Weekly Review: Courtballistec 1.1 and 1.2 by Nike

The hottest tennis shoes on today’s market are the Nike Air Courtballistec 1.3 sneakers. If Rafa’s wearing them, you know they’re pretty serious shoes. The price tag is a high one on the 1.3 shoes, and unless you’re a really serious tennis player, or have some extra money to spend, you might find the best fit in the 1.1 or 1.2.

These both have very similar looks and feels to the Nike Courtballistec 1.3, and they really don’t sacrifice much in terms of features and overall performance. They’ve been around for a little longer, so the 1.3 is new and improved, but it gets its foundation from its predecessors.

The Nike Air Courtballistec 1.2 offers excellent stability and durability for any competitive player who is all over the court. It offers the DragOn X technology to prevent wear and tear on the toe, and also showcases an air sole that is usually left out of cheaper Nike shoe models.

Unlike the 1.3, the Nike Air Courtballistec 1.2 fits true to your regular shoe size, and comfortably. The break-in period is minimal, and it weighs over 1.5 ounces lighter than the Nike Air Courtballistec 1.3.

I love the soles of these sneakers, as they really grip all surfaces effectively. While I wasn’t fortunate enough to play on grass, there was no slippage on the clay court I practiced on, and they naturally gripped the hard court really well.

As far as the Nike Air Courtballistec 1.1, the shoe once again provides stability in comfort at a price that is hard to beat. These shoes as you might expect were the easiest to wear down, but they still had quite a bit of life to them. We recommend the Nike Air Courtballistec 1.1 to a more casual player who wants a performance shoe, but won’t go through shoes in a month or two.

In the case of the 1.1 shoe, they do run a bit small, just like the 1.3 does. If you wear a 10, for example, you might want to get a 9.5 instead. As far as weight is concerned, the 1.1 seems to be the lightest of the three.

In conclusion, if you are a serious player who wants the durability guarantee, the Nike Air Courtballistec 1.3 is definitely the way to go. However, the Nike Air Courtballistec 1.2 and 1.1 are both quality shoes that most slightly less intense players will have no problems with. The prices mainly reflect the overall durability, so when choosing which shoe is for you, think about how often you will be playing in them to help decide. Comfort and maneuverability in all three shoes were all very similar.