New Balance tennis shoes: review, models and durability

They are comfortable and fit well, without rivalling the top of our grid. The three New Balance shoes in our database score between 7.9 and 8.0/10 overall, and their best score is almost always comfort: 8.8 for the CT-Rally v2, 8.6 for the Coco CG2, 8.2 for the 996v6.

The FuelCell 996v6 is the speed model. It scores 8.4/10 for lightness, 8.2 for grip and for comfort, 7.8 for stability. Its mesh upper is highly breathable. It weighs 417 g in a men's US 10.5 in its 2E width, according to the Tennis Warehouse listing.

The Fresh Foam X CT-Rally v2 is the comfort model. RunRepeat measures record heel cushioning on it, on the thickest platform in its category, and a drop of 13.1 mm. It weighs around 388 g, size not specified. It is eighth in our comfort ranking, the only New Balance present in any of our seven rankings.

The Coco CG2 is Coco Gauff's signature shoe. Its dual-density FuelCell foam is paired with an Energy Arc carbon plate, and its upper is mid-cut. It is sold mainly as a women's model: 354 g in a women's US 8.5, men's weight not disclosed.

No pair is judged without the lifespan of its outsole, and that is the criterion holding New Balance back. The Coco CG2 scores 7.4/10 for durability, the CT-Rally v2 7.2, the 996v6 6.4. At Nike, four models are at 8.2 or more.

The result: no New Balance makes our overall ranking. The three models can still be compared with the others, score by score, in the comparison tool.

Between 6.4 and 7.4/10 for durability depending on the model, on our grid. No figure in hours has been published.

NDurance is the rubber used across the whole tennis range, laid out in herringbone. It is not the weak link. On the CT-Rally v2, RunRepeat even recommends the shoe for its abrasion resistance, and the Tennis Warehouse testers say they are impressed by the durability of the Coco CG2, whose outsole adopts a new hexagonal pattern.

The 996v6's problem lies elsewhere. Its outsole is judged solid, but RunRepeat points to the low durability of the upper and the toe guard. For a player who drags the foot on the serve, it is the toe that will give out, not the rubber. The 6.4/10 score reflects the whole shoe.

The CT-Rally v2 has another particularity. NDurance covers most of the outsole, but the inner heel gets a patch of standard rubber, which is less hard-wearing.

Weight plays a part too. The 996v6 is a lightweight shoe, and lightweight shoes generally last less long than stable, heavier models, Tennis Companion points out.

That leaves the foam, which ages at the same pace for everyone. The AAPSM places midsole wear at 45 to 60 hours of tennis, whatever the state of the rubber. For a player who trains three hours a week, that is 15 to 20 weeks.

On red clay, the rubber wears far more slowly than on hard courts, and it is the cushioning that decides. The article comparing tennis outsole rubbers sets NDurance against Nike's Hart rubber, Asics's AHAR Plus and Adidas's Adiwear.

The 996v6 for a quick player, the CT-Rally v2 for comfort over long matches, the Coco CG2 for a competitive woman player who wants support.

The FuelCell 996v6 scores 7.9/10 overall. Its scores: 8.4 for lightness, 8.2 for grip, 8.2 for comfort, 7.8 for stability, 6.4 for durability. It comes in all-court and clay versions, in D and 2E widths, and was recorded at around €108 in Belgium. Its limits: an upper and a toe guard with low durability, and a drop that is not disclosed for the all-court version (7.7 mm in the clay version according to RunRepeat).

The Fresh Foam X CT-Rally v2 scores 8.0/10 overall. Its scores: 8.8 for comfort, 8.0 for grip, 7.8 for stability, 7.8 for lightness, 7.2 for durability. It comes in D and 2E, at around €132. Its limits: a drop of 13.1 mm, very high for tennis, and a thick platform that takes the foot away from the court.

The Coco CG2 scores 8.0/10 overall. Its scores: 8.6 for comfort, 8.2 for grip, 8.0 for stability, 7.6 for lightness, 7.4 for durability. It sells for around €163 in Belgium. Its limits: a bulky and rather heavy shoe, and B and D widths documented in women's sizes only.

The overall gap is thin, 0.1 points. So the choice comes down to use. A light player who lives at the net will go for the 996v6. A player whose feet hurt after two hours will look at the CT-Rally v2. The Coco CG2 is the most durable of the three, but also the most expensive by €31.

