Talk Tennis Playtest: Babolat Propulse FURY Shoe

TW Staff

TW Staff

Administrator
Attention Talk Tennis Members:

We will be sending out a very limited number of the Babolat Propulse FURY shoes for a playtest. Playtesters will be responsible for wearing the shoes for the given time and writing a thorough review of the shoes. Playtesters who are picked will be notified via email. This playtest is open to men in the USA only.

Information about the shoe: The Propulse FURYs are designed for players looking for superior support, stability, and durability. The power belt has been updated such that it’s integrated into an external heel cup to provide optimal fit and support. The FURY will be worn on tour by Benoit Paire.

The application period has ended. We will notify the selected playtesters by email by the end of this week.

We select playtesters based on a number of factors, including past performance on playtests, user history, posting in topics similar to playtest, etc. Due to the very limited number of samples, we will not be able satisfy the large majority of requests. It is absolutely essential that everyone who receives a pair of shoes posts a review.

***This playtest is FREE of charge. Your review is due by December 30th, 2016.***

If you do not post a review or if your review is clearly lacking effort, you will be excluded from future playtests.

Please use the following to write your review:

Tennis experience/background:
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
Current shoe:
How many hours did you play with the shoe?
Normal Size:
Playtesting Size:

Comments on shoe performance:
-comfort:
-arch support:
-stability/support:
-ventilation:
-sole durability:
-toe durability:
-traction:
-weight:
General reaction/comments on overall performance:

As always, we ask that this thread to be used only for questions, discussion and playtest reviews. Extraneous comments will be deleted.

Thanks,
TW Staff
 
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cknobman,

The shoe has not been released yet. It is scheduled to launch for pre-sale this Thursday. We do not have a ton of additional information on the shoe yet as we are set to receive our samples this week so we can't comment on fit or how they play. Is there anything specific you are interested in? I can try to answer.

Thanks,
Brittany, TW
 
TW Staff said:
cknobman,

The shoe has not been released yet. It is scheduled to launch for pre-sale this Thursday. We do not have a ton of additional information on the shoe yet as we are set to receive our samples this week so we can't comment on fit or how they play. Is there anything specific you are interested in? I can try to answer.

Thanks,
Brittany, TW
Click to expand...

Probably nothing that can be answered until you (and others get their hands on some).
I was mainly curious of if they will be a narrow/neutral/wide fit.
 
We'll share more information on the shoes in the coming days. In the meantime, I can answer questions you all may have.

cknobman said:
Probably nothing that can be answered until you (and others get their hands on some).
I was mainly curious of if they will be a narrow/neutral/wide fit.
Click to expand...

The FURY has the same width as the updated fit 2016 Propulses.
 
Babolat Official said:
We'll share more information on the shoes in the coming days. In the meantime, I can answer questions you all may have.
The FURY has the same width as the updated fit 2016 Propulses.
Click to expand...

That is great news as a slightly wider shoe fits me best :)

Really hope to get in on this playtest!
 
Hope I get in this playtest. Have never tried a pair of babolat tennis shoes. I have been very happy with the Asiscs Gel Res line for quite some time.
 
Doc Hollidae said:
What improvements are being made from the previous line of Propulses?
Click to expand...

The FURY has a higher instep and higher upper than the 2016 Propulse (updated fit). Also, the power belt has now been integrated into an exterior heel shell. It no longer comes over the top of the upper like previous Propulses. This is meant to give a more secure fit and heel lock. Plus, it comes with a 360 insock liner. This is a fused tongue that gives a more snug, secure fit.

Overall, the Propulse FURY is meant to give you support, durability, and stability on the court.
 
That sounds awesome. I just wish y'all provided a sample in big boy size, as I am not able to partake in this playtest. ... Hold on now...I just re-checked the OP and now don't see anything about sizes offered. I swear when this post came out it had a size range up to 13. Now that part seems to be gone. I don't know what size Benoit Paire wears, but he is 6'5", so I bet it could be bigger than a 13.
 
Attention Talk Tennis Members,

We have sent out emails to those who were selected. For those who were selected, congratulations and make sure you read the email and respond back.

For those of you who were not selected, thank you so much for wanting to participate in the playtest. There will be many more playtests in the future so keep on applying and don't give up.

