Nike Air Zoom Ultra React Men's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 3.7

It took a couple of wears for the Air Zoom Ultra Reacts to break-in and feel comfortable for our playtesters, but once they did they provided a nicely ventilated and well-cushioned ride for most of our team. "It took about four times out on the court before I felt like these shoes really broke in and became very comfortable," Jason remarked. "I thought the cushioning was more on the responsive/firmer end of the spectrum. There was plenty of mesh and vent holes in the upper to provide a well-ventilated ride. The soft Kurim upper flexed without pinching, and even if the shoes are technically a medium width, the uppers flexed enough to accommodate my wider feet with no issues."

"The Air Zoom Ultra Reacts took a couple of hours to break in," Chris echoed. "The shoes featured a Kurim upper in the forefoot, and that area needed some hours on it before it started to flex. Once the shoes were broken in I enjoyed the ride in them very much. The mesh breathed pretty well and my feet never ran too hot. I would have liked to have been able to tie the laces tighter, but the combination of very thin laces and a unique eyelet system prevented it. However, with two pairs of socks I was able to find a secure and comfortable fit. The level of cushioning felt great. I felt connected to the court, but I also found enough cushioning for soft and comfortable landings."

Unfortunately, these shoes did not work out so well for Andy. He critiqued, "I didn't find these shoes to be that comfortable. Out of the box they felt stiff and didn't flex naturally enough, or in the right spot, to give them a fluid feel on each step. Cushioning underfoot was pretty good, but the arch support was low, which caused some minor foot pain after long periods of wear. The uppers didn't flex very well during play, and the Air Zoom Ultra Reacts never moved with my feet well at all."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.9

The Air Zoom Ultra Reacts provided excellent stability, especially during side-to-side movements. However, due to the way the shoes flexed they didn't quite support Andy's feet well enough. He explained, "The Air Zoom Ultra Reacts offered good lateral stability and allowed me to feel confident moving at top speeds. I was able to slide on the hard courts like I normally do and trust that there was enough rigidity to keep my feet protected. However, the shoes didn't move and flex with my feet very well so I didn't find them to be all that supportive. Even though the fit was somewhat narrow, I still felt my feet moving around inside the shoes quite a bit."

After a brief adjustment period Chris felt very confident moving around the court in the Air Zoom Ultra Reacts. He shared, "As I mentioned in the comfort section, at the beginning of the playtest I had some issues getting a secure fit. However, once I figured that issue out I felt good to go in these shoes. The uppers held my feet well during lateral cuts. One of the upsides for me with the Kurim upper was the lateral support it provided in the forefoot areas of the shoes. The TPU shank wrapped up around the heel and midfoot and seemed to do a good job of offering lateral support. During the early part of the test I was worried about the arch support in the shoes, but once the Air Zoom Ultra Reacts started to flex better in the forefoot I felt less strain in my arches. Still, arch support remained passable at best, and I'd recommend using something like the Superfeet insoles in these shoes if you want better arch protection."

Jason liked the lateral protection, but he would have liked a better fit through the forefoot for more support. He said, "I was impressed with how stable the Air Zoom Ultra Reacts were when I was moving side to side. The uppers were rigid enough that my feet felt secure, and I didn't have that sensation of rolling over. That being said, the forefoot area did feel a little sloppy. I think that there is too much material/distance between where the laces start to the front of the shoe. With the bigger than usual gap, even when I cinched down my laces it didn't really tighten the forefoot area, and I could feel my feet moving around inside the shoes during play."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.1

Most of our team didn't get the level of durability that they would have liked out of the Air Zoom Ultra Reacts. "These shoes were definitely made for speed and not to last," said Chris, who was able to wear down both the outsole and toe area during the test. "It didn't take me long to put some heavy wear on both the outsoles and the toe tips. I wore the outsole out the most under the big toe of my right foot -- a very common wear area for righties. I also wore completely through the Kurim upper at the toe tip of the left shoe. At the end of the test the mesh underlay was showing through and was starting to wear away. With all that said, my pair of Air Zoom Ultra Reacts lasted better than the last pair or Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tours I wore."

Having a similar experience, Andy shared, "The shallow tread pattern on the outsole wore down very quickly. After 7-10 hours of wear the tread has started to bald, and I imagine within another 10 hours or so it would start to smooth out. The upper is well protected with some durability pieces in high wear areas, but I can't imagine that a serious junior or a player training every day is going to find enough durability out of this shoe."

Jason thought his pair resisted wear well, saying, "Between tennis and pickleball I put about 15 hours of wear on these shoes, and there is an impressive amount of tread left on the outsoles. I see wear and tear in the regular locations (heel and medial forefoot), but there is no balding of the tread to be found anywhere."

Traction - Score: 3.3

Our team had a few too many instances of slipping and sliding in the Air Zoom Ultra Reacts. Andy liked how the soles allowed him to slide on the hard courts, but he had a hard time completely trusting the Air Zoom Ultra Reacts when he needed to make a hard cut. He explained, "I found the shoes to be a bit slick during play. They allowed me to slide easily on the hard courts, but there were some instances when I'd lose my footing or struggle to push off hard back toward the middle of the court. The full herringbone pattern would probably work well on clay court surfaces, but it was a bit too slick for my liking on the hard courts."

"I was sliding around a lot in these shoes," Chris critiqued. "I don't slide as much in the Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tours or the Flares, but I did slide a lot in the Air Zoom Ultraflys, which share the same outsole design with the Air Zoom Ultra Reacts. I quickly learned to allow for a little extra sliding when I was coming to a quick stop, and I factored that into my footwork. There were a couple of occasions when I slipped on my first step, which cost me a smidgen of time, but overall I felt like I moved well in these shoes."

"I felt like I was sliding a lot more in these shoes than I typically do," Jason echoed. "The sliding/slipping occurred when I was trying to change directions. More importantly, though, it didn't happen when I was making an initial step toward the ball."

Weight - Score: 3.7

For the most part our playtesters liked the light, fast feel of the Air Zoom Ultra Reacts. They felt as light and as fast as some of Jason's favorite shoes. He raved, "I felt light on my feet with these shoes on. I would put them in the same category as some of my favorite lightweight shoes, like the Asics Gel Solution Speeds or the Vapor 9.5 Tour Flyknits."

After a break-in period, Chris had a similar opinion. He said, "The Air Zoom Ultra Reacts felt light on my feet once they had broken in. During break in they felt a little clunky and stiff in the forefoot. Once they were flexing with my feet I really started to enjoy them. I was able to focus on my tennis and not think about the shoes."

Andy thought the Air Zoom Ultra Reacts felt much bulkier than the other playtesters did. He shared, "While these shoes do weigh in at a fairly low static weight, the rigid design made them feel much heavier and more substantial than the weight would indicate. Like I mentioned previously, they didn't flex and move well with my feet, so I was always aware of the shoes while I was playing."

Overall - Score: 3.5