Tennis Warehouse Playtest: 2017 Babolat Jet Shoe

RafaBobolat,

1) Put some Spencos or Superfeet in these shoes

2) Replace flat laces with round laces.

Throw the original inserts and laces in the garbage. It is shameful all these companies put garbage inserts in nice shoes. Read Chris Edward's comments in the link I provided.

He even mentions doing the same thing I did to get through shoe play tests.

I own Nike, Asics, Adidas, Babolat, and Lotto and they all ship garbage inserts. I've had three back surgeries and shoe inserts make an exponential comfort difference.
 
g4driver said:
RafaBobolat,

1) Put some Spencos or Superfeet in these shoes

2) Replace flat laces with round laces.

Throw the original inserts and laces in the garbage. It is shameful all these companies put garbage inserts in nice shoes. Read Chris Edward's comments in the link I provided.

He even mentions doing the same thing I did to get through shoe play tests.

I own Nike, Asics, Adidas, Babolat, and Lotto and they all ship garbage inserts. I've had three back surgeries and shoe inserts make an exponential comfort difference.
Click to expand...
Yes, I will do that. As high school tennis season has started, I play almost every day. Thanks @g4driver for the tips.
 
Aftermarket inserts make these shoes feel like they should when customers buy them. I played singles on a hard court two nights ago with the Spenco inserts and a pair of low cut Fit-Socks. Not as comfortable as Har-tru, but definitely better than using the issued inserts.
 
Tennis experience/background: 30+ years of tennis. USTA 4.5

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All court player. Play mostly doubles in the 18+ leagues

Current shoes: New Balance 996V3 and Asics GR 6

How many hours did you play with the shoe? 35+

Normal Size: 7.0 US (ladies)
Playtesting Size:7.0 US (ladies)

Comments on shoe performance:

-Comfort: 4.5/5 Almost as much cushioning as the stability shoes I normally wear. I felt as if this shoe had more plush feel than last years model.

-Arch Support: 4/5 I felt as if it was just fine for my low arch. I did have a slight break in period.

-Stability/support: 4.5/5...No issue at all on Har-Tru, hard and artificial grass

-ventilation: 4.5/5 it has not been very hot but this past weekend it was in the upper 70s and I had no issues at all with the ventilation. I wear either Stance or Feetures cushion socks

-sole durability: 5/5 they hardly show any wear at all and I do move/slide around quite a bit

-toe durability: 4.5/5- I drag my right toe and other than a little bit of wear and paint from the hard courts, it is still in great shape.

-traction: 5/5 not too slick and not too sticky

-weight: 5/5 These shoes feel super light! I absolutely love the weight and feel of this shoe.

I am very thankful to have been selected for this playtest. Very kind of both Babolat and TW to do this. I was lucky enough to be on the 2016 version playtest as well. I must say Babolat you have improved an already super sweet shoe. I can see myself buying another pair.

p.s.~ love the orange and pink accents! Again thank you for this opportunity!!
 
Here is my review on 2017 Babolat Jet Shoes. Thanks again Babolat and TW for giving the opportunity to participate in playtesting these premium shoes.

Tennis experience/background:
Late boomer with 10+ years playing tennis at different levels. Currently plays mostly recreational singles tennis at solid 4.5. Also enjoys social doubles and singles/doubles strategic discussions. Also a trusted “free” stringer for buddies and usual go to person for the tennis strings/accessory/equipment related questions for the folks at the club.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
Strategic counter puncher. Enjoys and uses aggressive non-traditional strategies to bring opponents out of position.

Current shoe:
Prince Warrior TeXtreme

How many hours did you play with the shoe?
16 Hours

Normal Size:
10.5 (Mens)

Playtesting Size:
10.5 (Mens)

Comments on shoe performance:

-comfort:
Good cushioning for a light weight shoe. Obviously you can find a lot more cushion in some other shoes. But this is designed as a fast light weight basic shoes with good comfort. The inner materials are soft (maybe a bit too soft?).

-arch support:
Good arch support. Again I never had any arch issues with any other shoes as well. So maybe I am not the best person to talk about arch support. I know that my arch is in good contact with the shoe, and so felt stable.

-stability/support:
I usually light heavier shoes for stability, which gives you a solid feel when landing on a serve for example, or on a sudden change of direction. Obviously I don’t get the same feel with this shoe. But when you are hurrying for a ball or during your normal footwork, I really like the stability offered by these premium Jet shoes. Even though these shoes did not cause any issues on sudden change of directions, I am not too convinced that the support materials would last too long the same way. Essentially I would like some extra support at the outside edge.

