Fila Alfa II Women's Tennis Shoe Review

There's nothing quite like the feeling of anticipation you get when you open a box of new shoes. When you slip them on you might be considering how they look, how they fit, and if you're pulling on tennis shoes, how much support and comfort they offer.

When you first pull the FILA Alfa IIs out of the box, immediately noticeable is how soft and supple the uppers feel. Our testers went out for a month-long playtest to see if this soft feel translated into comfort out on the court. Our team was also anxious to put the Alfa IIs through the paces for stability, durability and support. After all, those are the essential elements every good tennis shoe needs to bring to the court.

Comfort - Score: 4.4

The midsole of the Alfa II combines two cushioning systems for a plush ride. Our testers, including Eileen, raved about the comfort. "The cushioning is excellent in this shoe, " said Eileen. "It was very comfortable and there was no pinching or rubbing. My feet felt good after hours on the court."

The level of cushioning was also just right for Kana. "These were some of the most comfortable tennis shoes that I've playtested. The synthetic leather upper is very supple, allowing it to easily conform to my feet. The cushioning was just right. The inside of the shoe felt plush so there was no rubbing or pinching."

Kimber agreed, finding no break-in comfort from the Alfa IIs. "Right from the start these shoes were comfortable. The toe box was ample and provided enough room for some toe movement. I never felt any pinching or rubbing. The back of the shoe cradled my Achilles just right, which has been a problem in some shoes for me. After several back to back sets of tennis, the cushioning of the midsole helped me maintain a spring in my step."

Long-lasting comfort made a difference for Linda. "These are very comfortable shoes. They were very soft and comfortable from day one. I liked the look of this shoe and could wear this shoe all day, as the shoe was amazingly comfortable."

Tiffani also found the shoes comfortable right away. "Wow, this Alfa II was soft and comfortable right out of the box. There was no break-in time for me at all. The suppleness of the upper made it comfortable to wear, even off court. The cushioning was good and kept a fairly low-profiled ride, which I liked. However, I do have pretty wide feet, so the medium width was snug in the forefoot for me. The shoes never opened up enough to offer a wider fit, but the uppers were soft enough that they weren't too constricting."

Arch Support - Score: 4.5

For our playtesters, the Alfa II offered universally good arch support. The shoes seemed to mold to the shape of our tester's feet, with both our low arch and high arch testers finding a good fit. With her high arches, Linda felt the fit was good. "I have a high arch, and these shoes fit very well." Eileen also found plenty of comfort through the arch area. "The arch support was close to perfect. If it were a little bit higher it would have made it even better for me, but overall it was very comfortable."

Kimber has a medium arch and reported no problems. "I have no complaints with the arch support. Being unaware of the arch in a shoe is a good thing because it means that it is hitting just right." With her low arches, Tiffani was in agreement. "I can't recall ever thinking about the arches, so that's a good indicator for me. If I didn't feel it, I like it."

The level of arch support was near perfection for Kana. "The arch support was near perfect! With my feet having almost no arch at all, the fit was very comfortable because I felt the arch support was lower than medium."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.8

A TPU shank in the midfoot provides torsional control in the Alfa II. Though Kimber really enjoyed the comfort, some fit preferences affected her support. "The build-up of the heel provided good stability and support for my ankles. Rolling my ankles was never a problem. Moving forward in these shoes my foot would slide, and my toes would jam into the front of the shoe. Also, when I moved side to side the sides of the outsole could catch the court and it would slow me down. I prefer a shoe that has a more contoured fit."

The shoe kept getting softer for Kana, affecting play. "The upper was so supple it felt as if my foot slid forward more than usual, especially towards the end of the test. The shoe definitely seemed to be more focused on comfort than stability, which I prefer over the bulkiness of a stability shoe."

Tiffani found her confidence in the Alfa II growing. "The shoe is super soft, but it still offers decent support. On really aggressive cuts, I could feel the shoe flex, which at first had me wondering about stability and worrying about rolling. Before I really got to know the shoe, I felt like it could fail. As I put the shoe through the paces I found they held up fine and provided all the support needed."

After making some adjustments, Eileen really felt in step with the shoes. "The first day I wore the shoe it was too roomy, and I felt unsure about the ankle support. I was afraid my ankle would roll over because my feet moved too much inside the shoes. The second time I wore them I wore thicker socks, which eliminated the problem. I think it's great that just wearing thicker socks made the shoes fit so well. I felt great support with the thicker socks and I didn't feel like my ankles would roll over."

The shoe was just too soft for Linda to play aggressively. "With the soft uppers this shoe sacrificed support. I experienced some slippage in the front of the shoe. However, the comfort is definitely there for less aggressive play."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.3

The Evergrind outsole on the Alfa II's backed up by a six-month durability guarantee. Tiffani put that guarantee to the test. "The Alfa II has nubbins that wear off really quickly, but that was not an indicator of the outsole's durability. I was wearing through the pivot point after about 30 hours, but there wasn't a threat of a hole. As usual, the rest of the outsole was fine. I would probably be taking advantage of the durability guarantee offered on the Alfa II, but I didn't think the outsole was wearing too quickly considering the amount of hours I played in them."

