Lotto Raptor 100 SPD Men's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.6

The Lotto Raptor 100s transcended foot types when it came to comfort. Our entire team was amazed with what Lotto brought to the table. Chris prefers cushioning that doesn't give up feel. He explained, "I loved the comfortable ride I found in the Raptor 100s. The cushioning felt very plush without leaving the feeling of being disconnected from the court. The fit was a little wide for me, but I was able to cinch the shoes up nicely for support. I always wear two pairs of socks for blister protection, and that also helped my skinny feet fill out the shoes a little more. I found the level of ventilation to be just OK. My feet didn't overheat, but my socks would get soaked playing in these shoes, which isn't usually the case for me."

"The Raptor 100s were fantastic out of the box," added Sage. "I'm talking zero break-in time. The uppers moved and flexed with my feet to create a responsive, connected feel. I noticed they sit slightly higher around my ankle compared to other tennis shoes, but I didn't experience any rubbing. Even at the end of the testing, the cushioning was still nice and plush underfoot. I'm up on the balls of my feet most often, and even that part of the cushioning has plenty of life left in it. I stayed true to size, but these Raptors were slightly longer than other similar shoes. The extra length worked well for me, but I wouldn't be shocked to see some players going down a half size for the best fit. They do feel slightly wide as well. I have medium-width feet and found myself most comfortable when I cinched the laces tightly."

Jason has run into fit issues in the past, but that wasn't the case this time around. He said, "These are such comfortable shoes to wear. First off, they fit my wider E feet very well, especially in the forefoot. I thought the underfoot cushioning was fairly plush and provided all-day comfort."

It was almost as if Lotto designed these shoes with Mark in mind. He described, "The overall fit, arch support, comfort and breathability were all top shelf for my needs. I value substantial cushioning underfoot, bend mostly at the joints of my toes, and want the rest of the shoe to be more resistant to twisting. That is precisely what I got wearing the Lotto Raptor 100s."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.6

Whether they were sliding into a shot or relying on the Lotto Raptor 100s to be stable from a stationary shot, our playtesters got the job done in these shoes. Sage explained, "The Raptor 100s were low to the ground and locked my ankles in place. The triple-eyelet lacing system made the shoes feel snug, and they hugged my feet perfectly. I had the confidence to change direction and transition from one side of the court to the other knowing the shoes would remain stable. The motion of taking a split step and accelerating out of it was smooth. My heels were also comfortable and didn't slide around at all."

Mark added, "The midfoot shank is firm, as is the construction of the heel cup. Combined with the supportive upper, these shoes did a fantastic job at comfortably holding my feet in place."

Chris was impressed by the balanced nature of the shoes. He said, "I was very happy with the level of support I found in the Raptor 100s. The uppers did a solid job of holding my feet in place while still feeling comfortable. I never felt like I was sliding around too much inside the shoes and never had any comfort issues, such as jamming my toes into the ends. When making aggressive lateral cuts I felt secure thanks to the Raptor's sturdy base. I was very impressed with how supportive and stable the shoes remained throughout the test considering how supple and comfortable they felt on my feet."

One of the biggest hard court sliders on the playtest team, Jason gave the thumbs up. He said, "I can't really complain much here. My feet felt locked in once I cinched up my laces. I thought stability was great too, once I got moving side to side on court. I was able to do a few lateral slides, and my ankles felt nice and secure."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.7

All the members of our team appreciated the Lotto Raptor 100's outsole durability, but there were mixed reviews when it came to the toe guard. Mark offered high praise, saying, "I have at least 30 hours of hard court time on these Raptor 100 SPD shoes, which I will wear to the end and then buy another pair. Even with that much hard court time, I estimate that I have at least another 30 hours of play time ahead of me in these shoes."

