Talk Tennis Playtest: Babolat Propulse FURY Shoe

[ShahofTennis]

Tennis Experience/Background: I’ve been playing tennis for about 17 years, turned 23 yesterday. I have no Idea what my NTRP is, but I played tourneys as a Junior, High School, Club in College, and hit as much as I can in a week(about twice realistically).

Describe your Playing Style (i.e. serve & volley): I am to be found on the Baseline or 7 feet ‘behind it these days. I volley well, but it’s not something I like doing.

Current Shoe: Nike Air Max Courtballistec 4.3

How Many Hours Did You Play With the Shoe? I received the Shoe Dec 8th, since then I put most of my tennis mileage on them, about 30 hours.

Normal Size: I fit a size 9.5 consistently on all the shoes I have.

Playtesting Size: I received a size 9.5. I suppose this is as good a time as any to say that I found the shoe runs a little large. I had way too much room in the toe box, I’ll throw on a thicker pair of socks, or even wear 2, but it’s not something I like to do. The most confusing aspect to this is the Babolat Propulse All Court BPM I tested back in Q1 2016 fit perfect.



Comments on Shoe Performance: This shoe plays in between a Vapor 9.5 and a Barricade 7. Its lightness and comfort were sublime, making it perfect for teaching in. On top of that, I rallied in them knowing that they weren’t going to get banged up as badly as a pair of mesh Nike’s.

- Comfort: Out of this world, these shoes feel like your playing on air. The shoes feature a very nice degree of comfort available all around the foot.

- Arch Support: This is a wide and spacious shoe, so for someone like me who has a medium width foot, arch pain is downright impossible.

- Stability/Support: I like the work that has been done on this shoe when it comes to Stability. It really reminds me of the CB4.3. In my opinion these shoes are very similar to the CB4.3 in that they attach to the bottom of the foot to keep them from rolling on slides. With other shoes this requires a lot of surface area contact, but similar to the 4.3, all this shoe needs are the balls of your feet.

- Ventilation: I found these shoes had good ventilation. I played in the cold a lot, and felt cold air around my toes.

- Sole Durability: The Michelin man does not disappoint. I slid, scrambled, hell I even served with pin-point stance so I could drag/slide the toe as much as possible. All that I didn’t find that these shoes very much of the sole. A+ on the rubber outsole, on the most durable out there in my opinion.

- Toe Durability: Very durable, it can take a beating. I’m really in need of leather, or rubber uppers, they just last so much longer than mesh.

- Traction: Superb traction, these things grip the court well and definitely have their apparent strengths, and weaknesses. Synthetic grass is tough to find any traction on already, in fact I don’t think any particular shoe performs well on it in general. But Clay and Hard courts are great for this shoe.

- Weight: Probably one the highpoints of this shoe are that it’s so lightweight, yet the quality of the shoe shows they’ll tough it out for a while.

General Reation/Comments on Overall Performance: With my favorite shoe in Hand, the CB4.3, I found this shoe to be pretty on par with what I enjoy out of a performance tennis shoe. I think this shoe strikes a nearly perfect harmony in being a lightweight shoe, that’s durable, yet most importantly provides stability and traction on movements where you must at times rely upon compensatory footwork and maneuvers to stay in the point or rally.

Thank You Very Much to Babolat and Tennis Wrehouse for yet another Playtest opportunity. Happy Holidays to all!

 

[TW Staff]

Reminder to playtesters:

Your reviews are due by this Friday, December 30th!

Thanks,
TW Staff

 

[sp1derman]

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.

Since you have obviously played with the Jets, do the Fury's have the same heel cushion as the jet? I did enjoy that aspect of the jet. Thanks!

 

[Babolat Official]

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.

The power belt should not be coming apart like that. That's covered under warranty and we can replace the shoe for you. Send me an e-mail at msafi@babolat.com, and we can help you with the process.

 

[lidoazndiabloboi]

Since you have obviously played with the Jets, do the Fury's have the same heel cushion as the jet? I did enjoy that aspect of the jet. Thanks!

I thought they both had a similar amount of cushioning. I personally still like the Jet more

 

[GoSurfBoy]

Since you have obviously played with the Jets, do the Fury's have the same heel cushion as the jet? I did enjoy that aspect of the jet. Thanks!