-ventilation:
A lot better than my Prince Warrior. There is a lot of breathing via the sponge/cushion and canvas material of the upper of the Jet.

-sole durability:
Below average for a re-creational player. But maybe good for a serious player who is looking for that edge. Not going to be my everyday shoe because of this. But after learning how much such shoes can help me in a serious game, I may keep a pair like this for some specific days use.

-toe durability:
Excellent. I am a toe dragger now a days. But the Jets toe support held good against my misuse on toe dragging. I noticed that there is extra rubber on the inner outside of the shoes (left front of right shoe, and right front of left shoe), which I thought was clever, since that is where the toe draggers drag.

-traction:
Very good. No issues with any steps even on fast hurried shots. You can trust these shoes and concentrate on running down that lob without any doubt in your mind .

-weight:
Light weight. It is obvious that this is made to be a light weight and fast shoe for a tournament player.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:

It is an excellent premium shoes. It is really fast and light. Also offers very good support and stability. So overall a very solid and fast shoe for a serious player. But this is not your everyday shoe for a cost aware re-creational player. This is the shoes which may get you that edge you need when playing with a tough opponent, or in a tight competition. It is obvious that this is made to be a light weight and fast shoe for a tournament player, but at the same time made it a bit more attractive to the re-creational players by offering a bit more durability, and confort for such a fast shoes. I would have liked a bit more solid material support on the outside edges (right side of right shoe and left side of left shoe) for a more solid feel on suddent change of directions sideways at the cost of a bit comfort.
 
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Tennis experience/background: Recreational player; plays on hard courts.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All-court player; singles and doubles.
Current shoe: 2016 Babolat Jet.
How many hours did you play with the shoe? 20 hours combined lessons, ball machine time, and match play.
Normal Size: Varies depending on brand. 2016 Babolat Jet USA 7.5.
Playtesting Size: Women’s USA 8 / EU 39.

First impression and initial thoughts: I always break in my shoes by putting them on and walking around the house in them. While I was doing this I noticed several changes from last year’s shoe. The shape of the toe box changed a bit from last year. The rubber toe cap has been extended and the rubber “thumbprint” area by the big toe has changed shape. The result is a shoe with a firmer, slightly narrower, feel than last year’s shoe. The sole of the shoe is made from a different material than last year and does not feel as soft as last year’s model. The insole seems thinner and is made of a material that is less dense than last year’s insole. Initially, the shoe was not as comfortable as last year’s shoe. It pinched in the forefoot, especially around the big toe, but after a few hours of wear around the house I noticed the thumbprint area begin to expand to match my foot’s shape.

Comments on shoe performance:

Comfort: The shoe is very comfortable around the ankle as the collar is low cut and there is plenty of padding. I never experienced any of the chaffing or blisters that can be associated in shoes with a higher collar. The tongue is well padded preventing the laces from cutting into my feet. There is minimal cushioning underfoot with this shoe. The shoes felt flat and hard on impact. After the first time playing in these shoes, my knees and back hurt. Fortunately, I kept last year’s shoes so I switched out the insoles for last year’s denser insoles and the next time I played I did not have knee or back pain afterwards. I have never had to replace the insoles in any shoe before now. To be honest, I think a shoe that retails for $140.00 should come with proper insoles. If I purchased these shoes at full price only to discover upon wearing them that I then had to spend additional money for a decent pair of insoles, I would be really upset.

Arch support: The arch support is perfect for my medium arches. I have had no problems whatsoever.

Stability/support: The shoe is very stable and supportive. The heal counter is very firm and stable without being totally inflexible or painful. I have had no heal slippage and my foot stays in place during play, even when I tie the laces loosely. There have been no toe-jamming or ankle-rolling issues. The low-to-the-ground profile and minimal flare of the outsole’s heal keeps me from tripping over my feet even when running backwards or stepping sideways.

Ventilation: I have had no problem with ventilation so far, but that is probably because the temperatures are still cool where I am. These shoes seem to be made from the same Matrix material as last year and ventilation did become an issue last summer. The shoes would become damp with sweat. It might be possible to resolve this issue with cotton socks, but I prefer the thinner synthetic socks and those tend to be made from materials that don’t breathe as well.