Thanks,
Brittany, TW
 
Congrats to those that were selected. For any of you that have used Propulse 4 or 3, I would be interested to see how this one compares to those shoes. I am a long time user of Propulse 4 but never get connected with the next Propulse version. Any input would be appreciated.
 
As always missed out on the playtest opportunity *sigh*, but anyway, wish all the playtesters best of luck. Have the shoes already been shipped to the playtesters @TW Staff ? How soon should we be expecting reviews/posts here? I'm looking for a shoe right now and was hoping I could get feedback on this shoe. Have included it in the mix for my potential next shoe.
 
Babolat shipped the shoes to us and they arrived late last week. Due to the holidays, we have not shipped them out from our warehouse yet. We should be shipping them out early this week. We will send out an email when we do so.

Thanks,
Brittany, TW
 
Attention Playtesters:

Your shoes have been shipped today. Please allow 1-5 business days depending where you live for the shoes to arrive.

Thanks,
Brittany, TW
 
Just arrived. Tired after a 4 hour practice today, but shoes felt VERY comfortable slipping into them. Colors rock. Hope the tongue doesn't 'travel' to the side like the Jets, because I really like the look and feel of this shoe.

Will update.



 
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These ARE - which I didn't even notice until you pointed it out. Tired... :-(

Jets were not. These are like the Diadora Pro ME, but easier to get into. They were on the porch when I got home, but they still felt good on my feet. Looking forward to them.
 
Tuskarr said:
is the tongue detached from the upper? thought it was all one piece like the ubersonic 2
Click to expand...

GoSurfBoy said:
These ARE - which I didn't even notice until you pointed it out. Tired... :-(

Jets were not. These are like the Diadora Pro ME, but easier to get into. They were on the porch when I got home, but they still felt good on my feet. Looking forward to them.
Click to expand...

Yes, that is correct. The tongue is integrate into the upper as part of the 360 degree insock liner.
 
Got mine! Thanks so much! One question -- are the lace holes near the strap meant to be laced, or are the laces meant to go through the loop? This is how it came out of the box:
oIrAVCw.jpg

k0Wf0
k0Wf0
 
Haven't played them yet, but I'd say 'true to size', if you're thinking of ordering blind. I wear 11.5 in everything, and these are fine
 
Okay, not going to be an in-depth report right now, just some highlights and thoughts.

A buddy of mine is a tour player, and I've gotten 4 hours with him in these last 2 days, in these Fury's. Needles to say, I'm being pushed HARD, and really having to step it up.

In a word?

Wow.

Fit, feel, traction, smooth, so positive on my feet that I'm feeling better movement overall. Those 'go behind' shots? I'm getting there much better, as the shoe is so supportive that I'm able to more quickly redirect.

The only con - and I'll have to see if it's just ME - so I'll try MY shoes, is the lacing seems a bit uncomfortable over the top. A little bit of discomfort, but honestly? Even if it's true, this shoe IS THE BOMB.

More coming.
 
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OnyxZ28 said:
Got mine! Thanks so much! One question -- are the lace holes near the strap meant to be laced, or are the laces meant to go through the loop? This is how it came out of the box:
oIrAVCw.jpg

k0Wf0
k0Wf0
Click to expand...

The laces are supposed to go through the power Belt and not the holes. It is correct in the photo. If you prefer, you can lace through the holes to customize feel, but that is up to you.
 
That's what I suspected -- lacing those holes seems to take the belt out of the equation. Much appreciated!
 
I wasn't a playtester, but I bought the shoes as soon as they were available. And Oh My Gosh. I have used babolat propulse for the last three years, as i have found them the most durable. These by far are the best ones yet. The traction has improved(idk how, it was great before anyway), but I can move more quickly. For the size they are extremely light. A great shoe. also love the ankle lock hole(the one set down below on the ankle).
 
Review: Babolat Propulse Fury Shoe
Ladies and gentlemen, here is my review of the Babolat Propulse Fury shoe. Before I proceed, let me first give a big shout out to @TW Staff & @Babolat Official for giving me this opportunity to play test. I had a great time play testing this shoe and really liked this new offering from Babolat. I will definitely be buying another pair.

