Our playtesters laced up these Gel Resolution 9s and headed straight to the courts. Across the board, they were pleased with the level of comfort on display. Chris was won over by this update, and this is now his go-to shoe. He said, "The Gel Resolution 9s offered me a very secure and comfortable fit. I found the uppers to flex well and move with my feet. It's always a good sign when I can put a pair of shoes on and forget about them while playing tennis. These shoes gave me that natural feel, and I felt comfortable in them throughout the test. I loved the cushioning; I felt protected from the court yet also low to the ground and stable. My arches were enjoying a comfortable ride as well. I felt supported, and the insoles molded nicely to the shape of my feet. I enjoyed the level of ventilation, and my feet never felt overheated."

These shoes were great, but not flawless for Troy. He explained, "When it came to comfort, the Gel Resolution 9s delivered on just about everything I could want in a high-performance shoe, but I was left wanting a slightly plusher feel underfoot. The fit of these shoes was spot on with my foot type. They were a bit snug on the widest part of my forefoot when I first tried them on, but after a few wears the upper material started to flex and contour very well with my feet. I never had to worry about these shoes hurting my feet — no pinching, no rubbing, no cramping. They felt nice, contoured to my feet and supported me well throughout the playtest. If I am being picky, nowadays I am favoring shoes that give me a very plush, cushioned feel underneath my feet. The Nike Air Zoom GP Turbo has been my favorite shoe for the past year or so, and it has a very bouncy and plush feel underfoot. With that in mind, I found the midsole cushioning of these shoes to be somewhat lackluster. Although I could feel the midsole material underneath my feet, it just wasn't all that cushy and didn't have that plush feel I was hoping for. It has been quite a while since I wore some of the older versions of the Gel Resolution (I still have the Gel Resolution 7 and 8), but I recall the Gel Resolution 5 having a softer, plusher feel underfoot, and it was probably my favorite in terms of cushioning."

Like Troy, Mark settled into his shoes over time. He said, "The Gel Resolution 9s feel firm and supportive, (yet comfortable) right out of the box, and after maybe two hours of wear, they did soften up a bit without diminishing support. This test was during the winter, but I never overheated in the Gel Resolution 8s in hot temps, and the upper of the new Gel Resolution 9 seems to offer better breathability than its predecessor. As far as a change to the height of the stock arch insert, the new insert seems to be the same as the insert in the Gel Resolution 8s."

The Gel Resolution 9s held on to what Jason liked about the previous version, but without the break-in period. He said, "I thought these shoes were comfortable right out of the box. Unlike the previous few versions, this updated Resolution didn't need a break-in period, which was great to see. The fit and underfoot cushioning felt nearly identical to the previous model, which has more of a responsive feel to it."

The Gel Resolution 9s provided the high levels of support and stability our playtesters expect from this line. Troy described, "As far as support and stability go, the Gel Resolution has a reputation for providing the stability and support needed for aggressive movers. Like many of the previous versions of the Gel Resolution, Gel Resolution 9s deliver in the support and stability department, and I felt confident changing directions and moving around the court. The modified Dynawall was a subtle, yet impactful, change for me, and I found better heel support and a locked-in feel. I enjoyed the comfortable and flexible feel of the upper material, which was also supportive enough for my movement on the court."

Mark was impressed that this update was able to improve on one of the strongest aspects of the Gel Resolution series. He said, "The Dynawall was more substantial with the Gel Resolution 9, now wrapping around the heel portion of the shoe and connecting in with the midfoot shank, improving the stability of an already stable tennis shoe. To me, this was the most noticeable change made to the Gel Resolution 9, and it's the thing I most liked about the update."

Jason continued, "I felt very confident moving side to side in these shoes, and I never felt like the shoes were going to give out. But once again, I was experiencing a bit of heel slippage and had to lace up to the last eyelet to fix the issue."

Chris had no issues in this department. He said, "My favorite part about the Gel Resolution 9s was how secure I felt in them. My feet felt totally locked in, and I was able to scramble with complete confidence when defending. I loved the stability I found in the shoes when moving laterally across the baseline. I was able to plant my outside foot, feel stable for my hit and then get a strong push off to recover back toward the middle of the baseline. I also felt fully locked in on sprints to the net to chase down drop shots. Top marks from me here."