Sole durability: The sole is more durable than last year’s model. After 20 hours of playing time, there is some light wear to the shoes. I think the sole durability is probably in the same category as the Nike Vapor 9.5.

Toe durability: I am not a toe-dragger so this is not an issue for me. The toe cap on last year’s shoes is still in good shape. I am assuming that will hold true for this year’s model as the toe cap rubber seems similar if not the same as last year.

Traction: Outstanding. I have total confidence moving around the court in this shoe.

Weight: The shoe as it comes straight out of the box is very light in weight; once the insoles are replaced all bets are off. I purchased Sole Prime insoles and those added a bit of weight, but eliminating knee pain is more important to me than having super light shoes.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: These shoes fit a foot of medium width and medium arch. The toe box changed shape just a little bit from last year’s model, but if last year’s shoes fit you, then these should as well. Frankly, I prefer last year’s softer, more comfortable shoe. However, once broken in, this year’s Jets still fit my feet better than any shoes I have worn.

The 2017 Babolat Jets are a fast, stable, and supportive shoe with great traction and are worth considering for any player who prefers adding their own custom insole to their shoes.

Thanks once again to Tennis Warehouse and Babolat for letting me take part in this playtest. I had a really great time testing the shoes and would be happy to answer questions should anyone have them.
 
Tennis experience/background:
40 years old. Played from age 13-18, took a long break, and back to playing for about 8 years at the USTA 4.5 level.

Describe your playing style:
All-court player. Both singles and doubles.

Current shoe:
Adidas Ubersonic 2 or Adidas Barricade 2016

How many hours did you play with the shoe?
9 hours (mostly doubles)

Normal Size:
12 Mens

Playtesting Size:
12 Mens

Comments on shoe performance:

-comfort:
Average comfort all around, but they just didn't fit my feet well. I had to lace them up as tight as I could, and I still didn't feel locked in and my heel was slipping. I also found them to be narrow feeling in the forefoot but somehow bulky on top of the foot (see the last photo). The shoelaces were way too long, and the lacing system didn’t make it easy to cinch things up tight.

Positives for me were there was no break-in time, and I thought the cushioning was adequate.

-arch support:
Good. I never have any arch issues with shoes, and it was the same with this one. They seemed fine.

-stability/support:
Below average. Like I said, my biggest issue was that I wasn't feeling locked-in in the heel. They rode low to the ground (which I like), but I still wasn't getting the lateral support that I need. I typically wear heavier shoes like the Barricade because of the stability, but I have found light weight shoes (like the Ubersonic) that still provide good support.

-ventilation:
Good. It is spring here and I never played in temps above 75 degrees. Ventilation felt fine though, but I never tested them in extreme conditions.

-sole durability:
Good. I only have 9 hours on these, but I'm not seeing excessive wear.

-toe durability:
Excellent (for a light shoe). I am a toe dragger and these are holding up well so far.

-traction:
Very good. This was probably the highlight of the shoe for me. I thought they really grabbed the court when I needed them to.

-weight:
They didn’t feel super fast to me (probably because of fit issues), but they were definitely light.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
I wasn't a fan of these shoes because they just didn't seem to fit my feet well.. the bulkiness on top of the foot, the need to tighten the laces to the point of cutting off circulation, and not being able to get my heel locked in. I only played singles in these once because I didn't feel comfortable moving around the court in these shoes. Unfortunately I have been playing more singles than doubles lately, so that limited my playing time. They did fine for casual doubles though, and I will probably keep wearing them for that.

Everything else about this shoe I would rate as good or very good. I really like the style and colors, and I thought durability was above average for a lightweight shoe.

Photos are after 7.5 hours of use.

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Tennis experience/background: 59 yo rated 3.5 that plays doubles twice/week on hardcourts.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All court player

Current shoe: New Balance CT-1006

How many hours did you play with the shoe? 15-20 hrs

Normal Size: 11.5 medium

Playtesting Size: 11.5



Comments on shoe performance: Excellent traction

-comfort: Great comfort for a lightweight shoe out of the box. Stretched a bit after the first week.

-arch support: Average with the stock insoles. Wore thicker socks to fill out the shoe once broken in.

-stability/support: Great for a lightweight shoe. Became flexible, twisted a bit after a couple weeks.

-ventilation: Could not be better

-sole durability: No noticeable wear.

-toe durability: No significant wear

-traction: Great but slipped the last couple times playing.

