Our verdict

What seemed like a vibrant entrance into the tennis shoe market, turned out to be a work in progress. We were ready to fall in love with the Reebok Nano Court but the reality kicked in as our lab tests revealed some pretty serious issues with this shoe. However, we can't discard it either given how many boxes it ticked (especially grip and cushioning). And yet there is still a lot to be improved for the next version to turn the Nano Court into what it was meant to be. But in the meantime, it is a damn good-looking shoe for an occasional racquet sports player with narrow-to-medium feet.

Pros

  • Insane grip
  • Responsive Floatride cushioning
  • Exceptional breathability
  • Solid lateral stability
  • Upper fees like one with the foot
  • Ideal for narrow feet
  • Can be used on and off the court
  • Eye candy

Cons

  • Poor abrasion-resistance and durabilty
  • Too drastic heel-to-toe drop
  • Not for wide feet (stay away!)
  • Not for baseline players

Audience verdict

80
Good!

Who should buy

Here is the profile of a player who, in our opinion, will get the most out of the Reebok Nano Court:

  • a non-professional racquet sports player who occasionally enjoys a game of tennis, pickleball, padel, racquetball, or badminton
  • someone who primarily plays indoors
  • a person with narrow-to-medium feet
  • an all-court player who doesn't need a high stable shoe

Reebok Nano Court review

Who should NOT buy

We found a few valid reasons why the Nano Court may not be a great tennis shoe for some players.

Here are the reasons as well as the alternative shoes to consider:

All of these shoes also have a moderate heel-to-toe drop that won't push your feet forward as much as the 14.7 mm drop of the Nano Court!

Reebok Nano Court lab test

Breathability

The Flexweave upper of the Reebok Nano Court showed absolute class in breathability! It effortlessly expelled all the smoke we pumped into the shoe in our breathability test below.

Examining the Flexweave more closely through a microscope, we could see how large its pores actually are!

Reebok Nano Court Breathability microscope test

It features very thin but strong strings to wrap around the thicker weaves to form wide spaces between the threads.

Reebok Nano Court Breathability under microscope

And as our transparency test shows, it's not just the shoe's toebox that boasts fantastic ventilation. The tongue and the vamp are also made of a very porous and airy fabric.

With all these findings, we can confidently state that the Reebok Nano Court can keep the feet very well aerated no matter how hot and sweaty your court session gets!

We happily give it the highest breathability score of 5.

Test results
Nano Court 5
Average 3.4
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
1
Breathability
5

Durability

Toe guard durability

To protect the integrity of the Nano Court during aggressive toe drags, Reebok added ToeTection rubber and a translucent TPU overlay on the lateral side of the shoe's toebox.

Reebok Nano Court toetection

Applying sandpaper to the blue ToeTection rubber for 22 seconds at 10K RPM Dremel speed resulted in very moderate damage. Its incredible abrasion resistance made us feel confident when sliding during the playtest.

But here is the bad news - if you touch the court with the Flexweave part (even though it's covered in TPU), it won't be long before it gives up. You can see how brutal the damage is in this area compared to the ToeTection rubber.

Reebok Nano Court Toe guard durability test

That's why we are lowering the Reebok Nano Court's toe guard durability score to 3 out of 5. It's nowhere near the protection offered by other tennis shoes in the same price range.

ASICS Nike tennis shoes toe drag guard
See how even the lace eyelet area is reinforced in these tennis shoes.
Test results
Nano Court 3
Average 2.4
Compared to 5 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
1
Toe guard durability
5

Toebox durability

As you can see, the Flexweave does not bode well with aggressive brushes against rough surfaces like hard courts.

As our Dremel test shows, this woven textile simply lacks the necessary abrasion resistance to sustain that kind of damage in the long run.

Reebok Nano Court Toebox durability test

We are surprised that our 12-second sandpaper drill did not result in a see-through hole but based on the damage, it won't be long before that happens.

But because the material put up a fight, we didn't give it the lowest durability score. The Nano Court earned 3 out of 5 for toebox durability.

