Wilson Rush Pro 2.5 Men's Review

Comfort - Score: 4.2

While our playtesters did have a few minor complaints, they were very pleased with the level of comfort the Rush Pro 2.5s provided. After a short break-in period, Andy remembered why he has been a big fan of the Rush Pro shoe line for years. He shared, "Previous versions of the Rush Pros have fit my feet well, and this update was no exception. These shoes felt pretty narrow when I first put them on, and I had some minor discomfort in the forefoot area. After a couple of hours, though, the uppers opened up, my pain went away and the shoes felt really good. There was good cushioning all around my feet, and the uppers flexed more naturally than previous versions. The Rush Pro 2.5s did run a bit hot during play, and my feet got a little more sweaty than usual during my hitting sessions. All in all, though, I like the way the shoes hug my feet, and they provided good cushioning all over."

Chris' shoes needed a couple of hours to break-in, but once they did he was also satisfied with the comfort. He said, "I found a pretty comfortable fit in the the Rush Pro 2.5s. During break-in I was getting some pinching around my little toes, but it was more noticeable when walking around in the shoes than it was when I was playing points. After I played in them for a couple of hours the uppers were flexing better with my feet and the pinching pretty much went away. I thought the cushioning was good. I never felt any undue jarring when moving around the court aggressively, but I would have liked more arch support. The shoes flexed a little too much through the arch area for my liking, and I felt the occasional strain to my arches. Ventilation was a strongpoint, and my feet never overheated."

Jason enjoyed a comfortable ride in these shoes but had a bit of a fit issue that never went away. He explained, "For the most part, these shoes were comfortable to wear while on court. With the softer uppers, I thought the fit was really well suited for my wider feet. The cushioning was average in my opinion, offering a firmer, more responsive ride. I do have to take away some points because of the tingling sensation I had in my left foot. After some time on the court my left toes would feel numb and 'tingly,' and the feeling would dissipate as soon as I took the shoes off."

Mark never wanted to take his pair off because of how comfortable they were. He raved, "With the prior Rush Pro 2.0s my feet were secured comfortably, so I was hoping that their successor wouldn't change too much. These shoes were brought to my desk for the playtest, and I have not wanted to wear any other tennis shoes since. The comfort level for the latest Rush Pros was just right for me since I don't like a 'pillowy' feel from my tennis shoes. The uni-tongue and rest of the interior of the shoes seamlessly fit my feet, providing a very customized feel."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.3

The low-to-the-ground build of the Rush Pro 2.5s sets the foundation for their supportive, stable ride. "Overall stability, whether moving laterally or forward, was top notch," Mark said. "Occasionally my feet get shoved to the front end of a tennis shoe when I make abrupt stops around the net, but that never occurred during this playtest."

Jason found the updated uppers comfortable and supportive. He said, "Even with new, softer uppers (compared to the Rush Pro 2.0s), I thought the stability was really good. I always felt like the shoes were able to support my ankles and feet when I was planting and changing directions."

"One of the strengths of these shoes proved to be their support and stability," Andy praised. "For starters, they ride low to the ground for a solid, stable base. Next, the cage-style wrap around the forefoot does an excellent job locking in the feet during aggressive lateral movements, while the midfoot shank resists twisting. I had full confidence when I was moving at top speeds, and even when I was sliding on the hard courts we used during this playtest."

Chris thought the Rush Pro 2.5s provided a nice locked-in fit for his narrow feet, but he wanted a bit more support through the arch area. He explained, "The uppers of the Rush Pro 2.5s held my feet securely, and I was able to move aggressively without my feet sliding around inside the shoes. I also felt pretty stable in them. On lateral cuts my feet felt locked in and secure. Again, I would have liked more rigidity from the shoes under my arches, but that was my only knock."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.0

The durability of the Rush Pro 2.5s proved to be good, but not great. "I found these shoes to offer decent, but not outstanding durability," Andy said. "After about 15 hours of wear there was some sign of wear to my typical high wear areas of the outsoles, but there was still a good amount of life left, too. The medial side of the uppers -- an area where my hard court sliding habit can typically do some damage -- is protected very well and shows virtually no signs of wear. These shoes will hold up well for the serious player, but in case they don't, there's still that six-month durability guarantee to fall back on."