-weight: Unreal, lightest tennis shoe I ever wore since the Bata Bullits.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: Great shoe, feet never got hot. Curious how they perform on clay? Tend to buy heavier shoes seeking more stability. Did not add/change to an after market insole which normally would. Would like to thank Babolat and TW for this opportunity to try a shoe outside the usual heavyweight clunker.
 
2017 Babolat Jet Review

Tennis Experience / Background:
I have only been playing seriously for the last two plus years. Most of my tennis is participating in group drills 3 to 4 times a week at the 3.0 to 4.0 level.

Playing Style:
Primarily a doubles player with an attacking style, always moving forward.

Current Shoes:
New Balance 996 v3 2E, Nike Cage 2, Adidas Adizero Y3 2016, Adidas Ubersonic GW

Hours Played:
21 hours of play (all hours were played in group drills)

Size:
Played: 10.5 Normal Size: 10.5


Comments on shoe performance:


Comfort: Out of the box, I put them on my bare feet to get a feel for the shoe and found them to be quite comfortable. No seems or stitching poking or prodding the foot and no immediate indications of tightness or inflexibility. For playing, I wore a single pair of socks, as I normally do, and hit the courts. In the first few hours I found the shoe to be a bit tight in general, but that is fairly normal for me as I have a slightly wider foot. After about 4.5 hours of play, the shoe had loosened up a bit to where I no longer noticed any tightness of the shoe on my foot. By the third week of the Playtest the shoe had loosened up to the point that I really needed to start cranking the laces tight to keep some stability. Throughout the Playtest, I would occasional feel the edge of the built up rubber area on the instep of each shoe. Nothing really painful, but I could feel it on my foot during certain maneuvers while playing. The cushioning was better than I expected, but it is not the most cushioned shoe I have worn. I did not experience any aches or pains in the foot after play like a did with my Ubersonics from lack of cushioning and the stock insole was adequate for my purposes and I did not feel the need to boost cushioning with an aftermarket insole like I did with the Ubersonics. In general, I found the shoe to be adequately comfortable for play, and more comfortable than the other light weight shoes I have played in.

Arch Support: I had no issues with the arch support with the Babolat Jet. I have a fairly low arch and noticed zero arch related arches or pains during the Playtest. Normally, I only have issues with shoes that have too high of an arch support so this shoe was perfect for my feet.

Stability/Support: The shoe feels low to the ground so I expected stability from the shoe from the moment I first put them on. I was a little bit worried about support as the sole seemed to flex almost too much. I felt as though I could feel every crack in the cement, space between floor boards, and any imperfection in the surface I was walking over. Kind of like a thin pair of flip flops, the sole just seemed to conform to the surface I was walking over. That worry went away as soon as I started play. I never once noticed any instability or lack of support from the sole flex during play. If anything, it almost felt like I was gaining support from the hard court surfaces I was playing on versus a less flexible sole like in the Cage 2. I never felt like I was going to roll an ankle or fall over when pushing the Babolat Jets hard like I sometimes do in my Cage 2's. As I approached the 12-15 hour mark in the Playtest, the upper material had stretched out to the point to where I had to consciously tighten my laces tighter to avoid some loss of stability from a looser upper. It was a minor inconcienience, but it was fixable with tighter lacing. At the end of the Playtest, I was quite happy with the level of stability and support the shoe provided. I never once worried about or thought about losing control or injuring myself while playing in the Babolat Jets.


Ventilation: I found the ventilation to be good on the Jets. While we have not yet hit the furnace like Texas summer heat, there was not a moment during the Playtest that I ever noticed a hot spot or any signs of overheating in the shoes. Even on a few of the hot and humid spring evenings we had, there were no signs of excessive presperation or dampness in my socks that one can experience in a poorly vented shoe.


Sole durability: This is probably the one area of the shoe where I was a bit disappointed. I am not a slider nor very hard on my soles of my shoes, normally, so I was bit surprised to see some wear on the soles after my first 90 minutes in the shoe. Nothing significant, but examining the sole you could see the edges already starting to wear down. The first significant sign of wear came after 4.5 hours when I noticed scuffing on the plastic shank on the sole under my arches. It was not scuff marks like I had stepped on something, but rather a sanded texture where the plastic shank met the rubber soles. While minimal at first after 4.5 hours, it just got progressively worse through the Playtest. By the end of the Playtest, the wear had increased on the plastic shank from just the edges where it met the rubber to approximately 75% of the way down the outer raised bar of plastic between the forefoot rubber and heel rubber. While there appears to be plenty of material left and there are no imminent signs of failure, it is something that will have to be monitored if I continue to wear this shoe. The rubber sole held up better than expected as I thought for sure after the early signs of wear I would have worn through the tread by the end of the Playtest. The rubber wore fairly evenly and after 21 hours there is less tread than when I started, but no bald spots or holes in the sole.