Here are a few pictures after I unboxed:
R5Fj0Kd.png
hzukZZu.png
oSfSAuh.png

After 2 Hours of Play:
WK6WAFV.png

HU6h6da.png

QGIPm32.png

n79Yjb2.png

bejhiiC.png

Tennis experience/background:
I’m a 5’9”, 175lbs, former Div II college player. I usually play with 4.5 and 5.0 rated players at least twice a week in summers and time-permitting in winters. I have played with a variety of tennis shoe brands and currently am using Head Nitro Pro. My backup in my bag is a pair of Adidas Barricade Club which I find very cost efficient (bought from TW at a killer price) and durable. I have a bunch of other tennis shoes in the closet as well which I rotate depending on my mood mostly.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
I would also describe my style as an aggressive, moving baseliner who is consistent, and rate my forehand as a big weapon. I hustle a lot all over the court and sure enough, that takes its toll on shoes. Even though my serves are not extremely huge, I have decent groundies with ample (if not excessive) spin. Mostly rely on well-placed flatter 1st big serve and can generally get away with a well-placed but slower slice 2nd serve setting up a put-away forehand. Have a one handed backhand. My favorite shot is inside-out forehand which rarely lets me down. I am a chronic toe dragger on serves and splits, and that is where I can tell how durable the shoe is going to be.

Current shoe:
I am wearing Head Nitro Pro these days and really liking the fit (just ordered another pair from TW on a great deal which arrived yesterday). I was a big fan of the Head Sprint Pro before those. That said I have played with nearly every flagship shoe of the current major brands available in US.

How many hours did you play with the shoe?
Twelve hours total on indoor hard. Out of the twelve hours, roughly 9 hours were singles play, rest were doubles and warm-up drills. I was super excited and on the courts an hour later after I received my UPS package.

Normal size:
9.5

Playtesting size:
9.5

Comments on shoe performance:

Comfort:
Very comfortable right out of the box. Did not require breaking-in. Felt they were ready to go as soon as they arrived. I have tried on a pair of the updated Propulse wider fits and the comfort seemed similar. Same level of comfort as Head Nitro Pro although Head Nitro Pro is roomier in the toebox. Having feet on the wider side, I felt the Babolat Propulse Fury was tad snug on me in but not uncomfortable. The new power belt technology locked in my heel and midfoot impressively as well. Had no comfort issues moving laterally and forward/back. The soft synthetic mesh upper in the front also seemed to fit my feet well without giving any pain. Laces lock foot movement on top too after they are passed through power belt loop.

Arch support:
I have medium arches so this has never been an issue for me. These Babolats had medium arches and that suited me just fine. I had no pain in arches area even after 12 hours of play. No pain or feeling of pressure.

Stability/support:
The lateral support and stability was fantastic for me. Heels were deep enough inside the shoe to stop heel slippage. No toe-jamming or feet sliding forward either and my feet felt locked in. As mentioned above, the power belt technology - as Babolat calls it - was very effective in providing a snug and secure fit while on the move. I was a little confused initially but figured out that laces are supposed to go through the power belt for that snug fit on top. Laces are top notch quality as well.

Ventilation:
Ventilation was good although admittedly the conditions I played in were not strenuous enough to bring this factor into play that much. Best way to find this would be to play a long and tough match in the summer heat and see how my feet feel. Given that it is December, I tried to judge the best I could. I never felt my feet were getting hot & juicy so I will rate that the shoe has good ventilation.

Sole durability:
After ten hours of play, no premature wear & tear. As I mentioned earlier, I hustle a lot on court and can tell easily in the first few hours if the show will survive my onslaught. As a point of reference, for first twelve hours, these held up much better than Vapors (which have really bad durability IMO) – even better than my current Head Nitro Pro in fact. I just noticed that even though outsole stopped squeaking on court, there were no visible signs of wear on tread. Shoes usually start showing some baldness in ball/toe area for me after 20 hour mark though. This one seems to be doing better than others. Slight caveat however; indoor courts are not as rough as outdoors so that might be a factor.

Toe durability:
I drag my toe a lot especially on serves and OHBH (split steps too sometimes). The Babolat Propulse Fury held its own. The dense rubber in the toe area showed no signs of wear. Very impressed at ten hour mark. The Michelin outsole rubber is fantastic.

