Prince Viper VII Mid Men's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.8

The first thing our playtesters noticed when they slipped the Viper VII Mids on was the plush cushioning, especially around the ankle collar. "This is one of the most comfortable shoes I've worn this year," Jason exclaimed. "Straight out of the box, too, with no break in at all. The NFS gave the shoes a wider toe box, which I appreciated, but what I noticed the most was the plush padding around the ankle collar. It was like my ankles were lying in a bed of pillows! Between the midsole and the insole there was plenty of cushioning, so it wasn't a big deal when I landed harshly."

Chris also found the Viper VII Mids to be extremely comfortable. He praised, "Right out of the box, these shoes offered superb comfort. The uppers were super soft and comfortable from the first wear of the test till the last. I loved the padding through the tongue and ankle collar area. It allowed me to tie the laces tightly and not have to worry about any discomfort. The level of cushioning also felt good. I felt protected from tough landings, yet not too isolated from the court."

Ventilation - Score: 1.8

While the cushioning was plush in the Viper VII Mid, the ventilation was not as impressive. Chris figured the pillowy cushioning probably affected the breathability. He said, "While there are some perforations on the shoes and mesh through the tongue, these shoes also have a plush lining, which blocks venting. The fit was a little wide for me, too, so I wore two pairs of socks, which made the shoes run hotter still. I was able to play comfortably, but I liked to get the shoes off my feet as soon as I was done playing. While the ventilation wasn't good, the excellent comfort everywhere else had me forgiving this shoe for letting the heat build-up."

Jason's feet also got a little too warm during play. He critiqued, "I guess the designers back in the day didn't really factor in breathability when making shoes, because these shoes are hot, hot, hot!"

Arch Support - Score: 3.7

The lower arch support of the Viper VII Mid suited one of our testers wonderfully, but didn't work for the other quite as well. Jason's flatter feet were happy as a clam throughout the playtest. He offered, "The low arch was perfect for my feet. Plus, the cushioning was so plush that the little arch that was there molded quickly to my flat feet."

On the other hand, Chris had to replace the stock insole with an aftermarket one to satisfy his higher arches. He explained, "I found this shoe to fit too flat and too flexible through the arch. I wasn't able to get a snug enough fit nor find the stiffness from the shank I needed to keep my arches happy. After a couple of wears I swapped out the stock insole for an aftermarket job with a built-in TPU shank. After that I had no further issues, but in stock form I found the arch support of this shoe lacking."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.6

Our testers found adequate support and stability in the Viper VII Mids, but each one had some areas he would like to see improved. Chris felt moderately supported, but he would have liked the shoes to have been a little more rigid through the midfoot. He said, "Even though these shoes are super soft and offer a lot of flex, I found the level of support to be OK. With the fit sorted out with two pairs of socks, I found I could get the laces tight enough for the supple uppers to hold my feet. Ideally I would have like some additional stiffness from the chassis of the shoe for more stability, as the shoes twisted a little too much for me. However, I was able to move confidently in these shoes, and the addition of an aftermarket insole helped stiffen up the ride enough to get the job done."

Jason liked how the ankle collar supported him during lateral movements, but he wanted a more snug fit so his feet wouldn't slide around quite as much inside the shoes. He explained, "Because of their mid-cut design the Viper VII Mids were pretty stable during lateral movements, but I found it a little tough to get a snug fit because the laces felt flimsy, and I didn't feel like I could pull them hard. The bigger issue was the sliding inside the shoe. I could feel my feet sliding whenever I stopped or changed direction, resulting in some blistering on my pinky toes."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.3

The outsole of the Viper VII Mids held up much better than the playtesters' expected. "I was surprised with how well the outsole held up," Jason said. "I expected the outsole to wear down quickly because the shoes are so comfortable, but the durability was on par with most modern day tennis shoes I've tested. The area that wore out first was around the medial forefoot, which is nothing out of the ordinary for me."

Chris' pair had plenty of life in them after the playtest. He said, "I was very impressed with the outsole durability. I'm seeing much less wear than expected considering the hours I've spent on court with them. At around 20 hours of playing time I would expect many shoes to be toast, but I still have a ton of life left on these. Both outsoles are in good shape, with plenty of tread and rubber left to get me through the next 20 hours of play."

Toe Durability - Score: 2.6

As the toe dragger on this playtest, Chris was able to inflict some significant wear and tear to the toe area of the Viper VII Mids. He explained, "The toes on these shoes have little in the way of a bumper. I have beaten up the toe of my left shoe pretty badly. There is an extra layer of upper material at the toe, but I blitzed through that on the left shoe. At the current rate of wear I expect to go through the left toe long before I go through either of the outsoles."

Traction - Score: 4.3

The traction of the Viper VII Mids provided more than enough grip for our testers to feel fully confident putting on the brakes. Jason said, "Minus a handful of times when I slipped on my first step (thanks for the drop shots, Chris), the traction was very good. The outsole is pretty much a full herringbone pattern, and it did the trick even when I was moving aggressively."

While his opponents were busy chasing down his frequent drop shots, Chris was covering the court with ease due to the ample traction of the Viper VII Mids. He said, "I found a solid level of grip from these shoes. I think Prince did a great job of making this outsole grip, especially when considering how durable it is. The traction proved solid both when sprinting forward and when cutting laterally. I think the traction may have been helped some by the shoe's flexibility. When I was making an aggressive cut the shoe flexed enough for the outsole to stay in contact with the court. I always felt like I had a flat and wide platform for pushing off and moving towards my next shot."

Weight - Score: 1.7

While the Viper VII Mids are on the heavier side of the shoe spectrum, neither tester found that the hefty weight hampered his movement in any way. Chris felt the weight was worth it. He explained, "All of the comfort and durability these shoes offer comes at the price of some additional weight. The extra weight was a non-issue for me, and I was moving well in them. The solid level of traction and the supportive fit gave me the confidence to sprint hard for tough to reach shots while the flex of the shoes allowed them to transition well from heel to toe. Those factors combined to make these much faster-feeling shoes than I'd expect if I just looked at their weight listed in the technical specs of our product description."

Jason also noticed the shoes' heft, but he didn't have any issues moving around the court. He said, "They are heavy shoes, but I think most people know what they're getting themselves into when they get the Viper VII Mids. Even though they are heavier, moving around in them wasn't as bad as I expected because the weight is distributed well throughout the shoes."

Overall - Score: 4.1

Playtester Foot Types:
Chris - Narrow width / Medium arch
Jason - Wide width / Low arch

Review date: September 2014. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

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