Toe durability: I had no issues with the durability. While I am not a big toe dragger, I do display a bit more toe wear on my right shoe versus my left. After 21 hours of play, there is some minor scuffing on my right toe of my Babolat Jets but it is very minor in nature. It looks as though Babolat has enough material on the toe to provide protection for the life of the shoe.

Traction: I liked the traction level of the Babolat Jets. They are neither too sticky nor to slippery for the hard courts I play on. Babolat has found a good blend of traction that worked just perfectly for me to the point that I did not notice any issues with traction during the entire Playtest. The hard courts at my club go from just recently resurfaced to a fairly old and dusty surface and I had no issues going from one extreme to the other in the Jets. When you are not even thinking about traction issues, you know they got it right.

Weight: The Jets felt very light on my feet throughout the Playtest. They felt similar in weight, to me, as my Addidas Ubersonics and definitely lighter than my other shoes in my rotation. I normally trend to a heavier shoe with more cushioning, but I really enjoyed my time in the Jets as they made me feel a bit faster around the court.


General Comments on overall performance: I really liked the Babolat Jets and will likely keep this pair in my rotation for a while. Performance wise, they are on par or better than any of my shoes I have used in the past. They are more comfortable than my Ubersonics, faster/lighter than my 996v3's, more stable than my Cage 2's, and pretty close to my Adizero Y3 2016's performance wise. The downsides to the Jet, in my opinion, were cushioning and some premature sole wear. I like well cushioned shoes so any light weight shoe is going to have trouble meeting my standards, but the Babolat Jet did remarkably well for its class. I prefer it over the Ubersonic for cushioning by a mile. The sole durability issue is a bit tougher to work around. For as much as I loved the traction characteristics of the Jet, I am just not convinced that they remain so for much longer. The shank wear is a bit unnerving which could eventually lead to failure or traction loss which I do not want floating around the brain while on the court. The only other issue I encountered on the Babolat Jet was that the laces seem to come untied more frequently than any other I shoe I have played in. I normally encounter a shoe lace coming undone on the court maybe once or twice a year, with the Babolat Jet it was happening about once or twice a week during the Playtest.

I liked the tennis I played while wearing the Babolat Jets. Much like my 996 v3 and Adizero Y3 2016's, I never thought about the shoe while I was on the court. I never worried about traction or stability while playing and never felt any aches or pains that I would attribute to the shoe after I was off the court. Even with a slightly wider foot than medium, the Jets molded to my foot and provided good comfort, stability, and control. The Babolat Jets are a good match day shoe, in my opinion, and would be a good fit for someone looking for a shoe in that market.
 
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Tennis experience/background:

3.5 singles

4.0 doubles

Interclub and local park tournament participation

Assitant coach to a Teaching Pro in a youth program

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):

Not a full time Serve & Volley but will always look for opportunities to get to the net

Current shoe:
Wilson Glide and Adidas Barricade

How many hours did you play with the shoe?
15 hours

Normal Size:
12

Playtesting Size:
12


Comments on shoe performance:


-comfort: I found the shoe to be very comfortable. The only thing is that it was a bit narrow for my feet. I put in shoe stretchers overnight at a light-moderate tension. It helped with the break in period. The upper was supple and even though the tongue is thin, it was not bothersome. Cushion was also good for as thin/low to the ground as these shoes fit.


-arch support: The arch support worked well with my flat feet/fallen arches. I could use the stock insoles and felt good support.


-stability/support: With the upper being very supple, I do not think that the stability was sacrificed. I felt secure throughout most of the shoe. The only part that didn’t completely agree with my feet was the heel. I had to tighten on the laces to keep that lateral support. This could be the fault of the laces and not the shoe


-ventilation: Very good. I could feel a breeze through the shoe J


-sole durability: for a shoe that doesn’t have a 6 month durability warranty as well feeling like a fast and low to the ground shoe, the sole can take a beating. I am over 200 lbs and I will burn through shoes quickly due to the extra stress my weight puts on the shoes. These did not show excessive/accelerated wear as one might expect


-toe durability: the sole durability also transferred to the toe durability. I drag left foot on serves (right handed) and on my back hand.