Traction:
This is the area which really stood out for me. Excellent traction. It allowed me to control my movement as I wanted, when I wanted. I was able to stop/start, shuffle, move forward, backward, and laterally without hesitance. Had no trouble changing directions at all. Shoes squeaked & squealed but stopped me on a dime.

Weight:
On the lighter side and fast-feeling even though it does look on the clunkier side. But looks can be deceiving. Just the right weight for me, to be honest. Did not feel clunky in my feet. Not as light as Vapors or Ubersonics, however.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Overall, extremely impressed by this shoe and will definitely be buying another pair. This is a premium quality shoe on par with big name offerings from Nike, Adidas, Asics etc. The colorway is excellent and the shoe would look great with dark pair of socks. To those looking into buying a new tennis shoe, I would highly recommend this shoe if you are in need of a durable and fast-feeling shoe which is stable and on the lighter side. If any of the posters/readers have absolutely any questions whatsoever, please feel free to ask me.

Thank you once again Tennis Warehouse & Babolat for giving me this opportunity to playtest this shoe. It was an absolute pleasure.

Update 12/29/2016:

I have now put roughly 35 hours on the shoe. The sole durability is mind blowing. For a person like me who hustles on court, these shoe have minimal wear and still holding their own as if new. Overall, very happy and satisfied with all factors (durability, traction, comfort, stability etc).
 
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Tee1Up said:
Are these photos of the shoes after 12 hours of play?
Click to expand...
No, last 5 pictures - the ones I added today - are from after a couple of hours of play in indoor courts. The first 3 were immediately after unboxing. These are the only pictures I took. Don't have recent pictures as I am traveling for holidays.
 
haqqani1777 said:
Review: Babolat Propulse Fury Shoe
Ladies and gentlemen, here is my review of the Babolat Propulse Fury shoe. Before I proceed, let me first give a big shout out to @TW Staff & @Babolat Official for giving me this opportunity to play test. I had a great time play testing this shoe and really liked this new offering from Babolat. I will definitely be buying another pair.

Here are a few pictures after I unboxed:
R5Fj0Kd.png
hzukZZu.png


After 2 hours of play:
FJYxzmi.jpg

7qB8zsu.jpg

8dhk6DW.jpg

6buwq6X.jpg

Tennis experience/background:
I’m a 5’9”, 175lbs, former Div II college player. I usually play with 4.5 and 5.0 rated players at least twice a week in summers and time-permitting in winters. I have played with a variety of tennis shoe brands and currently am using Head Nitro Pro. My backup in my bag is a pair of Adidas Barricade Club which I find very cost efficient (bought from TW at a killer price) and durable. I have a bunch of other tennis shoes in the closet as well which I rotate depending on my mood mostly.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
I would also describe my style as an aggressive, moving baseliner who is consistent, and rate my forehand as a big weapon. I hustle a lot all over the court and sure enough, that takes its toll on shoes. Even though my serves are not extremely huge, I have decent groundies with ample (if not excessive) spin. Mostly rely on well-placed flatter 1st big serve and can generally get away with a well-placed but slower slice 2nd serve setting up a put-away forehand. Have a one handed backhand. My favorite shot is inside-out forehand which rarely lets me down. I am a chronic toe dragger on serves and splits, and that is where I can tell how durable the shoe is going to be.

Current shoe:
I am wearing Head Nitro Pro these days and really liking the fit (just ordered another pair from TW on a great deal which arrived yesterday). I was a big fan of the Head Sprint Pro before those. That said I have played with nearly every flagship shoe of the current major brands available in US.

How many hours did you play with the shoe?
Twelve hours total on indoor hard. Out of the twelve hours, roughly 9 hours were singles play, rest were doubles and warm-up drills. I was super excited and on the courts an hour later after I received my UPS package.

Normal size:
9.5

Playtesting size:
9.5

Comments on shoe performance:

Comfort:
Very comfortable right out of the box. Did not require breaking-in. Felt they were ready to go as soon as they arrived. I have tried on a pair of the updated Propulse wider fits and the comfort seemed similar. Same level of comfort as Head Nitro Pro although Head Nitro Pro is roomier in the toebox. Having feet on the wider side, I felt the Babolat Propulse Fury was tad snug on me in but not uncomfortable. The new power belt technology locked in my heel and midfoot impressively as well. Had no comfort issues moving laterally and forward/back. The soft synthetic mesh upper in the front also seemed to fit my feet well without giving any pain. Laces lock foot movement on top too after they are passed through power belt loop.