The comparison tool lines up the three New Balance shoes with the 34 other models in our database.

It is the best-supplied brand. The FuelCell 996v6 and the Fresh Foam X CT-Rally v2 both come in D, the standard width, and in 2E, the wide width. The 806 goes up to 4E.

Few brands make that choice. Asics offers a 2E width on the Gel-Resolution X, Adidas a Wide version of the Barricade 14, and the list more or less stops there in the wide shoe section at Tennis Warehouse. Nike does not appear in it.

The trade-off is between the two models. The 996v6 in 2E is light and breathable, but its upper and toe guard are its weak points, and it only scores 6.4/10 for durability. The CT-Rally v2 in 2E lasts better, 7.2/10, with the best comfort in the brand.

For a senior or a player with sensitive feet, the CT-Rally often comes up in recommendations, along with Asics's Gel-Resolution series. The criteria cited are arch support, cushioning, a firm heel counter and a rigid midfoot. This is not medical advice: for pain or orthotics, see a podiatrist or a physio.

Before moving to 2E, first try a shoe with a wider base. The Nike GP Challenge Pro, at around €97, suits many high-volume forefeet and scores 8.2/10 for durability. If it is still tight, the 2E width is the right answer.

For sizing, leave about a thumb's width between the longest toe and the end of the shoe.

Tennis Warehouse Europe lets you filter its catalogue by width, and the guide for wide feet compares the models one by one.

On the 996, according to a retailer. The validity of this warranty in Belgium is not confirmed.

The exact wording is "NDurance 6-month outsole durability guarantee". The only trace found is on the listing of an Australian retailer, not on a New Balance Europe page. Ask the Belgian seller whether it applies before buying.

A second cover exists, and it is no more use here. The US retailer Tennis Warehouse guarantees the outsole of the 996v6 and the Coco CG2 for 6 months. The conditions are those of all its covered models: once, for a purchase from them in the contiguous United States, outsole worn through to the midsole. The upper and the toe guard are excluded.

That exclusion weighs heavily on the 996v6. Its weak points noted by RunRepeat are precisely the upper and the toe guard, the two parts the warranty does not cover.

In Europe, Tennis Warehouse Europe does not offer this warranty and refers to the manufacturer's: defects yes, normal wear no. For a purchase from Tennis-Point.be, Passasports or TennisDirect.be, it is the 2-year legal guarantee of conformity that applies.

No outsole warranty has been identified for the CT-Rally v2.

The three documented brand programmes, those of Babolat, Mizuno and New Balance, are compared in the article on the 6-month outsole warranty.

Nike on the scores, New Balance if your foot calls for 2E. The benchmark is the Nike GP Challenge 1.5, recorded at around €125 in Belgium.

On our grid, the GP Challenge 1.5 scores 9.1/10 overall, against 8.0 for the CT-Rally v2 and the Coco CG2 and 7.9 for the 996v6. It wins for durability, 8.6 against 7.4 at best, for stability, 9.0 against 8.0 at best, and even for comfort: 9.4 against 8.8 for the CT-Rally v2.

The outsole explains part of the gap. The GP Challenge 1.5 carries a high-abrasion rubber that is denser under the inner forefoot and a rubber drag guard on the big-toe side, according to the Tennis Warehouse listing.

New Balance holds on two points. Weight, first: 417 g for the 996v6 in 2E against 456 g for the Nike, both in a men's US 10.5. Width, second, which Nike does not offer on any of its tennis shoes.

The price per hour of play settles it. Over 45 to 60 hours, a 996v6 at €108 works out at €1.80 to €2.40 per hour, a GP Challenge 1.5 at €125 at €2.10 to €2.80, a CT-Rally v2 at €132 at €2.20 to €2.95, a Coco CG2 at €163 at €2.70 to €3.60. The Nike slots in between the first two New Balance shoes, with the best outsole of the four.

In Belgium, the three New Balance shoes can be found at Tennis-Point.be, Passasports and TennisDirect.be. Read the version before ordering. The listings recorded show the 996v6 in clay at Tennis-Point and Passasports and in all-court at TennisDirect, the CT-Rally v2 in clay at Passasports and TennisDirect, the Coco CG2 in all-court at all three. None suits carpet, which requires a fully smooth outsole.

The Nike GP Challenge 1.5 review and the Nike page cover the range in detail.