Linda, though, found the Alfa II was holding up extremely well. "The durability of this sole is exceptional. The grip is amazing and the sole durable." Eileen agreed, "This shoe has a great outsole. The sole is soft but super durable. There was no wear shown on the sole, and I still had lots of traction in the toe, heel and ball of the foot after the playtest."

The outsole fit Kana's style of play. "The sole felt soft, yet sufficient for hard play. I'm not an aggressive destroyer of the sole, so I prefer a softer feeling sole that adds to the comfort, and this shoe definitely had that." Kimber found the outsole outstanding. "The soles of these shoes seem indestructible. After hours of play the tread shows little wear. Usually, the bottom of the big toe begins to wear thin, but my hours of play seem to have very little impact on the sole. Overall, the sole durability was awesome. The Evergrind outsole is rightly named."

Toe Durability - Score: 3.6

The Alfa II's upper is protected with Durocera in high-wear areas. Eileen had no problems. "The Alfa II has great durability. It's a nice light shoe with solid durability. I saw no wear at all from dragging my toe." Linda also saw minimal wear. "I have a toe drag, but the shoe shows hardly any sign of wear."

Kimber, though, scratched up the shoe a bit. "As play progressed and I began dragging my toe on my serve and volleys, the top of the shoe began to show wear on the topstitching. The tip of the toe absorbed the wear well, though."

Tiffani sought better durability in this area. "I drag my toe pretty heavily on my groundstrokes and my Alfa IIs show a fair amount of wear. Somewhere around 25 hours, I popped enough stitching on the toes to create small holes on both shoes. I couldn't see down to the sock, though, because there was enough material beneath the Durocera piece to protect my socks."

Traction - Score: 4.3

Our team had mixed reactions to the Alfa II's traction. Kana felt it took time for the shoe to have enough stick. "There is no break-in period in comfort, but for the sole there is. The Evergrind outsole did not have the grip I expected. Fresh out of the box the overall traction was very slippery; possibly due to the raised triangular texture of the material. After a few hitting sessions I finally felt comfortable making hard pivots and directional changes on the court."

Tiffani, too, found a break-in time was needed. "The first couple of times I played in these shoes I was slipping, so I held back on my movements. After a short break-in time the traction was good. The grip improved and was good for all the quick movements needed on the court. I was starting and stopping and making quick adjustments without any worries."

Other playtesters, like Kimber, were more than pleased. "The herringbone tread pattern on the outsole provided great traction. I was worried about playing on clay, but they helped keep slipping to a minimum, yet enabled me to slide a bit when I was running for wide shots or approaching the net. On the hard court I was able to charge and stop quickly without worry. A couple of sets were played on a damp court, and sliding was not an issue."

Linda loved the grip the shoes provided. "The traction of this shoe is unbeatable. These soles have the most traction of any shoe I have ever played in. The grip is amazing and durable."

Eileen agreed, "Once I had the thicker sock on, I wasn't distracted by my slipping inside the shoe, and starting, stopping and changing direction was great. I could play comfortably all day."

Weight - Score: 4.3

The Alfa II weighs 13.6 ounces for a size 8.5, and our team was pleased with the weight. Linda found a good mix of performance and weight. "This is not a lightweight shoe, but it's very comfortable. The shoe did not seem heavy, but had a good balance of support, cushion and traction."

The weight was spot on for Eileen. "It's a very solid sole and upper without being bulky and heavy. The weight was just right."

Kana found other factors weighing on her mind. "The weight was to my liking; however, the shoe felt heavier when my feet got hot, which was a concern for the shoe's breathability."

The shape of the shoe diminished Kimber's first impression. "The sole seems bulky yet the Superaction material is very lightweight. The overall feel of the shoe is not as heavy as I would have expected. Even after a couple of hours on the court the shoe still felt pretty light."

Tiffani was happy with the Alfa II in this department. "There were no issues for me with the weight of the shoe. Considering this shoe has a durability guarantee, the weight is superb. A lot of the guaranteed shoes feel heavy, but this Alfa II never made me feel sluggish."

Overall - Score: 4.0

The Alfa II's instant comfort and cushioning were a hit with our playtesting team. Unlike some shoes, the Alfa II remained comfortable during long days of tennis, and even while wearing them after leaving the courts. Because of the comfort our testers wore these shoes often, and ended up being very pleased with the durability of this shoe, which is also backed with a 6-month outsole guarantee. Though the softness raised some questions about stability, when it came down to it, our testers found this shoe to offer comfort and performance for the frequent player.

Fila Afla II Shoe Scores
The Up Side	The Down Side	Play Test Scores
No break-in time Lasting comfort Outsole durability	Toe durability for heavy toe draggers Shoe can feel hot	Comfort 4.4 Arch Support 4.5 Foot Support/Stability 3.8 Overall Sole Durability 4.3 Toe Durability 3.6 Traction 4.3 Weight 4.3 Overall 4.0 Scores (1-Horrible 2-Poor 3-Average 4-Good 5-Tremendous)

Playtesters' Foot Types: Tiffani Wide width/low arch,Kana Wide width/low arch, Eileen Narrow width/Medium arch, Kimber Medium width/Medium arch, Linda Narrow width/High arch

Review date: September, 2009. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

All content copyright 2009 Tennis Warehouse.