Since I have scoured these forums and got a lot of useful (and utterly useless) information, I thought I would make a contribution and review some shoes I have worn in the past. Briefly, I play 3-4 times/wk for a couple of hours a time.
Nike Air Max Breathe
These were one good looking pair of shoes. Nuff said.
They fitted like a glove. No break-in required. In fact, I must have broke them in when trying them on in the shop. I particularly liked the all-in-one liner/tongue. No problems with the arch or toe box. My feet loved these shoes and my feet loved quick changes in direction even more.
These shoes were so comfortable, my feet felt like they were encased in the finest Egyptian cotton whilst being massaged by virgins. I felt as if I was walking on air whilst rallying. I'm sure I could have given Usain Bolt a run for his money wearing these shoes.
Unfortunately durability was a relative let down. The sole went bald after about 4 weeks of play. The 'air bubble' popped but after filling the void with shoe goo, it was back to business.
Summary
I felt immortal in these shoes. That is until the bubble burst and the sole went bald.
Babolat Team All Court
I tried the originals and the latest ones. These shoes are like Fort Knox. They are as safe as safe can be. The offset tongue was a bit weird but you get used to it. The 360 degree strap is utter guff just like the cortex on their rackets. Traction and durability were unparalleled. Traction was amazing. I felt as if I were wearing spikes. You could probably use these shoes to do shuttle runs on an ice rink and not fall over. These shoes are as durable as an ox. Tread lasted an age. In fact I couldn't wait until the soles wore out so I could get another pair of shoes. With this, however, came a negative. These shoes slowly turned into blocks of concrete and became as hard as nails. Sudden changes of direction would destroy my toes. Also, why were the laces so long? Why, Mr. Babolat? Why?
Summary
If you like solid shoes, you will like these. Immense traction but don't be surprised if your toes end up being black and blue after an intense session.
Yonex SHT 305
For some reason, when I look down on them when they are on my feet, they look as ugly as the back end of a night bus. But when I look at them head on, they look like Agent Provocateur models. Strange.
Anyway, a short break-in period was required. These were just average shoes in my opinion. They fitted really well especially with the number of eyelids for the laces. This meant that I could tighten my shoes exactly how I wanted them to be. They were as stable as gravity but the trade off (for me at least) was loss of maneuverbility. Tread was OK. Maybe lasted 4 weeks or so.
Summary
These shoes can be described like a school report: Good effort but could have done better.
Asics Gel Resolution
Beautiful, gorgeous aesthetically engrossing pair of shoes.
Great fit. No break in required. I think I broke them in just looking at them. Performance was like a A1. Great traction, great comfort, great ventilation. In these shoes I felt like I was playing tennis on a catwalk rather than a concrete tennis court. It could have done with more eyelids for the laces though to really lock my foot in place. One thing though. That round tread thing on the sole is a load of rubbish. That area is the first area to wear down and affects traction significantly.
Summary
The best shoes I have had the pleasure of treating my feet too. But just like the Japanese, these shoes have its idiosyncrasies - that round tread thing. Ugh.
Nike Air Vapour V (current shoes)
These shoes look gorgeous. Understated class.
They fit like gloves when trying them on. They also felt raw like a young Federer before his prime. But they continued to feel raw for a significant number of sessions. Like Verdasco, it took a while to fulfil their potential, but that took a while indeed. For some reason, traction is a bit sketchy. I have slipped a couple times, more than usual. On the flip side, there is minimal wear after 3 weeks of hitting.
Summary
It took too long to break in. They look like prime Argentinian steaks but taste like Big Macs.
Summary to the summary
In order of preference:
1) Asics Gel Resolution (Almost perfect 6's across the board save that round tread thing)
2) Nike Air Max Breathe I (That air bubble is a liability like a subprime loan)
Nike Air Vapour V (I'm hoping these will get better with age like a fine wine)
3) Babolat Team All Court (These will last longer than the pyramids but your toes may pay the price)
4) Yonex SHT 305 (The Harvey Dent of shoes for me)
Nike Air Max Breathe
These were one good looking pair of shoes. Nuff said.