Arch support:
I have medium arches so this has never been an issue for me. These Babolats had medium arches and that suited me just fine. I had no pain in arches area even after 12 hours of play. No pain or feeling of pressure.

Stability/support:
The lateral support and stability was fantastic for me. Heels were deep enough inside the shoe to stop heel slippage. No toe-jamming or feet sliding forward either and my feet felt locked in. As mentioned above, the power belt technology - as Babolat calls it - was very effective in providing a snug and secure fit while on the move. I was a little confused initially but figured out that laces are supposed to go through the power belt for that snug fit on top. Laces are top notch quality as well.

Ventilation:
Ventilation was good although admittedly the conditions I played in were not strenuous enough to bring this factor into play that much. Best way to find this would be to play a long and tough match in the summer heat and see how my feet feel. Given that it is December, I tried to judge the best I could. I never felt my feet were getting hot & juicy so I will rate that the shoe has good ventilation.

Sole durability:
After ten hours of play, no premature wear & tear. As I mentioned earlier, I hustle a lot on court and can tell easily in the first few hours if the show will survive my onslaught. As a point of reference, for first twelve hours, these held up much better than Vapors (which have really bad durability IMO) – even better than my current Head Nitro Pro in fact. I just noticed that even though outsole stopped squeaking on court, there were no visible signs of wear on tread. Shoes usually start showing some baldness in ball/toe area for me after 20 hour mark though. This one seems to be doing better than others. Slight caveat however; indoor courts are not as rough as outdoors so that might be a factor.

Toe durability:
I drag my toe a lot especially on serves and OHBH (split steps too sometimes). The Babolat Propulse Fury held its own. The dense rubber in the toe area showed no signs of wear. Very impressed at ten hour mark. The Michelin outsole rubber is fantastic.

Traction:
This is the area which really stood out for me. Excellent traction. It allowed me to control my movement as I wanted, when I wanted. I was able to stop/start, shuffle, move forward, backward, and laterally without hesitance. Had no trouble changing directions at all. Shoes squeaked & squealed but stopped me on a dime.

Weight:
On the lighter side and fast-feeling even though it does look on the clunkier side. But looks can be deceiving. Just the right weight for me, to be honest. Did not feel clunky in my feet. Not as light as Vapors or Ubersonics, however.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Overall, extremely impressed by this shoe and will definitely be buying another pair. This is a premium quality shoe on par with big name offerings from Nike, Adidas, Asics etc. The colorway is excellent and the shoe would look great with dark pair of socks. To those looking into buying a new tennis shoe, I would highly recommend this shoe if you are in need of a durable and fast-feeling shoe which is stable and on the lighter side. If any of the posters/readers have absolutely any questions whatsoever, please feel free to ask me.

Thank you once again Tennis Warehouse & Babolat for giving me this opportunity to playtest this shoe. It was an absolute pleasure.
Click to expand...
excellent review @haqqani1777 makes me want to buy the shoe...im in the market for one and some great deals on shoes as well on tw...
 
I have only 4 hours on these shoes so far, but I am very impressed! Fit is outstanding, the heel support mechanism works great, very comfortable out of the box and improving! A little early to tell for sure, but these shoes seem to be right up there with the very best for my foot comfort needs.
 
mrtrinh said:
If i wear a size 8.5 in vapors but 8 in GR6s. What size would you recommend for the Fury?
Click to expand...

8. I wear 11 in GR6 and 11.5 in vapors. I tried on the Fury's today and an 11 fit fine. They felt pretty stiff to me unlike what others said. But, I've had my Asics going on 7 months now so it's hard to remember the stiffness of those when I first got them. When my shop gets in the new GR7's I'm going to try them both on and see. Really want to give these new Fury's a go.
 
