, Granville Narrow/Low

Review date: April, 2009. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

All content copyright 2009 Tennis Warehouse.