Breakdown

Comfort: 8.5

The Nike Zoom GP Challenge 1s are easily among the most cushioned tennis shoes to come out in 2024. One of the biggest factors for such a claim is the pair of Zoom Air units in the heel and forefoot that make these shoes so plush and comfortable. Mark explained, "I favor a level of midsole cushioning that is substantial and firm, yet forgiving, and that is precisely the feel Nike's new GP Challenge afforded me. Length and width were accurate and comfortable for my size 11 feet, and the positioning of the arch insert was perfect for my instep. As far as breathability, I was not able to test them in hotter weather, but my feet never overheated or became damp after a couple of hours of play."

It took Chris a couple of hitting sessions to feel like he was moving naturally in the Zoom GP Challenge 1s. He said, "I immediately noticed the plush cushioning under my feet when I stepped into the Zoom GP Challenge 1s. I'm used to playing in shoes that offer a closer-to-the-ground ride, so the Challenge 1s did not feel natural for the first couple of hitting sessions. Once I got used to the feel, I enjoyed the level of cushioning and found them very comfortable. The uppers flexed and moved well with my feet. The tongue was also very soft, and it took some care and attention to get it to lay flatly under the lacing system when putting the shoes on. The level of ventilation was not top-notch, but the tongues did allow the shoes to breathe a bit."

Jason immediately noticed the underfoot comfort as he stepped on court with the Zoom GP Challenge 1s. He said, "The cushioning of these shoes is really what set them apart from the competition. The midsole feels plush and does a great job of taking the sting out of tougher landings. I did appreciate the lower arch support for my low-arched feet, and I had no problems with the width fit."

Having used the GP Turbos in the past, Troy was pleased with the comfort level the Zoom GP Challenge 1s offered, but he noticed some toe jamming as he racked up a few more hours in the shoes. He described, "The underfoot cushioning was very good, probably up near the top ranks compared to other shoes on the market. With that said, the Nike Air Zoom GP Turbo was an all-time favorite of mine in terms of comfort, and these Zoom GP Challenge 1s weren't quite to that level. The ventilation was actually better than I would have thought; this is something that was improved compared to the GP Turbo, which had little to no breathability. The arch support was pretty average, and the overall fit was good for me in my usual size 9.5. My only real concern when it came to comfort was the rubber toe cap at the very tip of these shoes. This rubber piece felt firm, and there were times it felt like my toes were jamming into it when I was moving toward the net. I wouldn't say this was the worst toe-jamming issue I have had, and it wasn't all that frequent, but it's something that I thought about during points, especially when there was a short ball hit to me (like do I really need this point?)."

Foot Support / Stability: 7.8

Nike took steps to ensure a secure ride by adding a stability plate to the Zoom GP Challenge 1's midsole. Chris was quite impressed with the lateral stability the Challenge 1s offered while maintaining a faster feel. He said, "Underfoot, the shoes offered enough flex at toe-off to feel fast while still providing adequate lateral rigidity. Likewise, the uppers provided good lateral support while flexing well on forward sprints."

Sharing similar opinions to Chris, Mark noted that the stability gave him confidence when he had to take off from across the court. He said, "To me, the GP Challenge 1s are support- and comfort-themed court shoes, and Nike did a great job executing the design. Between the stance of the shoe, the stack height of the midsole and the supportive upper, I had no issues applying the gas, the brakes or changing directions."

On the other hand, while Jason liked the support these shoes provided, he thought they lacked a locked-in feel. He said, "The side-to-side stability was really good. The stability plate combined with the uppers of the shoes felt rigid enough to keep my feet from rolling over when planting and changing directions, but I did have issues with getting a locked-in fit and feel. Perhaps the shoe opening was too big or it lacked one extra set of eyelets, but I was experiencing some heel slippage. Because my feet could slide around slightly in the shoes, when I was moving forward and trying to stop, I was getting a little bit of toe jamming."

"I would say for the most part the support and stability aspects were good," added Troy. "There was enough rigidity in these shoes, and I think the midfoot plastic plate did a good job of maintaining the lateral stability. I found a secure feel and a locked-in fit, so I felt very confident in my movement. I could cinch the laces up tightly, and with the belt-like strap on the lateral side, the shoes felt very supportive around the middle part of my feet. If there was a downside, it had to be that my feet sit a bit higher off the court than average in these shoes. I never had any rollovers during the playtest, and I didn't think it was much of an issue, but it may be a little higher up off the court than some would prefer."

