It’s that time of year again where you’ll be driving up and down, getting all the supplies your kid needs for going back to school. Allow us to make the job a little bit easier by helping you decide which tennis shoe to get for your little one. No matter your child’s level or lack of experience when it comes to playing tennis, we think the NikeCourt Junior Lite 2 is a great and affordable option to keep in mind. Read on to see why we think so.
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NikeCourt Junior Lite 2 Kid’s Tennis Shoe
The NikeCourt Junior Lite 2 is one of Nike’s hottest and reasonably priced children’s tennis shoes. The Court Juniors are made out of a synthetic mesh and leather upper that makes them durable and breathable. These Nikes also feature a foam midsole for extra cushioning and extra padding around the tongue and collar of the shoe for added comfort and support around the ankle.
That said, all this padding and leather does place the Juniors on the heavier side of Nike’s shoes and can feel and look a little too bulky, depending on your preferences. This does not mean that the shoes are ugly, as they are far from that. True to the Nike image, the Court Juniors are still very aesthetically pleasing with a five-patterned outsole and the choice of four different color schemes to pick from.
The five-patterned design of the outsole is meant to act as a visual outline of the basic movements tennis players first learn, which is quite an interesting inclusion. While the outsole does not feature any of Nike’s signature technologies, it does still offer a lot of durability.
Who Is This Product For?
The argument could be made that the goal when the Court Juniors were first designed was to aim for durability. The level of durability of this model seems to be its most prominent feature, gained from its mix of leather material in its upper and an overall good quality during the manufacturing phase. It is this level of durability and hardiness that makes this model a great choice for younger players.
Regardless of whether your child has never played before or has already played for a year or two, these shoes are sure to withstand the rigors and hardships of training for a long time. Due to the shoe’s bulkier shape and weight, they may not be the best for faster and more offensive players but should be ideal for defensive players.
Specifications
- The upper portion of the shoe consists of a leather and synthetic mesh body.
- The leather allows for more durability, while the mesh sections allow for breathability.
- The inner and insole are made out of textile materials, with the insole also being removable if needed.
- Features a foam midsole and padding around the collar and tongue area of the shoe for support and comfort.
- A 5 patterned outsole made out of standard rubber.
- Suitable for all court types
As mentioned, the main strength of these NikeCourt Juniors is the durability of its upper component. The leather sections of the upper are guaranteed to take a lot of punishment over many hours of play, while the mesh sections are there to create breathability and ensure that your children’s feet don’t get too uncomfortable or stuffy while on the court.
These elements make them a perfect choice for beginners or more experienced players, as the main thing you want from a pair of shoes, especially children’s shoes, is to know that they won’t just break or tear after a few hours.
The extra padding added to the tongue and collar of the shoe will also keep their ankles comfortable and combat chafing. At the same time, the foam midsole ensures that the soles of their feet are cushioned as they dash about the court. The absorption offered by the midsole will hopefully also lessen any impact or pressure during play and keep your kids’ feet pain-free.
The combination of these points and features does lean the Court Juniors closer towards a more defense-oriented style of play, as they might feel too bulky for fast or offensive playstyles. The choice of making the insole removable is also greatly appreciated, as this makes it a lot easier when or if you need to replace the insole, either because of wear and tear or if you have prescription insoles that you need to use.
While not overly useful, the five-pattern design featured on the outsoles is still a nice touch. It provides a visual aid for the kids as they think about and practice their important tennis steps and movements. As for what court types you can play on, this model was not made with a particular court type in mind and instead opted for an all-rounder.
While the NikeCourt is undoubtedly an impressive and reasonably priced shoe, it is not without some room for improvement. The inclusion of the 5-pattern design, while very visually attractive and capturing, does feel a bit superfluous. If a change could be made to the outsole, a more appealing option would be to swap the 5-pattern for a Herringbone design or even one of Nike’s more durable outsole technologies that can be found in their other shoes.
The second issue of the shoe’s bulkiness and heft is greatly diminished by the fact that the benefits gained from this weight outweigh the negatives. A third suggestion could be made with regards to the available color schemes. While you do have four choices to pick from, three of them feel far too similar, featuring only trimming alterations and differences. However, the main issue actually lies with the durability of the shoe. Well, part of it.
The upper portion and component of the shoe is certainly very durable and tough, but the lower portion is arguably less so. The standard rubber outsole that the NikeCourts feature is not delicate by any means. Still, it is not as durable as other shoes that are made with trademark rubber designs within Nike and other brands. This would be less of an issue if the shoe were sold at a lower price on account of the fact that children can grow at alarming rates.
The next item of this review is a brief and summarised bullet point list of the various pros and cons that this Nike model has. However, before you read on, it is essential to remember that while there do exist pros and cons that cannot be challenged, there also exist pros and cons that are informed by our own subjective perception of anything we assign a value to. Some items may appear as a pro for you and as a con to another.
Pros
- The upper of the shoe is very durable due to the leather components
- Breathable
- Reasonable affordable
- Bulky and slightly heftier (preference)
- Is adequately suitable for all court types
- Lots of cushioning and comfort are provided by the foam midsole and padded tongue and collar
- Comes in four different color schemes
- Better suited for defensive playstyles (preference)
Cons
- The rubber outsole is less durable than the material used for the upper portion of the shoe
- Bulky and hefty (preference)
- Better suited for defensive playstyles (preference)
- Poor variety within the four different color schemes
- Superfluous outsole design
Final Thoughts
Choosing just the right shoe for your child can be difficult at the best of times, what with all the brands and models available out there. The NikeCourt Junior Lite 2 is a great shoe to look at if the above sentence adequately describes you. This model is geared towards providing your child with a comfortable and very durable shoe that will hopefully last them throughout many games and will only need replacing because your kid outgrew them.
As for the price of the shoe, it is pretty reasonable for what you get. It might feel a bit steep for some, but overall, it’s an ideal entry-level tennis shoe that offers support, cushioning, comfort and durability. All that is left to be said is that we hope this detailed review could be of assistance if you were thinking of purchasing the NikeCourt Junior Lite 2s.