New Balance 896v3 Women's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 3.9

With a reinforced mesh upper and a REVlite midsole cushioning system, the New Balance 896v3s offer a comfortable ride with no break-in. Brittany was excited to try the shoes as soon as she opened the box. She said, "Right away, I could tell the uppers of the New Balance 896v3s were on the softer side. This translated to no break-in and an easy transition from box to court. The cushioning was on the minimal side, but I didn't have any issues and felt very comfortable underfoot and around the tongue and ankle. The width was on the narrow side, which I appreciated, and the shoe fit like a glove. I stayed in my true size 8. I thought the ventilation was solid; my feet never got hot, and I never had the urge to take off my shoes after a hit."

"The 896v3s are super light and fit well," continued Michelle. "The cushioning is very minimal, but that didn't take away from the comfort. Initially, I noticed these shoes felt a bit short, but once I wore them I had no issues with the length. The upper was soft and breathable, the tongue was minimal and out of the way, and there was no rubbing. The laces weren't my favorite, though. They just felt a bit cheap and not as high quality as some of the other New Balance laces, but it didn't really bother me or hinder my playtest experience. The 896v3s were super low to the ground, and I felt so fast and connected to the court. I also really loved keeping them on after tennis and using them for gym workouts since they were great shoes to lift in. I even ran a mile or two in them a few times before jumping on the court. After a hard physical day, or a long day on the court, my feet did feel a bit sore. I started using these shoes anytime I wanted to be quicker or play points rather than for long hitting session of serious drilling where I'm pounding my feet pretty hard."

Our playtester with wider feet, Tiffani, was happy that New Balance offers their shoes in multiple width options. She explained, "Since I have wider feet, I opted to wear the D-width version of these shoes. These shoes never squeezed my feet uncomfortably, but they didn't feel quite as wide as some other New Balance D-width shoes. The fit is similar to the 1006 D width and has a light, streamlined feel overall. I liked the amount of court feel during point play, but for daily training I would look for something with more cushioning overall. I never thought about the arch support, but I did find the shoes to run warmer than I had imagined they would. The knit upper was a bit deceiving, and these shoes ended up feeling fairly average in terms of ventilation."

Julie had both positive and negative things to say when it came to the comfort of the New Balance 896v3s. She described, "Even before slipping my feet into the New Balance 896v3s, I could tell they'd be speedy shoes on court. I enjoyed the narrow fit and flexible upper, which made my feet really snug and comfortable. They are very breathable shoes that kept me quick on court, and I didn't have any break-in period. When I went for my first hit with these shoes on my feet the first thing I noticed was the very minimal cushioning. I felt really low to the ground, which was ideal for reactivity and speed. Players looking for comfortable minimal shoes with a snug fit will find what they need in the 896v3, but I personally needed a bit more cushioning. I experienced pain in the forefoot from the lack of cushioning, which impaired my on-court movement after a few hours."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.4

Our playtesters were split when it came to the support and stability of the NB 896v3s out on the court. Tiffani was pleasantly surprised by the levels of support and stability the shoes offered. She said, "These shoes are definitely on the more minimal side. The cut of the shoes is really low around the ankles, so initially I wasn't super confident they were going to be stable. The 896v3s ended up holding up for me during my lateral movements, and I wasn't sliding over the tops of the shoes, meaning the uppers were stiff enough to keep my feet in place. My biggest issue here was the laces. The shoelaces are flat, and they made it difficult to cinch up the shoes the way I like. I often struggled to keep them tight, stopping to retie them throughout a match."

Michelle felt these shoes offered enough support and stability for her to feel confident moving in them. She said, "The uppers did open up as the playtest went on, but tying the shoes tighter helped with this issue. The shoes were stable enough, and they held my feet in place even on aggressive cuts. I was happy with how they performed in terms of support and stability."

"If you ask me what I'm looking for in my on-court shoes, I'd reply support and stability without hesitation," added Julie. "In the New Balance 896v3s, the features emphasized are the light weight and speediness of the shoes, and I didn't find that they adapted to my very aggressive on-court movement. The upper is very flexible, and it took me a full hitting session before I got used to the lighter support of the shoes. It took me a couple of hours to find the support and stability needed for my changes in direction as well. Unfortunately, when I had a taste of confidence in these shoes (from about the fourth to sixth hour on court), the upper started loosening up a bit, and I lost the support I needed during point play. From then on, I mainly kept these shoes for rallying and lighter hits."

