New Balance MC 1296v2 Review

Overall Comfort - Score: 4.2

For the most part our playtesters were pretty pleased with the comfort of the 1296v2s. Chris found a nice fit for his narrow feet. He said, "I found the 1296v2s to be very comfortable shoes. They broke in quickly, flexed in all the right places, offered adequate cushioning and had decent ventilation. The shoes molded to the shape of my feet over time and offered a very comfortable fit after a little wear. I liked the level of padding from the tongue and ankle collars. My feet felt protected, and I never had to worry about blisters or uncomfortable rubbing from the shoes."

Other than some minor discomfort in the forefoot, Troy found this second iteration of the 1296 to be a big improvement over the original. He shared, "Right out of the box, I found a very comfortable, glove-like fit. This update provided a faster break-in period than the original, and more mesh in the uppers created a plusher feel and easier flexion in the forefoot. Also, the S-Curve technology is much less prominent compared to the previous version. The firm material that was used in the S-Curve technology for the first generation caused some pain in the arch region of my feet, but in this version that's gone. The added mesh in the uppers also improved the breathability and helped keep my feet cool throughout the playtest. If I had one knock on the comfort, it would be that during the break-in period I experienced some pain on the ball of my right foot. It felt as if there wasn't enough cushioning between the ball of my foot and the court, but after a few wears and doubling up on socks the pain subsided."

Mark was happy with the comfort from the first time he tried them on. He raved, "The initial fit of the MC 1296v2s (D width) was snug throughout the length of the shoe but very comfortable. I had a good feeling that these shoes were going to be comfortable on court as well. My first hitting session with them lasted two hours, and afterward my feet felt great. Suffice it to say, these are very comfy shoes. They also offered good ventilation, and the arch support was a good fit for my feet."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.0

Two of our testers found more than enough support and stability in the 1296v2s, but the third would have liked a bit more. Mark was moving confidently, and he attributed some of the extra stability to a unique design element. He shared, "I always find support and comfort related; my feet need to be secure for them to stay comfortable during play. These shoes are very stable, and it was actually difficult to get any sort of ankle rollover. There is an extra little bit of outsole material extending out around the pinky toe area on the lateral side, creating a stable foot platform and enhancing confidence during any sort of lateral movement."

Chris was also pleased with the level of support. He said, "While feeling very comfortable and flexible, the 1296v2s also provided ample support and stability. Both when moving side to side and when coming to a quick stop, my feet felt locked in. I was impressed with how supportive and stable these shoes felt considering how comfortable they were to wear."

On the other hand, Troy didn't think these shoes held his feet as securely as a couple of his favorite premium shoes. He shared, "I found the foot support and stability to be better than average, but not quite to the level of the Asics Gel Resolution 6s and adidas Barricade 2016s. I felt the forefoot of the 1296v2s provided a low-to-the-ground ride, which helped me change directions with ease. The S-Curve technology through the arch provided a solid shank that helped with torsional stability without being too firm. However, I don't think these shoes locked my feet in quite as well. I thought the upper materials softened up toward the end of this playtest and didn't always make my feet feel secure."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.9

Once again, there were split feelings when it came to our testers' opinions on the durability of the 1296v2s. Troy was a little disappointed and wanted his pair to last a bit longer. He critiqued, "The 1296v2s had similar outsole durability to other New Balance shoes I've playtested. I found the outsoles had less durability than the Asics Gel Resolution 6s and adidas Barricade 2016s. The toe durability, however, was the biggest issue for me in these shoes. After about a month of playtesting the toe areas showed heavy signs of wear. I don't toe drag as much as I used to, but there was significant balding near the toe region of these shoes."

On the other hand, Chris was extremely impressed with the durability of these shoes. He said, "I can be very hard on tennis shoes, but these 1296v2s held up amazingly well. Even my high wear areas are showing little signs of wear. I can blitz through an outsole under the big toe of my right foot in hours. However, these shoes show hardly any wear in that area. I also drag the tip of my left shoe and can blow through toe bumpers. Again, the 1296v2s held up exceptionally well."

Mark was also pleased, and he has plenty of life left in his pair. He raved, "I wore these shoes for around 25 hours of hard play, and they have at least another 25 hours of court time left in them. These shoes are very durable, and they are also backed with the New Balance outsole warranty."

Traction - Score: 3.9

The hung jury theme continued when it came to the traction of the 1296v2s. Mark's pair gripped the court well no matter where he was playing. He said, "All of my play with these shoes was on local hard courts. On our freshly cleaned hard court they provided great traction with just enough slip to keep quick starts and stops from being jarring. Even on other courts that are a little slicker, the MC 1296v2s still offered great traction."

"No complaints from me," Chris concurred. "I was able to push off aggressively, come to a quick stop and change directions with confidence. The 1296v2s offered the perfect blend of grip and give. I was able to slide when needed and found it easy to control my slides out of a shot. When I was looking to take a quick first step the 1296v2s seemed to always offer the grip I needed to sprint to the next ball."

In contrast, Troy thought the outsoles were a little too slippery. He shared, "I found the tread to be a bit slippery at times during the test. During aggressive changes of direction I wasn't getting enough grip on the court to make an aggressive first step. These may be great shoes for players who like to slide into their shots on hard courts, but I was craving a bit more traction. My feet were slipping too often when I tested these shoes on an outdoor public court that was much faster and slicker than our TW indoor court."

Weight - Score: 4.3

Everyone found the 1296v2s light and fast out on court. Chris thought there was just enough shoe to provide comfort and support, with nothing in excess. "The weight of these shoes was never an issue," he said. "They felt light enough on my feet, and I found it very easy to forget about them and just get on with my tennis. Considering all of the support, comfort and durability I found in these shoes, the fact that they don't weight a ton is impressive. It felt like New Balance included just enough of everything to get the job done on court without including anything that might weigh down the 1296v2s."

Troy thought the 1296v2s played lighter than their weigh-in stats would indicate. He praised, "These shoes felt lighter and faster around the court than their weight would indicate. When I first walked around in them I would have guessed that they were in the 13 oz range. When I took these shoes on court I found my heel-to-toe transitions came with ease. The low-to-the-ground feel in the forefoot helped me change directions quickly and added to the lightweight feel. With this version coming in about 0.7 ounces lighter than the original, the lighter feel was much appreciated."

Agreeing Mark, shared, "These shoes feel light and fast around the court. New Balance made shoes I can rely on with the 1296v2s."

Overall - Score: 4.0