Tennis experience/background: 4.5 Player in SoCal, likes playing singles more than doubles.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All court player, likes to take time away from opponents. Always try to move forward and get to the net.
Current shoe: Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5
How many hours did you play with the shoe? 30 hours (I will continue to update as I play more)
Normal Size: 9-9.5
Playtesting Size: 9

Comments on shoe performance:
-comfort: Right out of the box, I put them on and walked out to the car. They felt very tight and I contemplated if I should have gotten half a size up. I have a more narrow foot, so be aware if you have wider feet. I brought along my pair of Babolat Jets (which I previously playtested for TW) just in case I needed to switch. Once I got out onto the court, after about 20 minutes of moving around, the tightness went away and started to feel more comfortable. The only problem I felt was when I stopped hard, I would feel it in my front toe. The mix of synthetic material and mesh in the front of the foot felt a little snug for me and lacked a little flexibility. The uses of full mesh in the Jet or Nike Vapors are much more of my style.

-arch support: The arch support is just right, not to low like Vapors or not too high like Barricades.

-stability/support: When I playtested the Jet, I definitely felt like my feet sat up a little high, but in the Fury, it is just right. These are much more cushioned on all sides. With the uni-tongue, my foot felt locked in. But I felt the Power Belt did not add much to stability. There was some slack to the Power Belt instead of it being snug against my foot. It also made tightening the laces a little more difficult. The more I use them, I start to notice the uni-tongue actually cause some heel slippage. In traditional shoes, im able to pull the tongue up higher and tighten it at the top better to really lock in my foot, but with the Fury, I am unable to do so.

-ventilation: Ventilation has been good. I've had no problems with it, through my multiple sessions.

-sole durability: After 10 hours of play, no noticeable wear yet. As this shoe deems to be a durable shoe like the Lunar Ballistec or Barricade, I expect the outsole to last very very long. Update: The outsole is definitely holding up well. Only slight wear from the side and heel of the outsole.

-toe durability: Being that there is a lot of material in the toe area, it is holding up very well. Thats the thing I notice about Babolat shoes, they don’t skimp on materials for durability. I think even for the heaviest of toe draggers will have no problems with wearing it out.

-traction: The traction was good, no slippage at all. The only surprising area was the shoes made no squeaks at all for me. Unlike Barricades which would squeak with any tiny movement, the Fury was silent.

-weight: This is the part that I didn’t like as much. As a Nike Vapor user, I am used to wearing super light shoes, as the main strength in my game revolves around movement. The Fury felt heavy and bulky to me. I would compare it similar to the Nike Lunar Ballistec.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: Overall, this is a great shoe for players that like more supportive and heavier shoe. I would compare these much closer to the Nike Lunar Ballistec. The design and colorway of the shoe is very bright and looks great. It turned a lot of heads when I got out to the courts. I like the logo and name design much better than the other Babolat shoes, it’s easier to see.

Thank you to @TW Staff and @Babolat Official for another opportunity at playtesting. It was a great pleasure to share my thoughts with other TWers.
 
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My Fury's are size 11. I chose the 11 because I need a bit of a wider fit and I wear custom orthotics that take up some "vertical" space in the shoe. My clay court Vapors are 11's, they are OK, but the fit is a bit big. GR5's I wear are size 10.5, but I think they typically run a bit big and certainly a bit wider, which is perfect for me. Diadora Speed Star KV's are also 10.5, they are also a very good fit. So in my opinion,I would stay with your normal size for the Fury, unless you have some atypical fit issues as I do, in that case you may want to go up 1/2 size. Hope this helps. Happy to try to answer any other questions you may have.
 
Tennis experience/background:
Open player, Nationals, some ITF circuit when funds available (maintaining a house AND paying for the Tour? yaright).

Describe your playing style:
Aggressive, all-court game, coming in more and more.

Current shoe:
Adidas Barricade line

How many hours did you play with the shoe?
12 hours; 8, drilling, 4, match play.

Normal size:
11.5

Playtesting size:
11.5. I think I might even try an 11 on, for fit. Shoe is quite roomy, but good 'lace control' to cinch it up.

Comments on shoe performance:
-comfort:
-arch support:
-stability/support:
-ventilation: (It IS winter, but I can't see it getting hot with this much ventilation)
-sole durability/toe durability: (after 6 hours, the soles are UNMARKED. Like new. I'm going to bet Babo will see VERY few returns for warranty, and I'm hard on shoes, 2-4 hours, most days a week.)
-traction:
-weight:

I'll simply sum up the above section (and I'm NOT trying to short-cut) up in one phrase:

This is the best shoe I have ever worn.

