Nike Air Zoom Zero Men's Review

Comfort - Score: 3.9

Due to the variety of foot widths and shapes among our playtesters, we had difficulty finding consensus regarding the fit of the Nike Court Air Zoom Zeros. Because these shoes were a little snug and slightly long, the fit was especially tricky for our testers with medium and wide feet. However, Chris and his narrow feet felt right at home in his pair. He said, "The Zoom Zeros offered a very comfortable ride. They definitely felt different when walking around off court due to the shape of the outsoles, but that feel totally went away during play. The level of cushioning kept me very protected from tough landings. I did have the sense of being more elevated in these shoes compared to, say, the Vapor Xs, but I still felt connected to the court — even more so when the shoes broke in and started to flex more with my feet. The shank did a great job of pushing the flex point of the shoe to the forefoot, so I never felt any undue stress on my arches or other parts of my feet. I was impressed that my feet never felt too hot in these shoes since the Zoom Zeros don't look particularly ventilated, and shoes with bootie constructions can sometimes run hot."

Despite feeling some discomfort off court, Sean really enjoyed his pair while playing. He said, "When I first put on my pair of Zoom Zeros I immediately felt a pinching on the top of my foot where the stitching of the canvas upper met the tongue. I was very worried about this, but it was never a problem on court. What's strange was that even as the shoes broke in, I still felt that pain every time I put the shoes on. I thought the Zoom Zeros ran a little bit long, but I wouldn't recommend sizing down unless you have very narrow feet, because there isn't a lot of room to work with width-wise. I really liked the underfoot cushioning, and even though I felt high off the ground, the court feel was superb. I didn't have any issues with arch support."

Even with wider feet, Jason had no fit issues, though like Chris and Sean, he found the curved design to be much more comfortable on court than off. He elaborated, "The first thing I noticed was the plush cushioning underfoot. Even though they were a little hard to slip my feet into, I loved the bootie construction and the padding in the heel. These shoes have a unique ride that pitches you forward a little bit, so it feels like you're standing more on your forefoot. I didn't love that sensation when I was just standing around, but when I was running around on the court I felt like I could move faster since I was already on the balls of my feet. The forefoot was slightly too narrow for me, and I was getting some rubbing on my big toes. The only other negative for me was that the shoes did feel a little hot."

Because of the length-width discrepancy, Troy had difficulty deciding whether he would go with the length that worked for him and deal with a snug fit or stick with the right width but deal with some extra length. He explained, "It was a battle for me to find the right fit in these Air Zoom Zeros. I found it a bit difficult to slide my feet into the size 10s, but when I walked around in them I noticed I had extra room lengthwise. I then tried on the 9.5s, which were difficult to squeeze into, but I found a very snug, tight fit. The 9.5s were the perfect length for my toes, but the upper material constricted the middle section of my feet. I stuck with the 9.5s since the length fit my feet well, and I hoped that the uppers would break in and get more comfortable. Well, about a week into wearing these shoes the uppers still had very little give. The single-piece upper provides a lot of foot support, but it was digging into the top of my feet near the third and fourth eyelets. The uppers also didn't provide much in the way of breathability. I was finally able to get past the pain after a long break-in period, and I really started to love how these shoes contoured to my feet. The soft foam and full-length Zoom Air unit are very plush and comfortable, and the underfoot cushioning may be the best I've experienced in all the Nike shoes that I have playtested. I found the underfoot comfort to be right up there with the Air Courtballistec 2.3s, which are my favorite Nike shoes of all time."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.6

Like many lightweight shoes, the Air Zoom Zeros require inventive features to offer enough stability for aggressive movement. In this case, it seems that the one-piece canvas uppers resist unwanted twisting and turning. Troy was particularly impressed with how secure he felt moving around the court. He said, "I found a high level of foot support and stability, especially considering the weight of these Air Zoom Zeros. The single-piece uppers did a very good job of keeping my feet locked in. I found a low enough ride in the forefoot region to make me feel secure when stopping and starting during aggressive movements. Often with lighter shoes, the upper material will start to stretch over time. These shoes remained sturdy throughout the playtest period and never allowed my feet to shift or slide around. No matter how hard I slammed on the brakes, I never felt as though I would roll my ankles."

The love affair continued into the support category for Chris, who said, "I thought the level of support and stability of the Zoom Zeros was superb. I simply loved playing in these shoes. I felt confident sprinting around the court in these shoes no matter how intense the point. Lateral support and stability were top notch. My feet felt very locked in, with ample rigidity from the base of the shoes to provide stability. The uppers were supportive, and my feet weren't sliding around inside the Air Zoom Zeros at all — massively reducing fatigue and improving comfort during longer hitting sessions."

If anything, the Air Zoom Zeros were almost too supportive for Sean, who still very much enjoyed moving in his pair. He described, "For being such light shoes, the Air Zoom Zeros were exceptionally stable. I was very confident in my movement, knowing the lateral support was more than enough for me. The canvas uppers, although not well ventilated, are very supportive. My only complaint would be that I had some soreness on the sides of my feet after long points, which is something I also experienced with the 2018 Barricades. This might just mean that there is very little flex laterally, which I would prefer over potentially rolling my ankles."

