Air Max Mirabella II
Earlier this year we tested the Nike Lunar Speed 2, a super lightweight shoe that is intended for speed on the court. On the flip side, the Air Max Mirabella II is built for the power player. Perhaps this is why Serena Williams makes this her on-court shoe.
The fit: Slipping this on, the fit difference between the Lunar Speed 2 and the Air Max Mirabella II is immediately noticeable. While, the Lunar Speed 2 sports a glove-like fit, the Mirabella II has a generous medium fit in the forefoot, making it comfortable for those with medium to slightly wide feet. Having a wide forefoot, I found this to be the most comfortable Nike I’ve worn to date. What I noticed most, however, was the depth of the toe box. There’s plenty of wiggle room for your toes, so the Mirabella II is a nice option who those like the extra room. I installed my blue Superfeet insoles in the Mirabella II as well, and the toe box depth still allowed some wiggle room.
Comfort: As I said, the Mirabella II is a generous medium width in the forefoot, so it’s great for those who might have found other Nike models too narrow for their feet. The Max Air cushioning is outstanding, and the heel collar is well padded so it never irritated my Achilles tendon. Though the Max Air cushioning also provided a bit of a higher ride in the heel, the forefoot was low to the ground for a performance ride.
The toe of my Mirabella II after about 30 hours of wear
In motion: This shoe is the choice of Serena, who isn’t too shabby in the footwork department. With a name like that playing in the Mirabella II, it’s safe to say that this Nike is made for the aggressive mover. I always felt safe with my movements, and I didn’t feel any need to hold back at any time, whether I was moving forward or backward. The sturdy midfoot shank ensured the shoe was at all times stable, and traction failed me not once.
Durability: I put about 30 hours on the XDR outsole on hard courts, and I just saw the area under the ball of the foot and medial edge start to go smooth. I’m quite impressed by the Mirabella II’s outsole durability. The toe durability, though, is another story. I tend to drag my foot on my left side, turning my foot over as I follow through with the backhand. The XDR material comes up a little bit, enough to protect against a toe drag on a serve perhaps. However, if you’re a toe dragger on groundstrokes, you might scratch up the upper pretty easily. The sheen on the shoe I wore (White/Lilac) made this more noticeable. In the end, I didn’t tear a hole in the shoe, so the shoe was holding up, but the scrape made the shoe look dirty.
Overall, this shoe is quite comfortable and pretty durable. I especially enjoyed the wider fitting forefoot of the Mirabella II, making it the most accessible Nike shoe for me to date. This is a shoe that I would be happy to pull on whether I’m headed out for an hour hit or tournament play.
Happy hitting!
Tiffani, TW