Overall Sole Durability: 8.1

The GP Challenge 1s fared quite well in terms of durability with most of our playtesters, who credited the strategic placement of high-abrasion rubber. Troy only had praise for the durability of the Challenge 1s. He said, "I found the durability to be very good. The whole forefoot region felt nice and beefy. I played in these Challenge 1s more than most of my shoes lately because I really liked the style and comfort, and I was surprised how well the rubber outsoles and the tread held up. I will say that the outsole did have a beefy feel to it, so it seemed like it added a bit of heft to these shoes, but it did a good job for durability purposes. The toes seemed to hold up well, and I was especially impressed with the medial protector piece, which held up to some toe dragging on my volleys. Overall, these shoes are a good option for durability — probably second in the Nike shoe line to the Zoom Vapor Cage 4 Rafas.”

The praise for the Challenge 1's durability continued as Mark highlighted the drag protection on the medial side of the toe box. He said, “The outsole was very durable, and this might be the most durable Nike tennis shoe at thi moment in time. The toe cap area of the GP Challenge 1 is also substantial and extends over the medial side of the toe box, catering to players with enough limb elasticity to invert their foot during play."

Jason thought the Challenge 1s felt quite solid, and he was confident it would be a while before he started seeing any real wear on them. He described, "The outsoles held up very well for the duration of the playtest. I saw very minimal signs of wear and tear after 10-plus hours of testing, and I could easily double or even triple the on-court hours with confidence."

As impressed as the rest of the playtest team was with the durability of this shoe, Chris noticed a good amount of wear and tear on his pair of Challenge 1s. He said, "I saw quite a bit of wear under the big toe area of the outsole on my right shoe. A common high-wear point for me, the area showed more wear than I experienced in the Air Zoom Vapor 11s. I also saw a lot of scuffing to the midsole material on the toe of the left shoe. The toe bumpers held up better, and I did not drag past them to the mesh-like upper material, so the to bumpers did their job."

Traction: 8.6

Our entire playtest team found plenty of grip from the outsoles of the GP Challenge 1s. Mark called attention to his ability to accelerate out of shots easily in these shoes. He said, "In addition to featuring good outsole durability, I will also give very high marks to the traction level of the Zoom GP Challenge 1s. I felt safe and comfortable diving into or accelerating out of shots, whether the court was clean or not.”

Even though Chris found great traction from the Challenge 1s, the outsole tread still allowed him to slide on court whenever needed. He said, "I felt like I moved very well in the Zoom GP Challenge 1s. I liked the level of grip I found on aggressive push-offs for a quick sprint. The shoes also provided a solid level of traction when I was cutting laterally. When I was pulled wide, I found just the right amount of give from the outsoles for a small, controlled slide."

However, Jason would have preferred slightly slicker traction levels. He said, "The outsoles provided excellent grip on the hard courts. I had no problems with slipping while pushing off, but when coming to a stop, I did find the outsole to be a bit stickier than I would've liked when I was coming to a stop.”

That sentiment was shared by Troy to some degree. Luckily, he thought the traction got better as he clocked more hours in his pair. He explained, "The traction level was pretty much spot-on. The rubber outsole felt a little bit on the firm side right out of the box and my first time on the court, likely because it is pretty durable. Initially the traction was OK, but after a few hours of wear on our gritty hard court, it started to feel really nice and grippy. As I wore these shoes more, the rubber wore down slightly (sort of scuffed down the outer layer), and I felt like the traction kept getting better. Even after 25 to 30 hours of wear, the traction is great and helps me feel confident with my movement."

Weight: 7.3

Weighing in at 15.6 ounces (men's size 10.5), the GP Challenge 1s are among the heavier tennis shoes Nike offers, but the resounding opinion among the playtesters was that the weight was justified considering the playability of the shoes. Troy explained, "I would say I initially found these shoes to feel slightly on the heavy side, and also a bit rigid right out of the box. They were not the lightest or speediest shoes, but after they broke in and softened up a bit, I noticed they felt smoother as I moved around the court. I don't think the weight changed, but these shoes did start to feel a bit speedier for their weight as time went on."

Despite the weight, Mark never thought the GP Challenge 1s held him back on the court. He said, "These shoes do slightly eclipse the weight of some of my favorite tennis shoes, and they may not feel quite as nimble around the court as I would hope, but they didn’t hinder my speed."

"These are certainly not lightweight shoes, and I don't think they are meant to be," Jason added. "With the amount of cushioning used and the high level of durability, I expected the shoes to feel substantial."

Chris generally uses shoes on the weightier end of the spectrum, so he wasn't thrown off by the weight of the Zoom GP Challenge 1s. He said, "The Zoom GP Challenge 1s felt pretty middle of the road in terms of weight. I was moving well in them once I got used to the more elevated feel. There was enough give for the shoes to flex and move with my feet, which helped hide the feel of what weight was there."

Breakdown Summary