"The outsoles of the Raptor 100s held up very well to all of the abuse I threw at them during this test," added Chris. "I put around 20 hours on the shoes. I drag the outsole under my right foot's big toe on every closed-stance forehand and every serve I hit, so that part of the shoe takes a beating. The Raptor 100s were still holding strong in that area, which is rare for me to see. The upper above the toe tip on my left foot is showing the most wear. I drag that area on my slice backhands, and I'm almost through the TPU upper and down to the mesh."

It was smooth sailing for Jason as well. He said, "I was able to put plenty of hours on these shoes to really put them through the wringer, and the outsoles passed with flying colors. After about 15 hours, I only noticed slight tread loss near the medial forefoot area. I could easily put another 15 to 20 hours on these shoes."

Sage loved the outsoles, but he had some trouble with the laces. He described, "I put more hours on these shoes than any other test I've participated in, and they've held up nicely. I'm not a huge toe dragger, but I will slide occasionally, and even after two months of testing, they show only minimal wear. I always wear down the sole under the ball of my foot, but these shoes withstood as much as I could throw at them. I will note that I did go through two pairs of shoelaces. They were longer than normal due to pulling them tightly, and I realized I was stepping on the loops of the laces on court. The fix was simply using the third eyelet to shorten them — problem solved."

Traction - Score: 4.7

It isn't often a product receives a perfect score, but these Lotto Raptor 100s performed flawlessly for Chris. He explained, "I gave the Raptor 100s maximum points for traction. I found the perfect blend of grip and give. There are shoes that I can slide in easier, there are shoes that are stickier, but there are few that offer me just the right amounts of both slide and grip. I was able to move around the court at full speed and full of confidence in these shoes. Being able to trust in the traction is important to me because I rely on my court coverage as a strength to win points."

Mark kept his review straightforward, saying, "After five minutes of running around the court, the Raptor 100s offered predictable and comfortable traction for the entire playtest. I could not ask for better outsole traction from a tennis shoe."

After two knee surgeries, Sage values trustworthy traction. He described, "I loved the blend of grip with the ability to slide when I wanted. Lateral cuts and pushing off to move into the court both felt excellent. The heel and toe both provided great traction. No matter where the majority of my weight was located during a pivot, these shoes easily handled the transition. I never lost connection with the ground."

Jason needed a slight break-in before the outsoles were right where he wanted them. He said, "I thought the Raptor 100s were a bit too sticky at first. But after an hour or two on court, I wore through that top coat of the outsole and the traction became really good. It offered some slickness to it so I could slide a bit, but it had the grip to not leave me spinning my wheels. To top it off, the material is very quiet on hard courts."

Weight - Score: 4.2

On paper, the Lotto Raptor 100s look like they might border on being clunky on court, but that simply wasn't the case. Sage appreciated Lotto's balanced design. He said, "Don't be fooled by what you see on the scale; these shoes move through the court with deceptive speed. Although they are on the heavier side, I never had issues with acceleration or fatigue. I prefer shoes with enough mass to give me confidence in their stability, and these fit the bill. I like that Lotto used the weight in a way that created a rock-solid shoe that never felt like a rock."

Chris agreed, "Although the Raptor 100s are just a smidge on the heavier side, I never felt like these shoes slowed me down on court. I found all the comfort, stability and grip needed to concentrate on my tennis and forget about my feet. I played both singles and doubles in these shoes and always felt like I was moving well in them. My doubles partner is quick to close the net, so I often find myself covering the lob. In the Raptor 100s, I was able to scamper back and retrieve those lobs as well as ever."

Jason was able to regularly have long hitting sessions without issue. He said, "These aren't the lightest tennis shoes, but with everything they have to offer in terms of comfort, stability and durability, the weight wasn't an issue. The positive is that even at over 15 ounces (size 10.5), they don't feel clunky."

Mark didn't mind the weight because it gave him greater confidence in aggressive movements. He explained, "On paper, Lotto's update to the Raptor appears to lean toward stability at the expense of maneuverability. However, my on-court experience was such that I was able to apply the brakes harder and change directions with more confidence than I would while wearing lighter shoes."

Overall - Score: 4.5