Babolat Propulse Shoe Review

Known for his powerful and consistent serving game, Andy Roddick has been using a Babolat Pure Drive for as long as most of us can remember. As of late, Babolat has made an Andy Roddick signature racquet, the Babolat Pure Drive Roddick. Our playtesters found this to be an excellent racquet and it's become a proven success.

In an attempt to extend their racquet success into footwear, Babolat has produced the Propulse. Designed, once again, for Andy Roddick, Babolat is confident in their ability to produce a successful performance shoe.

Propulse - To move forward; drive onward.

Our playtest team could relate to those few words the moment they stepped into the Propulse shoes. There was simply no looking back. From the court gripping tread by Michelin to the 360-degree foot hugging strap, the first impression was glowingly positive.

To see if Andy Roddick's signature Propulse shoes could live up to their racquet counterparts, our team strapped them on for a three week playtest.

Comfort

Though there were some varying opinions, our team predominately found the Propulse to have excellent comfort and fit. Granville was ecstatic with the comfortable fit. "The first 5 I've ever given for comfort! These shoes take the term 'glove-like fit' to a new level. I could feel the shoes gently hugging the entire surface of my feet. I don't know if the fit could be any better."

Chris felt the balance of cushioning and court feel was perfect. "I loved the fit and feel of these shoes. After a brief break-in they felt great. The fit was spot on for my narrow feet. I was able to get a very secure feel and fit from the lace system without any discomfort. The level of cushioning was perfect. My feet felt well protected, yet I could still feel the court. These shoes offered by far the best and most comfortable fit I've found this year."

Spencer enjoyed the secure feel when laced up. "As soon as I put these shoes on I felt locked in, literally. Once I tied the laces and secured the velcro, there was no sliding whatsoever. The only gripe I had was the forefoot crease on the upper medial sides of both shoes. The harder material there used for durability juts down onto my feet when flexed, causing a little discomfort. However, that discomfort subsided after a couple of hitting sessions, making the Propulse very comfortable." Having some issues during the initial break-in period was Danny. "I had a couple of issues with these shoes. One being the break-in period. The shoe was stiff and unforgiving during the break-in period, which was uncomfortable, and the heel of the left shoe poked into my Achilles tendon. Overall, the shoes were not comfortable for my feet."

Ryan enjoyed the court feel he got from the Propulse. "I liked the low to the ground feel and felt like there was a lot of cushioning in the heel. There wasn't really enough cushioning, though, in the forefoot. Despite this, overall comfort was really good in these shoes." Jason concurred. "These were not the most cushioned shoes, but I don't think they were designed to be. The cushioning provides just enough comfort but still has that low-to-the-ground feel, which is great! I thought the toe box was just a bit too narrow for my foot, it was slightly uncomfortable, but more of a nuisance than a hindrance."

Arch Support

Our team found good support in the medium-height arch of the Propulse, as the 360-degree strap hugs all the way around the midfoot providing an adjustable fit at the arch. Danny found an ideal fit from the arch support saying, "I thought the arch support was just right for my medium high arch." Ryan found the support to be worry free. "I had absolutely no issues with the arch support of these shoes. I never noticed the arch support, which is perfect. It was there and it felt great." Granville agreed. "The arch support was good for me in that I did not really feel it - the way it is supposed to be."

Experiencing no discomfort was Jason. "The arch support was fine. Most medium arch shoes cause my flat feet some pain, but this wasn't the case with the Propulse." Spencer enjoyed the lasting support. "The medium arch fit my feet well. A continuous support that was felt both during and after long sessions." The arch support fit Chris' feet perfectly. "The arch support was an ideal fit for my feet. I never felt any strain or aches from my arches while wearing these shoes. Even when going all out during competitive play, my arches felt secure and supported."

