Created with a Fit Weave upper and cushioned with soft, yet responsive, Fresh Foam X, the CT Rally offered our team lots of comfort on the court. When Zsofi first put these shoes on, she thought they provided excellent cushioning. She said, "The Fresh Foam X midsole was very responsive underfoot, and that was a huge plus for me. Unfortunately, I did need some hours on court to really break the shoes in because they felt a bit too stiff and too sticky in the beginning."

Michelle was hesitant to get this playtest started because the model the CT Rally replaces (the Lav 2) was a pair of shoes she really struggled with when it came to comfort. She explained, "When I first put the CT Rally shoes on, I expected a bit of a break-in because they were a little stiff. Luckily, by the time I got on the court, I had no issues with any rubbing or break-in period. Previously in the Lavs, the heel collar rubbed my ankles a lot, but that did not happen at all in these shoes. Thank goodness! The length was just right and the B width was great for my medium-width feet, so I was comfortable and snug in them. I found the Fresh Foam X to be soft and responsive. I will admit I initially didn't love the styling of these shoes, but the cosmetics grew on me as the playtest went on, and I felt I could match them with lots of options and on-court looks."

Before Brittany heads to the court to start her playtests, she likes to try shoes on at her desk to get an initial fit impression. She said, "I found the CT Rally shoes to be true to length, and they offered a glove-like fit for my narrow feet, so I stayed in my true size. I also noticed that the uppers felt a little stiff, which is normally an indication that there will be a break-in period. However, I was incredibly surprised to find that to not be the case, and by the end of the warmup, the uppers were flexing smoothly. The arch support hit my arches perfectly, and I didn't even have to think twice about them. I will say that the shoes are a little on the warmer side and were not the most breathable. I loved the plush cushioning under my heels, and it felt very bouncy and responsive. Cushioning was still present in the midfoot and forefoot, but it was reduced and made me feel like I was on my toes (which was a good thing!). Lastly, I had to make sure to wear slightly higher socks; I got a bit of rubbing around my ankles if I wore no-show socks since the shoes hit a little higher on my ankle than I am used to."

Something Tiffani takes advantage of with New Balance is the option to choose a wider fit. She grabbed the D width in her size and said, "I was happy to have a chance to test the wide CT Rally shoes. When I first put on these shoes, I really liked the wider fit in the toe box, but they did feel a bit stiff and not as plush underfoot as I expected. I anticipated a break-in and headed out to play tennis. After a short court warm-up, I started rallying from the baseline, and I was so surprised at how comfortable these shoes were once I was moving around. These shoes proved me wrong within minutes! These shoes do run on the warm side, which was my only critique in the comfort department."

It quickly became clear to our entire team that the CT Rally shoes are very supportive and stable. Michelle described, "There is no doubt about it, they offer loads of support and stability. I would say these are probably some of the best support and stability shoes we've tested this year. I tend to like this quality in a shoe more than others, so it was a great benefit for me. I felt completely secure in my movements on the court and never had to worry about rolling over in these shoes."

Brittany thought the snugger fit helped lock her feet in. She said, "The snug fit contributed to high levels of both support and stability. I didn't even have to use the last eyelet, as the shoes cinched around my ankles securely. The only downside I wanted to mention, which kind of falls in between the comfort and support/stability categories, is that the toe box seems to narrowed a little early, which caused some numbness and tingling in my forefoot (specifically my right foot). A quick solution that alleviated some of that was loosening up the first two laces for a little more wiggle room."

The previous New Balance playtest for Tiffani was the 996v5, so it was easy for her to compare the two models. She noted much more support and stability than the lighter 996s and said, "I did use the extra eyelet, mostly because I'm used to tying through there, but I don't think I really needed it. I was getting plenty of ankle stability from the CT Rally, and I experienced no slipping within my shoes, so I felt supported."

"The CT Rally shoes do feel very stable, especially after I used the second eyelet to lace them up," added Zsofi. "I felt super locked in. I had no issues with support or stability levels."

The CT Rally might just be one of the most durable shoes our team has tested this year. After wrapping up more than 10 hours on the court, Brittany saw no wear on the outsoles or toe bumpers. She said, "I anticipate I have many court hours left in them. I would say they are above average compared to shoes in their weight class, and I would even put them up against some shoes that are heavier as well. When it came to the uppers, I playtested the mostly white colorway and have to say it definitely collected more dirt than the average tennis shoes on both the cloth and TPU materials."

Tiffani put about 12 hours of court time on her pair, and by the time the playtest was over, the shoes still looked nearly new. She said, "These shoes were very durable. There's a six-month durability guarantee, but I'm fairly certain I won't wear these out before the six months are up."

Zsofi echoed, "I saw barely any wear on these shoes during the playtest. Durability was top-notch, and the outsole comes with a six-month durability warranty."

Rounding out the comments, Michelle was very impressed by the durability of the CT Rally shoes. She explained, "These are some of the more durable shoes I've worn in a while. The held up really well and I consider them an incredibly durable option, one I would definitely recommend to players who are wearing through their outsoles. I can see little to no wear, and I know these will last for players who are on the court for several hours every day of the week."

When it came to traction, our playtesters all had slightly different opinions about the CT Rally shoes, with some finding the outsole to be too sticky and others appreciating the extra tack. Tiffani never had to think too much about her shoes, which is a good thing when it comes to traction. She described, "I would say the soles on these CT Rally shoes were slightly more sticky than slick, but I found a good balance. There wasn't an instance when I felt like I was slipping or felt stuck. I was quite happy with the traction."

With the most aggressive footwork on our playtest team, Zsofi generally prefers shoes that allow her to slide a bit to adjust out of her shots. She said, "These shoes were just a bit too sticky for me at the beginning of the playtest, but after some break-in time that stickiness went away and traction became optimal."

On the other hand, Michelle, who prefers not to slide and likes to feel secure when moving, had no problems with the traction. She said, "If anything, the CT Rally shoes started on the tackier side, and they were not slick at all. It helped me feel secure in my movement and comfortable planting my feet on the court. Plus, the durable rubber made the traction consistent throughout the playtest."

Brittany noted a unique tread pattern compared to the traditional modified herringbone. She said, "I would consider it to be a more free-flowing tread pattern. Nonetheless, it did its job, and I felt pretty connected to the court. The shoes gripped when I needed them to but weren't overly sticky. I wouldn't say they are slick enough for sliding purposes, so it works for my game style."

The CT Rally is not going to be the lightest tennis shoes on the market, but, they do come loaded with cushioning and durability, so our crew wasn't expecting them to be in the lightweight category. Zsofi explained, "While I wish the CT Rally shoes felt a bit lighter on my feet, they were also not super heavy. I would consider them mid-weight."

"I would say these shoes are on the heavier side," added Michelle. "They do feel substantial when they are on, but they don't feel slow or bulky, if that makes sense. There is a bit of a trade-off for the high levels of support and durability, but I'm OK with that. These shoes feel nearly indestructible and still allow me to feel fluid with my footwork."

While the CT Rally shoes felt somewhat heavy to Brittany, she wasn't complaining. She said, "I thought the shoes actually played a little heavier than their weight indicated on the scale. However, this was not a bad thing. They felt average to me. While I didn't feel super quick in them, I did feel confident moving in them, which is just as important."

Tiffani found these shoes to feel a bit bulky, but not overly heavy. She said, "I would put the CT Rally shoes in the mid-weight category. Considering the blend of comfort, stability and durability, I was happy with the weight of these shoes. Were these the fastest shoes in the New Balance line? No, but I wasn't bothered by the weight at all."