Low cut tennis shoes

TU Tennis Blog Shoe Review: New Balance 1005

Suggested Retail Price: $104.95

Shoe Details: New Balance offers the clean styled MC1005, providing a cushioning yet stable court shoe. This shoe features a breathable mesh upper, a shank and an external heel counter for enhanced stability. N-ERGY technology allows for dual motion support and cushioning. Two features of the WC1005 that enhance movement are the stabilizing design on the outsole, featuring a quick pivot point between flex grooves for optimal mobility, and the S Curve system, allowing cutting movements while providing entire foot and heel support. Maximum outsole durability is enhanced by long-wear drag tip to protect the toe-box and NDurance technology providing maximum outsole durability. This is a favorite among tennis pros, due to its support and cushioning that provide stability without loss of comfort.

Weight: 14.1 ounces (Men 10.5 ); 11 ounces (Women’s 8.5)

Color/ Style: Black/Silver (Men); White/Silver (Women)

Cumulative Score: 60.1 (out of 90 pts)

Consensus: The testers felt the shoes fit well and ventilation was also good with the mesh placed in certain areas for breathability. Traction and durability was average to above average. However some commented the stability of the shoe on lateral movement as at least one tester turned their ankle cutting to a ball. One tester commented it felt more like a running shoe than a tennis shoe, which could be good or bad . Overall a good shoe but the shoe could be reinforced more around the ankle area to create more stability.

Fit: 9

Weight: 7

Cushioning: 8

Width: 8

Outersole Wear: 5

Traction: 8

Stability: 8

Ventilation/Breathability: 7

Looks/Style: 7

Total Score: 67 (out of 90 pts)

Comments (Required) What you liked about it and what you did not like about it:

Initially, I loved these shoes. Out of the box I thought they looked very sharp in black and silver. MC 1005s required very little break in time and fit my foot perfectly even from the first wear. These shoes have plenty of grip and support. Split steps, quick changes and hard stops are not a problem for these shoes as grip and bounce back giving you support when you need it most. These are one of the best performing tennis shoes we’ve ever tested on the tennis blog.

After several hours of play however, some of the shoes design and material flaws came to the surface. The anti-scuff material which is in place specifically for toe draggers (like me) started to wear away in the first few hours, the color of the anti-drag material faded from the stylish black to weathered gray color. Also, I noticed that the stitching around the front upper toe area completely disappeared leaving the mesh material to hang down into the shoe. On top of the material of the shoe beginning to wear, the sole of shoe began to wear away very rapidly after about 6 hours of hitting (or 3 hit sessions).

BOTTOM LINE:

These are an excellent pair of tennis shoes that look great and perform even better. The only drawback I can see is that if you play tennis for more than just an hour or two each week…you may go through them too quickly. On the bright side New Balance does offer a 1 year NDurance guarantee if you shred though shoes as fast as I do.