Normally hard on his shoes, Chris had a similar experience to Andy. He shared, "My shoes started to show wear first on the outsole under the big toe of my right foot. I had completely worn the tread away in that area, and I would expect to be completely through the outsole in a couple more weeks. My right shoe also showed some wear in the forefoot region, but there was still tread left there. Both toes have significant scuffing at the toe bumpers. Fortunately there's plenty of rubber on the bumpers, and I expect them to hold up to plenty more abuse, and outlive the outsoles."

Mark was very impressed with the durability of the Rush Pro 2.5, and he still has plenty of life left in his pair. He said, "After 25 hours of play time on my pair I still have at least that many hours left in them. I am a 49-year-old player, so I don't burn through sole warranty shoes the way I used to, but I normally can whittle down a pair in three months of play. Durability-wise, these shoes are on par with all the other high performance tennis shoes that feature a sole warranty."

Jason liked the durability of this version just as much as the previous one. He shared, "I didn't expect much to change since this is the same outsole as the previous model, and that was the case. I was once again impressed with the durability of the outsoles. Even with 15 hours on court with them on I see very little tread wear and tear."

Traction - Score: 4.2

Our playtesters enjoyed and trusted the level of traction the Rush Pro 2.5s provided. "Their unique full herringbone tread pattern provided great traction on the TW indoor court," Jason said. "There was enough grip to keep me from slipping on my initial step, and enough give in the rubber that I didn't feel like my feet would get stuck when I was trying to stop."

Chris also liked the blend of grip and give these shoes gave him. He praised, "I liked the level of traction the Rush Pro 2.5s offered. I found ample grip for sprinting around the court. When I was taking an aggressive first step the 2.5s offered the grab I needed to push off quickly, and when I was coming to an abrupt stop the shoes gripped well without being too sticky and making me feel unstable."

Mark was impressed with the traction, and he figured it would translate to any court surface. He explained, "My praise for these shoes didn't end with their favorable levels of comfort, support and stability. I play mostly on hard courts, and on that particular surface I had nothing but confident starts and stops during this playtest. With that said, the tread pattern is close to being a full herringbone and would be very compatible with a soft court as well."

Andy got comfortable with the Rush Pro 2.5s as the test went on, but it took him a little while to get the feel for how the shoes were gripping the court. He said, "The traction was good, but not great, throughout this playtest. I thought the outsoles were a bit more on the sticky side, but there were times when I tried to make a quick cut and I lost traction and slipped a little. The interaction with the court was just a little less predictable than I would've liked, but this was certainly a minor issue during the test. Ultimately, I felt pretty comfortable sliding, cutting and sprinting around the court in these shoes."

Weight - Score: 4.3

Our team found the Rush Pro 2.5s to be light and fast on the court. Chris liked the weight of the 2.0s, and he felt the same way about these shoes. He praised, "I liked the feel of the Rush Pro 2.5s. I felt like I could move at full speed in them without any sensation of bulkiness or heft. They felt pretty similar to the Rush Pro 2.0s, and both of these versions feel faster on my feet than the originals."

Jason had no issues with the weight and feel of these shoes. He raved, "These shoes definitely fall on the lightweight end of the scale. They don't feel cumbersome at all, and once I have them on their weight is an afterthought."

Andy thought the design of the Rush Pro 2.5s gave him good court feel and control of his movement. He shared, "Since they ride so low to the ground I felt very connected to my movement and pretty quick out on court. The design of the uppers is a little bit bulky, but I never thought it inhibited my movement in any way. While they aren't the lightest shoes on the market, I certainly didn't find them to be heavy or clunky."

Echoing the others' sentiments, Mark said, "These shoes maneuver more like speed-oriented shoes than typical sole warranty shoes. If my tennis shoes are extremely light I don't always feel confident chasing down a shot with the exuberance of a Golden Retriever, but weight-wise the Rush Pro 2.5s were spot on for me."

Overall - Score: 4.2