I'd actually say more, in my opinion. I have a slight meniscus tear, and these shoes are helping. I had a 4-hour training session on Tuesday, 2 yesterday, and worked with a serve coach today..... It's actually....improving (knee AND serve! hah!)

While I like the colors, hoping to see black, too, with this color splash on the side.

I've got probably 40(?) hours or more on this shoe, now, VERY little wear on the tread at all. Will post pic update.

 

[Tuskarr]

Tennis experience/background: 14 & 16 y/o super champ. Stopped playing tennis half way through high school. Recently started up again about 3 years ago. Now i play usta leagues.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): I'm a pure baseliner that's learning to play doubles b/c that's all leagues are here.
Current shoe: Nike vapor 9.5
How many hours did you play with the shoe? ~25 hours
Normal Size: 9.5
Playtesting Size: 9.5

Comments on shoe performance:
-comfort: Overall comfort was very good. Upper felt soft around the foot and ankle...nicely padded tongue. No pressure points. Cushioning was minimal but did the job. No where near as soft as zoom or lunarlon but it gave great stability without being harsh on landings...great combination of court feel and comfort under foot.
-arch support: I have medium arches and I never had any pain in my arches from wearing these shoes.
-stability/support: This is the main feature of the shoe. Tons of support and stability with lateral movements. However, I did have some slight heel slippage in the left shoe initially, and as the shoes broke in both my heels were slipping. I tried lacing the shoes on the back eyelet and wearing two pairs of socks, but the heel slippage was still there. Never felt like I could easily cinch the laces down tight...I would pull the laces tight but if i let go then they would lose all tightness. These shoes showed me that the flywire on my nikes isnt a gimic. Missed being able to customize the fit like i can in my vapors and lunar ballistecs. I would suggest trying a half size down. The heel slippage ruined the shoe for me in that i couldnt push off with confidence. Shoes were a little longer than my vapors but the width fit me well.
-ventilation: Didnt really get to test this because it's been mostly cold here.
-sole durability: Sole durability was very good. Vapors arent known for their durability, but i usually burn through my lunar ballistecs in about 4 months from playing 2-3 days a week. I think it would be hard for me to burn through these in 6 months. Outsole showed little wear about a ~month of playing in them.
-toe durability: All good but i dont really dragged my toes too much. I never wear through the toes on my shoes.
-traction: No complaints from traction. Apart from the bad fit, i could push off and stop on a dime. Gripped the court well.
-weight: For a shoe that is focused on stability and support, i never felt these shoes to be heavy. A big compliment was that I forgot I was wearing them while playing. I played in barricades as a teenager. The propulse fury reminded me of the support and stability i got from older barricades without feeling heavy.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
I would have to try a half size down to try to eliminate the heel slippage.

 

[Chotobaka]

Tennis Experience/Background: Veteran player and coach – another way of saying “older and very experienced”. Currently NTRP 4.5.

Playing Style: All court player. Not as much S&V as I used to play, but I still come to the net on every short ball that affords me the opportunity. Both singles and doubles player. I am aggressive with my footwork, so shoes have to make the grade or they are gone.

Current Shoes: KSWISS Big Shot 2.5 Light, Yonex Fusion Rev, Babolat SFX (original, version).

How Many Hours Did You Play With The Shoe? I got a late start on the play test and did not get to play with the Propulse Fury nearly as much as I wanted. I still managed a little more than 10 hours playing time and 12 hours of teaching, so 22 hours total. I will continue to use them and update this review as needed.

Normal Size: Size 10

Play Testing Size: Size 10. The Propulse Fury is very much true to size length-wise, but is definitely a narrow shoe in the forefoot for my feet. More on this later.

Comments On Shoe Performance:

-Comfort: These were too snug in the forefoot when I first put them on, but not so snug as to cause severe discomfort. If I had purchased them, I would have probably not immediately put them back in the box as I have with some shoes. But no way around it, these are narrow in the forefoot. Had they been any narrower, they would have been a no-go.

They are, however, still breaking in and gradually stretching to more of a glove like fit since the uppers are quite soft. This is the most critical area on my foot, as I really need my shoes to have enough room in the forefoot and toe box. This is make or break for my shoes. I do not foresee fatal issues with forefoot width and comfort going forward and, while no other portion of the shoe required any break in, people with wider feet should expect a break in period to stretch the forefoot area.

