New balance 996v5

are the lav and 996 versions much better than the 796? I've been using the 796 and love them they are the lightest tennis shoes I've used
 
Just bought these v5's. I’m on the fence if to keep them or not, my only hesitation is the heel counter. Feels like my heel is not completely locked in. Does this get better with break-in or is it better to exchange them for something else?
 
Chrissychris said:
Just bought these v5's. I’m on the fence if to keep them or not, my only hesitation is the heel counter. Feels like my heel is not completely locked in. Does this get better with break-in or is it better to exchange them for something else?
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I would be lying to you if I did not feel some heel slippage at first. For me, I tightened the top two lace eyelets a bit more and it was perfect. I do wear ankle braces so that gives me a bit more grip around the shoe entry.

I had your same heel slippage issue with Fila Speed Serve. They feel good side to side, but the moment you need that push off towards the net, my heel would pop out. Its not worth the potential injury in my eyes if you are on the fence about the shoes.

Its always that one thing that ruins an experience sadly....and our money blahhh
 
Delouie9154 said:
I would be lying to you if I did not feel some heel slippage at first. For me, I tightened the top two lace eyelets a bit more and it was perfect. I do wear ankle braces so that gives me a bit more grip around the shoe entry.

I had your same heel slippage issue with Fila Speed Serve. They feel good side to side, but the moment you need that push off towards the net, my heel would pop out. Its not worth the potential injury in my eyes if you are on the fence about the shoes.

Its always that one thing that ruins an experience sadly....and our money blahhh
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Thanks!
I think this is enough to send them back and not risk injury or worse… losing the money. Because at 140ish a pop, would suck to leave them in the closet.
 
New Color way for clay season coming in hot. Looks like a slight change to the uppers. On the inside of the shoe, looks like there is now a guard on the first 3 eye lets.

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Quick update from me.

Shoes are holding up great, but I developed a bit of heel bursitis from these shoes. Looks like my body/feet are just asking for more heel/foot support, so I'm going to retreat back to the Lav 2 and the CG1s.

Great shoe, still going to keep them around for gym time, but on the court, I need a bit more cushion it seems.
 
PFG1 said:
Quick update from me.

Shoes are holding up great, but I developed a bit of heel bursitis from these shoes. Looks like my body/feet are just asking for more heel/foot support, so I'm going to retreat back to the Lav 2 and the CG1s.

Great shoe, still going to keep them around for gym time, but on the court, I need a bit more cushion it seems.
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Hey! I think we are twins. I just finished a match and did one slide towards the latter end....when I landed, my heel felt almost all of the impact. I think the cushion has given up on me. This is about 1.5 months of use (50ish hours of playtime) :(. This is on par for when I used the Vapor Pros 1-1.5 months of consistent matches, practices, with some tournaments sprinkled in there.

Makes sense these are a speed shoe, but when comparing to the 4.5/4, a step up. Could not use the 4.5/4 after 2 weeks.
 
Good and nicely wide (even in D) minimalist shoes here, had hoped for them to be my speed clay shoe for matches, but man the heel opening kills it for me: can't keep my heels locked in, no matter what I try. Back to Asics for this dude.
 
Just ordered EE for Lav2, 996v5, and Hypercourt Express to compare. I have bunionettes (bunions on outside of the foot) and wear an ankle brace on one ankle. I need a wide toe box, and a slightly wider heel fit without being too wide that my foot without the ankle brace can still feel locked in.

The 996v5 just seemed to rub the inside of my feet wrong, weirdly. Heel slippage wasn't too bad on the non-brace foot.

The Lav2 felt fantastic. A little more disconnected/less minimalist, but I could tighten the non brace foot fit enough to feel locked in while still having ample room in the toe box.

The Hypercourts were super comfy on the ankle brace foot but the heel was just too damn wide on the non brace foot, probably because these are known to be wider shoes even at normal width sizes.

I think I'm going to end up sticking with the Lav2 (currently in Asics Court FF2, great but too narrow and tight of a fit around the ankles).

Hope this helps anyone looking for something similar!
 
