Men's Shoe

Intro

Nike’s newest addition to their incredible tennis shoe line includes another unique innovation for the market. The Air Zoom GP Turbo is the first shoe of its kind to feature a Zoom air unit that’s stitched to the upper for even better response and bounce. Additionally there’s a unique Translucent Upper that shows off the Dynamic fit system underneath and gives it a distinctive design. We saw Francis Tiafoe rock this shoe earlier in the year and it caught our attention. Having played in many different Nike shoes over the years, I was excited to hit the courts with this new model.

Fit and Cushioning

Like most Nike shoes, the GP Turbo is going to feel a little short and narrow to some players. However, this is mostly due to the high amount of cushioning and not from the actual sizing of the shoe. When I first put my foot into the shoe, I was undeniably surprised by how much cushioning was inside. It made my foot feel like it was hitting every side of the upper but still remain comfortable. This comfort is also apparent in the midsole cushioning making every step I took feel like I’m walking/running on a cloud. For some players this may not be a good thing because it takes away from the responsiveness, but I personally liked it. The midsole did a better job absorbing the shock on court and didn’t leave my foot feeling sore after. The tongue is relatively cushioned as well and lighter in weight thanks to the mesh construction. This helped me lace up my shoes tight without feeling any discomfort. One area of concern is when it came to the toe box. The toe box doesn’t feel super wide, so as I would run/walk around my toes felt like they were hitting the sides of the shoe more frequently.

Support and Breathability

A cool feature that Nike included, from the Vapor X line, was the Dynamic fit system. This lacing system allowed my foot to feel closely tightened to the upper and feel supported. Thanks to the high amounts of cushioning my foot always felt supported in every direction I moved. The stitched in Zoom Air unit beneath does give the midsole a more supportive feel than any other Nike shoe I’ve worn. Although it’s touted to have a more responsive feel during play, I didn’t find it as responsive as the Vapor X or Vapor Cage 4.

Given the translucent design in the upper and mesh tongue, I was expecting a little more breathability with this shoe; however, that was not the case when I was playing on court. The cushioning often takes over the shoe so it was very difficult for my foot to breath as I sprinted around. I would highly recommend wearing sweat-wicking socks during play so your feet don’t feel weighed down.

Durability

As expected, the durability of the GP Turbo didn’t disappoint. It’s definitely a tennis shoe that’s built to last a while on court even though there’s no durability guarantee. The reinforced material on the front did a good job protecting my toes whenever I was sliding or dragging my foot. The traction and durability on the outsole was great as well allowing me to plant or slide into position effectively. I never felt like I could be wrong-footed or slip when I was on defense. Given the better durability though, it will start to feel heavy over time.

Overall

I was very impressed with the Nike Men's Air Zoom GP Turbo on and off the court. It’s a highly comfortable, supportive and durable tennis shoe that boasts some great changes. While it does feel a little heavy over time and doesn’t have great breathability, it’s still going to offer a strong level of response and cloud-like cushioning unlike any other shoe.

About the Reviewer: Chris Virk-Brown currently works at Tennis Express on the Content Marketing team. He previously played at Neumann University and coached at the collegiate level for 3 years. He is an active USTA League and Tournament player at the 4.5 NTRP level.