They fitted like a glove. No break-in required. In fact, I must have broke them in when trying them on in the shop. I particularly liked the all-in-one liner/tongue. No problems with the arch or toe box. My feet loved these shoes and my feet loved quick changes in direction even more.
These shoes were so comfortable, my feet felt like they were encased in the finest Egyptian cotton whilst being massaged by virgins. I felt as if I was walking on air whilst rallying. I'm sure I could have given Usain Bolt a run for his money wearing these shoes.
Unfortunately durability was a relative let down. The sole went bald after about 4 weeks of play. The 'air bubble' popped but after filling the void with shoe goo, it was back to business.
Summary
I felt immortal in these shoes. That is until the bubble burst and the sole went bald.
Babolat Team All Court
I tried the originals and the latest ones. These shoes are like Fort Knox. They are as safe as safe can be. The offset tongue was a bit weird but you get used to it. The 360 degree strap is utter guff just like the cortex on their rackets. Traction and durability were unparalleled. Traction was amazing. I felt as if I were wearing spikes. You could probably use these shoes to do shuttle runs on an ice rink and not fall over. These shoes are as durable as an ox. Tread lasted an age. In fact I couldn't wait until the soles wore out so I could get another pair of shoes. With this, however, came a negative. These shoes slowly turned into blocks of concrete and became as hard as nails. Sudden changes of direction would destroy my toes. Also, why were the laces so long? Why, Mr. Babolat? Why?
Summary
If you like solid shoes, you will like these. Immense traction but don't be surprised if your toes end up being black and blue after an intense session.
Yonex SHT 305
For some reason, when I look down on them when they are on my feet, they look as ugly as the back end of a night bus. But when I look at them head on, they look like Agent Provocateur models. Strange.
Anyway, a short break-in period was required. These were just average shoes in my opinion. They fitted really well especially with the number of eyelids for the laces. This meant that I could tighten my shoes exactly how I wanted them to be. They were as stable as gravity but the trade off (for me at least) was loss of maneuverbility. Tread was OK. Maybe lasted 4 weeks or so.
Summary
These shoes can be described like a school report: Good effort but could have done better.
Asics Gel Resolution
Beautiful, gorgeous aesthetically engrossing pair of shoes.
Great fit. No break in required. I think I broke them in just looking at them. Performance was like a A1. Great traction, great comfort, great ventilation. In these shoes I felt like I was playing tennis on a catwalk rather than a concrete tennis court. It could have done with more eyelids for the laces though to really lock my foot in place. One thing though. That round tread thing on the sole is a load of rubbish. That area is the first area to wear down and affects traction significantly.
Summary
The best shoes I have had the pleasure of treating my feet too. But just like the Japanese, these shoes have its idiosyncrasies - that round tread thing. Ugh.
Nike Air Vapour V (current shoes)
These shoes look gorgeous. Understated class.
They fit like gloves when trying them on. They also felt raw like a young Federer before his prime. But they continued to feel raw for a significant number of sessions. Like Verdasco, it took a while to fulfil their potential, but that took a while indeed. For some reason, traction is a bit sketchy. I have slipped a couple times, more than usual. On the flip side, there is minimal wear after 3 weeks of hitting.
Summary
It took too long to break in. They look like prime Argentinian steaks but taste like Big Macs.
Summary to the summary
In order of preference:
1) Asics Gel Resolution (Almost perfect 6's across the board save that round tread thing)
2) Nike Air Max Breathe I (That air bubble is a liability like a subprime loan)
Nike Air Vapour V (I'm hoping these will get better with age like a fine wine)
3) Babolat Team All Court (These will last longer than the pyramids but your toes may pay the price)
4) Yonex SHT 305 (The Harvey Dent of shoes for me)
