Our playtesters enjoyed the comfortable ride these New Balance 996v5s provided, with little or no break-in period required. Mark was very impressed with the upgrades to this version. He explained, "From the first try-on to the end of the playtest, the New Balance 996v5's overall level of comfort was stellar. Midsole cushioning was good, and definitely better than the last example of this shoe. In addition, the arch support seemed to be a little more substantial, which complements my higher arch, and the D width felt generous."

The cushioning also stood out to Jason. He said, "As with the previous version, these shoes offer great comfort right out of the box. The FuelCell midsole provided very good impact absorption on all my tough landings. As for the fit, I have E-width feet and decided to go with the 2E version because the D felt just a bit too snug for me. In hindsight, I should've gone with the D width, because the shoes did open up after a few hours on court."

"I found the comfort to be very good," Troy added. "I really enjoyed wearing these shoes, even when I wasn't on court. I liked having them on throughout the day, around the office and even in the gym. The uppers were very comfortable and plush, and I never had any unwanted rubbing or pinching. When it came to downsides, I would have preferred more cushioning or a plusher feel underneath my feet in the forefoot. As the playtest went on, I also had some issues with the fit. The shoes were a little roomy during the first few sessions, but not too bad. However, after about a week or two they really started to open up, and they became a bit too wide for my liking."

These shoes felt speedy and comfortable in the forefoot but didn’t have enough cushioning in the heel for Chris. He said, "The New Balance 996v5s required practically no break-in for me. I was able to sprint around the court comfortably on my first wear and never experienced any undue rubbing, poking or pinching throughout the test. I liked the level of cushioning in the forefoot of the shoes. I felt low to the ground, yet I felt like there was enough cushioning for comfort. I did have issues under my heels, though. As with previous versions of the 996s, when I came down heavily on my heels, I could feel the shock of the impact enough to make my heels sore for a few days. Unfortunately, the lack of heel cushioning in the 996v5s is a deal-breaker in terms of comfort for me."

While our testers agreed that the stability of the New Balance 996v5s is a significant upgrade from the previous version, they also acknowledged that the soft uppers compromised the support at times. Jason tested out a wider size in hopes of better accommodating his feet. He described, "The stability of these shoes is noticeably improved from the 4th version. The uppers are more rigid and hold my feet in place when planting and cutting, but because I did go with the 2E, I slid around within them a little once they broke in. I can't really knock it, though, because if I went with the D width, I think it would've been a non-issue."

Chris has more slender feet, which may have affected his time in these shoes. He said, "The D width of the 996v5s was a little generous for my narrow feet. My feet were sliding around inside the shoes a little, so the level of support was slightly compromised, especially in the heel area. I cinched the laces as tightly as possible and found enough support for casual hitting, but not enough for full-on match play. Other than that, the shoes were flexing well in the forefoot, so my movement felt fast and natural when I was up on my toes."

Mark would have liked to try these shoes out on a softer surface. He said, "If these were clay court shoes, the New Balance 996v5s would be more than supportive enough for me due to the sliding. However, on hard courts, there were a few instances when I felt the heel portions of my feet slide inside the shoes due to how much quicker I stop on hard courts."

Support was an issue for Troy as well. He added, "With the previous version, the 996v4, I thought the shoes were a little too soft overall, and they flexed a bit too much, which made for a lack of stability and support. The stability has improved a bit in these updates; there was a little more rigidity in the foundation of the shoes without sacrificing the plush and comfortable feel. That said, I felt like the roomy fit and the way the shoes opened up over time made for a lack of support. There were times when I was stopping laterally, and it felt like my feet were sliding just a bit; I just didn't have that completely secure feel that I typically look for in my court shoes."

For such lightweight shoes, the durability of the New Balance 996v5s did not disappoint our playtest team. Chris explained, "The outsoles of the 996v5s held up well for me. I expected to see more wear under the big toe area of my right shoe since I drag that area a lot when playing. The 996v5s proved to be up to the job, and I didn't see any premature outsole wear. The uppers also held up well, and I was impressed by how durable the shoes are for being so lightweight."