PrinceYonex said:
Just bumping this. Any thoughts on the 796?
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I love the 796 in 2E. They are very light and a steal for the price. That said I am leaning still towards my Babolat SFX as my shoes of choice, mainly for the extra stability and cushion and it has a little more width.

I have not tried the Lavs, so those may work well for me too. I have a wide foot so I need 2E shoes if I want to be true to size.
 
Power Player said:
I love the 796 in 2E. They are very light and a steal for the price. That said I am leaning still towards my Babolat SFX as my shoes of choice, mainly for the extra stability and cushion and it has a little more width.

I have not tried the Lavs, so those may work well for me too. I have a wide foot so I need 2E shoes if I want to be true to size.
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I just got the 796 on court today. Doesn’t have quite the lateral stability I’d want, but they are comfortable and light. And yes, great price.
 
Delouie9154 said:
Oops sorry mate, we buried you under the new color ways. My fault!

I personally have not tried the 796. But from the reviews, I hear its a great shoe in terms of the outsole and midsole performance/comfort. On the other hand the uppers of the shoe, maybe similar to the 996v5 will not hold up over time since they both have a leather/knit-ish/fabric material with strategic rubber.

Zach the foot doctor loves the 796, but does detail that overtime the uppers might give less support quicker than a performance focused shoe. YMMV :unsure:

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796 2e are the most durable shoes I’ve ever had. The upper is holding up really well. The sole lasts longer than other shoe that I’ve used.
 
2ndServe said:
796 2e are the most durable shoes I’ve ever had. The upper is holding up really well. The sole lasts longer than other shoe that I’ve used.
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You got approximate time on them? Im curious as I put holes in the uppers of my 996v5 before the 2 month mark. The outsole wore through by the 2 month mark. Maybe 796 got something where the 996 was taken out.
 
Delouie9154 said:
You got approximate time on them? Im curious as I put holes in the uppers of my 996v5 before the 2 month mark. The outsole wore through by the 2 month mark. Maybe 796 got something where the 996 was taken out.
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Yes probably 6 months and they‘re probably by far the most durable shoes for me. It’s pretty light also, I’m surprised there aren’t more 796 users it’s one of the better priced shoes. I do wish it was a tad lower to the ground.
 
Delouie9154 said:
Oops sorry mate, we buried you under the new color ways. My fault!

I personally have not tried the 796. But from the reviews, I hear its a great shoe in terms of the outsole and midsole performance/comfort. On the other hand the uppers of the shoe, maybe similar to the 996v5 will not hold up over time since they both have a leather/knit-ish/fabric material with strategic rubber.

Zach the foot doctor loves the 796, but does detail that overtime the uppers might give less support quicker than a performance focused shoe. YMMV :unsure:

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Good basic shoe "speed shoe", but does not compare IMO to the Babolat Jet Mach 3. Lacks proper cushioning and stability in comparison.
 
I was able to pick up the 796 around Christmas for $55 and it was definitely an absolute steal. I actually even prefer them to the 996v4.5 that I had before and were triple the price.

Is there going to be a clay 996v5 soon?
 
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richdvng said:
Anyone have a comparison of NB 996v5 to the gel res 8s? In the market for a new shoe and was considering this one.
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If your foot fits the Gel Res it will be a better performing shoe. However, I find the cushion of the NB 996v5 to be pretty unmatched for such a relatively low profile shoe
 
mpournaras said:
If your foot fits the Gel Res it will be a better performing shoe. However, I find the cushion of the NB 996v5 to be pretty unmatched for such a relatively low profile shoe
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I agree with that. For a speed focused shoe, it is a lot more comfortable than lets say a Nike Vapor Pro 1 or Mizuno Exceed Tour 5. Only issue I had was the midsole would end up bottoming out quicker than other midsole types....personal experience, but thats how Fuel Cell has treated me. Great shoe in my eyes, aside from the cushion durability....I should lose weight I guess haha.
 