Foot Support/Stability

Having the foot locked via the 360 degree support strap helped our testers find a stable and supportive ride in the Propulse shoes. Jason was astounded with the support and stability he was finding. "One of the most stable and supportive shoes I've ever played in. This shoe just might be better than the Nike Vapor IVs in this category. Although the midfoot strap was a bit of an annoyance when lacing up the shoe, with the support it provided, all was forgiven. I always played with the straps snuggly in place, which really locked in my feet. Once the shoes were laced and strapped, I felt that they were more of an extension of my feet than actual shoes that could be taken on and off."

Chris was most impressed with the fit and performance of the shoes. "I found the support and stability to be top notch in the Babolat Propulse shoes. While the strap at the top of the lace system made it take longer to cinch the shoes up, it worked great during play. The strap really allowed me to get a very snug and secure feel through the mid-foot. Thanks to a glove-like fit, I had no sliding around inside the shoes. Stability was also great and I felt extremely confident playing in these shoes. With the Propulse, I now have a new pair of 'match day' shoes to bring out for those days when I have to be moving at my best."

Ryan was impressed with the security he felt. "These were very stable shoes. The strap helped a lot in this area. I really liked the performance and stability. My feet never slipped or slid around in them. I didn't have one incident where I felt like I was even close to rolling my ankle. This shoe was much better than the Team All-Court III for me in this area." Danny was in agreement. "The foot support and stability of the shoes was pretty good. My feet were firmly held and supported. There was no sliding around in them."

Spencer enjoyed the "custom-esque" fit and feel. "Feeling almost tailor-made with the fit, the support felt great. I also enjoyed the efficiency of changing directions. The stability of this shoe allowed me to feel confident in being able to put full force into a plant and push-off."

Granville also appreciated the benefits of the Velcro strap. "I think the excellent fit lends itself to stability. I have never enjoyed a shoe that had a Velcro strap on it, until now. The strap locks my feet into the shoes and it is not coming off, period. No slipping or sliding, no slack - just tight, stable performance. The shoe bends as my foot bends - ideal."

Overall Sole Durability

Babolat's Propulse shoes feature a Michelin OCS (Optimized Cell System) outsole. OCS is a unique tread design, evolved from auto racing, that provides tremendous durability without sacrificing traction. It was no coincidence that a sole by Michelin performed so well, according to Ryan. "Babolat shoes seem to have great durability. I think there is something to the Michelin Man being on the shoes' outsoles! I didn't think it would matter at first, but this is the second Babolat shoe that I've tested, and tested pretty hard. There was not a lot of wear on the ball of the foot where I tend to wear out my shoes. This shoe, however, was not quite as good as the Team All-Court III, though still very good."

Danny felt the durability of the outsoles was impressive. "I didn't see any noticeable signs of wear after 10 hours of play. I think the durability of the sole is above average."

Granville liked the durability of the Propulse, as well. "The shoe seems to be holding up very well, with no excessive wear in any one area. I would expect to get as many matches out of this shoe as with any other shoe. No magic here - just a solid shoe from a relatively new shoe provider." Jason said, "The outsole really held up well. There was some noticeable but minute tread loss on the inner toes and outer heels. The rest of the outsole showed little to no wear and tear. Again, I would compare this shoe to the Nike Vapor IV's. The durability on both shoes was phenomenal."

Spencer's expectations were met by the lasting outsoles. "There was the usual wear for me on the ball of the foot, but no signs of premature wear. Above average marks on durability, which is expected for a high end shoe." Even Chris had a difficult time wearing the soles out, despite putting them through the rigors of the hard courts. "I was impressed by the durability of the outsoles. I played only on hard courts and the shoes held up very well. There was some slight wear under my big toes and that's the area I blitz through shoes. However, these held up better than most and still have plenty of material left in that area. I was impressed."

Toe Durability

Offering excellent coverage at the toe tip, there were no durability issues in this area. However, the toe draggers on our team noticed some vulnerability at the top of the toe box. Danny noticed some abrasion on the shoes. "Overall, I think the toe durability was good. The first signs of wear were at the top of the toe." Jason felt the toe protection was effective. "I only noticed scuffs on the outer toe box. There were not scratches that I could see and the fabric showed no signs of tearing." Chris found this to be the one area that was susceptible to wear. "My one area of concern with was toe durability. The stitching where the upper changes from black to silver was very vulnerable at the toe on my shoes. I was dragging up over the rubber toe tip and found the shoes to exhibit some substantial wear at the toes - especially along the above mentioned stitching."

