About

New Balance CT302: same court, thicker sole

The CT302, like the CT500, belongs to New Balance’s court line, but you notice the difference immediately when you put the two side by side. Where the CT500 keeps its cupsole as thin as possible, the CT302 sits on a noticeably higher, thicker sole rim that runs like a wide band around the shoe. The tennis shape is the same; the proportions are different.

That difference continues into the toe. The CT302 wears a large, smooth toe cap that sits as a separate panel on the upper, often in contrast to the rest. On a tennis court such a cap would take the wear from the dragging foot during a serve; here it’s mainly a graphic element that gives the shoe its character. Above that the upper combines soft suede with open mesh, with the N as a large panel on the side.

The brand name is pressed into the sole rim, and otherwise visible technology is completely absent. That’s typical of the court line: no window, no cushioning name on the sole wall like on the running lines, just a flat base to stand on.

Within this cluster the CT302 is therefore the heavier of the two court models, and a good alternative for those who find the 480 from the basketball corner too low. Three shoes, three sports, one thought: the shape of a sports shoe without the sport.

On this page you can see which versions of the New Balance CT302 are currently hottest according to the Hypescore, from which price they can be found and at how many shops they are in stock.