Nike Air Max Wildcard Men's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 3.8

Most of our testers had to adjust their sizing to find optimum comfort in the Air Max Wildcard. Chris moved up a half size to get the right fit. He explained, "The width fit was great for my narrow feet, although these weren't the easiest shoes to put on. The insole is very sticky, and it would pull my socks over my toes and out of position on my feet no matter how much I loosened the laces and opened up the shoes. Putting the shoes on was by far my least liked aspect of the playtest. Once my feet were in the shoes and I'd readjusted my socks, I enjoyed the comfortable ride. Most of the cushioning came from the very thick insoles, and I found the level of cushioning to be perfect. I also liked how the insoles wrapped up around the inside of the lateral edge of the shoes, which made the fit narrow and also offered a cushioned feel on aggressive lateral cuts. The arch support felt great, and the Wildcards flexed in all of the right places. Ventilation was okay; my feet often felt warm in the shoes but never so hot it would bother me."

With a combination of Air Max and Lunarlon foam, the Wildcard's midsole provided a high level of underfoot cushioning for Troy. Although these shoes weren't quite as responsive as the Nike Air Zoom Zeros, they offered him a comfortable ride. He said, "The Air Max cushioning helped absorb the shock whenever I landed on my heels, similar to the Nike Air Zoom Cage 3s. I experienced a break-in period with the uppers, but the break-in was not as harsh as it was with the Zoom Zeros. With the Wildcards, the upper material was constricting my midfoot, just before my toes. I wore them casually walking around for a few days before playing in them, and I had to periodically take these shoes off throughout the day because the cramping became unbearable. The more I walked around in them the more the upper material started to mold to my feet, and the cramping slowly started to diminish. When I first wore them on the court I started to feel a bit of cramping in the midfoot region, but after that session I was pretty much pain-free. Besides the break-in period, which took about a week, I found the fit to be great; the arch support was right where I like it. The other downside was ventilation. This wasn't a huge issue for me since we play in relatively cool conditions, but the upper had little to no breathability."

Sean was a bit perplexed about the fit when he initially tried the shoes. He said, "I have been sizing down to a 9 in most shoes, but I knew I would have to go with at least a 9.5 or 10 in the Wildcards if I wanted to make them work; I opted to squeeze into a 9.5 to keep the length manageable. I felt like the midsole was soft and almost squishy, but when I removed the insole I quickly noticed that the soft underfoot sensation was due to a massively built-up insole. I even tried some other insoles inside the Wildcards, and not only did the shoes feel too wide all of a sudden, there was also very little cushioning underfoot — evidence that the fit and cushioning were both attributable to the insole. The shoes really pinched my pinky toes during play; I didn't notice it much in the heat of the moment, but it led to a bloody nail at one point. It was pretty gross! Lastly, as with the Zoom Zeros, the canvas upper had very little to offer in terms of breathability."

Erik commended the shoe's cushioning and was happy with the arch support. However, he did have a few gripes. He added, "The fit was quite narrow, which I noticed when I first put these on. After I wore these shoes for about a week the material started to stretch and they fit pretty nicely on court. However, I did not enjoy wearing these shoes off court because they were a bit too snug in the toe box for me. Also, the ventilation was not great, and my feet got hot rather quickly."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.3

Although some testers struggled with the comfort of the Air Max Wildcards, our team was mostly satisfied with the support and stability they offered. The upper material was somewhat restrictive and required some break-in, but it did a great job of supporting Troy's feet. He described, "I felt locked into place, and I found a fairly low profile in the forefoot. These shoes weren't as low to the ground as the Asics Solution Speed FFs or Babolat Jet Mach IIs, but I still felt connected to the court. Anytime I had to change directions aggressively, I was confident they would contain my movement and keep me from rolling an ankle. These shoes aren't as stable as the Zoom Zeros, but they offer the stability I need while running around the court."

If the Wildcards had a saving grace for Sean throughout this playtest, it was their stability. He said, "The stiff upper material and snug fit held my feet in place, and I didn't encounter any real issues moving side to side on the court. There isn't a large shank, but I think the low-to-the-ground feel and Air Max unit do a good job keeping the shoes grounded and balanced."

Erik also found a supportive ride in these shoes. He noted, "The stability was good, and I felt very confident in my movements. The one-piece upper really locked in my feet all the way to the heel, which is a big part of what I look for in a shoe. I felt extremely stable in these Wildcards, and I could move very aggressively."