Historically, this line of shoes has been plenty durable for our playtesters, and the Gel Resolution 9 was no different. Jason explained, "The Gel Resolution 9s continue the Resolution legacy of being very durable shoes. I've worn them for about 12 hours on court, and they show only slight wear and tear. I think they could easily handle another 25 hours before I'd even start thinking about replacing them."

"The overall durability has been pretty impressive with just about every iteration of the Gel Resolution that I have tried," Troy added. "I found that the outsole and toe region of these shoes held up very well throughout the playtest, and the outsole durability was pretty comparable to the Gel Resolution 7 and 8. There was some slight balding underneath the balls of my feet, but not much when it comes to wear and tear. Overall, these are among the most durable shoes on the market in my opinion. Nowadays, I probably wouldn't use the six-month outsole durability guarantee, but back when I was in junior college or playing tournaments frequently I appreciated the warranty."

Even with his toe dragging, Chris saw little wear on his shoes. He said, "My pair of Gel Resolution 9s held up very well. Both the outsoles and uppers proved to be durable. Even my high-wear areas held up well to the abuse of hard court play. The toe bumpers showed minimal scuffing, which is very unusual for me. I drag the outsole under my big toe on my right foot, and that area also held up better than expected."

Mark continued the praise for this shoe's durability, saying, "The compound of the Gel Resolution 9's outsole is still very abrasion resistant, and although I am not flexible enough to drag the top of my feet on the court surface, there is a decent level of coverage over the toe cap for those players who are."

The outsole traction of the Gel Resolution 9s struck the right balance for our playtesters. Jason noted, "These shoes have an excellent balance between grip and give. When needed, I was able to slide out of a shot with no issues. But at the same time, when planting and pushing off, there was enough grip that I didn't slip at all."

The outsole blend was also to Chris' liking. He said, "I was very happy with the amount of grip I got from the Gel Resolution 9s."

Chris continued, "I liked that the outsoles had enough give to allow me to pivot easily and move naturally. I was able to slide a little out of shots, but I didn’t find these shoes as easy to slide in as the Court FF 3s."

Troy made a similar comparison to the Court FF 3s, saying, "The traction was good for my preferences. Whenever I needed to change directions and come to a quick stop, I was confident that the outsole would grab the court and help me to push off. I also felt like the rubber on the outsole wasn't overly sticky, so my stops and starts were pretty smooth. I am not a slider on the hard courts, but I appreciated that there was a bit of give when slamming on the breaks. That said, I was also playtesting the Asics Court FF 3s, and I noticed that they felt even slicker than the Gel Resolution 9s, and would be even more friendly to hard-court sliders."

"Outsole durability and traction are primary factors regarding my tennis shoe choice," added Mark. "That said, I have never been disappointed with how predictable starts and stops are in every evolution of the Gel Resolution that I have worn, and there was no drop in hard-court traction quality with the new Gel Resolution 9s either."

Fast and light aren't words often associated with stable, durable shoes like the Gel Resolution 9s, and although our team wouldn't describe them as speed shoes, our playtesters were more than happy with how they moved in these shoes. Troy described how fit can make a difference, saying, "I feel like the weight of these Gel Resolution 9 shoes is pretty much middle of the road. They come in on the scale at 15 ounces for a men's size 10.5, which is what I would consider somewhat average for stability-oriented, durability-guaranteed shoes. When I was on court moving around, these Gel Resolution 9s felt low to the court and had a somewhat speedy feel to them, given their weight. The more I wore these shoes and broke them in, the more they contoured to my feet and felt quicker on court than the weight on the scale would indicate."

"It was easy for me to play in these shoes without ever having to give them a second thought," Chris added, "and that's always a good sign that they do not feel heavy on my feet. Considering how supportive and durable these shoes are, I'd say what weight there is has been put to very good use. Zero complaints from me."

Noticing an improvement over previous versions, Mark said, "The Gel Resolution 8 weighed just under 15 ounces, and I believe the Gel Resolution 9 comes in at 15 ounces (size 10.5). In terms of maneuverability, I feel the heavier 9 is a faster shoe compared to the previous version, which maybe has something to do with the 9 feeling slightly lower to the court."

Jason also found these shoes to feel lighter than they look. He said, "When I put these shoes on and start playing in them, I don't give the weight another thought. And that's a testament to the shoes, because on paper, they are 15 ounces. They definitely don't play like they are that heavy. The shoes transition nicely from heel to toe, and the ride is responsive, so the shoes feel lighter and faster than a typical 15 ounce shoe.”