Rafael Nadal has never liked change. The same player who lines up his water bottles just right after every court change and was hesitant to put sleeves on also didn’t want to give up his Nike Breathe Cages for the Nike Air Courtballistec 1.3.

Nadal’s switch from the Nike Breathe Cage to the Nike Air Courtballistec 1.3 has been a successful one. The white, black, and gold color scheme gives the sneaker just enough luster to stand out without making too much noise. Many pros have begun to wear it too.

While it passes the test with flying colors in the looks department, how does it actually feel? This is obviously more important, especially to serious tennis players. After having worn them for a week after buying them, we’ll never put our Breathe Frees on again. These shoes give us everything we’re looking for in the comfort department.

In comparison to other tennis shoes, the shoes weigh in a little heavy at 17.7 ounces. The thing is, if you aren’t told that before buying the shoes, you wouldn’t believe it. The weight distribution doesn’t make them feel clunky at all.

There’s some new technology at play in these sneakers too. With some great padding in the middle of the sneaker, the LunarLight makes its presence known, helping to balance things out really nicely. As far as the DragOn X, it gives you just the right amount of toe padding to ensure your feet remain blister-free.

While we loved nearly everything about them, we did find a minor drawback; they were stiff the first time we wore them out on the court. We’d stay away from any serious matches the first time wearing these, as you may not be happy with the feel. Wear them out for a day to break them in and you’ll be fine. They also ran a little big. My foot is generally an 11, but the 10.5 fit us better. Trust me on this, no need to question it.

This is a sneaker cut out for advanced tennis players. While anyone playing at a serious level usually wears their sneakers down, these are guaranteed to last you at least 6 months, no matter how often you play. The outsole guarantee assures you a new pair if you wear them down any sooner.

All in all, the pros wear this for a reason. It’s a great sneaker that gives you everything you’d looking for in a tennis shoe. Shop around a bit to find the best deal, because they’re out there. Good luck!yea