New Balance CT Rally 2 Men's Tennis Shoe Review

Breakdown

Comfort: 8.7

The CT Rally 2s are some of the best in the game as far as underfoot cushioning is concerned. Troy knew the CT Rally 2s had some big shoes to fill (so to speak) after the success of the first-generation CT Rallys. He said, "I had high hopes coming into this playtest since the previous New Balance CT Rallys have been my go-to shoes for the past couple of years. Comparing the two in terms of comfort, these CT Rally 2s are just as good, if not better. The Fresh Foam X midsole cushioning felt plush, and maybe even a bit thicker under the balls of my feet. One of the biggest differences I noticed was the upper design of the CT Rally 2s; it was definitely a bit more breathable, and the material felt more pliable and flexible surrounding the top of my feet. I found the arch support to be pretty good. I have been wearing plantar fascia support inserts in my shoes to give me extra arch and heel support, but I was OK wearing these shoes stock."

For Mark, the CT Rally 2s picked up right where the originals left off. He noted, "The uppers felt comfortable and the underfoot cushioning was great from my first step into the New Balance CT Rally 2s. The uppers rewarded my medium-width feet with a snug, glove-like fit while still allowing the shoes to flex and breathe properly. As with the prior model of the CT Rallys, the Fresh Foam X midsole material felt responsive and extremely comfortable, and it left me feeling fresher (less beat up) at the end of matches compared to some other court shoes I have tested. The medium height of the stock arch insert matched up nicely with my high instep."

The CT Rally 2s felt plush and enjoyable to Jason, albeit after a short break-in. He explained, "Like its predecessors, this CT Rally 2s provide really plush underfoot cushioning. Once I had them on court, I noticed that they felt a bit stiff and needed a break-in. For me, it was about two to three hours before my shoes started to flex right. I thought the fit was fine for my E-width feet, and the arch support worked well for me too."

Chris also found ample comfort. He said, "I loved the fit, feel and ride I found in the New Balance CT Rally 2s. The level of cushioning under my heels felt especially plush. There was ample cushioning in the forefoot of the shoes as well, but the ride felt more responsive than plush when I was up on my toes. I found the shoes to break in very quickly. It felt like the uppers and insoles had conformed nicely to the shape of my feet after about a week of hitting. The uppers felt comfortable throughout the test, and I was able to find a secure fit for my skinny feet. I liked the level of arch support, and the midfoot shank did a great job of protecting my arches when I was sprinting around the court. I was also happy with the level of ventilation the shoes offered. My feet never felt overheated, and overall I was very pleased with the comfort I found on every wear."

Foot Support / Stability: 8.7

For the most part, the CT Rally 2s received high scores and praise for how they supported our testers' feet. Chris enjoyed how the chassis supported his movement, allowing him to start and stop with ease. He described, "The New Balance CT Rally 2s offered excellent support and stability. It was easy to find a locked-in fit without any undue lace pressure or discomfort. The uppers did a great job of supporting my feet on lateral cuts and when coming to a quick stop. The chassis of the shoes offered ample rigidity to keep each step I made on court feel stable and secure."

The CT Rally 2s boosted Jason's confidence in his movement. He said, "I thought the CT Rally 2s had excellent stability and support. I felt very confident moving aggressively on court in these shoes. I don’t think the shoes were flexing ideally with my movement during the break-in period, so support lacked a tiny bit, but I had no issues after the break-in."

Mark could tell right away that these CT Rally 2s would allow him to utilize his dangerously effective movement and counterpunching. He said, "In just a few shot exchanges and some side to side movement, I realized the CT Rally 2s not only fit well, but were also very supportive. After more than 30 hours of play on my pair, I am happy to report that the overall support is still great without any decline in comfort."

While Troy wasn't disappointed by the CT Rally 2's support or stability, he thought the prior model performed better in this category. He said, "I found the overall support and stability to be pretty good but maybe not quite as good as the previous version. It’s hard to say for certain if this is actually true, but the original model felt like it was a little bit lower to the court in the forefoot region, and it also felt like it had a bigger lateral outrigger to help with lateral cuts. As I mentioned in the comfort section above, the uppers felt a little softer and more breathable. Although this was great for comfort and ventilation, I felt like the uppers didn't lock me in quite as well as the previous version. This wasn't a significant issue, but I did notice a bit more movement inside these shoes when I was stopping or changing directions."

Overall Sole Durability: 8.1

Durability proved to be a more divisive category for our playtesters during their CT Rally 2 playtest. While some testers found the CT Rally 2s impressively resilient, those more prone to sliding and dragging noticed outsole balding sooner into the playtest than they would've liked. Any minor durability worries Troy may have had were offset by New Balance's six-month outsole guarantee. He said, "The outsoles held up pretty well for me throughout the test. That said, I noticed some balding of the tread under the forefoot and near the toe area. I don't turn my foot over and drag the toes a ton, but the NDure upper seemed to do a pretty good job when I did scrape the upper or medial side of these shoes. I would say the outsole rubber of the CT Rally 2s isn’t quite as durable as the rubber on the Gel Resolution Xs or the adidas Barricade 13s, but these shoes were still fairly durable overall, and I love that they still have a six-month outsole durability guarantee."

