Nike Air Zoom GP Turbo Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.6

Earning one of the highest comfort scores seen in a while, the Nike Air Zoom GP Turbos offer a plush and responsive feel. The GP Turbos brought back some fond memories for Michelle. She said, "These shoes are SO bouncy! I instantly remembered shopping in Nike stores when I was younger and trying on shoes while sitting on that massive Air Zoom unit — that's what it felt like the second I got my feet in these shoes. I haven't had to size up in Nike shoes in a long time, but when I first put these on it felt like my toes were pushing out the seams. There was no way I could get on the court in my true size, so I went up a half size. After that, I utilized the last eyelets to get completely locked in. Once I got that all sorted out, I felt pretty solid in these shoes. There was no real break-in required, but I did find them to run hot and burn a bit under my big toes for the first two weeks. Comfort-wise, these GP Turbos are the plushest and most responsive shoes I've seen from Nike, so if that is something you put a premium on, these might be for you!"

“The first thing I have to say about the cushioning is WOW!" continued Brittany. "The GP Turbos may have the plushest cushioning I have ever felt underfoot, and are possibly the most comfortable tennis shoes I have ever worn. After taking my first couple of steps I realized that these shoes are bouncy, and that my feet were sitting very high off the ground. I felt like I had little trampolines on my feet. That being said, let's talk about fit. I first tried on my true size (US women's 8) and found my toes butting right up against the bumper. Then I tried on an 8.5 and found plenty of room (almost too much). I ultimately went with the half size up, but it still wasn't a perfect fit. With the plush cushioning, I didn't feel like I had as much arch support as I needed, and my feet were constantly flexing in the shoes. I also found the shoes to run very hot, and I'd take them off pretty quickly after I was done playing."

Our playtester with wide feet, Jason, agreed. He added, "These. Shoes. Are. Plush! They are the most well-cushioned shoes I've tested in quite some time. It's like slipping my feet into a bed of pillows. Fit-wise, I did have to go up a half size because they felt fairly snug. These shoes ran pretty warm as well. The biggest knock on comfort for me was the toe jamming I was getting toward the end of the playtest, which I'll touch on more in the next section."

Like the rest of the team, Troy was won over by the GP Turbo's outstanding comfort. He was also the only playtester to stay in his true size. He said, "Plush, padded, cushioned and bouncy: all words that came to mind when I started moving around in these Nike Air Zoom GP Turbos. As replacements for the Nike Air Zoom Zeros, the underfoot cushioning had better be top-notch, and indeed it was. They felt even plusher and more cushioned than the Zoom Zeros, and to top that off, the upper material and design were vastly improved in terms of comfort. The more traditional lacing system made them easier to put on, and the material on top of the foot was soft and plush, unlike the canvas uppers on the Zoom Zeros. The width was great for me, but these shoes do run snug when it comes to length. I was the only tester who stayed with my normal size (US men's 9.5). It was very snug at first, and the toe box felt rather shallow, so I could feel the ceiling of the shoes pressing down on my big toes. That said, I like a tight fit, and I correctly assumed that the rather soft nature of these shoes meant they would open up a little bit (like me after a few IPAs). My arches felt well supported and comfortable. As with the Zoom Zeros, the ventilation wasn't very good. I would say it's improved slightly, but still not good."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.9

The playtesters had mixed feelings when it came to the support and stability of the GP Turbos, with most wanting more support within the shoes. The GP Turbos only got better and better for Troy as the playtest wore on. He said, "For how comfortable and plush these shoes felt on my feet, I was surprised by the level of stability. I was confident in my side-to-side movement and didn't feel as though I would roll an ankle. Initially, these shoes felt a bit high off the ground, so I was wary of how they would hold up under aggressive forces. After a few weeks of wear I was rather impressed, and I felt like there was plenty of support for my needs. These shoes aren't as ultra-stable as the Vapor Cage 4s, but they got the job done for me and were very comfortable to play in.”

However, the other playtesters ran into some issues. Jason explained, "The good news: The stability was fantastic. I really felt confident moving side to side with these on. Now the bad news: I started getting toe jamming in the last few hours of playtesting when moving forward and stopping. I'm not sure if moving up a half size was part of the problem; I would have to retry the shoes in my regular size to know. Luckily, the toe cap wasn't too hard, so the toe jamming was noticeable but not terrible."

Michelle was left looking for a little more support as well. She said, "While I did go up a half size, using the last eyelet was essential for me to really get locked in and feel stable enough to move aggressively. I wore the GP Turbos for about a week before using that last eyelet. I was craving a little more support, and the shoes felt a tiny bit wide. Comparing them again to the Vapor Cage 4, I just wasn't as locked into these GP Turbos. In my opinion, they fit slightly wider than most of the other Nike shoes on the market."