Instep, ankle and heel comfort is where the Propulse Fury shines. I used the lacing system as it came from the factory, and it was nothing short of perfect. The tongue is very nicely padded and very comfortable when the shoes are securely laced. This is the plushest part of the shoe as far as I am concerned. No pain or pressure on the instep, despite cinching the laces up tightly. My heel was very snug and secure. There is a real synergistic effect between lacing up and pushing my heel into its cup. The ankle area has a nice deep cut, so no chance of the collar rubbing against my ankle.

All of aforementioned spots are very comfortably padded and very much form fitting and structured – not at all like Babolat’s original SFX which is pillow-soft, but has a sloppy fit. The Propulse Fury has struck the perfect balance of secure fit and comfort. More about this in Stability/Support.

Cushioning at the forefoot and mid-foot seems average. I would not describe them as being an extraordinarily well cushioned shoe in these areas, but they certainly were not problematic either. Cushioning at the heel was excellent. Overall, cushioning was adequate for me during the test. They are, with the exception of the heel, less cushioned than my current shoes.

-Arch Support: I found arch support to be slightly lower than medium, which is fine for me, as I can comfortably wear anything but a high arched shoe.

-Stability/Support: The Propulse Fury is unquestionably a supportive and stable shoe. This is its raison d’être.

However, it gets there a little differently than other support/stability shoes. Rather than just using bulk and rigidity all over the shoe, the Propulse Fury’s enhanced support starts at the instep. The combination of compression at the instep, upper sides of the shoe (accomplished by what I assume are the Power Belts) and the snug heel really locks the foot down. And I mean they really lock it down – no slipping or sliding in any direction. There is a small “tab” that reads “360 Fit” adjacent to the top of the tongue, and that is exactly what this shoe does and does it with padding and comfort.

-Ventilation: Ventilation was OK – average to above average, I guess. Honestly, this is something I never really notice. I don’t think I have felt hot enough in a pair of shoes since wearing all leather Pro-Staff’s back in the day to make a comment about it.

-Sole Durability: So far, the outsole seems extremely durable but I only have 22 hours on the shoes (more than half of that is teaching) and only about 10 hours of serious grinding. I will update this in the future if any problems arise. Based on my time with them thus far, I would be very surprised if there are any wear issues.

-Toe Durability: The toe area is sturdy. I am not a compulsive toe dragger, but the dragging that did occur had little to no effect of the shoes. There is plenty of extra material at the toe and I especially like the extra build up at the inside of the big toe and inside of the forefoot, both of which are more relevant to my play. Good design and solid execution.

-Traction: The Propulse Fury had good traction right out of the box on hard courts. No slipperiness or unexpected grabbiness. I felt 100% confident starting, stopping and aggressively changing direction throughout the test.

-Weight: My left shoe weighed in at 15.25 ounces right out of the box, and the right one was 15.03 ounces. You didn’t expect all that stability, support and durability without paying a weight tax, did you?

The two shoes I have been wearing most (Fusion Rev and Big Shot Light 2.5) are both sub 13-ounce shoes when new. Can I feel the difference in a side-by-side comparison? Heck, yes. But after wearing the Propulse Fury shoes on their own it isn’t such a big deal. I do not have ankle or other foot issues so these would not be my shoes of choice for match days, but they are just fine otherwise. As a former longtime Prince T-22 user, I would say that the Propulse Fury felt pretty similar weight-wise, but slightly quicker and more nimble feeling on the court.

General Reaction/Comments On Overall Performance: The Propulse Fury is a true top of the line shoe. The design, materials and construction are all unquestionably first rate. Close inspection of the pair I received revealed that the shoes were perfect – no stray threads or snags, no sloppy glue. The colorway I received really suits me, it is a good looking shoe. Note that the red leans more towards burnt orange and is not deep red (as on my FILA Cage Delerium Red/Blk/Wht). It actually goes better with the blue on the shoe than deeper red would.

Aside from carrying some extra weight, they held their own in terms of performance. Traction and stability were the stand-out features for me.

I like the fact that the shoes give you all the support you might need, without being unnecessarily overbuilt in areas of the shoe that do not need it. This makes the Propulse Fury one of the most comfortable shoes of its kind for me, with one significant exception… and that is the narrow fit, which probably will not be an issue for most players. The difficulty I have in finding high performance shoes that fit comfortably at the toe box and forefoot leads me to believe I am definitely in the minority when it comes to this.

