Great review Zach. I tried a pair on and after two days just walking around the house, I felt some of the same things that you noted after much for rigorous testing. Everything about the shoe seemed slightly above average. My biggest issue was the lack of containment - I just could not seem to feel I was getting a good lockdown in these shoes. I was disappointed given how highly your reviewed the New Balance 796. You would think this would be a better shoe. I ended up returning them and found much more of everything in the Babolat Jet Mach 3 which is sort of in the same target market that the NB 996 v5 is. Maybe this is why Tommy Paul - who New Balance designed this shoes for in principle - went back to wearing his NB Lav 2s?
These look awesome! One little factoid on the chicken foot shape: it is the most similar of any modern bird to the foot shape of the T-Rex, so biomechanics that have worked for millions of years 🤓
Great review for this show. I made the change from playing with ASICS Solution speed 3. Despite being lighter, Was disappointed with lacing system. Also FYI, I tried the new 996v6. Ugh! They made them heavier & the lacing system is different AND narrow in the from. Have to stock up now on 996v5!!!
Just picked these up as my first pair of dedicated PB shoes. Still breaking in, but so far, I love the wide toe box and higher ankle padding as compared to normal “trainers”. Appreciate the channel as I’ve discovered it recently while looking for court shoes. 👍
After wearing and trying Adidas Ubersonic 4, Nike GP Turbo, Yonex Eclipsion 4, and the Diadora b.Icons, I always initially liked those but ended up with pain on the right side of my right foot. I never felt a bump, and wasn't sure if it was a tailor's bunion, but every one of those shoes ended with me in pain for weeks until I'd take some time off from playing pickleball. Then I got these, the 996v5, and the pain is gone. Now, I did specifically order the wide version. I'd be curious on how the other shoes would feel with wide versions as opposed to the standard width. I like the 996v5s. They're light, almost Ubersonic light. Definitely lighter than the GP Turbo and the Diadora b.Icon. The standard laces are too long, so buy different ones or lace them a tad differently. Most shoes cause a little pain at the top of the laces. It happens with these too for me. So I ended up uncrossing the laces for the last eyelets. I can tighten them much more without feeling uncomfortable. So far for pickleball, these have been my favorite for performance + comfort.
Yeah all of those you mention have either a narrow midfoot or some sort of plastic hard piece sitting right there so im not surprised these worked so much better, they come wider and are really plush/ forgiving in that area. The 996 is a sleeper for sure- very few who try them hate them
I got my pair a couple weeks ago and so far so good I felt really comfortable sliding and going to the net, as you said they do look bulkier than most speed oriented shoes but they feel light when playing and I guess they just really suit my game style and feet haha. Nice review!
Yo Zach, you gotta review the return of the roger Federer Jordan 3 tennis shoes (Nike court air zoom vapor aj3). They look sick but I really want to know how they perform when it comes to breathability and what not. Cop em if you can?
Thanks again for a spot on review. Wish i had listened to your advise but i we t ahead and bought 2E width as D width is not available in our country, even though my foot is width and as a result i had a bad heel and ankle pain however if possible can you advise is there a way i can still make the shoe work?
These are awesome for me, i usually go for maximalist shoes like soul court boost, nike go turbo and diadora torneo Blue shield because i often sprain my ankles but these may just work better. I have a fairly narrow foot these do fit better especially then the diadoras which i find i have to spend a lot of time lacing to get a good fit. The flange for lateral stability is moore substantial then i thought it would be and this shoe doesn't feel just heavy like the diadoras and other maximalists shoes,long live the shoe inspired by the mighty chicken!
Hey Zach, great review! Random q for you, ended up picking up the Lav 2s - I enjoyed the Lav 1s underfoot, but prefer fit of the Lav 2s overall, but I find fresh foam almost too reactive to the point where it felt jarring on my achilles (on longer lunges or abrupt changes). Is that normal, or have you felt anything similar before on any other shoe?
i really wanted to like this shoe. It checked all the boxes... but could not get over the heel slippage and didnt want to risk any potential injury plus with a SF Carbon, it made the situation worse. I agree with everything you said. the only downfall is the containment. they need to make a minor update to the heel counter or add a back eyelet.
I’ve been wearing these for a month, clay versions as they provide more traction on artificial grass. Strangely, I don’t notice the heal slippage as much when playing, but very aware when walking in them. Any solutions to this, notwithstanding buying a new shoe? 😂
@@brucemilne8706 think Zach has a video or a short on here or maybe IG about helping this. But I remember one trick is moleskin on the heel counter and then maybe one under the tongue.
