6 Best Nike Tennis Shoes For Men in 2023

Brenton Barker
Brenton Barker on
6 Best Nike Tennis Shoes For Men in 2023
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Nike is one of the brands with a dedicated collection of performance tennis shoes meant to play on clay, hard court, or multiple court surfaces. We scraped all the Nike tennis shoes for men and filtered the best among them.

We pulled out the top Nike offerings to give you the lowdown on which pairs are best cushioned, excellent for speed, and the most affordable but high-performing. All the shoes we listed here went through a spartan two-week playtest. If you haven’t decided which pair to purchase next or are curious about the top-performing ones, you came to the right space.

How we test tennis shoes

  • Our dedicated tennis specialists scrape, collate, and summarize over 10,000 user feedback for tennis each shoe. 
  • Every shoe gets a rank on a scale of 0-100 through our automated Corescore system.
  • The highest-ranking shoes are further examined by our pool of tennis experts through a two-week playtest. They scrutinize the strength, stability, quality, and overall performance of every shoe.

The best performing tennis shoes get listed among our list of highly recommended pairs.

Best Nike tennis shoes overall for men

NikeCourt Air Zoom Vapor Pro
NikeCourt Air Zoom Vapor Pro

Corescore

83
Great!
4.1 / 5 from 175 users
96 / 100 from 3 experts

Pros

  • Extremely light
  • Breathable upper
  • Responsive cushioning
  • Stable platform
  • Glove-like fit
  • Comfortable in-shoe feel
  • Grippy outsole

Cons

  • Constricting plastic wall
  • Lacks durability
  • Break-in needed

What makes it the best overall?

Vapor Pro is a treat for quick players eyeing a speedy shoe in a multi-layered supportive build. It takes on the best features of the Vapor X without adding an ounce to its weight. A caveat, though, you need to examine the tread if you frequently play on the abrasive hardcourt as it can smooth out rapidly.
Read our full review of NikeCourt Air Zoom Vapor Pro here
nike court air zoom vapor pro review
nike court air zoom vapor pro lab test

Best men's Nike tennis shoes for speed

NikeCourt Vapor Lite
NikeCourt Vapor Lite

Corescore

80
Good!
4.0 / 5 from 160 users
88 / 100 from 2 experts

Pros

  • Good lateral support
  • Well-padded upper
  • Breathable
  • Durable toecap
  • Lightweight
  • Grippy outsole
  • Affordable

Cons

  • Poor arch support
  • Not for wide feet

What makes it the best for speed?

NikeCourt Vapor Lite isn’t as powerful, stable, and durable as the React Vapor NXT. But it’s one of the cheapest from Nike in the hardcourt range. You can use this shoe to kickstart your interest in tennis and build up your footwork and racquet strokes. However, it isn't supportive enough for a game day. The best part: it isn't expensive.
Read our full review of NikeCourt Vapor Lite here

Best Nike all court tennis shoes for men

NikeCourt Zoom NXT
NikeCourt Zoom NXT

Corescore

83
Great!
4.1 / 5 from 65 users
88 / 100 from 8 experts

Pros

  • Springy on the toes
  • Great lateral stability
  • Comfortable in-shoe feel
  • Works on all courts
  • Great for wide feet
  • Durable outsole and toecap
  • Uncanny traction
  • Breathable
  • Visually appealing

Cons

  • Loose for narrow feet
  • Lace eyelets rip easily
  • Mesh rips on hard court

What makes it the best all court?

The NikeCourt Zoom NXT keeps you light and bouncy on your toes while also making sure that your feet remain stable shifting side-to-side. It is highly efficient on both hard and clay courts, helping you stop on a dime or slide to quickly reach for the ball. The eye-catching hole in the midsole helps to shave some weight off the shoe, adding a futuristic vibe to this Nike tennis shoe.
Read our full review of NikeCourt Zoom NXT here

Best Nike hard court tennis shoes for men

NikeCourt Air Zoom GP Turbo
NikeCourt Air Zoom GP Turbo

Corescore

85
Great!
4.3 / 5 from 63 users
92 / 100 from 3 experts

Pros

  • Bouncy ride
  • Glove-like lockdown
  • Incredible grip
  • No heel slip
  • Lightweight
  • Flexible textile upper
  • Supportive midfoot

Cons

  • Tight-fitting forefoot
  • Lacks outsole durability

What makes it the best hard court?

The NikeCourt Air Zoom GP Turbo is ready for impactful hard court games because of its reinforced outsole and supportive upper. It has a more generous fit than the Air Zoom Zero, but it delivers the same bounce level needed for quick shots. It's one of the Swoosh shoes ideal for aggressive court movers looking for speed and comfort.
Read our full review of NikeCourt Air Zoom GP Turbo here

Best cushioned Nike tennis shoes for men

NikeCourt React Vapor NXT
NikeCourt React Vapor NXT

Corescore

80
Good!
3.8 / 5 from 85 users
90 / 100 from 7 experts

Pros

  • Durable
  • Grippy soles
  • Protective
  • Secured laces
  • Well-cushioned
  • Sole isn’t squeaky

Cons

  • Heavy
  • Expensive

What makes it the best cushioned?

NikeCourt React Vapor NXT breaks away from the typical lightweight, and low-to-the-ground profile of the Vapor series with the injection of the Nike React sole and hard-wearing add-ons. It's ready to take on the abrasiveness of the hardcourt, so you can expect this shoe to last for a reasonable amount of time. With an extended break-in period, it shines in the areas of cushioning, stability, support, and traction.
Read our full review of NikeCourt React Vapor NXT here

Best value

NikeCourt Lite 2
NikeCourt Lite 2

Corescore

82
Good!
4.3 / 5 from 16,037 users
84 / 100 from 1 expert

Pros

  • Offers comfy feel
  • Supportive tennis shoe
  • Allows excellent maneuverability
  • Feels good even off the court
  • Excellent grip
  • Good value for money

Cons

  • Tight right out of the box

What makes it the best value?

Although its synthetic upper fused with mesh can be a little tight, in the beginning, the NikeCourt Lite 2 is ready for lots of footwork drills. This tennis shoe is packed with supportive elements that keep the player connected on concrete. Given its reasonable price point, it’s a decent option for recreational and budding tennis players.
Read our full review of NikeCourt Lite 2 here
Author
Brenton Barker
Brenton Barker

Brenton is an Australian with 20 years of experience coaching WTA and ATP professional tennis players, whom have won a total of 10 international professional Tournaments. Brenton holds a Degree in Sports Coaching and was the former Head Tennis Coach at the Japanese Government Sports Science Institute. Brenton was also a former Manager & Head Coach of Australia’s Governing Sporting Body, Tennis Australia, and has been a Dunlop International Advisory Board Member since 2010. Additionally, Brenton was the Head of Player development for World No 7 and two-time Grand Slam Champion Johan Kriek.