"I thought both the support and stability were good at the start of the playtest," added Brittany. "I felt very secure within the shoes when moving in all directions. My ankles (even my previously injured one) were never sore or stiff after an intense hit. However, toward the end of the playtest I started to notice that my feet (especially my right foot, which is a little smaller than my left) were starting to move around within the toe boxes. This made me question whether going up a half size was the right decision, but I think I am ultimately in between two sizes."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.0

Featuring an innovative outsole design with beefed-up durability, the Nike Air Zoom GP Turbos held up well through the playtesters' intense workouts and matches. Brittany's pair held up the best, and she saw basically no wear. She said, "I had no issues with the durability. I thought the shoes held up well during the course of the playtest. I am not playing as much as I used to, but I logged about 10 hours on court and a couple more off court. There was no premature wear, and I expect them to last for a while. It was a similar story with the toe bumper; I could see no damage or smoothing at the end of the playtest."

Michelle didn't just wear her GP Turbos on court during the playtest. She wore them off the court as well since they were so comfortable. She said, "I wore these shoes a bunch this past month, well over 20 hours. I am seeing some wear on the outsole under the big toes, but no crazy smoothing or anything. Because they ran hot and are mostly white, my pair is looking pretty dingy and dirty. It was easy to keep them on after a hitting session since they were so bouncy and comfortable, but they definitely held in a bunch of sweat and ran on the hotter side. The rubber compound still looks bright white, but the material on the upper has seen better days."

The durability feature that impressed Troy the most was the medial side of the toe box, which is reinforced for toe draggers. He described, "The outsoles held up well for me. Once again, they're not as beefy as the Vapor Cage 4s, but they were improved over the Zoom Zeros. I had some slight balding under the balls of my feet, but no major damage after about 15 hours of play."

With plenty of time on a gritty indoor court, Jason put the GP Turbos to the test — and they passed with flying colors. He said, "I thought the outsoles were very durable. With 10 to 12 hours of on-court time, I noticed only minimal tread loss around the medial toe area."

Traction - Score: 4.0

Our playtesters all found the Air Zoom GP Turbos to offer more give than grip when moving aggressively on the court. Jason really liked the traction of these shoes, saying, "They definitely have some give to them, so I was able to slide and stop much easier. There is still enough grip that I wasn't left spinning my wheels when trying to move forward toward a shot."

Troy also appreciated the GP Turbo's well-balanced traction, which kept him moving smoothly and naturally on court. "These shoes are definitely on the slicker side of the spectrum, which seems to be the trend these days, catering to the hard-court sliders like Frances Tiafoe. I did not mind this since I tend to like some give to the brakes rather than a very sticky outsole, which makes for more of a jarring feel. There was a bit of give and slide to my stops, but I never felt like I was slipping or struggling to push off with max force."

Although Brittany does enjoy outsoles with a bit of give, she isn't a natural hard-court slider. She said, "I can see why Tiafoe moves so well in these shoes; Nike designed them for hard-court sliders. The traction is a little on the slippery side, and I was definitely feeling the give. I definitely do not slide on hard courts, so I wasn't able to utilize this feature as much as I would like. Combine this with sitting higher in the shoes due to the plush cushioning, and I didn't feel fully connected to the court. However, I never felt like I was losing my footing or spinning my wheels, so I give Nike credit for that."

On the other hand, Michelle prefers slightly stickier outsoles. She said, "The pattern on this outsole was a bit interesting, and I wasn't sure how efficient they would be. I did notice fairly quickly that it played on the slicker side, and I could see an aggressive hard-court slider really loving the slick feel underfoot. I, however, am not the most graceful player on the court, and I prefer to stay more upright and stable when I'm playing, so I was hoping for a bit more traction and stickiness. The outsoles on the Vapor Cage 4 are definitely better suited for my preferences."

Weight - Score: 3.9

Weighing in at 16.2 ounces for the men (size 10.5) and 13.5 ounces for the women (size 8.5), the Nike Air Zoom GP Turbos are heavier than your average tennis shoes. However, the GP Turbos felt lighter on Troy’s feet than the scale would indicate. He said, "After wearing these shoes for about a week, they really molded to my feet and felt nice and pillowy. There was a somewhat soft and padded feel, which made them easy to move in, and they flexed well with my feet. Although there was a lot of material surrounding my feet, I didn't find them overly bulky, and they still maintained a relatively fast feel. Maybe this also had to do with the bouncy or springy feel that the midsole provided."

The GP Turbos are definitely on the heavier side for Jason, but this didn't come as a shock. He explained, "These are substantial shoes, and the weight does reflect that. With as much cushioning as these shoes have, the weight was to be expected."

"These shoes didn't feel as heavy as I thought they would based on their weight on the scale," added Michelle. "Because they are so bouncy and responsive I felt fairly quick in them, and I was always on my toes. I wouldn't say they are super light, but they're definitely not too heavy or too bulky either. They were easy to wear for hours after court time, which says a lot since I often want to take off heavier shoes immediately."

Echoing the comments of the other playtesters, Brittany wrapped up the playtest, saying, “The weight of the GP Turbos puts them on the heavier end of the scale. However, I think Nike did a good job of distributing the weight to keep them from feeling bulky. They definitely do not feel light, but I never felt held back. I think these shoes would be a great option for teaching pros or players who are on their feet for multiple hours a day."

Overall - Score: 4.2