Nike Zoom Cage 2 Women's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 3.7

Loaded with Nike's Zoom Air cushioning system, these shoes were plush with cushioning. What held our team back from reaching complete comfort was the fit and break-in period of the Zoom Cage 2. "It was obvious from the second I put these on that they were made to be comfortable," began Michelle. "There was a lot of cushioning and padding, but I just didn't love the fit, which hindered my comfort score a bit. I very rarely size down in shoes and didn't think I needed to when initially trying these on. I just assumed that once I broke them in the fit issue would get resolved, but after completing this playtest I would recommend sizing down a half-size. I never felt like I could get the shoe to fit tightly enough, and there was a lot of movement in the toe box for me. I can say confidently, though, that I never felt any rubbing or poking, and the shoes were plush and comfortable. The only discomfort I felt was when my toes jammed into the end of the shoe due to the roomy fit."

Of all of Nike's cushioning systems, Zoom Air is Tiffani's favorite, so she was excited to get this updated version of the Cage on court. She said, "When I first put them on I walked around in them a bit because I felt that they need to break-in a little before playing. It actually took me about 10 hours in the shoes before I felt truly comfortable in them. They are too narrow for me through the midfoot and a little wide in the heel, so I struggled initially to get find a comfortable fit. Once broken in, I really could get a feel for the cushioning, and it's the kind that I like: low and firm, yet still comfortable."

Also struggling to find the perfect fit was Brittany, who said, "When I first tried these shoes on in my normal size 8 I noticed some extra length and width in the toe box. I decided to go down a half-size for a better fit (size 7.5). Once I got the correct size on I wore them around Tennis Warehouse for a couple hours to help break them in because the upper was extremely stiff. When I got on to the court I found decent cushioning under foot and plush cushioning around the ankle and on the tongue. I did experience some pressure on the medial side of my right foot for a couple of weeks until the upper of the shoe was finally broken-in. "

Karly, who also chose to size down a half-size, agreed that the shoes definitely needed a break-in period. She added, "Once the shoes were broken in the comfort was great. At first the toe box and uppers felt stiff and there wasn't much give where my foot flexed, which was really more annoying than painful. I had to fight the shoes to keep on the balls of my feet because the forefoot wouldn't bend or flex easily. It took about four to five hours before it completely loosened up and didn't feel stiff at the flex point. Once I got through that break-in period I was really happy with how soft they felt. The padding throughout the entire shoe was plush and pillowy. Nike wasn't afraid of putting too much padding in the Cage 2s, that's for sure."

Ventilation - Score: 3.8

Nike used Drag-On materials to add lateral support to the cage of this shoe while adding mesh to improve the breathability. Although the Zoom Cage 2s may not have been the coolest shoes our testers have played in, no one really noticed a lack of ventilation. Tiffani stated, "I can't say that heat ever really crossed my mind. I think the Cage 2s are better than average in this category considering how much plastic is used in the upper."

Brittany admittedly didn't put the ventilation to the test during the cooler weather of January. However, she said, "I experienced no issues with the ventilation and my feet felt cool both on the court and after I got off. There is enough mesh on the upper that I felt like I was getting enough air circulation."

Karly concurred, "Once I started moving around on the court the shoes heated up a little bit, but their ventilation was never a distraction, so it was good enough for me!"

Michelle was on the same page, saying, "I didn't feel like these were the most ventilated shoes, but I never really had an issue with my feet overheating, so no issues for me."

Arch Support - Score: 4.0

Our playtesters agreed that the Zoom Cage 2 worked well for all of their different arches. Brittany's medium arches were plenty happy. She said, "While I could definitely feel the arch support, it hit my arches in the right place and was comfortable. The longer I wore the shoes the more I felt that they molded around my feet, offering even better support."

Karly hardly noticed the arches at all -- in a good way. She said, "I have flat feet, so when arches are too high they irritate my feet, but these molded to my feet right from the start and offered the perfect amount of support for my low arches. No issues for me with the arch support of these shoes."

Michelle appreciated that her higher arches were supported just fine. She added, "I never felt like I needed any more support, and it was never an issue that bothered me. After recently playtesting a shoe that I felt needed more arch support, it was nice not worrying about my arches in this shoe."

"There's definitely an arch support, and I can feel it with my rather flat feet," Tiffani said. "However, it really never bothered me, and it molded to my foot shape rather quickly -- more quickly than the rest of the shoe."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.7

Built to be stable and supportive, the Zoom Cage 2s looked like they would keep our playtesters moving confidently around the court. However, the fit issues our team dealt with reduced the stability and support. Karly struggled to get the Zoom Cage 2s to hold her feet. She said, "No matter how I tied the laces the shoes felt too loose and didn't offer a secure fit. My feet were constantly sliding around within the shoes, especially in the forefoot where it was extra roomy. Except from the fit, they felt stable when making lateral movements. The uppers came up high enough around my ankles to keep me from worrying about rolling an ankle when I made quick cuts. I just wish they offered a more secure fit for me."

Michelle felt the fit hampered the super stable and supportive build of the shoes. She explained, "I think if I had sized down a half-size I would have felt more locked into the shoes and stability wouldn't even be a question. However, I did slip and slide a bit when I wore my true size. Besides that issue, I felt like the construction of the shoes led to high levels of support and stability."

As Tiffani noted in the comfort section, she also struggled with the fit. She offered, "Although my fit issues initially compromised the comfort, breaking in the shoe mostly solved those issues. That wasn't the case with support. Around the 10-hour mark these shoes softened up enough to allow me to loosen the shoes where I needed more room and tighten them where I needed additional support, but my feet continued to move within the shoes when I was stretched, especially in the heel. I kept sliding off the shoe in the heel, which I felt slowed my movements back to the center of the court. Stability was good, however, and I was confident that they would protect my ankles."