Test results
Nano Court 3
Average 3.9
Compared to 28 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
1
Toebox durability
5

Heel padding durability

On the bright side, we have no concerns about the inner lining of this Reebok shoe.

This neoprene-ish material stood strong against our sandpaper test showing nothing but a minor scuff.

Reebok Nano Court Heel padding durability test

Confident in its ability to resist intensive friction, we rated its heel padding durability with a high score of 4 out of 5.

Test results
Nano Court 4
Average 3.3
Compared to 28 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
1
Heel padding durability
5

Outsole hardness

We were very excited to see what kind of outsole Reebok had come up with for its first tennis shoe release in years. But to our dismay, it fell awfully short of durability...

Reebok Nano Court Outsole hardness

First of all, we found that its rubber compound was a bit softer than what we normally see on tennis shoes. Our Shore C durometer returned 80.0 HC which is some of the lowest/softest readings we got in tennis shoes.

On the bright side, this softer rubber offered incredible grip but more on that later.

Test results
Nano Court 89.5 HC
Average 86.0 HC
We use an average of four tests. The photo shows one of those tests.
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
73.4 HC
Outsole hardness
92.0 HC

Outsole durability

The moment our Dremel touched the rubber, we knew... It's going to drill the heck out of that outsole.

After 22 seconds of drilling, we saw that the tread pattern had completely smoothed out in that area! According to the tread gauge, the damage was as deep as 2.1 mm and that's the worst result we ever got in this durability test...

Reebok Nano Court Outsole durability test

Yet another reason to NOT recommend the Reebok Nano Court for hard outdoor courts... If you want this shoe to last, we recommend limiting its use to indoor courts.

Test results
Nano Court 2.1 mm
Average 0.8 mm
Compared to 28 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
0.0 mm
Outsole wear
2.0 mm

Outsole thickness

Even though we measured the shoe's outsole thickness at 4.0 mm which is on par with the average tennis shoe, we don't think its lifespan is going to be the same. The abrasion resistance is just not strong enough.

Reebok Nano Court Outsole thickness
Test results
Nano Court 4.0 mm
Average 4.2 mm
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
3.0 mm
Outsole thickness
5.1 mm

Weight

On foot, the weight of the Reebok Nano Court felt just right and never dragged our feet down. So we were not surprised when our scale showed 12.3 oz (350g) in a men's US 9.

Reebok Nano Court Weight

The Nano Court weighs just as much as the Adidas Adizero Ubersonic 4.1 and the ASICS Gel Challenger 14.

Test results
Nano Court 13.62 oz (386g)
Average 12.84 oz (364g)
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
10.30 oz (292g)
Weight
14.71 oz (417g)

Cushioning

Heel stack

Loaded with a good amount of midsole foam, this Reebok shoe returned a stack height of 30.8 mm.

Reebok Nano Court Heel stack

It is on the cushier side of our tennis shoe range offering plenty of impact protection in the heel.

Reebok Nano Court heel cushioning

Test results
Nano Court 30.8 mm
Average 29.3 mm
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
25.3 mm
Heel stack
33.0 mm

Forefoot stack

But this is where it gets tricky...

The forefoot of the Nano Court showed a mere 16.1 mm of stack height! That's the lowest we've ever recorded among the tennis shoes in our lab!

Reebok Nano Court Forefoot stack

Obviously, the court feel is very pronounced in this setup but why go so low? The balls of our feet certainly felt the impact of pounding on the court after a longer session.

We believe that a few extra millimeters of foam would provide the necessary cushioning without compromising the ground feedback.

Test results
Nano Court 16.1 mm
Average 19.6 mm
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
16.1 mm
Forefoot stack
23.4 mm

Drop

The brand's choice of such a drastic heel-to-toe drop in the Reebok Nano Court left us puzzled.

Sure, it is common for tennis shoes to have a higher drop to support the forward-leaning motion involved in the sport. But it typically hovers around 10 mm... And the Nano Court raised it to 14 mm!

Reebok Nano Court Drop
The official specs show 14 mm and our caliper measurements almost confirmed that at 14.7 mm.

In our opinion, this could do more harm than good as most players are used to having 8-10 mm of heel elevation, and 14.7 mm can definitely feel like too much.