If Babolat would make these a little wider in the forefoot they would get my serious attention as a durability shoe. More cushioning at the sole would also be a plus for me. Otherwise, I think they will make people with medium to medium/narrow feet that place a premium on support, stability and durability very happy.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask away. Lastly, big thanks to TW and Babolat!

 

[kevonian]

Tennis experience/background:
4.5 singles player who also plays doubles. I have played with mostly Prince tennis shoe brand. and currently I am using Prince Textreme Warrior.


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 backhand as a big weapon. I try to get to every ball and stand close to the baseline to take the ball early. Toe drag is kept to a minimum, but I do it sometimes.
Current shoe:
I am wearing Prince Warrior Textreme these days and really liking the fit (just received another pair from TW through the warranty. Took me 4 months to wear the shoes down. After this playtest, these are going to be my main shoes now and the Prince’s the backup


How many hours did you play with the shoe?
30 hours total. Roughly 12 hours were singles play, 5 hours tournament singles play, and rest were doubles and warm-up drills. I played outdoors with it once so far in 34F degree weather
Normal size:
9

Playtesting size:
9

Comments on shoe performance:

Comfort:
Very comfortable right out of the box. For me it did require breaking-in. After 2-3 sessions on the court, they started feeling much better. The new power belt technology locked in my foot very well.

Arch support:
Seems good. Never really had any trouble with arch support.
Stability/support:
No toe jamming on these shoes. As I said earlier the sides of my feet were a bit sore during the break in period, but after that all is good.

Ventilation:
Ventilation was good. When I played outdoors in the cold, I could feel the cold air in my shoes. Which gave me a sense of how good these shoes are for venting. When I moved indoor, the shoes were just as good at keep my feet cool.

Sole durability:
After 25 hours of play, no premature wear & tear. I run a lot on court and can tell these shoes will hold up to the pounding. These are looking better than the Prince shoes in terms of durability. I haven’t done any ball drills yet with these, and I know for me I tend to wear shoes out faster when I am doing drills. Right now, the weather is cold so I haven’t been able to get out there with my hitting partner and do ball feeds. That is what tore up my last shoe.
Toe durability:
I drag my toe sometimes. Mainly on the backhand and some volleys. The Babolat Propulse Fury held up nicely.

Traction:
Great traction. I don’t do any sliding around on hard court, but I can tell these will hold up. One of my courts has no grit and plays very fast, and these shoes are able to stick to the court for fast explosive movements. I tend to receive a lot of dropshots and these shoes don’t mess around. I am able to switch directions very easily and fast.

Weight:
On the lighter side and fast-feeling even though it does look on the like it is heavy. I am used to playing with heavier shoes. Coming from the Prince which is around 17 oz. These were a nice change

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Overall, very impressed by this shoe and will definitely be buying another pair. The color is excellent. If you are looking into buying a new tennis shoe, I would highly recommend this shoe.

Thank you once again Tennis Warehouse & Babolat for giving me this opportunity to playtest this shoe

 

[miraq]

Tennis Experience/Backround - Recreational player (4.0), been playing for 23 years on and off with some breaks due to injuries. Mostly doubles, limited singles.

Playing Style - All court, S/V in doubles. Mostly doubles player.

Current Shoes - Asics Gel Resolution 5, Nike 9.5 Vapor Tour, Diadora Speed Star.

How many hours did you play with the shoes? - 16 hours, 85% all court drilling, 15% doubles play.

Normal size - 10.5

Playtest size - 11, chosen since I wear orthotics, have a higher instep as well as a wider forefoot.

Comments on the shoe performance;

Comfort - I look for a bit of a wider forefoot fit than these shoes provided, however the larger size 11 that I chose for the review was acceptable. Also, putting the shoes on was a bit more difficult due to the integrated tongue design. I did like the deep, high heel cup for its comfort and support, but I did get some minimal soreness on the left Achilles after playing in the shoes. I believe this to be attributable to the deep heel cup riding higher up toward my Achilles than my normal shoes. No big deal, very slight but noticeable tenderness. The shoes did seem to get more comfortable as they were broken in more.

Once the shoes are on and broken in, the magic happens! They basically seem to disappear they feel so comfortable! At times I needed to focus my attention on reviewing the shoes since they seemed to become imperceptible on my feet, which is a quite a very good compliment to the comfort level offered by the shoes. Cushion level in the heel was very good, forefoot adequate, but not as plush as the heel.

