Breakdown

Comfort: 8.6

It was immediately clear to our team that Wilson designed the Rush Pro 4.5s with comfort in mind. From the breathable mesh uppers and Endofit sock construction to the mix of OrthoLite and Energy Cell foams underfoot, these shoes earned high marks in the comfort department from our playtesters. Mark was particularly impressed. He said, "From my first time wearing the Rush Pro 4.5s to the last change of direction of the playtest, the comfort level of the midsole was almost a 10 out of 10 for me. As far as length and width, my men's 11 fit me perfectly, and I would refer to the width as a somewhat wider D. The arch height is listed as being lower than medium, and I have a higher instep foot type, but I never once gave any thought to it while playing, which is a positive for me. I will also give very high marks to the breathability of the uppers. We tested these shoes in the summer, and I was never even close to feeling overheated."

Adding an extra pair of socks was key for Chris. He explained, "The Rush Pro 4.5s felt very comfortable on court. The underfoot cushioning was plush, and I found the ride to remain comfortable no matter how long I was on court. The uppers flexed well with my feet and also broke in quickly. I have narrow feet, and the medium width of the Rush Pro 4.5s was a tad wide on me, but it got better when I went with my usual two pairs of socks. I was able to cinch the shoes just tightly enough to stop my feet from sliding around too much. In general, I found a nice blend of comfort and support from the uppers. The shoes have a shank that resists torsion and pushes the flex point correctly forward, so my arches felt well supported."

Although he would have liked more cushioning in the forefoot, Troy enjoyed playing in the Rush Pro 4.5s. He said, "First off, they have great breathability for stability and durability-type shoes. The fit was good for me overall, and I enjoyed how the Endofit bootie construction created a sleeve-like feel on top of my feet. Arch support was one aspect that I felt was lacking just a bit. The arch felt slightly low, and over time I felt like these shoes got a little bit too flexible in that midfoot region. The underfoot cushioning was sufficient; I didn't feel like it was too minimal, but I was also left wishing for a bit more padding in the forefoot. I know that there is a benefit to the low profile of these shoes, but I was hoping for more of a plush or bouncy feel under the balls of my feet."

Munish appreciated the fit and feel of the Rush Pro 4.5s. He said, "These shoes had great ventilation and cushioning. I had some heel pain at the start of the playtest, and it didn't go away until I had put in a few hours in the Rush Pro 4.5s. The fit was great, and they fit true to length. Even though I wear wide shoes, I had no problem fitting into the regular-width Rush Pro 4.5s."

Foot Support / Stability: 7.9

The engineered mesh uppers, along with the Endofit liners and 4D Support Chassis 2.0 under the footbed, combine to give these Wilson Rush Pro 4.5s excellent support and stability. Chris was impressed by their performance in this category. He said, "Even though the Rush Pro 4.5s are high on comfort, I felt they had enough rigidity in them to keep them stable underfoot. I liked the way they transitioned from heel to toe, and I was able to cover the court smoothly. When I made quick lateral stops, the uppers held my feet enough that I didn't feel like I was excessively spilling over the midsole. I also got enough support to prevent my feet from sliding forward inside the shoes, so I never had any uncomfortable toe jamming."

The engineered mesh uppers, along with the Endofit liners and 4D Support Chassis 2.0 under the footbed, combine to give these Wilson Rush Pro 4.5s excellent support and stability. Chris was impressed by their performance in this category. He said, "Even though the Rush Pro 4.5s are high on comfort, I felt they had enough rigidity in them to keep them stable underfoot. I liked the way they transitioned from heel to toe, and I was able to cover the court smoothly. When I made quick lateral stops, the uppers held my feet enough that I didn't feel like I was excessively spilling over the midsole. I also got enough support to prevent my feet from sliding forward inside the shoes, so I never had any uncomfortable toe jamming."

These Rush Pro 4.5s allowed Troy to chase down shots with confidence. He described, “The support felt great right off the bat. The Endofit (full inner sock construction) sleeve inside of these shoes felt great and hugged my feet like a glove. I felt well supported throughout the playtest. I noticed that these shoes softened up a bit after a couple weeks of wear (about 10 to 12 hours), as do most shoes that I test. However, they still did a good job of supporting me while I moved around the court. The stability of these shoes had me feeling pretty confident when making lateral cuts. I think the best part of the design in terms of stability was that low-to-the-court ride, which kept me feeling connected to the court. Although I wanted a little bit more cushioning under the forefoot, this connected feel under the balls of my feet gave me confidence when changing directions. I would say these Rush Pro 4.5s feel more flexible than other stability shoes, and not as stable as shoes like the Asics Gel Resolution 9s, but they still do a good job overall."

Having wider feet, Munish felt that his results might have been different with the wider version of these shoes. He explained, "I didn't always feel super stable in these Rush Pro 4.5s. I found myself almost rolling my foot, and the heel pain on top of that didn't help. To be fair, I will say that I probably should've used the appropriate width for my foot, and that the instability was coming from that." 