We think that a more moderate drop would accommodate more athletes and would minimize the chance of toe jamming and heel slippage, among other inconveniences.

Test results
Nano Court 14.7 mm
Average 9.7 mm
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
6.2 mm
Drop
14.7 mm

Midsole softness

Note: a low durometer measurement equals a soft material, whereas a high measurement means it's firm.

On the other hand, we were elated by the use of the Floatride cushioning in the Reebok Nano Court. This TPU-based foam is far from plush but it offers a very lively bounce instead.

According to our Shore A durometer, the Floatride is actually not much firmer than the average. At 29.9 HA, it sits right in the middle of the tennis shoe foams.

Reebok Nano Court Midsole softness

We thoroughly enjoyed bouncing back from the shots with this responsive setup. But unfortunately, our take-offs didn't feel as charged because the shoe's really thin forefoot stack and flexible forefoot didn't let the Flotride reveal its full potential.

Test results
Nano Court 29.9 HA
Average 28.6 HA
We use an average of four tests. The photo shows one of those tests.
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
17.1 HA
Midsole softness (soft to firm)
34.0 HA

Insole thickness

A generously padded insole plays a major role in the Nano Court's underfoot cushioning. At 7.1 mm, it takes up nearly a third of the shoe's heel stack!

Reebok Nano Court Insole thickness

The insole has a molded shape with a raised arch which adds support in the midfoot.

Reebok Nano Court arch support insole

On the flip side, this is a WARNING sign for people with wide and flat feet. The arch can feel bumpy and take up space in the already snug-fitting bootie of the Nano Court.

Test results
Nano Court 7.1 mm
Average 5.3 mm
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
3.9 mm
Insole thickness
8.5 mm

Stability

Lateral stability test

Having tested the side-to-side stability of the Reebok Nano Court, we would describe it as solid. It's not on the same level as the Adidas Barricade or the ASICS Gel Resolution but it is just right for most players whose playing style involves moving around the entire court.

Reebok added a whole bunch of stabilizing components throughout the shoe:

  • the Rubber Aid flanges (blue and grey rubber protruding upwards)
  • the non-stretch yarn (the checkerboard pattern in the forefoot)
  • the thick synthetic saddle (with the Reebok logo)
  • the TPU heel clip (yellow, around the heel), etc.

Reebok Nano Court rubber aid

And we are happy to report that they all deliver as promised!

If only Reebok broadened the midsole of the Nano Court, it would've boosted the shoe's stability greatly but more on that below.

Torsional rigidity

We can clearly see how all of the shoe's components come into play together as we attempt to twist the Nano Court sideways.

There is hardly any give to the shoe and there is no movement in the heel and midfoot portion of the shoe. On the court, this means that your foot will not be rolling anywhere during forceful lateral shifts.

Thus, we confidently rated the torsional rigidity of this Reebok shoe with a high score of 4 out of 5.

Test results
Nano Court 4
Average 4.3
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
1
Torsional rigidity
5

Heel counter stiffness

The heel hold of the Nano Court proved to be pretty strong too.

A stiff TPU heel clip around the base of the foot did an awesome job of preventing our heels from shifting and sliding during the playtest.

But the rest of the heel counter has some good structure to it as well! It earned a high stiffness score of 4 out of 5 in our manual test.

Test results
Nano Court 4
Average 3.9
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
1
Heel counter stiffness
5

Midsole width - forefoot

Flipping the Nano Court upside down, we immediately noticed its narrower midsole dimensions, especially in the midfoot.

Being used to wide lateral flanges on tennis shoes, we had to get used to the fact that there were no walls to fall back on in this Reebok shoe. In the widest part of the forefoot, our caliper showed 107.1 mm which is a few millimeters narrower than average.

Reebok Nano Court Midsole width in the forefoot

We wouldn't say that it is catastrophically narrow but players with wide feet and those who dominate the baseline are very to lack the width.