Arch Support - arch support was adequate.

Stability/Support - very stable shoes, support in play was outstanding.

Ventilation - seemed to be fine, however my playtesting was done exclusively on cool indoor courts where heat was never a factor.

Sole Durability - virtually no signs of wear up to this point.

Toe Durability - I am not a toe dragger, no signs of wear as yet.

Traction - very good traction, however the soles feel hard to me, like they may be slick, but no problems with any slipping at all.

Weight - These shoes felt light and aggressive to me. I think because they have quite a large heel to forefoot drop that makes you apply more of your weight biased toward the front of the shoe and the balls of your feet. Kind of a preset to a good, aggressive ready position.

General Reaction/Comments On Overall Performance - I loved these shoes, in my experience these are best shoes Babolat has ever made and are right up there at the level with my favorite's, Nike Vapor Tours, Asics Gel Res 5 and Diadora Speed Stars. They are a bit different, in that they do not provide the softer fit of my favorite's, but they do perform very well, with a firmer, supportive type of comfort.

Many thanks to Tennis Warehouse and to Babolat for the opportunity to review and provide feedback on their product!

 

[sp1derman]

I'd actually say more, in my opinion. I have a slight meniscus tear, and these shoes are helping. I had a 4-hour training session on Tuesday, 2 yesterday, and worked with a serve coach today..... It's actually....improving (knee AND serve! hah!)

While I like the colors, hoping to see black, too, with this color splash on the side.

I've got probably 40(?) hours or more on this shoe, now, VERY little wear on the tread at all. Will post pic update.

More cushioning, that's all I need to hear. When my last pair of 9.5s dies I'm getting these. I also hope that a black themed shoe comes out. I know all about the knee issues. I'm 33 and have a lot of hard miles on these knees from football and tennis throughout the years...Thanks!

 

[GoSurfBoy]

Just got off the courts, again, between rain showers.

Given we're all different, I still have to say I'm soooo impressed with this shoe. It's so good....I don't even think about it, you know? And having a slight tear in the MCL, this shoe has really helped.

REALLY pleased to be part of this test and find such a gem. I probably wouldn't have tried it, otherwise, given that I wasn't all that impressed by the Jet - although I had high hopes for them.

Thank you TW, thank you Babolat. I will get some pics up, and post updates and thoughts.

 

[sp1derman]

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.

Babolat,

How long do I have to wait before the fury comes out in some new colors?

 

[Babolat Official]

Babolat,

How long do I have to wait before the fury comes out in some new colors?

We'll have another colorway coming at the end of January.

 

[sp1derman]

We'll have another colorway coming at the end of January.

Great and thanks for the fast response. I don't know why more brands don't have a representative on this forum, your presence and care makes me want to buy things from Babolat. I'm excited for another colorway right in time for my current shoes to die!

 

[Babolat Official]

Great and thanks for the fast response. I don't know why more brands don't have a representative on this forum, your presence and care makes me want to buy things from Babolat. I'm excited for another colorway right in time for my current shoes to die!

Happy to help. Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[GoSurfBoy]

After more weeks on this shoe, I can honestly say the cushioning and protection has helped my torn meniscus quite a bit, and my joint health throughout my legs, knees, hips, and lower back. Far less recovery time.

The more I wear it, the more I think it's the best shoe I've ever played. I find absolutely nothing wrong.

 

[OnyxZ28]

Thanks so much to @Babolat Official and the folks at Babolat USA! My test shoe broke its powerband during the test period. @Babolat Official generously offered to replace the shoe, which I took him up on. After a month of historic rains in Norcal, and being sick and busy, I finally got around to sending the shoes back in mid February, and the replacements arrived today, in the new colorway, no less. I really liked the red colorway, but this white and gray colorway is seriously awesome.




Very Storm Shadow, IMO.

The QC on between the two shoes was very good -- they both weighed in around 14.5 oz, just as the original pair did. The fit was just as I remembered with the original pair as well. Now that the weather is (hopefully) clearing up, I'm looking forward to testing the shoes out with intact powerbelts on both sides! Thanks again Babolat!

 

[haqq777]

Thanks so much to @Babolat Official and the folks at Babolat USA! My test shoe broke its powerband during the test period. @Babolat Official generously offered to replace the shoe, which I took him up on. After a month of historic rains in Norcal, and being sick and busy, I finally got around to sending the shoes back in mid February, and the replacements arrived today, in the new colorway, no less. I really liked the red colorway, but this white and gray colorway is seriously awesome.