Like the rest of the team, Jason also felt that the Zoom Zeros offered plenty of support and stability for his playing style. He said, "Even though the uppers are made of this soft, cloth-like material, these shoes provided the support and stability that I needed. I could feel the uppers give a little when I was making my cuts and planting to change directions, but it never made me second guess my movement."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.0

Durable, lightweight or stable: pick two. Designing shoes involves making decisions and compromises. In the case of the Nike Court Air Zoom Zeros, durability seemed like the one chink in the armor. For Jason, these shoes fell about where he expected. He said, "For being lighter weight shoes, they held up pretty well. When you take all tennis shoes into account, these Zoom Zeros fall on the less durable end of the spectrum. I started to see some wear and tear around 10 to 12 hours, and I can probably put another 8 to 10 on them before balding the outsoles."

Troy was less pleased by the durability of his pair. He said, "I found the durability to be lower than I would have liked, especially considering these shoes are not backed by a durability guarantee. The high-wear areas for me are underneath the balls of my feet and the toe region of the outsole. I found the most balding of the tread on the medial toe area. It wasn't worn all the way through to the midsole cushioning, but I could tell that there wasn't much rubber left by the end of the playtest. Based on the 5 to 7 hours of tennis I typically play per week, I would wear through the toe region of the outsoles in about 8 to 10 weeks."

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the durability didn't stand up to toe-dragger Chris, but he still found the wear to be at an acceptable level for this type of shoe. He explained, "The Zoom Zeros are not the most durable of shoes. I found them to wear similarly to earlier Vapors. I quickly started to see wear under the big toe of my right foot, which I drag on serves and forehands. I also started to put some wear on the toe bumper of my left shoe pretty early on in the test. Considering how light and fast the Air Zoom Zeros feel on court, I'd say the level of wear was acceptable and in line with what I get from some other speed-oriented shoes."

Sean also happens to wear his shoes out in a hurry. "Durability was my biggest issue with these shoes," he said. "It isn't uncommon for me to show serious signs of wear after a few weeks, but in this playtest the toe on my left shoe was completely bald after a week, and I was wearing into the midsole by week two. I would estimate I put around 12 hours on my pair, with about three sets included in that time. I would place the Zoom Zero's durability slightly below that of the Vapor X."

Traction - Score: 4.59

Even though the outsoles didn't last our playtesters as long as they were hoping, they provided some excellent traction on court. On the spectrum of grip to give, our testers unanimously agreed that the Air Zoom Zeros fall on the stickier end. Sean commented, "I was very pleased with the traction of the Zoom Zeros. I always felt comfortable and fast with the blend of grip and give. I played on some pretty slick outdoor courts and had no slippage issues, even as the outsoles smoothed."

Jason compared the grip on his Zoom Zeros to another recent Nike playtest. He said, "Unlike the Zoom Vapor Xs, I found the outsoles on these Zoom Zeros to be pretty grippy. Every now and then I like to slide a bit when stopping and changing directions, and that could be difficult to pull off in these shoes. I would've liked slightly more give for those instances, but the traction was definitely on point for making those quick first steps."

Troy found that the level of grip changed as the outsoles wore in. He recalled, "These shoes had a stickier feel to the outsole during my first couple of session on court. The tread pattern is quite unique compared to most shoes I have tested over the years. Whenever I had to come to an abrupt stop, these shoes grabbed the court surface very well. While at a complete stop, I could take off aggressively toward the ball without slipping. The outsoles were breaking in nicely after about a week of wear. As the tread wore down a bit the level of grip and slip started to feel more and more to my liking. I wouldn't say that these shoes were too sticky during my first couple of sessions, but I definitely thought that the outsoles got better with age."

The praise continued with Chris. "I liked the level of traction in these shoes," he added. "The shape of the outsoles promoted being up on my toes, and I liked the feel of that when sprinting around. I felt like I was moving well and getting all of the grip I needed to sprint, stop and cut as fast as I could. The outsoles also felt good when I was pivoting or taking smaller steps. These shoes never got hung up on the court surface or inhibited my movement in any way."

Weight - Score: 4.7

For being so stable and cushioned, the Air Zoom Zeros both surprised and impressed our team when the scale weighed in at 13.8 ounces (size 10.5). More than just a number, the Air Zoom Zeros felt swift and speedy on court while being exceptionally stable. Chris explained, "I found the Zoom Zeros to play lighter and faster than expected. When I first saw these shoes I thought they looked more substantial, like the Zoom Cage 3s, but I was pleased to find they play lighter and faster, with a feel much like the Vapor Xs when it comes to court speed."

Although Sean liked the lighter ride, he was left wishing the shoes had lasted longer. He said, "The weight of the Air Zoom Zeros explained the durability; I'm sure they would be heavier and suffer in the performance category were they more durable. I think most players will welcome that trade-off, but although I loved the way these shoes performed, I would have readily accepted heavier, more durable outsoles."

Jason fully appreciated the lightweight performance his Air Zoom Zeros provided. He explained, "There's really not much to complain about here. The weight distribution is good, and I felt pretty light on my feet with these on. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they make you stand more on the balls of your feet, but they felt lightweight to me."

Troy felt noticeably speedier in his pair. He said, "These shoes felt slightly faster on court than the scale would indicate. The curvature of the outsoles made for a very efficient heel-to-toe transition while sprinting around the court. I don't think I have the wheels to run down shots like Frances Tiafoe, but I definitely felt a bit quicker than usual. As light and fast as these shoes felt, I found top-notch support and stability. Nike did a great job in designing these shoes to feel fast on court without sacrificing the support and cushioning."

Overall - Score: 4.2