It’s been long two years since Nike debuted Rafa’s current signature shoe – the Air Max Courtballistec 4.3. The refresh of his signature series is finally coming in 2014. There were several “leaks” claiming Rafa Nadal is already wearing his upcoming shoes in practice. During his preparation for the clay season, back in April, Rafa was spotted in unknown Nike tennis shoes. He was also seen wearing the same shoe during one of his training sessions at the US Open. Apparently it’s the anticipated Nike Lunar Courtballistec 5.3(?), which upgrades Rafa’s trademark Air Max unit in favor of Lunar cushioning. The biggest change in appearance is the big swoosh on the front of the shoe… similar to designs often seen on Nike’s current soccer cleats and basketball kicks. Continue reading for more practice pics and one catalog image unveiling the whole shoe. Thanks for our readers Bruno and Danny for the heads up!

Rafa @ US Open practice

Earlier this year…

Catalog image

Photos via purepeople.