Even though Mark is one of our most efficient and aggressive movers, the CT Rally 2s held up incredibly well for him. He said, “There is plenty of tread left on most of the high-wear areas of the outsole after 30 hours of hard court action. Although I don't wear through the upper portion of a shoe's toe box like I used to, the TPU overlays applied to that area are pretty substantial, which is good news for those players who do."

The CT Rally 2s were still looking nearly new to Jason by the end of the playtest. He said, "These CT Rally 2s feature a very durable outsole! I put about 13 hours on them, and besides the dust and small scuff marks, the outsoles looked like they didn't have any tread loss."

Chris had trouble in the long-run when it came to durability, finding his CT Rally 2s to wear down more quickly than he would've liked. He explained, "I found the outsoles to show more wear than I expected in the 15 or so hours of court time I had in the New Balance CT Rally 2s. I drag the area under the big toe of my right foot on serves and some forehands, so I expect to see some wear, but the New Balance CT Rally 2s wore down more there than I expected. I also drag the lateral edge of the toe tip of my left shoe, and I saw some wear there, but not as much as on the outsoles."

Traction: 8.0

Traction wasn't blowing anyone away per se, but the CT Rally 2s kept the majority of our team feeling adequately connected to the court. For Chris, the traction was just right after a few hitting sessions. He said, "The level of traction was very grippy on my first few wears of the New Balance CT Rally 2s. I prefer soles with a little more give so it feels natural to pivot and transition into the next shot without feeling like the outsoles are stuck to the court. After a bit of wear the outsoles thankfully started to offer more give, and I found just the right amount of grip from there on out."

Jason also found excellent grip, but not quite as much give as he would've liked. He noted, "The NDurance rubber offers a ton of grip on the hard courts, and they felt pretty sticky to me. It wasn't so much that I felt like I was getting caught up pivoting, but I definitely would've preferred some more give to them."

The CT Rally 2s offered a unique on-court feel for Troy -- perhaps a little too unique -- but once broken in, the outsoles were right in line with how he likes to move. He explained, "When it came to traction, there were a couple of hours at first where the outsoles felt a bit firm on the surface. I can't recall many shoes that felt like this, but the outsoles sort of softened up over time and became a bit grippier. I actually didn't mind this grippy feel since I don't really slide much, and I felt sure-footed and confident in the level of grip whenever I needed to plant my feet and change directions."

Mark noted an unusually soft outsole in the CT Rally 2s, but he still enjoyed how they performed. He said, "Traction was nice and sticky from the first wear, and to a lesser degree, remained that way for the entire playtest. Some of that stickiness did wear off after maybe an hour of play, but the CT Rally 2s’ outsoles still felt softer than most. One other thing I noticed was that traction in the toe areas of the shoe was still good after the tread smoothed out, which I feel was due to the slightly softer outsole rubber used."

Weight: 8.0

The CT Rally 2s had plenty going for them in the weight category, falling nicely into that ideal range of being not too heavy or too light. For Mark, the weight lined up nicely with other shoes in his rotation. He said, "My New Balance CT Rally 2s (size 11) weighed 15.6 ounces, which for me is usually a good sign that the shoes are going to be supportive. Once on court, the CT Rally 2 proved to be every bit as supportive as I had hoped, while still maintaining a speedy feel."

While Troy found the CT Rally 2s heavier than average, he didn't think that was detrimental to their playability. He explained, "When it came to the weight in ounces, these shoes are a bit on the heavy side of the spectrum, but it's nothing that was really bothersome to me. There was a slight break-in, but after that these shoes molded to my feet and flexed well as I moved in them. These CT Rally 2s didn't really feel heavy to me because I prefer shoes that are more supportive and durable, and the weight sort of comes with the territory."

Jason also noticed some substantial mass, but nothing he really minded given other strengths of the shoes. He noted, "The CT Rally 2s definitely have some heft to them, but the level of durability, stability and cushioning that these shoes provide makes it a worthy trade-off."

For Chris, the CT Rally 2s landed in that Goldilocks realm, where the weight of the shoes seemed to be working with him instead of against him. He described, "I'd say the New Balance CT Rally 2s feel middle-of-the-road in terms of weight. I never felt slowed down by the shoes, and I really appreciated the comfort and support they offered. What weight there is in these shoes feels like it has been put to good use. Once the outsoles were broken in, I felt like I was covering the court well. I liked the feel of the shoes as I transitioned from heel to toe, and I was able to chase down drop shots well."

Breakdown Summary