Nice! I was waiting for this review because I play squash. I'm a big time NB fan so I'm always looking for a chance to rep them on the squash court. Trying to decide between this and the Two WXY v3. Looks like the 996v5 has more lateral support but the outsole could prove to be not ideal. Thoughts?
Hey, Zach. You’ve probably heard about the new AJ3 Zoom Vapor shoes that just came out, and I just wanted to ask if it works well for a $200 pair of shoes. What are its pros and cons? Thanks!
Great review Zach. I tried a pair on and after two days just walking around the house, I felt some of the same things that you noted after much for rigorous testing. Everything about the shoe seemed slightly above average. My biggest issue was the lack of containment - I just could not seem to feel I was getting a good lockdown in these shoes. I was disappointed given how highly your reviewed the New Balance 796. You would think this would be a better shoe. I ended up returning them and found much more of everything in the Babolat Jet Mach 3 which is sort of in the same target market that the NB 996 v5 is. Maybe this is why Tommy Paul - who New Balance designed this shoes for in principle - went back to wearing his NB Lav 2s?
I felt the exact same. shoe feels loose and not responsive at all
These look awesome! One little factoid on the chicken foot shape: it is the most similar of any modern bird to the foot shape of the T-Rex, so biomechanics that have worked for millions of years 🤓
🦖
this just made my day, thank you
Great video Zach! Could you PLEASE review the new Lacoste AG-LT23 Ultra!! Keep the great review coming!!
Great review for this show. I made the change from playing with ASICS Solution speed 3. Despite being lighter, Was disappointed with lacing system. Also FYI, I tried the new 996v6. Ugh! They made them heavier & the lacing system is different AND narrow in the from. Have to stock up now on 996v5!!!
how is the comfort compared to a gel resolution 8?
Just picked these up as my first pair of dedicated PB shoes. Still breaking in, but so far, I love the wide toe box and higher ankle padding as compared to normal “trainers”. Appreciate the channel as I’ve discovered it recently while looking for court shoes. 👍
Hope they keep working well for you
After wearing and trying Adidas Ubersonic 4, Nike GP Turbo, Yonex Eclipsion 4, and the Diadora b.Icons, I always initially liked those but ended up with pain on the right side of my right foot. I never felt a bump, and wasn't sure if it was a tailor's bunion, but every one of those shoes ended with me in pain for weeks until I'd take some time off from playing pickleball. Then I got these, the 996v5, and the pain is gone. Now, I did specifically order the wide version. I'd be curious on how the other shoes would feel with wide versions as opposed to the standard width.
I like the 996v5s. They're light, almost Ubersonic light. Definitely lighter than the GP Turbo and the Diadora b.Icon. The standard laces are too long, so buy different ones or lace them a tad differently. Most shoes cause a little pain at the top of the laces. It happens with these too for me. So I ended up uncrossing the laces for the last eyelets. I can tighten them much more without feeling uncomfortable.
So far for pickleball, these have been my favorite for performance + comfort.
Yeah all of those you mention have either a narrow midfoot or some sort of plastic hard piece sitting right there so im not surprised these worked so much better, they come wider and are really plush/ forgiving in that area.
The 996 is a sleeper for sure- very few who try them hate them
Love the channel! Planning on reviewing the V6?
I got my pair a couple weeks ago and so far so good I felt really comfortable sliding and going to the net, as you said they do look bulkier than most speed oriented shoes but they feel light when playing and I guess they just really suit my game style and feet haha. Nice review!
Yo Zach, you gotta review the return of the roger Federer Jordan 3 tennis shoes (Nike court air zoom vapor aj3). They look sick but I really want to know how they perform when it comes to breathability and what not. Cop em if you can?
Thanks again for a spot on review. Wish i had listened to your advise but i we t ahead and bought 2E width as D width is not available in our country, even though my foot is width and as a result i had a bad heel and ankle pain however if possible can you advise is there a way i can still make the shoe work?
Question about basketball shoes. what would you recommend for a point/shooting guard. was thinking about jordan 37
Could you please do a review of the New Balance 696v6 and 996v6? Thank you so much! 💚💚💚
@footdoctorzach I'm a heavier guy whose typically a 4e......is there better fit for tennis shoes?
Heavier player I personally would rather have the cr rally but these will be comfy just won’t last as long
Do u think that this one is better than court ff3? Or it is worth pay the difference?
These are awesome for me, i usually go for maximalist shoes like soul court boost, nike go turbo and diadora torneo Blue shield because i often sprain my ankles but these may just work better. I have a fairly narrow foot these do fit better especially then the diadoras which i find i have to spend a lot of time lacing to get a good fit. The flange for lateral stability is moore substantial then i thought it would be and this shoe doesn't feel just heavy like the diadoras and other maximalists shoes,long live the shoe inspired by the mighty chicken!