"I was impressed with the outsole durability of these shoes, especially since they are so lightweight," Jason added. "I put around 10 hours on these, and I'd estimate that I could put another 15 to 20 hours on them with no issues."

The 996v5s stood up well to Troy's toe dragging. He said, "Considering these shoes fit into the lightweight speed category of tennis shoes, I would rate the durability as pretty average in comparison to other options in their class. The outsoles showed some slight wear under the balls of my feet and near the toe region, but other than that, they held up pretty well. With uppers being primarily made from mesh, I was a little wary about how durable they would be if I were to rub the upper material on the court while toe-dragging on my serves or volleys, but the PU material at the tip of the shoe did a pretty good job of protecting against scrapes and scuffs."

Mark noted the increased durability of the 996v5s compared to previous models. He said, “The outsole durability of this update to the New Balance 996 was longer lasting for me than prior editions and is comparable to other similar current lightweight tennis shoes. After 20 hours of hard court play, there is still a fair amount of outsole material remaining on my pair of 996v5s. I have, however, worn through the toe area of the outsole, and it is now smooth."

Our team was very impressed with the traction they got from the New Balance 996v5s. Chris noted a balanced outsole grip that allowed him to glide around the court without ever feeling stuck. He said, "The level of traction was solid in the 996v5s. I found ample grip for a quick first step, and I felt fast in the shoes. When coming to a stop, the shoes had enough give to them to let me slide out of a shot. Likewise, when I was looking to pivot and take small adjustment steps, I found enough give from the shoes that they never felt like they were getting hung up on the court surface."

Mark agreed, adding, "The rubber compound for the New Balance 996v5s was a little softer than what I’m used to and almost reminded me of a gum rubber outsole from an indoor racquetball shoe. For the first 20 minutes of play, traction was sticky, but after that, the shoes provided predictable, top-notch traction for the rest of the playtest and beyond."

The 996v5's outsole was a great match for Troy's game. He said, "Traction was pretty good for me overall, and I did notice a bit more of a grippy or sticky feel from the outsoles. The first couple of times I tried changing directions, I noticed a strong amount of grip and felt as though I could dig in and push off aggressively without any slipping. I know this might not be the ideal traction for those who like to slide on hard courts or prefer outsoles with more of a slick feel, but for me, this level of grip worked out just fine."

Jason is one of those players who prefers outsoles with a slicker feel. He said, "I've always found New Balance shoes to have a stickier outsole, and that's the case here as well. The 996v5s provide plenty of traction, but it's not so sticky that I felt stuck when pivoting. I would've liked a slicker outsole, but if you're looking for high levels of traction, these shoes will check that box."

The light weight of the New Balance 996v5s helped our playtesters move quickly around the court. Chris appreciated the responsiveness he got from them. He said, "I felt very fast on my feet in the 996v5s. I liked the way the shoes flexed and moved with my feet, which gave them a very lightweight feel. I was impressed by how durable the shoes were while also feeling very light and fast."

"The lightweight feel that these shoes provided was definitely a highlight," added Jason. "I felt quick in them, and they had a nice heel-to-toe transition that made me feel quick when pushing off toward a ball."

Mark compared the 996v5s to the previous version. He explained, "The latest v5 example of the 996 is around a half ounce heavier than the prior version, which I felt improved lateral support and long-term comfort, but it is still plenty light enough to be a fast-feeling court shoe."

The New Balance 996v5s kept Troy feeling nimble on the courts. He said, "These shoes felt very light and had a flexible feel right out of the box. They allowed me to move smoothly without any clunkiness. . I enjoyed how light and comfortable these New Balance 996v5 shoes felt, although I actually wouldn't have minded some added weight to gain a bit more support, stability and forefoot cushioning."