Test results
Nano Court 107.1 mm
Average 111.7 mm
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
105.3 mm
Midsole width - forefoot
117.4 mm

Midsole width - heel

The shoe's midsole also proved to be narrower than average in the widest part of the heel. Our caliper returned 86.1 mm in this area.

Reebok Nano Court Midsole width in the heel
Test results
Nano Court 86.1 mm
Average 89.6 mm
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
82.4 mm
Midsole width - heel
99.7 mm

Flexibility

Stiffness

The Reebok Nano Court turned out to be one of the most flexible tennis shoes in our catalog.

Our force gauge test showed that it needed 47% less force than average to bend to a 90-degree angle.

Reebok Nano Court flexibility

The shoe offered a rather natural and grounded underfoot experience during the playtest but, on the other hand, we lacked the snap needed for explosive takeoffs.

Test results
Nano Court 20.3N
Average 30.6N
We use an average of four tests. The video shows one of those tests.
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
18.8N
Stiffness
52.0N

Grip / Traction

Having poured a great deal of critique on the Reebok Nano Court, we are happy to finally talk about its positive highlight. And that would be the outsole grip.

Reebok Nano Court outsole

The shoe's Griptonite outsole happens to be softer than average and has a very pronounced texture in addition to the herringbone pattern.

Reebok Nano Court outsole texture

This combo resulted in a super tacky bite which allowed us to effortlessly stop on a dime and push off with maximum force.

If only Reebok found a way to improve this rubber's durability, we are sure that it would become great success on the tennis shoe market.

Size and fit

Toebox width - widest part

Unfortunately, our toebox measurements are slightly distorted by the shoe's external overlays and show as much as 102.3 mm in the widest part of the forefoot.

Reebok Nano Court Toebox width at the widest part

Please take this number with a grain of salt as our medium-width feet felt borderline snug in the Reebok Nano Court.

Reebok Nano Court fit

We are sure that a wide-footed athlete would feel constricted in this Reebok shoe. So, we would highly recommend the K-Swiss Hypercourt Express 2 to these folks instead.

Test results
Nano Court 102.3 mm
Average 101.0 mm
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
96.3 mm
Toebox width - widest part
105.0 mm

Toebox width - big toe

Even though the toebox width at the big toe showed an average measurement of 77.2 mm, it didn't seem to make the Nano Court a more accommodating shoe.

Reebok Nano Court Toebox width at the big toe
Test results
Nano Court 77.2 mm
Average 76.7 mm
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
74.8 mm
Toebox width - big toe
79.8 mm

Tongue: gusset type

The shoe's locked-in bootie design is another problem for wide feet and high arches/insteps.

Reebok Nano Court Tongue: gusset type

Its shoe mouth can only open this much and some folks would need to struggle their way inside the boot every time.

Sure, it's nice snug once it's on but the on-and-off process can be a deal-breaker for some people.

Test results
Nano Court Bootie

Comfort

Tongue padding

The Reebok Nano Court is very lightly padded inside. Its tongue doesn't pack much foam showing only 6.0 mm of tongue thickness in our measurement.

Reebok Nano Court Tongue padding

Because of that, this shoe doesn't feel very cozy but it does feel one-to-one with the foot.

Test results
Nano Court 6.0 mm
Average 7.8 mm
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
2.5 mm
Tongue padding
13.1 mm

Heel tab

A large finger loop is there to help you get the Nano Court on a bit faster.

Reebok Nano Court Heel tab
Test results
Nano Court Finger loop

Removable insole

If you are not a fan of the shoe's molded insole or you prefer a custom pair of orthotics, the insole of this Reebok shoe is not glued and it's easy to remove.

Reebok Nano Court Removable insole
Test results
Nano Court Yes

Price

We agree that the below-average price is fair for this experimental tennis shoe from Reebok. But it is also fair that the shoe is not in the budget category considering the advanced materials used in it (Flexweave, Floatride, etc.).

Reebok Nano Court Price

But if you hope to draw the best value for money from the Reebok Nano Court, you have to make sure that none of its flaws turn become a deal-breaker for you (see Who should NOT buy).

Test results
Nano Court $120
Average $139
Compared to 30 all court tennis shoes
Number of shoes
$80
Price
$200