🐔
Hey Zach, great review! Random q for you, ended up picking up the Lav 2s - I enjoyed the Lav 1s underfoot, but prefer fit of the Lav 2s overall, but I find fresh foam almost too reactive to the point where it felt jarring on my achilles (on longer lunges or abrupt changes). Is that normal, or have you felt anything similar before on any other shoe?
Never noticed that tbh
i really wanted to like this shoe. It checked all the boxes... but could not get over the heel slippage and didnt want to risk any potential injury plus with a SF Carbon, it made the situation worse. I agree with everything you said. the only downfall is the containment. they need to make a minor update to the heel counter or add a back eyelet.
I’ve been wearing these for a month, clay versions as they provide more traction on artificial grass. Strangely, I don’t notice the heal slippage as much when playing, but very aware when walking in them. Any solutions to this, notwithstanding buying a new shoe? 😂
@@brucemilne8706 think Zach has a video or a short on here or maybe IG about helping this. But I remember one trick is moleskin on the heel counter and then maybe one under the tongue.
Nice! I was waiting for this review because I play squash. I'm a big time NB fan so I'm always looking for a chance to rep them on the squash court. Trying to decide between this and the Two WXY v3. Looks like the 996v5 has more lateral support but the outsole could prove to be not ideal. Thoughts?
Yeah I don’t know if I’d trust outdoor tuned rubber on indoor courts
Excellent review as always Zach. Please do a review of the new Lacoste AG-LT23 Lite! Worth the money or a rip-off?
Hey, Zach. You’ve probably heard about the new AJ3 Zoom Vapor shoes that just came out, and I just wanted to ask if it works well for a $200 pair of shoes. What are its pros and cons? Thanks!
Depends if you really want that colorway
Great vid once again Doc . Needed to upgrade. You've sold me .
If I am needing a wide and can't find any Two Wxy v3s in my size, would you recommend these for an indoor basketball shoe?
I’m thinking of buying these for basketball for that same reason. Did you end up buying these? How are they working for basketball?
I didn’t end up getting them. Sorry Im not more help!
Great review. Probably going to get these bc of the width. I have super wide feet & need a wide toe box.
what is the best tennis shoe to use with a brace?
Hello Doctor Zach! I was wondering can you use these as possibly inside court basketball shoes?
I wouldn’t
I was thinking the same thing. Why don't you recommend? I'm good with the low top support, but am most worried about grip.
7:17 jumping 1hander?!🚀👍
I make that shot 1/500 times haha
can we use it on basketball?
Are these better than the Nike Vapor pro 2?
hey man @Foot Doctor Zach Can you make another shoe guide??
can you please do a shoe review on the Jordan Max Aura 4
Great Review 💪🏿🧠💯
Cannot wait for the review for Li-Ning Sharp Edge (Liren) Vol. 2.0
(Bad Boys) 💯💥🔥
Adidas Ubersonic 4 or NB 996v5, which ones would you chose?
For me these
Thanks Doc, I'm gonna try these, also they look really nice on court!
I have the prior version of this shoe. They lack shock absorption. My narrow feet are really hurting after playing with them.
What's the most cushioned comfortable bouncy tennis shoes these days?
Can you use these for basketball as well?
There are better but yeah
Can u do the ultra boost light
Can this be good for basketball too?
Can they be used on clay
Can you review the speed 9 premium
Zach can we use these for basketball??
Outdoors
good for basketball also?
will you review the clay version?
Next do Prince Phantom 1 shoes. They are mid shoes!
can you make a review of li-ning Son of flash?
Great content 👍
I appreciate you
Why aren’t you testing Lacoste shoes of Medvedev:))?
Converse 70s high plz 😢
will the 996 sole work on clay?
They have a clay version 👍🏼
id just get the clay model
Ayyy! Thanks!
This shoes is All-court?
2:00 that's what she said
Curious if you’re comparing the 5s to 4s or the 4.5s??? The 4.5s were more stable than the 4s. Wonder how the 5s compare to the 4.5s…
Both
I like the look of these
You should do son of flash
Can it basketball?
These are sick. Can you play basketball in them?
Outdoors
I thought it represented a tree branch. Imma stick to my thinking fellas. Be a chicken if you like, no problem imo😂
V4 is defenately better, 100 times
👍
💯🔥
😕🤏👟 📋🐔
📋🐔💼 "I was sent over from KFC to oversee product management..." 🍗🥱
lol