Breakdown

Comfort: 8.6

By tweaking the sizing and boosting the cushioning underfoot, Babolat has made the Jet Tere 2s one of the most comfortable lightweight shoes on the market. The comfort of these shoes might have been the standout feature for our playtest team. Zsofi said, "The new Babolat Jet Tere 2s were absolutely amazing when it came to comfort! I experienced top-notch comfort levels right out of the box, with no break-in time needed at all. Comfort was probably the most important feature of these shoes, and I could not be happier with how plush the shoes felt on my feet. There was just enough arch support for me, and the size fit me perfectly as well. These shoes were slightly on the narrow side, but not too snug. I felt locked in just enough to feel secure."

The breathability of the Jet Tere 2s really stood out to Tiffani. She said, "I have wider feet, so Babolat's SFX line of shoes tends to fit me better than the Jet models. I could tell the Jet Tere 2s were on the narrower side for me as soon as I put them on, but the uppers felt really pliable right out of the box, so they still felt comfortable. The shoes felt really light on my feet, but I could also feel some soft cushioning under my feet. One of the highlights of these shoes was the ventilation. The Jet Tere 2s felt really breathable, and I never noticed my feet overheating."

The Jet Tere 2s were so comfortable for Michelle, she wanted to keep them on after playing. She said, "These shoes had good underfoot cushioning and soft uppers. They fit my feet just right — not too short, which was an issue with the previous version. The uppers were also very breathable, which is especially nice for the summer months! However, I did have some comfort issues because of the lack of support and stability, with my legs doing some overtime work after wearing these shoes."

"The best three words I found to describe these shoes were soft, light and quick," Ana added. "The Jet Tere 2s are well cushioned and offer a lot of comfort. I felt like I could just walk and stand in them comfortably, which is honestly hard to find in court shoes. The Jet Tere 2s not only had soft uppers, but the soles also felt like walking on memory foam. I was very impressed with how they felt when I had them on because even though I felt like the fit was great and wrapped around my feet, I still had enough space to keep my toes from feeling jammed. I would not mark these shoes as either narrow or wide, but more of a medium fit. I did not need any break-in time to play in them thanks to the soft cushioning. These shoes also offered great ventilation."

Foot Support / Stability: 7.0

The lightweight and breathable mesh of the Babolat Jet Tere 2s helps keep the shoe speedy and agile, but some of our playtesters noticed that this affected the level of support and stability. Bucking this trend, Zsofi said, "Contrary to some of the others who also tested these shoes, I did feel like I had enough support and stability around my feet. I felt locked in enough throughout the playtest, even during more rigorous point play. I appreciated how low-to-the-ground I felt because that really allowed me to feel connected to the court and know where I was stepping."

Ana tends to prefer tennis shoes that are more rigid than these Jet Tere 2s. She noted, "Support and stability were probably the biggest issues I encountered with these shoes. I felt like the uppers and soles of the shoes were too soft. Even though I did not experience any pain, I felt unstable when stopping or switching directions too quickly. I was afraid to move since I felt like my feet shifted too much within the shoes. I tried not to slide into my shots in these shoes since I didn't feel secure enough to do it. I prefer shoes that are firmer and offer more stability, even though they require more break-in time. I didn't want to play aggressively in these Jet Tere 2s because I felt like my feet moved in them too much, but they felt great for coaching or light hitting sessions."

Tiffani agreed and added, "Support and stability are the areas where I struggled most with these Jet Tere 2s. As I mentioned, these shoes were narrow for me, but the uppers were very soft. I could see my feet pushing the uppers out when just standing in them. As I moved, I could feel the shoes flex quite a bit, and I didn't feel confident moving laterally in them. Although they were light and comfortable, these shoes just weren’t rigid enough for me to want to play points in them."