Very Storm Shadow, IMO.

The QC on between the two shoes was very good -- they both weighed in around 14.5 oz, just as the original pair did. The fit was just as I remembered with the original pair as well. Now that the weather is (hopefully) clearing up, I'm looking forward to testing the shoes out with intact powerbelts on both sides! Thanks again Babolat!

Excellent customer service from Babolat, as always. I have always had the best experience with them.
P.S: the white/grey colorway looks pretty awesome!

 

[Babolat Official]

Thanks so much to @Babolat Official and the folks at Babolat USA! My test shoe broke its powerband during the test period. @Babolat Official generously offered to replace the shoe, which I took him up on. After a month of historic rains in Norcal, and being sick and busy, I finally got around to sending the shoes back in mid February, and the replacements arrived today, in the new colorway, no less. I really liked the red colorway, but this white and gray colorway is seriously awesome.




Very Storm Shadow, IMO.

The QC on between the two shoes was very good -- they both weighed in around 14.5 oz, just as the original pair did. The fit was just as I remembered with the original pair as well. Now that the weather is (hopefully) clearing up, I'm looking forward to testing the shoes out with intact powerbelts on both sides! Thanks again Babolat!

Glad you're able to get back out there. Enjoy the new pair!

 

[OnyxZ28]

So I have about 15 hours into the replacement shoes:

• The power band held up! I didn't notice much of a difference until one day I tightened the laces more than I usually do. Instantly it felt like Marty McFly putting on the power laced shoes in BTTF *shoop*. The support with the correctly-tightened power band was phenomenal. In fact, correctly tightened, this is the most lateral support that I've ever had from a tennis shoe. I haven't worn any of the Propulse series before this so I can't comment on how it compares to the velcro-equipped versions. I would advise anyone trying this shoe to really tighten the laces to get the benefit of the power band.
  
• The upper loosens up considerably in the first 5-7 hours of play. It was particularly noticeable after a day of 5 sets of singles, where the shoe felt snug at the beginning of the day and looser at the end. That's when I tightened the laces as I described above. The heel cup is fairly wide, so I do need to tighten the laces on these more than I have with shoes in the past. Note how long the butterfly knot is in the first picture and how long the tails are, and also note that I was able to take off the shoe without untying the laces
  
• Cushioning has held up very well in the heel. There is some compression of the midsole in the forefoot but it still feels well cushioned.
  
• Durability is good -- the shoes are holding up well. There is some noticeable wear on the yellow stripe near the ball of the foot on the right shoe, but they are holding up just as well as the old pair did.
  
• Traction -- great. The Michelin outsole does not disappoint.
  
• Comfort -- these shoes are very comfortable, both on the tennis court and off. The breathability is very good. The uppers feel very plush against the foot.
• Misc: I think the metal shoelace eyelets are a nice touch. The laces are easy to tighten and loosen, and the elongated top lace hole was a nice idea, too.

Overall, I think this is an excellent offering that competes favorable with the Barricade, Resolution, and Cage series. The Cages feel lower to the ground, but don't have the power band lateral support that the Fury has. The midsole also extends too far up into the forefoot area of the sole on the Cage, which is a nice weight saving measure but creates a durability vulnerability, as that's where I blew through my pair of Cages. The Gel Resolutions offer great cushioning (although maybe a little too soft, as I've bottomed out on the Gel Res 2 and 5 on heel strikes on the court), but not as much lateral support as the Fury. The last Barricade I tried was the Classic Bounce. The Fury is a superior shoe to the Classic Bounce in every aspect but weight and forefoot cushioning. Thanks again to Babolat for letting me test the shoes in the first instance, and again for my second bite at the apple!

 

[OnyxZ28]

Long Term Update:



Takeaways:
The shoes lasted about 4 months, which is not bad. Longer than LBs, comparable to Gel Res (although I blew through my GR5s on the lateral side of the right shoe, vs the big toe of the right shoe here). I wish the uppers stretched less, but cinching the laces tightly with the power band snug against the foot helped a lot. Thanks again to TW and @Babolat Official for the opportunity!

 

[d-quik]

answer questions you all may have.

Will babolat make anything that is both heavyand wide? The sfx is wide but not heavy. The rage and fury are heavy but not wide.