Due to a previous ankle injury, Brittany was looking for more stability from the 896v3s. She commented, "For the most part, I thought the 896v3s supported my feet very well. I didn't have any extra room, so there was very little movement inside the shoes when moving around. However, my only issue with the shoes was the ankle stability, and I think the culprit is the softer upper. I will note that I had a major ankle injury three years ago and require a little more stability from my shoes these days. When I was playing I was completely fine. I never felt like I was going to tip over in the shoes due to how low to the ground they were. I had issues later in the day after my hit, when I would experience pain and swelling in my previously injured ankle. This led me to the conclusion that the 896v3 wasn't supporting my ankle as much as it needed, which was a bummer because I loved pretty much every other aspect of the shoe."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.8

The New Balance 896v3s left our team impressed with the durability of both the outsole and toe from the start to the finish of the playtest. Julie can be extremely tough on her outsoles, but she didn't make a dent in these lightweight shoes. She said, "As I mentioned, the uppers gave away a little bit of support, so I wasn't the most aggressive with my movements. With that being said, the outsole durability seemed really good considering the speedy and lightweight nature of the shoe. After wearing these shoes for about eight hours I only noticed a slight smoothing of the outsole. Coming to toe durability, I only drag my toes on serve returns, but I thought the added material to protect the toe box was pretty durable."

"With these lightweight shoes, I expect the durability to be on the lower end," Brittany said. "I was surprised at how well these shoes held up. Although they are not comparable to shoes that have durability guarantees, they held up better than a lot of lightweight shoes I have playtested. I have about 10 hours on them and see very little, if any, wear. Toe durability could be an issue for extreme toe draggers since there isn't a lot of material protecting the upper past the toe bumper. However, I had no issues when I checked at the end of the playtest."

Michelle is shocked that there aren't holes in her pair of 896v3s. She remarked, "I assumed they would be pretty trashed by the end of this playtest, but my 896v3s are holding up well and still have a lot of wear left to them. The traction remained consistent throughout the testing as well. I am very impressed with that NDurance rubber."

While Tiffani did start to see some slight wear at the end of the playtest, she was impressed with the overall durability. She said, "My outsoles are showing some signs of smoothing in the usual areas, but it's nothing alarming. The shoes don't feel like they are ultra durable, but the toes are holding up much better than anticipated. I'm always wary of knit uppers since I tend to drag my toes on groundstrokes. Players who are really hard on their shoes would probably find these shoes to be better as a match-day option rather than a daily trainer."

Traction - Score: 4.0

The low-to-the-ground feel, along with the perfect amount of stick, gave the 896v3s a high score in traction. Michelle had no complaints when it came to the traction. She noted, "The traction was great! I never felt like I was going to slip on the court. Also, the traction levels remained consistent throughout the test. I'm not an aggressive slider or anything, so I prefer some tack, and the outsole gave me just that."

"I was pleased with how I was moving in these shoes," added Tiffani. "There's not an instance of slipping or feeling stuck that I can recall. I felt smooth moving from shot to shot, and I could trust my footwork in the 896v3s."

Brittany thought the traction was one of the shoe's standout features. She described, "I think the combination of the herringbone outsole and the low 10-mm drop helped me feel extremely connected to the court. I was able to move in any direction and have the confidence that the shoes would react exactly how I wanted. I would say they offered the perfect blend of give and grip, and I loved the low-to-the-ground feel."

Julie didn't have any issues with traction. She said, "I thought the outsole was slightly on the stickier side without making me feel like I was stuck to the court, which was great when changing directions. However, these shoes weren't made for the toe draggers! I drag my toes on serve returns, and I found some discomfort there. I didn't find it to be the smoothest drag; it actually felt a bit clingy."

Weight - Score: 4.5

Our playtesters all agreed that the New Balance 896v3s felt extremely light. However, some also thought that a little weight could have been added in exchange for some cushioning or stability. Michelle was impressed, saying, "These shoes were super light! Probably the lightest shoes I've played in all year. I felt speedy and fast in the 896v3s, and I'm always happy when that happens. Plus, despite being so light, they still performed at high levels and didn't just fall apart or anything."

The NB 896v3s are some of the more minimalist shoes Brittany has playtested. She observed, "These shoes are ultra-lightweight, and I felt super fast moving in them. However, I would have traded a little weight for just a bit more ankle stability."

Tiffani agreed with Brittany. She added, "These shoes are definitely light. My game style has me running all over the court, and when I got stuck playing defense I was able to track down shot after shot — at least until my legs or lungs gave out! I did feel quick and secure enough, so I think if anything, I might want some extra cushioning in the forefoot for more comfort for daily use."

Julie wrapped up the playtest echoing the comments of the other playtesters. She concluded, "Here are the keywords to define these 896v3s: speedy and lightweight. The flexible upper and minimal cushioning definitely helped make the shoes very dynamic. I felt super reactive on quick starts, and I think it was by far my favorite feature of the shoes. However, I wouldn't have minded extra material and weight for extra support."

Overall - Score: 3.9