Delouie9154 said:
I agree with that. For a speed focused shoe, it is a lot more comfortable than lets say a Nike Vapor Pro 1 or Mizuno Exceed Tour 5. Only issue I had was the midsole would end up bottoming out quicker than other midsole types....personal experience, but thats how Fuel Cell has treated me. Great shoe in my eyes, aside from the cushion durability....I should lose weight I guess haha.
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Agree with all of this. Got about 3 months out of them before my knees started complaining.
 
Hey guys looking to get a pair of these but not sure which size to go for. My usual size for Barricades and most other shoes is US 10.5 but I'm a US 10 in Solecourt boosts. I've seen people writing that these are a bit on the wider side - should I get them in 10 or 10.5? Usually I would try both sizes but it's not possible for me this time.
 
mpournaras said:
10.5 will help avoid toe jamming IMO
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I got 10.5 and they fit perfectly.

Played for around 2 hours on clay (I got the clay version) and didn't experience any break in related discomfort. Apart from being a little harsher in the heel than I'm used to, they were pretty comfortable in fact. My Solecourts are still comfier but that's too be expected. Nice to wear a lighter shoe for a change though.
 
Played four or five matches in these now and I still quite like them.

I have to have my laces super tight though, otherwise my heel does move around in the shoe a bit too much. The tongue is padded and soft so it's not a problem to have the laces super tight. I think I would also prefer it if the heel was not so round. I don't hate it but it feels a bit weird sometimes.

No visible signs of wear and tear, which is good. I am playing on clay though, so I would have been surprised if that wasn't the case. Hope they come out with more clay colours next season!
 
I had purchased a pair of NB 796v3 shoes (9.5 2E) in early January for playing pickleball (typically 8 to 12 hours per week). I previously had worn adidas adizero Ubersonic 4’s and Diadora Blueshield Torino AG (both size 9.5) which I lirked. I absolutely love the NB 796v3’s but the outsoles have now worn through on my right foot. I cannot find the 796 in size 9.5 2E anywhere so I was considering getting the 996v5, also in size 9.5 2E.
My question is does annyone have any comparison of the two shoes from personal experience. Would the sizing most lekely be the same? I see they have a pickleball version of the 996v5 coming out which appears to be the same as the “normal” version except for the color and some “pickleball” identifying stitching on them. Does anyone have any information about this new “version”?

Cheers!
 
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Just picked up a pair of these and love them after the first hit! Remind me of Vapor 9.5 tours which is a rare feat these days.

I have a wide foot and have come from the K Swiss Hypercourt Supreme, and so far the NB feel better in every department. Great fast feel with ample cushion. Think I will stock up on these.
 
mozzer said:
Just picked up a pair of these and love them after the first hit! Remind me of Vapor 9.5 tours which is a rare feat these days.

I have a wide foot and have come from the K Swiss Hypercourt Supreme, and so far the NB feel better in every department. Great fast feel with ample cushion. Think I will stock up on these.
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Did you go with the 2E or regular D version?
 
mozzer said:
Just picked up a pair of these and love them after the first hit! Remind me of Vapor 9.5 tours which is a rare feat these days.

I have a wide foot and have come from the K Swiss Hypercourt Supreme, and so far the NB feel better in every department. Great fast feel with ample cushion. Think I will stock up on these.
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Let us know how it feels in about 2-4 weeks. At about the 3 week mark, my cushion began to die, big cuts or landings were heavily felt in my heels.. I am a big dude by my own standards 200lbs though too, so maybe thats why.
 
Delouie9154 said:
Let us know how it feels in about 2-4 weeks. At about the 3 week mark, my cushion began to die, big cuts or landings were heavily felt in my heels.. I am a big dude by my own standards 200lbs though too, so maybe thats why.
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Hoping they hold out! Will report back
 
Delouie9154 said:
Let us know how it feels in about 2-4 weeks. At about the 3 week mark, my cushion began to die, big cuts or landings were heavily felt in my heels.. I am a big dude by my own standards 200lbs though too, so maybe thats why.
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What shoe did you switch to or use normally?
 
mozzer said:
Just regular D, but I went up 0.5 size based on how some casual new balance fit and they are just right
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I went with 2E because I liked 796 in 2E. However the 996v5 2E are way too wide - still debating if I should return them or keep them.
 
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