Like the rest of the team, Chris felt that the Wildcards offered plenty of support and stability for his game. He elaborated, "The fit was narrow enough to hold my feet very well, so I had no sliding around inside the shoes. When I was sprinting around the court I found the shoes to have somewhat of a minimal feel, with just enough support and stability to get the job done. I liked how the shoes flexed and moved with my feet, and I felt safe going all out when moving in them. They never felt ultra-stiff or ultra-stable, just supportive from the flexible materials and narrow fit."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 2.1

The playtesters were disappointed, to say the least, with the durability of the Air Max Wildcards. "The durability of the Wildcards was abysmal," began Sean. "My pair started showing serious wear after just one set of doubles, and after 10 hours the shoes were almost shot. I'd probably give these shoes a week of serious play to completely wear into the midsole. I didn't think the Zoom Zeros or Vapors were particularly durable, but the Wildcards are in a league of their own."

"Durability was not that great with these shoes," agreed Erik. "I wore the outsole out in about 10 hours. The sides of the shoes didn't really wear out on me, probably because I wasn't sliding as much. The Air Max technology on my right foot actually ended up popping and was losing air as I walked."

Chris added, "The outsole durability was very lacking in these shoes. Under the big toe of my right foot the outsole started to show wear within minutes, and other parts of the outsoles followed suit before long. Conversely, the uppers held up very well. I drag my toes and get the uppers into contact with the court surface, but the Air Max Wildcards proved to be up to the test in that regard."

Troy found the Wildcards to be some of the least durable shoes he's tested recently. He said, "I wore down the tread, specifically near my toes and the balls of my feet, more than I have with most shoes I've playtested in the last year. I didn't quite wear through to the midsole, but I shaved down the rubber most of the way. I found the Zoom Zeros to be more durable. I would likely give these about another month of consistent wear before I start to expose the midsole."

Traction - Score: 4.0

While the durability of the Air Max Wildcards didn't meet our team's standards, the traction did. "The traction wasn't too sticky, giving me just enough grip versus give," said Erik. "The outsole wrapping on the medial side made it tough to slide, though, because I kept getting too much grip where the tread was."

The fast-wearing outsoles actually worked in the traction's favor for Chris. He explained, "It wasn't until I had worn sections of the outsoles smooth that I was able to slide out of lateral stops comfortably. I also found it easier to pivot once the outsoles were worn, and I no longer got hung up on the surface. I found ample traction to make a quick start when sprinting for my next shot. Even though the outsoles wore down quickly, I found lots of grip throughout the test."

"I definitely found the traction to be on the slicker side, which is geared more toward easy pivoting and the occasional slide," added Sean. "There were only a few times when I slipped out, and those were at the latter end of the playtest."

Troy liked how the outsoles of the Wildcards were a bit slippery. He said, "I don't typically slide on hard courts, but there was a bit of give in the traction. These shoes allowed me to stop on a dime, without the jarring feel of them grabbing the court too much."

Weight - Score: 4.3

One thing was for certain during this playtest, the Air Max Wildcards felt very light and fast on the court. For Chris, this was one of those instances when the scale didn't tell the whole story. He described, "Although it does not measure as one of the lightest shoes we sell, the Air Max Wildcard played like one of the fastest shoes in our catalog. I felt like I was moving at my absolute best in these Wildcards. I liked how the shoes transitioned from heel to toe, and they felt very natural when I was up on my toes setting up for the next shot. My major knock against these shoes is durability, and they would be perfect if that could be improved without increasing the weight significantly."

Troy echoed, "The Air Max Wildcards definitely felt lighter than what the scale indicated. The uppers were a bit firm out of the box, so they felt a little clunky before I broke them in. After about a week of wear these shoes started to contour to my feet, and I found them light and fast around the court. The more I played in these shoes the more they softened up and made my movements around the court feel seamless."

"It came as a surprise to me that the 10.5s weighed more than 15 ounces," said Sean. "These shoes felt much lighter on court. Along with the stability and look of the shoes, this was one of the only positives I took away from the playtest."

The Wildcard's weight felt just right to Erik. He concluded, "The shoes were not too light or too heavy. It's a 15-ounce shoe, but it felt much lighter than that to me. That added weight made the Wildcards very stable, and I felt in control of every movement, even when moving aggressively."

Overall - Score: 3.5