NikeCourt Lite 4 review

We believe that the NikeCourt Lite 4 is worth your attention if:

• you are just starting out with the sport and you need a basic shoe for 1-2 games a week
• you want an affordable option with good value for money (durability in particular)

The Court Lite 4 is just a normcore tennis shoe but it definitely lacks the pop of more expensive options.

If you don't mind stretching your budget a little bit more, you can opt for the more comfortable and performance-oriented ASICS Gel Challenger 14 and K-Swiss Hypercourt Express 2.

Nike doesn't skimp on the amount of cushioning foam in the Court Lite 4.

Measuring its stack height in the heel returned a standard calliper reading of 28.5 mm which translates to a sufficient buffer between the foot and the court.

The shoe also packs a solid amount of cushioning in the forefoot, protecting the ball of foot and the big toe joint from repetitive impact. Showing 19.0 mm on the calliper, it proves to be on par with the category average.

The difference between the two stack heights gives the Court Lite 4 a heel-to-toe drop of 9.5 mm.

This is a standard offset for a tennis shoe in which the heel is slightly raised above the toes to provide more impact protection while the forefoot stays a bit closer to the court for control and manoeuvrability.

But please note that this low-cost Nike shoe relies on a very basic type of EVA foam for its primary cushioning. It is a pretty dense material without a tonne of energy return.

This is clearly reflected in the shoe's midsole firmness which returned a higher durometer reading of 29.9 HA - not the softest tennis shoe midsole out there.

Some comfort is offered by the shoe's padded insole, which showed a decent thickness of 4.4 mm. It's not the cushiest out there but, once again, the padding is just right for a budget shoe.

We were surprised to see the brand's recommendation to get a half size larger in the Court Lite 4 because the shoe didn't seem small in our regular men's US size 9. Neither did the shoe's gel mould pose any concerns about the fit.

Measuring the widest area of the mould, our calliper returned a pretty high reading of 95.5 mm - that's even a couple of millimetres wider than average!

However, there is a visible taper angle in the shoe's gel replica. We can see how some people may feel restricted because of its somewhat pointy shape. But even in the big toe area, the Court Lite 4 showed nothing less than the average 69.4 mm of width!

We don't see the need to size up if you have regular medium-width feet. But you may prefer to do so if you want a bit of extra space in front of your toes.

Even the shoe's vertical space proved to be on par with the average and nowhere near restricting. Measuring its toebox height, we got a regular reading of 25.9 mm.

There are no internal shanks or major stabilising components on the NikeCourt Lite 4 but the shoe still delivered sufficient lateral stability to keep us surefooted.

Its firm midsole, targeted side panels, and synthetic leather overlays all work together to make this Nike shoe as resistant to twisting as possible.

The Court Lite 4 truly amazed us with its torsional rigidity, earning the highest possible stiffness score of 5/5. Despite its more affordable nature, this entry-level tennis shoe made us feel as surefooted as some of the premium options.

The shoe's stiff heel counter also kept our heels and ankles securely in place. It formed a supportive cage around the rearfoot minimising the wobbles during intense side-to-side movements.

Pushing and squeezing the heel counter with our hands, we didn't hesistate to mark stiffness with a high score of 4/5.

The broad platform of this Nike shoe also plays a vital role in its stability department.

Measuring the widest part of its midsole in the forefoot, our calliper recorded an above-average reading of 113.5 mm. Having that much landing area inspired confidence for both landing and pushing off during the rallies.

The same proved to be true for the shoe's heel, which returned a high calliper reading of 94.1 mm in the widest part. We believe that beginner players will highly appreciate the increased stability of the Court Lite 4.

We found that the shoe's built-up design affects its flexibility, too.

Bending the Court Lite 4 to a 90-degree angle, our force gauge showed that this action required no less than 35.3N. That's a bit more force than it takes an average tennis shoe.

This lowers the shoe's manoeuvrability but offers greater forefoot support and stability in return.

Weighing the Court Lite 4 on our scale showed that the word "Lite" in its name doesn't necessarily correspond to the true nature of this Nike shoe.

At 12.8 oz (363g), it sits right at the average of tennis shoes but we think that it could have been lighter given the absence of the technical bells and whistles.

If you prefer a lighter shoe for easier acceleration on the court, try the ASICS Gel Dedicate 8.

In its product description, Nike promises a breathable upper in the Court Lite 4. But it never specified the level of breathability...

Instead, our own testing revealed that the shoe's ventilation capacity is rather limited and it is primarily because of the thick synthetic overlays all over it!

The video above shows how much the airflow is being restricted by the shoe's synthetic toebox. And the perforations throughout it can only do this much.

Taking all this into account and comparing the Court Lite 4's breathability to other tennis shoes, we gave it a pretty moderate score of 3/5. It's not too toasty, but you may want a better aerated shoe for hot weather (score 4 or 5).

Considering the shoe's price point, it's easy to assume that the Nike Court Lite 4 lacks in the durability department. However, we are happy to report that it is not entirely true!

Sure, some of its parts are more prone to abrasion and one such example is the shoe's toe drag guard. More specifically, the synthetic leather overlay above the rubber. Using sandpaper and a Dremel, we literally put the material through the wringer to see how it holds up against the brutal slashing.

Because the Dremel tore through the topmost synthetic layer, we lowered the durability score to 3/5. But on the bright side, it wasn't a see through hole and there is still some life left in the shoe!

In the next test, we checked the top of the shoe's toebox using the same method. However, we lovered the Dremel speed from 10K to 5K RPM because it is not as exposed to court abrasion as the inner side of the shoe.

The damage was notably smaller leading to a higher durability scor fo 4/5!

We always have the biggest concerns about the shoe's inner collar lining (aka heel padding) because the fabric here tends to be so frail in many tennis shoes. And once you develop a hole here, the entire shoe starts to feel off... But not in the NikeCourt Lite 4!

Given the shoe's price point, the applaud Nike's material choice here because it didn't even look like it was touched with sandpaper! That's an instant 5/5.

Disclaimer: In this review, we are testing the CLY (Clay) version of the Court Lite 4. The results can differ from the shoe's hard court version.

We were just as pleased with the shoe's outsole durability results. Pressing a Shore A durometer against its rubber compound, we got an above-average reading of 89.5 HC. This on the harder size of tennis shoe rubbers! 

So when it came to applying our Dremel to that rubber, we expected some solid results as well.

The damage left by the tool was pretty moderate with a depth of only 1.0 mm, according to our tread gauge. This is exactly what we would expect from a tennis shoe in this price range.

Nike also made sure that there was enough rubber on the Court Lite 4 to sustain prolnged wear-and-tear. Our calliper measured ots outsole thickness at 5.2 mm which is about a milimeter thicker than average!

In our opinion, Nike did its best packing the Court Lite 4 with all of the tennis shoe essentials while keeping the price point under £100.

Sure, we can feel its difference from the more premium options, but if you are a beginner player who just wants a decent tennis shoe without breaking the bank, this is it.

The shoe's internal padding is not very abundant but it is sufficient to provide comfort throughout the game. Its tongue, for example, returned only 5.5 mm of thickness but it did a good job preventing lace bites.

The tongue of this Nike shoe is non-gusseted which means that it has no attachments to the rest of the upper. While this is normal for budget-friendly shoes, it can result in some unfortunate tongue shifting during the match.

There is no heel tab to assist with the on-and-off but the shoe's stiff heel counter and low-cut profile allow for a pretty easy entry.

The shoe's stock insole is removable so you can always amp up the comfort by placing an insert of your own.