Overall Sole Durability: 6.6

The Wilson Rush Pro 4.5s are backed by a six-month outsole durability guarantee, and our playtesters all agreed that this is a good thing because they thought that this was the area that could use the most improvement. The Rush Pro 4.5s did not disappoint Troy, who noted, "The rubber outsole on this shoe was quite unique. I noticed an initial wear period of a few hours, where the top layer of rubber wore off. From there, I thought the outsole settled in, so to speak, and it held up decently well for the rest of my testing. The outsole rubber wasn’t as durable as the outsoles on the Asics Gel Resolution 9s or adidas Barricade 13s, but I was OK with that because of the six-month outsole guarantee. I found the toe durability to be solid, with a lot of rubber reinforcement on the toe cap. I don't typically turn my shoe over when dragging my back leg, but the few times that I did (on a volley or whatnot), the medial side protection helped to preserve the uppers."

The Rush Pro 4.5's mesh upper impressed Munish more than the outsole did. He said, "The uppers held up very well, and that was surprising to me. Usually, shoes of mine that have so much mesh tend to tear after a while, and I am happy to report there weren't any rips in my Rush Pro 4.5s. However, there is a ton of wear on my toes, and I don't drag my feet during play."

Chris saw the most wear on his outsoles. He said, "My only knock on these Rush Pro 4.5s was with the outsole durability. I wore through the outsoles way too quickly for a durability-guaranteed shoe. Under 15 hours of play had me through the outsole and starting to wear into the midsole material. At that rate, I'd need the replacement pair from the guarantee just to get through a month of play. When it came to upper durability, the Rush Pro 4.5s fared much better. The toe bumpers held up well, with only light scuffing evident."

Because of unrelated injuries, Mark did not play with the same level of intensity as usual. He described, "I had an injury during this playtest (unrelated to these shoes), which prevented me from aggressively changing directions, so my pair didn’t show quite the level of wear to the outsole as it did for the other playtesters. Either way, the Rush Pro 4.5s feature an outsole warranty, which is a great benefit for avid players."

Traction: 8.5

Our playtesters all agreed that the combination of grip and give these Wilson Rush Pro 4.5s provided was optimal for their varied styles of play. Chris found he had the traction to chase down his shots and the right amount of give to slide when necessary. He explained, "I liked the level of traction I found in the Rush Pro 4.5s. I was able to push off aggressively and find ample grip to get going for a quick sprint. When coming to a stop, there was enough give to let me slide a little out of a shot."

Traction was one of the highlights of these shoes for Mark. He said, "Simply put, traction was great. Similar to my opinion on arch height, I never gave any thought to it while playing in the Wilson Rush Pro 4.5s on a variety of hard courts."

The Rush Pro 4.5s offered just enough give for Troy to feel smooth and reliable during on-court movements. He said, "I enjoyed how well these shoes performed in terms of the traction. Right out of the box and onto the court, they felt slightly sticky or grippy. After wearing them for a couple hours on the court the outer layer of the rubber outsole wore down and I started to find some slickness and give to the traction. I think the combination of the rubber compound and the unique tread pattern made for a slicker feel, especially after a break-in. It never felt too jarring when I slammed on the brakes. I am not typically the type of player who slides on hard courts, but I had some small slides at the end of my lateral stops, and I could see how these shoes would work well for those who slide on hard courts frequently."

The traction of these shoes helped Munish with his sharp turns. He said, "I really liked the traction on the Rush Pro 4.5s. I don't slide on court, so I can't speak on that, but it felt like there was a lot of grip under my feet when I had to quickly stop and change directions."

Weight: 8.0

For a durability shoe, the Wilson Rush Pro 4.5s kept our playtesters light on their feet. Troy thought the fit of these shoes added to their nimble feel. He said, "These Wilson Rush Pro 4.5s felt rather quick and speedy compared to other stability and durability shoes I’ve worn. I think a big part of that was how well they contoured to my feet and flexed as I moved around the court. The uppers were nice and pliable, so I found easy heel-to-toe transitioning after a slight break-in period, and it felt smooth when I moved forward toward the net."

Munish did not expect that a shoe with an outsole guarantee would feel this light. He described, "The Rush Pro 4.5s felt lighter than I thought they would, to be honest. Shoes with six-month outsole durability guarantees tend to be on the heavier side, so the Rush Pro 4.5s were a delightful surprise."

Although they aren’t the speediest shoes he has worn, Mark did not feel weighed down by the Rush Pro 4.5s. He said, “There hasn’t been an official weight rendered as of this writing, but my pair of size 11s came in at just over 15 ounces. Performance-wise, the Rush Pro 4.5s were not as nimble as some other shoes I have tested, but in no way did they hinder my movement in any direction."

Chris thought the Rush Pro 4.5's weight was commensurate with their comfort level, but not their durability. He said, "I never gave the weight of the Rush Pro 4.5s a second thought, which is always a good sign that the shoes felt natural on my feet. I was very happy with the comfort and the supportive ride, and it felt like the shoes were built well in that regard. However, for this weight of shoe, I expected more durability from the outsoles."

Breakdown Summary