@Chairman3 - So I've had an initial two sessions and maybe 3-ish court hours with the 996 v6's, with Move Game Day Pro insoles swapped in for the stock insoles (of which are actually quite impressively thick, but just very spongy/rubbery, without much definition and certainly no heel cup or arch shank).
Overall Fit – Probably the most comfortable shoe I've ever put on straight out of the box. Absolutely zero break-in time required, with the main highlight being what feels like truly flat resting stance lateral, free from even the slightest feel that I'm tilting inside or outside, or will "fall off" the outside edge of the shoe on either side. A very full-coverage, full-contact, "true" foot bed with good ground feel. Outstanding marks for all of that.
Speed Level – Definitely a bit faster and more nimble than the FF3's, due to a combo of being a bit lighter in static weight, but also from having a heel outsole shape that is more rounded at its corners and as such, less locked to the court surface in the way that the FF3's are, making it easier to selectively roll into and out of your landings and lateral pivots, with less wear/tear on the ankle. The 996 also has a decent level of explosiveness from a stand-still, especially noticeable when I had to all-of-a-sudden lunge forward and sprint to pickup some drop shots from my opponent. Again, definitely a notch better than the FF3's, for sure. As for whether these feel as fast as something like a Vapor, though, having never worn any Nike tennis shoes (and no plans to, as they all seem poorly designed), I can't say for sure, but I would hedge against probably not. The 996's still have a decent amount of beef of a maximalist shoe, mainly from an thicker outsole and higher static weight than a lot of speed shoes.
Achilles Protection / Heel Lockdown – Versus the FF3's, these definitely don't have quite the level of bolstering around the heel, nor do they have as much heel lockdown and they definitely allow for more freedom of ankle movement as well. I've noticed more achilles inflamation than with my FF3's, so I'm cautiously skeptical as to their ability to move the needle in this department. As much as it annoys me to have to look at something like the Diadora B.Icon 3 – with no outsole warranty – I may just have to do it. Again, I'm fully aware that this is more of a "me problem" than a shoe problem, but nevertheless, I need the best solution here, and the 996 may just not be it. But I'm going to give it at least another few play sessions before I decide. (Additional to all that is of course the physio therapy, yoga and stuff like the Alfredson protocol for healing my AT)
Durability – One interesting thing to note about the uppers on these: the drag guards are now in the form of these circular little raised dimples, and from what little I've contacted the court with them, mostly in the toe area, they've seemed to wear a bit excessively, so I question the durability there. Fortunately, I'm not really that much of a foot dragger, so I probably won't need that much actually durability on the upper. Still, for those who are, a bit potentially concerning. Additionally, even with the extra-thick outsoles, I wouldn't be surprised if I blow through these (just like I blow through everything, pretty much) long before the 6-month warranty is up. I usually do so under the big toes and on the outside back corner of the heel, as I pivot quite hard on my groundies, and when you do that weighing 200 lbs, it's all but a foregone conclusion. So it will be nice having the warranty, but ultimately futile if they don't give me some better protection in the achilles department. We'll see.
Hope some of that helped. I will come back with another update as I reach my next realization with the 996 v6's.
Overall Fit – Probably the most comfortable shoe I've ever put on straight out of the box. Absolutely zero break-in time required, with the main highlight being what feels like truly flat resting stance lateral, free from even the slightest feel that I'm tilting inside or outside, or will "fall off" the outside edge of the shoe on either side. A very full-coverage, full-contact, "true" foot bed with good ground feel. Outstanding marks for all of that.
Speed Level – Definitely a bit faster and more nimble than the FF3's, due to a combo of being a bit lighter in static weight, but also from having a heel outsole shape that is more rounded at its corners and as such, less locked to the court surface in the way that the FF3's are, making it easier to selectively roll into and out of your landings and lateral pivots, with less wear/tear on the ankle. The 996 also has a decent level of explosiveness from a stand-still, especially noticeable when I had to all-of-a-sudden lunge forward and sprint to pickup some drop shots from my opponent. Again, definitely a notch better than the FF3's, for sure. As for whether these feel as fast as something like a Vapor, though, having never worn any Nike tennis shoes (and no plans to, as they all seem poorly designed), I can't say for sure, but I would hedge against probably not. The 996's still have a decent amount of beef of a maximalist shoe, mainly from an thicker outsole and higher static weight than a lot of speed shoes.
Achilles Protection / Heel Lockdown – Versus the FF3's, these definitely don't have quite the level of bolstering around the heel, nor do they have as much heel lockdown and they definitely allow for more freedom of ankle movement as well. I've noticed more achilles inflamation than with my FF3's, so I'm cautiously skeptical as to their ability to move the needle in this department. As much as it annoys me to have to look at something like the Diadora B.Icon 3 – with no outsole warranty – I may just have to do it. Again, I'm fully aware that this is more of a "me problem" than a shoe problem, but nevertheless, I need the best solution here, and the 996 may just not be it. But I'm going to give it at least another few play sessions before I decide. (Additional to all that is of course the physio therapy, yoga and stuff like the Alfredson protocol for healing my AT)
Durability – One interesting thing to note about the uppers on these: the drag guards are now in the form of these circular little raised dimples, and from what little I've contacted the court with them, mostly in the toe area, they've seemed to wear a bit excessively, so I question the durability there. Fortunately, I'm not really that much of a foot dragger, so I probably won't need that much actually durability on the upper. Still, for those who are, a bit potentially concerning. Additionally, even with the extra-thick outsoles, I wouldn't be surprised if I blow through these (just like I blow through everything, pretty much) long before the 6-month warranty is up. I usually do so under the big toes and on the outside back corner of the heel, as I pivot quite hard on my groundies, and when you do that weighing 200 lbs, it's all but a foregone conclusion. So it will be nice having the warranty, but ultimately futile if they don't give me some better protection in the achilles department. We'll see.
Hope some of that helped. I will come back with another update as I reach my next realization with the 996 v6's.
Last edited:
