I apologize in advance for posting dirty shoe pictures.
Tennis experience/background: Played tennis since I was 12, in 1982. My first racket was Wilson Sting Mid. Became more serious around 15 and played High School and College tennis.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Baseliner. Started off being a pusher/all-courter who played defensive tennis and tried to get to every ball. Became more confident in hitting winners from the baseline and became pretty much a aggressive baseline grinder. Even on certain points where it would seem too difficult to get to, I’d rather make the chase and risk the fall than give up an easy point. I guess I'm a pusher/grinder who don't like to hit the moonballs and lobs. At my peak, I'd say I was around 4.5-5.0. I'm a 4.0 player with my backhand being the better side.
One thing to mention is that my hitting partners often comment on how hard I run, as in pounding my feet on the courts. I often went home with pain in my feet from so much pounding. That is the reason that I always look for the most supportive and shock absorbing shoes.
Current shoe: Rotating between Asics Gel Resolution 7 & Adidas Boost Tennis shoes
How many hours did you play with the shoe? 25+ hours (*1/2 leisurely rallies / 1/2 competitive doubles)
Normal Size: 11
Playtesting Size: 11
The shoes felt it ran a little larger than its indicated size and offered lots of toe room. It also felt wider than the regular fit and fit my wide flat feet really comfortably.
Comments on shoe performance:
-comfort: The SFX3 is absolutely the plushest and most comfortable tennis shoes I've ever worn. My usual preferences have been focused on protection and support, so I'd look for shoes that looked to be built like tanks to absorb the shocks of playing the hardcourt tennis. Those type shoes are usually heavy and feel a bit restricting, in exchange for providing the shock protection and lateral support. The SFX3, on the other hand, feels light and roomy. The first time I put on the shoes, it almost felt like I'd just put on the running shoes. It was that light and comfortable compared to the shoes I've preferred to wear. It felt really soft.
-arch support: I have flat feet and pronated ankles. I do really need shoes with good arch support and the SFX3 nailed it on this department. The shoe felt really supportive on my flat feet and gave me that cushion I need.
-stability/support: For being relatively light feeling shoes, the SFX3 offered a plenty of support and stability. Because the shoes are made of soft materials, I doubted at first whether the shoes would provide the stability and support I need for my style of playing. That changed as soon as I laced up the shoes snuggly on my feet and began playing. The lace system hugged my feet tightly, and my feet never slid or moved inside the shoes. I do run hard and chase after all balls, which means lots of hard pounding, sudden changes of directions and stops. The SFX3 provided the cushion, lateral support and stability while I played my hardest tennis.
-ventilation: The all mesh design kept my feet comfortable during the hottest (*with high humidity for CA) days. Usually, my feet feel like they are getting baked wearing the supportive but heavily padded shoes, but it was not the case with the SFX3. The comfort this shoe provides is really noteworthy.
-sole durability: I make a lot of quick stops, sudden change of directions and lots of skids. The SFX3 felt grippy and soft, but it also helped me to skid on hard direction changes and stops. It's too early to make the decision on the durability in my opinion, but as a heavy wearer of the toe and heel area (*from running flat-footed with pronated ankles), I thought the outsole held up excellently. Even though the outsole felt soft, it didn't wear out like something that feels soft would do.
-toe durability: I drag my toes during serves and make lots of hard stops on my toes. The extra protection around the toe box was really beneficial for the players like me who do a lot of running. As can be seen in the pictures, there are signs of my dragging my toes, but it was padded and protected, which helps with comfort and durability.
-traction: The outsole is soft and grippy, but when it is really pushed, it does give a little on hard skids. It never felt slippery (*which sometimes the Asics Gel Resolution can feel slippery), but it never felt like it over gripped.
-weight: To me, the SFX3 was one of the lightest tennis shoes I have ever worn. It almost felt like I was wearing the running shoes. That's how light it felt. I could actually see myself wearing these shoes for running and other activities, as a cross-trainer.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: Babolat, to me, was a company that produced really nice tennis strings and the neon bumper guard tapes that were available in the 80's. Most of the guys on the team dressed up our rackets with the Babolat neon (*pink or yellow) headguard tape and the Prince neon synthetic replacement grips. We wore the neon yellow beach volleyball shorts and were all neoned out. That's how I remember Babolat. That same company is the no.1 racket manufacturer in the world now and have enjoyed their rackets thoroughly. However, when it came to shoes, I would always look for the shoes from Nike, Adidas, K-swiss, or New Balance. Wearing the shoes from Babolat never even entered my mind because, for some odd reason, I believed it takes years of research to build great shoes, and those researches were done at the major athletic shoe brands. After having playtested the SFX3, I am thoroughly impressed with what Babolat has done with the shoes and will never look at Babolat as a lesser shoe manufacturer. This was my first go with Babolat shoes, and I found out exactly what I wanted to find out about the status of Babolat as the tennis shoe maker. I believe that their shoes are, at least, comparable, or even better. I found the lacing system and the comfort to be almost perfect. Though it wasn't as supportive as the heavy, tank-like tennis shoes, it was a welcome change to play tennis wearing the SFX3 in the hot, muggy weather. My feet never felt so comfortable after the match.
The only negative I have found so far is the reduction in cushioning after wearing them for close to 30 hours. Because the shoes are made of soft material and the main focus is on comfort, it seems like the shock absorbing property went away somewhat noticeably around 30 hour mark. After about 30 hours of playing in the shoes, I experienced my first foot pain. It was particularly a tough match where I had to do lots of scrambling to get to the balls. I specifically remember a point where it felt like all padding suddenly got crushed & disappeared when I made a hard attempt to get to the ball. It was just that incident, but I did feel the hard impact on my feet as I took the initial few hard steps to get to get to the ball. I think being soft and plush while being supportive makes the SFX3 really an attractive buy, but while being soft and plush is great, it cannot overlook the shock absorbing aspect (*lasting shock absorbing ability) for being a hardcourt tennis shoes.
I am thinking the SFX3 is best suited for doing drills and light rally. I think the shoes’ best attributes could be the shoes’ worst attributes. While it’s super comfortable. if it gets used for repeated match plays, the shoes might lose the support and stability quicker than most of the heavy tank-like tennis shoes.
Thank you so much for the opportunity. Thank you TW. Thank you Babolat.