Period. There isn't anything else to 'rate'. The support OF the shoe, the arch, comfort, fit, traction, speed, cushioning, weight?

All 5 of 5 Stars. I have never experienced a better shoe.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:

Seriously. I tried to think of a tennis product which has really - noticeably - boosted my game (I'm lucky to be able to pretty much pick up any racket and stay competitive, as I practiced last summer with a 60" wood racket, with original 1950's/60's cotton strings, and could stay even with several D2 college guys), so while everyone searches for the Holy Grail frame or string, most consider getting to ball as secondary. More of fit and comfort.

My main practice partner right now (an ATP guy) has commented on improved speed and a better setup at the ball, and I must say - it's the shoe. I'm 100% unaware of the shoe. It's so light, quick, solid, reactive, supportive....

It IS that damn good.

And after 12 hours, the soles are UNMARKED. Like new. I'm going to bet Babo will see VERY few returns for warranty, and I'm hard on shoes, 2-4 hours, most days a week.

REALLY want to step up your game?

Then get TO the ball better and faster.

Finally, I'm not a fanboi. I've never even owned a Babo frame (do like the balls), have zero clothing articles, and have had just one pair of ProPulses - once - I think - but jeeeeeez.....this shoe tops EVERYTHING.

In the immortal words of Forrest Gump?

"An' that's all I'm gonna' say 'bout that"
 
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Tennis experience/background: Started playing 14 years ago. Self taught. USTA 4.0C
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Predominantly a doubles player, but will play singles as well. Play style varies between defensive baseliner to all court player depending on the situation. Generally the former though.
Current shoe: Adidas Barricade Boost 2016
How many hours did you play with the shoe? About 6 hours of practice and 15 hours of match play
Normal Size: 10.5
Playtesting Size: 10.5

Comments on shoe performance:
-comfort: Overall comfort of the shoe has been pretty good. There seems to be enough cushioning in the heel to absorb impact. The forefoot felt low to the ground, but was sufficiently cushioned. However, I am not sure if this shoe runs narrow or if I had a problem with my pair as I had severe pinching issues on the lateral side of my left forefoot. I could never cinch the laces too tightly or else it would consistently rub up against my foot causing the pain. This issue did not exist in the right foot.

-arch support: I have a normal to slight low arch in my feet and found no problems with the arch support.
-stability/support: I think this may be the strongest aspect of this shoe. My foot felt very locked in and the lacing system did a good job in securing the midfoot as well. No foot sliding within the shoe. The TPU heel counter was beefy and did its job well.

-ventilation: It’s been pretty cold out lately so hard to say how the shoe would hold up in summer heat. I found no issues with my feet feeling too hot.

-sole durability: After about 20 hours of play, I don’t notice any wear on the outsole. This seems on par with my Barricades

-toe durability: These seem to have better toe durability than the barricades. I drag my back foot on my backhand and there isn’t any visible wear yet

-traction: I’ve worn previous Propulses and the traction pattern looks largely unchanged. While not a traditional herringbone like the Barricades, the traction is still top notch. No slippage unless I happened to misstep. Not the shoe’s fault there.

-weight: They feel lighter than the Barricades, which is nice. Not as light as a Vapor, but not clunky by any means.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: A great, top performance shoe. Should satisfy most players’ needs. However, not something I can personally recommend solely due to the forefoot rubbing/pinching experience I had.
 
Update:

We extended the comments deadline to next Friday, December 30th due to the holidays.

Thanks,
Brittany, TW
 
Thanks so much to TW and Babolat for the opportunity to playtest this product!

Tennis experience/background:
I'm an aspiring 4.0 who has been playing tennis since middle school. I'm a bit of a sneakerhead, and really enjoy following the trends in shoe technology. I've never worn Babolat shoes before this, so when I was chosen, I was pretty excited about trying out the shoe.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
I am an aggressive baseliner, and decently fleet of foot. I rely a lot upon my footspeed to bail me out when I'm in trouble, a frequent occurrence.

Current shoe:
Just turned in my LB 1.5 prior to this test.

