Nike Air Zoom Ultra React Women's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 3.7

With three different foot types, the TW playtesters, not surprisingly, had three different experiences when wearing the Nike Air Zoom Ultra Reacts on court. As a fan of the Zoom Cages and Lunar Ballistecs, Hannah is no stranger to Nike shoes. She said, "Nike shoes seem to fit my feet well; I have worn them for most of my playing years, and these shoes were no exception. I was wary about how the cage design over the toes would affect the comfort, but after a few minutes in these shoes I didn't even notice it was there. The bootie provided effortless comfort, and I was able to put my custom insoles in these with no problem. There was good cushioning considering how speedy these shoes are. I really liked the mesh uppers, and I found the Ultra Reacts complemented my movement on court, providing awesome all-around comfort."

"When I slipped these shoes on my feet and walked to the court I noticed the uppers were a little stiff in the forefoot," noted Brittany. "It took a couple of hours for the uppers to soften up slightly and start to mold around my feet. However, the uppers stayed pretty firm throughout the playtest, and I was hoping they would soften up even more. I found the length to be standard, and the shoes held my narrow width feet nicely. The cushioning underfoot was substantial, but I was really impressed with the thick padding around my ankles. I was having issues, however, with the arch support. I was feeling some of the support on the outer edges of the shoes, and this caused some discomfort when I was playing. Lastly, the ventilation was average for me. My feet felt warm in the shoes, and I always took them off after playing in them."

Unlike the other playtesters, Michelle experienced fit issues. She critiqued, "Initially, these shoes were relatively comfortable, but after the first wear they felt really roomy and loose in the toe box, and they had a weird flex point. On the positive side, there was good cushioning underfoot and around the ankle/heel. After a few wears I noticed some pain on the top of my feet, which I think happened because my ankles and heels were supported, but my forefoot was sliding around. Despite having socks that were high enough, I had some rubbing around the ankle collars and at the back of my heels. While the cushioning was on par to make these good shoes, I just had too many little things bugging me comfort-wise throughout this playtest to really enjoy the Ultra Reacts."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.4

The Ultra Reacts provided support and stability through the Flywire cable lacing system and the bootie construction. Coming off an ankle injury, Brittany was impressed with the support the shoes offered. She said, "It took a small bit of effort to get the shoes on my feet because of the bootie construction. However, once I was in the shoes I was rewarded with a locked in feel. I didn't have any movement within the shoes. The booties came up high on my ankles and compressed around them for a secure fit. I felt secure and locked in when I was moving aggressively on the court. With the low-to-the-ground feel I never felt like I was going to roll an ankle."

"Aside from the issue I had with my forefoot moving around inside the shoes, the Ultra Reacts actually were stable when I was moving aggressively side to side," added Michelle. "For the most part I could trust the shoes when I was pulled severely wide, but I did experience some toe jamming in some of those instances. I would have enjoyed more support, mainly when I was suddenly stopping or trying to change directions. I was never really worried about twisting an ankle, but a tighter fit in the forefoot would have increased support and stability levels."

This was the one category where Hannah thought these shoes fell short. She commented, "Without my aftermarket insoles these shoes fit slightly long, and I felt a little bit exposed because the uppers in the midfoot region didn't hold my feet super securely. In addition, the way the heel is set up there is virtually no support under the middle of the feet. For me however, this didn't affect playability. It only gave me some slight calf soreness. Other than that, the stability was good; I never felt unstable or felt like I was going to lose my footing."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.9

The TW playtesters tested the durability of the Nike Air Zoom Ultra Reacts during the four-week playtest on hard courts. Michelle was pretty happy with how well these shoes performed in the durability category. She praised, "I was expecting them to wear down pretty fast, but they held up through the playtest. While I'm not super aggressive with wearing down my shoes, I spent several weeks wearing these and I'm only seeing some smoothing under my big toes. I think the durability of the Ultra Reacts is about average."

Agreeing with Michelle, Brittany added, "The medial side under the big toe was where the wear was first starting to show. I would say the durability was similar to the Nike Vapor 9.5 Tours. These aren't the most durable shoes I've tested, but they're about average for their weight class."

Hannah said, "I think these shoes will hold up pretty well. The outsoles haven't smoothed over so far. Although I usually don't wear down the toes, I would guess that this would be the area of the shoes that would wear out first."

Traction - Score: 4.3

The TW playtesters seemed to agree that the Ultra Reacts provided a good level of traction on court. Brittany enjoyed the traction these shoes offered. She said, "These shoes weren't too sticky or too slippery. The shoes gripped the court when I needed to change directions, but they gave just a little when I was coming to a complete stop, so I didn't feel like I was stuck in place. My favorite feature was how low to the ground the shoes felt. I liked the feeling of being connected to the court, and I felt very comfortable with how the shoe would perform."

"I liked the traction," offered Michelle. "Initially, I thought the Ultra Reacts would be too slippery, but that wasn't the case. These shoes offered good grip on the court. They seemed to offer a consistent level of traction through the playtest. The traction helped keep me confident when I was moving aggressively, coming to a quick stop or changing directions."

Appreciating the little extra give that these shoes offered, Hannah noted, "I think that these are some of the more slippery shoes we have tested lately, and I really appreciated being able to move fluidly without getting stuck. I especially noticed that when I was hitting with an open stance I could rotate my foot while it was planted on the court without feeling cemented or jammed. I don't slide or anything, but a little bit extra give on the court adds a bit of an extra edge for me as far as speed is concerned. There was still a good amount of traction for necessary grip!"

Weight - Score: 4.3

Reviews were mixed on the weight of the Ultra Reacts. Weighing 11.6 oz (size 8.5), the Ultra Reacts were just right for Hannah. She said, "These shoes were truly lightweight, and my favorite part about these shoes was how fast I felt in them. They always had me fast on my toes, so much so that I would forget I was wearing them and explode off into different directions extremely quickly and comfortably. The design, matched with the weight, really encouraged me to play on the balls of my feet, and I think that any speed-oriented player will appreciate the light weight of the Ultra Reacts."

"I thought the Ultra Reacts, for the most part, felt light," continued Brittany. "At the beginning of the playtest the forefoot felt a little sloppy and slowed me down a little bit. Once the shoes started to mold around my feet they actually felt lighter, and I was moving around the court more effortlessly."

Fit issues came into play for Michelle when it came to the weight of the shoes. She explained, "The sloppy fit made the Ultra Reacts feel a little bulky. While they're not heavy shoes, they didn't feel as fast as other speed-oriented shoes I've worn. They felt lighter than average tennis shoes, but they weren't as quick or as light as the more minimal shoes we're starting to see on the court. I never felt slow or heavy in them, but again, because the fit and comfort weren't outstanding I just wasn't feeling as fast as I know I can be on the court."

Overall - Score: 4.0