After sizing down a half-size Brittany found a better fit and a higher level of support. She said, "Moving down a half-size allowed for a more glove-like fit around the midfoot. The toe box was still wider than I would have liked, and there was just a little too much room for my forefoot to move around in. My heel fit better with the smaller size, although I still had some slight slippage if my shoes weren't tied tightly. However, my ankles felt secure and I never had any doubts when moving aggressively in these shoes."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.5

Nike did its research when creating the ultra durable outsole of the Zoom Cage 2s. With added tread in high wear areas the overall outsole design provided excellent durability. Our playtesters unanimously agreed that these shoes were super durable. Michelle stated, "The durability of the outsole was awesome! I've spent several hours with them on the court, and I am seeing very little wear to the outsoles. I can say without a doubt that this is the biggest strength of these shoes."

"The tread is quite deep on the Zoom Cage 2s, and the outsoles are showing very minimal wear," said Tiffani. "These carry the six-month outsole guarantee, and I doubt I would need to take advantage of that. These shoes are a nice weight considering the durability."

Brittany agreed that durability was the best feature of these shoes. She added, "I have yet to put a dent in the outsoles, and they still look brand new after several weeks of playtesting. There is definitely plenty of life left in these shoes. Their durability reminded me of the Air Max Cages and Breathe Free IIs."

"Even though the playtest is over the outsoles have plenty of life left," ensured Karly. "I played more than 20 hours in these shoes and have only noticed a little bit of smoothing on the forefoot. I will say that the sole started to smooth faster than usual, but I have yet to see any significant damage to the shoes, and they are backed up by a six-month warranty. Bonus! Like the previous version, I was happy with the quality of the Nike Cage outsole."

Toe Durablity - Score: 4.3

Our toe draggers were able to properly put the Zoom Cage 2 to the test. Tiffani did her fair share of scraping at the toe, but the upper proved to be well protected by the DragOn cage. She explained, "At first the uppers got scraped up and looked slightly dirty, then after I wore through the top layer of plastic they got a little bit shiny, so it didn't look too messy. It was more of a vanity thing on my part because these uppers are not going to be worn through any time soon. My one worry was the piece of the outsole that comes halfway up at the toe. Although the uppers are well protected, I felt like this part of the outsole was thinner and wearing down already. I predict this is where I will wear these out first."

"The toe bumper and Drag-On upper provide an excellent barrier against toe dragging," said Brittany. "After several weeks of playtesting these shoes the only thing visible is some scuffing on the uppers. There is still plenty of life left, and I give these shoes high marks for toe durability."

Traction - Score: 4.0

With an outsole designed to give players just the right blend of give and control on the court, the Zoom Cage 2s offered our team a superior traction experience. Brittany felt these shoes had above average traction. She said, "These shoes did their job, and I had no issues moving around on the court. I was able to pivot without sticking in place. While they did feel lower to the ground than the previous Air Max Cage, I was still higher off the ground than I like to be."

The traction was just fine for Karly. She said, "There was noticeably more tack during the first few hours, but as the playtest went on the Zoom Cage 2s still offered a good enough grip on the court to prevent any sliding. I was able to take aggressive cuts without sticking to the ground or slipping."

"I Initially thought the traction was spot on," began Michelle. "However, as the playtest went on I did have a few instances when I was changing direction and I felt like the traction let me down. I'm not sure if this is due to the outsole giving more than I feel comfortable with or if it was the roomy fit on my foot."

Tiffani generally liked the amount of grip and give the outsole provided. She explained, "The Zoom Cage 2s never felt sticky on the court, and I didn't slip too much. There were just a couple of instances early on that I felt a bit of slickness when pivoting on the lines, but as I got a bit of wear on the outsoles the issue went away."

Weight - Score: 3.7

Offering loads of durability and stability, the Zoom Cage 2s looked like they would weigh more than most shoes on the market. However, Nike has done a great job removing material from where it wasn't needed on the sole to keep these shoes light. Most of our playtesters thought this shoe played lighter than what the scale said. Even though they technically weighed more than the Air Max Cages, Karly thought this newer version played faster. She explained, "They felt faster mostly because they didn't feel as bulky. The cushioning was still there, but the padding didn't seem as thick. I felt light on my feet and confident when running down shots. The only thing that slowed me down was the loose fit. I didn't feel like I got the full potential of their lightweight feel because I felt hesitant at times when I was changing directions."

Michelle usually doesn't mind heavier, stable shoes, but she found these to be a bit bulky on her feet. She said, "These shoes felt a bit a heavy to me. On the scale they do weigh a bit more than any of the recent shoes we have playtested in the last few months. I never really felt extra fast on the court in them."

Tiffani also felt a bit slower in these shoes, though it may not have been an issue of weight entirely. She said, "I enjoyed the low-to-the-ground feel of these shoes, but the fit issues I had with the Cage 2s affected my perceptions of my movement on the court. I just didn't feel as quick to the ball. Putting that aside, the shoes felt neither heavy nor light. They were middle of the road and a respectable weight for their durability."

A fan of lighter shoes, Brittany found the Zoom Cage 2s to be on the heavier side. She offered, "Although I did expect these to weigh more because of their great durability and stability, when I look at their actual weight (12.5 ounces for a size 8.5) they don't feel that heavy. To me, they feel around average for a tennis shoe."

Overall - Score: 3.8

Scores

(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)

Playtester Foot Types

Michelle - Medium width / High arch

Tiffani - Wide width / Low arch

Karly - Medium width / Medium-low arch

Brittany - Narrow width / Medium arch

Review date: March 2015. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

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