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.

Arguably the greatest quality of the Nike Air Courtballistec 1.1 and Nike Air Courtballistec 1.2 is they are still solid and performance shoes. They have similar styles of the 1.3 as well. When we tested the shoes, they never felt like a cheap, stripped down model of the most expensive Nike offering.

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.

While we found that the 1.3 runs a bit small, the 1.2 sneaker fits exactly as it should, so rest assured that any online purchases should go right along with your normal shoe size. It didn’t take too long to take the stiffness out of these, and they’re also lighter than the 1.3 sneakers.

The out sole of both Nike Air Courtballistecs follow a modified herringbone tread pattern, great for all court surfaces. The tread was also extremely durable and showed no visible wear after multiple uses.

In terms of the 1.1 model, the prices are great and they feel just like the 1.2 model. While they do show a little more wear and tear over time than the 1.3 shoe, they’re cheaper and the wear really wasn’t so bad. These are ideal for casual tennis players looking for something that might last them a few years.

When trying on the Nike Air Courtballistec 1.1, you want to get a size smaller than you normally would (same thing as the Nike Air Courtballistec 1.3). The shoe on the court feels the lightest out of the three, so maneuverability was not an issue.

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.