Traction

The non-traditional Michelin OCS tread pattern on the Propulse outsole proved effective with traction and durability. Danny liked how these shoes gripped the court. "The traction was good and I didn't notice any signs of slipping on the court." Ryan was fond of the lateral efficiency the tread provided. "Great traction. Changing directions and stopping and starting were all very easy to do. I didn't have any issues with this aspect of the shoes." Granville had no complaints. "Good traction, no slippage."

Jason was thrilled with the trust he could put into his change of direction. "Now I know why some NASCAR drivers put Michelin tires on their cars. The traction of these shoes is second to none. I could go sideline to sideline, service line to baseline or anything in between and the shoes gripped the court with ease. I could really plant my feet and make sharp, decisive cuts on the court and know that the shoes were not going to fail." Also impressed with the Michelin sole was Spencer. "The Michelin OCS tread worked really well. I enjoyed how they hugged the court when changing direction and stopping and starting. No court slippage issues." Chris was confident in all directions of movement on the court. "I loved the level of grip I found in these shoes. There was a perfect balance of traction and give. I was able to push off and change directions with confidence, yet there wasn't so much stick as to make the shoes hang-up on the surface. It didn't matter if I was moving laterally or sprinting towards the net, I was comfortable going all out in these."

Weight

The weight of the shoe (16.9 ounces for size 10.5) gives a nice heft for support and durability, while the actual feel is that of a lighter weight speed/performance shoe. Danny liked his court movement while wearing the Propulse. "The shoe is lightweight and ventilated. It's a maneuverable shoe." Granville felt the weight was right on. "The weight of this shoe falls right into my comfort zone. The Babolat Propulse seems to provide a good balance between substance and mobility. No issues here." Ryan agreed. "The weight of the shoes was also really good. These shoes were not too heavy, and yet there was such good stability and durability."

Impressed by the response and feel was Jason. "Deceptively light. Weighing in at a hefty 17 ounces, I was expecting these to feel somewhat heavy. Once I hit the court, though, that perception went out the window. A very responsive cushioning system combined with the low-to-the-ground feel made them feel at least a couple ounces lighter then what the scale says." Spencer was pleasantly surprised with the light feel. "I was surprised to see that the Propulse weighed almost 17 ounces after putting them on. They perform and feel more like a speed shoe. Very impressive." Chris enjoyed the balance of weight and maneuverability. "I liked the balance and overall feel of these shoes. Weight was never an issue for me. There seemed to be plenty there for support and stability without any sense of extra material or bulkiness."

Overall

Oozing with technology, the Babolat Propulse offered all the performance one would expect out of an upper echelon shoe. Performance is a must when it comes to producing a shoe made for one of the top players on the ATP Tour. From the Michelin court-hugging sole to the 360 degree Andy Roddick signature support strap, you get just that with the Propulse. The Propulse offered an ideal balance of comfort, support and durability. It's no surprise this is the shoe choice of top American, Andy Roddick.

Babolat Propulse Scores
The Up Side	The Down Side	Play Test Scores
Traction Support Outsole durability Comfort	Strap gets in the way during lacing	Comfort 4.3 Arch Support 4.2 Foot Support/Stability 4.6 Overall Sole Durability 4.3 Toe Durability 3.8 Traction 4.6 Weight 4.3 Overall 4.4 Scores (1-Horrible 2-Poor 3-Average 4-Good 5-Tremendous)

Playtesters' Foot Types: Granville - Narrow width/low arch, Chris - narrow width/medium arch, Danny - medium/medium arch, Spencer - medium/medium arch, Jason - Wide/low arch.

Review date: May, 2007. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

All content copyright 2007 Tennis Warehouse.