The lack of support and stability affected more than just Michelle's movement. She explained, "After testing the Jet Tere 2s in multiple different court situations, they became strictly for light hitting, coaching, teaching and traveling to matches with my team. The second I pushed them to the limits with drills, hitting or playing points in them, I found they lacked support and stability. The lack of support, along with a tacky outsole, was a bit of a struggle for my body. Because of the lack of support, my ankles were working overtime to keep me upright, and it put some strain on my legs from my feet to my hips. After 90 minutes of good drilling and hitting, my left knee and quad were strained for a few days (I tend to stop harder on my left side since my footwork just isn't as fluid with my backhand). I wouldn't recommend these shoes to anyone putting some serious movement into their tennis, but they would be suited for players who play more doubles and don't find themselves sprinting down balls with as much intensity."

Overall Sole Durability: 8.1

The Babolat Jet Tere 2s feature Michelin Premium rubber outsoles for durability and superior grip on all court surfaces. Zsofi tested these shoes longer than anyone else on the team, and she was very pleased with how well they held up. She said, "I probably put more than 25 hours on the shoes, and I don't think I saw any wear on the outsoles or the uppers, so I can't complain about durability at all!"

From what she saw, Ana was impressed with the Jet Tere 2s’ performance in this category. She said, "These shoes exceeded my expectations in terms of durability. Even though I didn’t get to play many matches in them, which is where I slide the most around the court, I had no trouble with durability. The soles still had good grip and showed barely any use. That said, I didn't do any sliding around the court because my feet didn't feel secure enough."

Because Michelle didn't find the support she was looking for from these shoes, she wasn't able to fully put the outsoles through their paces. She said, "The Michelin outsole always offers good durability, but once the shoes proved to lack support I wore them strictly for light hitting, and I didn't put durability completely to the test."

Tiffani also didn't give these shoes the workout she normally would in a playtest. She said, "I didn't wear these shoes as many hours as I typically would for a review, and I kept them for light hitting. After six or so hours, I'm not seeing much wear on the outsoles, and I've scuffed the toes."

Traction: 7.4

The Michelin Premium rubber soles coupled with the tread pattern give the Babolat Jet Tere 2s plenty of grip and traction — maybe a bit too much for our playtest team. Sliding in these shoes was an issue for Zsofi. She explained, "My one and only knock for the shoes (if I really had to give one) would be that the traction was a bit too sticky for me. I like shoes that allow me to adjust a bit as I turn and maybe let me slide a tiny bit, and I thought these were on the stickier side." 

Optimal traction involves a balance of grip and give, and for Tiffani the balance of the Jet Tere 2s leaned too far in one direction. She said, "The outsoles were very grippy on hard courts, and when paired with their lower support levels, I was not confident in my footwork. The shoes felt like they gripped hard, and the uppers couldn't hold my feet in, so I would generally try to run through my shots rather than try to hold my weight and then push off in another direction."

Even though Michelle is used to grippier outsoles, she also would have preferred more give. She said, "I tend to like pretty sticky outsoles, but these were really sticky. They just stuck to the court, and there was no give. Pair that with the less-than-ideal support, and I had sore tendons after wearing these shoes when I was moving aggressively."

"The traction felt great; they were almost too sticky, to be honest," Ana added. "I was not slipping around the court and had good grip, but again my feet didn't feel secure inside of the shoes. That lack of support and the stickiness of the shoe made me feel unsafe when playing."

Weight: 8.8

It was unanimous; our whole team agrees that these Babolat Jet Tere 2s feel speedy and ultra lightweight. Zsofi was particularly impressed. She said, "The new Jet Tere 2s feel extremely light on my feet! So much so that I almost didn't feel like I was wearing anything."

The comfort and light weight made the Jet Tere 2s a good off-court choice for Michelle. She said, "No doubt about it, these are light and quick tennis shoes! They definitely feel fast, and they’re easy to wear off the court."

"These shoes felt very light," Ana added. "There was no need to break them in. As soon as I put them on, it almost felt like I wasn’t wearing tennis shoes. I even found them comfortable enough to keep them on after playing, which I normally don't do with other court shoes." 

Support and stability are more important to Tiffani than the light weight. She described, "These shoes are super light, and I felt like I wasn’t wearing much of anything on my feet! Still, I would trade a bit of additional weight to improve the support and stability of these Jet Tere 2s."

Breakdown Summary