-traction: traction was also good. I did not experience any unexpected slipping and had confident footing


-weight: this is a light weight and fast shoe.


General reaction/comments on overall performance:



After a slight stretch in width, the shoe was very comfortable for me. It is very fast and I would compare it to my experience with the Nike Vapor Tour shoes (one of my favorite shoes except the durability). It was also very breathable which is not too much of a problem with it still being spring time in SoCal.


The downside to this shoe (other than the width) for me is the cushioning is not as good as I would need for long days on the court. I have recently started helping a teaching pro with a youth program and used these for ball feeds. I would end up saving these shoes for matches and use something with more cushion like my Adidas Barricades for longer days. One thing that really stood out to me was how the upper and sole was mated. There seems to be a 2 mm plastic support around the upper of the shoe just above the sole/cushion. I had a shoe recently break there (granted it was well worn) where the upper separated from the sole.


Thank you to Tennis Warehouse and Babolat for making these play tests available to us weekend warriors.
 
Tennis experience/background: 51 yr old male, USTA 4.0, I've been playing for over 30 yrs with some long gaps in that span, but for the last 6 years I've consistently averaged 4x a week. Playing time is about 90% singles.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Baseliner mostly
Current shoe: Ubersonic 2 and 2016 Jets
How many hours did you play with the shoe? 12 hrs (60% hard court, 40% clay)
Normal Size: My foot is an 11B on a Brannock Device but 98% of the time 10.5's fit me best
Playtesting Size: 11

Comments on shoe performance:
-comfort: I find the shoe to be very comfortable and supple. No issues with blisters or discomfort at all. Break-in time for me was little to none. For me the comfort and flexibility of this shoe is one of it's greatest attributes. I recently finished off a pair of Ubersonic 2's. They were not even close to the comfort level of the Jets.

-arch support: Arch support is good with these shoes, honestly though I can't say I've ever been sensitive to that. I have a medium to slightly high arch.

-stability/support: Stability and support is very good for a very flexible, supple, lightweight shoe. I play mostly singles and I have the bad habit of playing too defensively, so I do more than my share of running. Plus I'm not young any more, and in the past I have had a relatively severe injury to a knee and an ankle. Regardless, I felt secure in these shoes and had no problems with them.

-ventilation: No issues here.

-sole durability: I've had a shoulder injury lately and haven't been able to use them as much as I would've liked, so making comparisons to the 2016 Jet and Ubersonics may be the best info I can offer here. Wear does look better than the previous Jet. I currently have a fairly new pair of the 2106 model with a comparable amount of use. The extra durability in the 2017 is pretty easy to see, but I don't think they would last as long as an Ubersonic 2.

-toe durability: No noteworthy issues. It's holding up as expected.

-traction: Excellent! This is another awesome selling point of this shoe.

-weight: Excellent. Men's size 11 weighs 11.5 oz. This is 1.8 oz lighter than the already light 2016 model.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: I'll just go ahead and mention up front that I can't really write this review w/o comparing the previous model of the Jet to the playtest shoe. When I bought my first pair of 2016 Jets, I had never owned a Babolat shoe. To me it was a very nice looking shoe (definitely not the main characteristic of a shoe but it is important). It was a nice surprise that I ended up loving everything about that shoe...except the incredibly low durability. So when this playtest was announced along with the fact that durability had been increased for the 2017, I was really, really excited to try them. And to me, it's pretty amazing that Babolat was able to decrease weight and keep almost the same amount of flexibility/suppleness in a more durable shoe.

The only thing that I dislike about the playtest shoe is that the fit is different than the 2016 Jet. The length seems to be the same, but the upper has more volume. @DustinW mentioned this in his review as well. I had to lace the shoes very tightly to counteract this...something I didn't have to do in the same size shoe of the 2016 model.

Even when laced tightly my foot slipped around just a bit in the new version...something that just didn't happen in the 2016 model. Had the 2016 model not fit me so perfectly, I probably wouldn't have noticed the small amount of slip. If I buy another pair, I would be tempted to see if a 10.5 would work for me.

@TW Staff Brittany thanks so much for the opportunity! Thanks @Babolat Official !
 
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