How many hours did you play with the shoe?
About 15 hours of drilling and sets.

Normal Size: 9
Playtesting Size: 9

Comfort:
Out of the box, the shoes were very comfortable. On the first wear, it took a bit of effort to slide into the integrated sockliner. Once my foot was in, the shoe was very comfortable. The cushioning is somewhat firm in the heel, but softens up after break-in. The cushioning in the forefoot is not as thick as it is in the heel, but it has been adequate so far in the time I've played with them. On a related note, this means that there was a significant heel-toe drop in the shoe, much more pronounced than in the Zoom Cage 2 or the LB 1.5. Overall, they actually remind me a bit of the Triple Break Pump (with the pump deflated) from Reebok, which makes sense since Roddick connects the two series.

The fit is a hair shorter than the LB 1.5 or the Zoom Cage 2. I wear a 9 in those shoes, and am OK with either 9 or 9.5 in the Gel Res 5. I requested, and received, a size 9 in the Fury shoes. They were longer than my size 9.5 B6, shorter than size 9 B3, LB 1.5 and Cage 2. Similar in length to Sprint Pro and Gel Res 5.

Width size, I have a medium forefoot and a narrow heel. The fit of the forefoot was not snug-feeling to me, but not loose either. In contrast, my heel was swimming in the cup. Without the ankle lock lace, the shoes would have clopped like clogs.

It took a few hours for the shoe to break in. Fresh out of the box they were very comfortable for walking, but on the court they were a bit stiff. That being said, they wer ebroken in after about 3 hours, and since then have been fantastic in terms of comfort.

Overall, a very comfortable shoe once broken in.

Arch support:
I have high arches. I didn't notice anything bad or good about the arch support in the Fury. There was no soreness in the arch, and I did not feel that my arch was unsupported while I was wearing the shoe.

Stability/support:
These shoes are impressively stable. On the LB 1.5, when stopping, you can feel a slight instability on lateral stops. I did not feel that at all with the Fury. This allowed me to plant my foot with confidence while I was on the run. However, I would not recommend sliding on these shoes, at least within the first 15 hours, because the outsole is really grabby.

No toe-jamming issues with hard stops going forward, either.

I did have to lace the ankle-lock lace hole, and tie the lacers tighter than I normally would, owing to what I felt was a relatively roomy fit in the shoe.

Ventilation:
Very impressive. I even wore thick wool socks with the shoe to see if they would get swampy. They did not. High marks for Babolat on this.

Sole durability:
Excellent. As you can see, there is a bit of wear to the white portion of the outsole on the right shoe where the ball of the foot would be:


Otherwise, I expect that at this rate, I would be hard-pressed to wear these shoes out in 6 months. In contrast, I went through the lateral part of the outsole of the LB 1.5 in about 6 weeks.

Toe durability:
I am not a toe dragger. After about 15 hours, the toe is pristine.

Traction:
Excellent. I would not recommend trying to slide in these shoes. The rubber is very grabby, even on worn court surfaces.

Weight:
The left and right shoes weight 14.64 and 14.29 oz, respectively, after about 10 hours of play.



They did not feel heavy. I was wearing LB 1.5s before this shoe, and while these aren't as fast as the LB 1.5, they aren't as clunky as say, the B3, either.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
I thought this was an excellent shoe. Unfortunately, the one of the loops of the power belt on the left shoe detached from the sockliner as I was tying my laces yesterday:


I re-laced the laces using the hole underneath the belt loop. I didn't feel a decrease in stability as a result. It is disappointing that the belt would detach after only about 15 hours of play.

*Update 12/28/2016*
I've put another 8 hours on these shoes. The traction, breathability, and forefoot stability of the shoe have remained excellent. The uppers have stretched a little, but the support in the forefoot is still good.

Unfortunately the roomy heel cup is starting to become an issue. The heel up is both wide and low, so my ankle and heels, even with tightened laces and lacing both top lace holes, still swim about in the heel cup. As a result the shoe is not uniformly supportive between the forefoot and the rearfoot, which has created some awkward flexion in the shoe on lateral stops and pushoffs. Looking at the design of the velcro straps in the old Propulses, it looks like this issue could have been remedied somewhat by the velcro strap.
 
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