Babolat SFX3 Men's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.2

First and foremost, the main story with the SFX3s is comfort. Seemingly every design decision was centered around making the SFX3s as comfortable as possible; from the mesh uppers to the premium stock insoles, these shoes were a joy for our testers to wear both on and off the court. Considering Jason has wide feet, it shouldn't come as a surprise the has long been a fan of the SFX line. He had this to say about the newest update, "I love the fact that the SFXs have returned to a wider fit! The SFX2s felt more medium width to me, but the SFX3s are definitely roomier, especially in the forefoot. Besides the fit, I felt like the cushioning was pretty plush underfoot, and there was plenty of mesh being used in the uppers to provide great breathability."

Troy found ample cushioning in the heel, but he would have liked a bit more in the forefoot. He said, "The overall comfort of these SFX3s was better than average, but they didn't quite have as much cushioning in the forefoot as I would have liked. Compared to the Head Revolt Pro 2.5s that I've been playing in lately, these SFX3s were not as padded under the balls of my feet. I also prefer the midsole cushioning of my Asics Gel Resolution 7s. I found the fit of the SFX3s to be wide, specifically in the toe box. I was able to lock my heels in by using the last eyelets and cinching the laces tightly, but my feet were sliding around inside the toe box, especially on quick lateral stops. With a majority of the upper materials being breathable mesh, the ventilation was great."

Even though Sean had some fit issues, he was impressed with the SFX3's performance in this category. He recalled, "I thought the comfort of these SFX3s was top notch. The padded collar, the deluxe insoles, the flexible upper and the plush midsole combined to create a really soft overall experience. The fit was a bit wide for me, and the shoes opened up even more as I continued to play, leaving me with a lot of extra real estate by the end of the playtest. Two pairs of socks were a must. I thought ventilation was above average thanks to all the mesh in the upper, and I could feel the arch."

The list of comfort-based features kept Granville's feet happy for the duration of this playtest. He said, "The new SFX3s are comfortable overall. The heel cushioning is the primary story here, with a solid and stable heel counter. My heels fit very snuggly, which seemed to eliminate any threat of rollover. The midsole cushioning provided a low ride up front with good feel and sensory feedback. The toe box fit a bit roomy, so there was some sliding around, but nothing a second pair of socks wouldn't remedy. The mesh in the toe box provided incredible ventilation and coolness, more than any other shoes in memory. The arch support in these shoes was better than most as well. While we're talking insoles, these SFX3s include a solid set of contoured insoles. They are well cushioned and have a firm arch and heel with a small amount of what appears to be Sorbothane cushioning material under the heel. There's none better in my opinion."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.1

Unlike the comfort of the SFX3s, the stability of these shoes proved contentious for some of our playtesters, although Granville was happy with the support he found. He said, "Overall, these shoes provided a stable platform in many respects. My only knock was the roomy toe box where I was sliding around a bit. As noted earlier, I should have worn a second pair of socks for the quick fix! The hard plastic midfoot shank did a great job of stabilizing the entire chassis."

Troy, who has narrow feet, thought the extra room compromised stability when moving. He said, "I never quite felt locked in and secure in these shoes. The main issue was my feet sliding around inside the toe box. Besides that, the upper material was stretching and giving too much under pressure. There were a few times when I slammed on the brakes while moving laterally and experienced a slight ankle roll. However, there was a decent amount of heel support when I used the last eyelet, and these shoes were low to the ground in the forefoot, which helped with the stability. Overall, I would have a hard time using these shoes during competitive play because I didn't trust the support."

Jason could understand where Troy was coming from, but he didn't have the same gripe due to his wider feet. He explained, "Because I have wider feet, I didn't have any issues with excess wiggle room. However, the uppers are fairly soft, so when I did plant my feet to change directions I could feel my feet start to move and the uppers flex. Once I had my laces pulled tight I felt pretty locked in and secure. If you do have narrower feet, I could see the need to really cinch up the laces or even wear two pairs of socks to get that snug fit."

Of all the testers, Sean had the most issues moving on court in his SFX3s. He said, "The first time I played in my pair I realized that these are very flexible shoes. I was having serious problems by the second or third hit, when the shoes started flexing to an excessive degree. I almost rolled my ankle a few times, and that was pretty much the end of the playtest for me. I just couldn't feel secure moving along the baseline, and when I did continue to play in these, I had to be very careful."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.0

For this update, Babolat stuck with its trusty Michelin outsole material to provide long-lasting traction and durability. As always, this material impressed our testers with its longevity. Jason's SFX3s showed little wear by the end of the playtest. He said, "I continue to be impressed with the Michelin outsoles. These shoes held up really well for the duration of the playtest. I put close to 15 hours on them and see minimal tread loss in the high wear areas."

Granville added, "The outsoles were a nice compromise between durability and stickiness. I found good traction from the tread pattern, which held up well set after set. I have yet to wear down the tread's grooves. There is still a good amount of rubber left, so I have more miles to play in them. The toe box has a good wrap that covers all my high-wear areas from toe dragging."

Troy also appreciated the durability of these shoes. He said, "The overall sole durability was good, considering these SFX3s are just under 14 ounces (size 10.5). As I have experienced with most of the Babolat shoes I've playtested, the Michelin Performance Outsoles held up well. I had some slight balding under the balls of my feet and at the toe cap, but the majority of the outsole showed very minimal wear on the tread."

Though Sean was not able to put in as many miles as he would have liked, his past experience with Michelin rubber outsoles suggests this would have been a bright spot in the playtest. He said, "Unfortunately, due to my issues with the support of these shoes, I was unable to extensively test the durability. I will say, however, that the Michelin rubber outsoles have always really impressed me, and for the time that I wore them there was almost no sign of wear on the outsoles."

Traction - Score: 4.1

Although there wasn't a consensus about the level of grip in these shoes, the SFX3s allowed our playtesters to stop confidently and change directions on a dime. Sean found the outsoles to be sticky, but this didn't bother him. He described, "I liked the traction of these shoes and thought they were on the stickier side. I think the level of grip will suit most players very well."

Jason thought the Michelin outsoles provided a good balance of stick and slide. He said, "It was a really nice blend of grip and give. When I needed, I could slide to a stop and change directions, even on the stickier TW court. There was also enough bite to keep the outsoles from slipping when I was making my first step toward the ball."

Granville noticed a lot of noise coming from his outsoles at first, but it subsided after a short time. He said, "When I first stepped onto our rather rough court the tread sounded like sandpaper under my feet. It was a bit disconcerting at first, but after a set the scratchy sound diminished. Since then, the traction has felt soft, stable and comfortable."

Troy felt the outsoles played on the slicker side. He said, "The traction of these SFX3s performed well for me during this playtest. The slickness of the outsoles allowed me to come to a smooth, controlled stop. Anytime I needed to take off after a ball with full force, I found enough tackiness to help me accelerate. I am not the type of player who slides into my shots while playing on a hard court, but I could see how these shoes would work well for that."

Weight - Score: 4.3

At an average weight of 13.9 ounces (size 10.5), the SFX3s come in a mere 0.1 ounces under our lightweight cutoff, but they are a whopping 2 ounces lighter than their predecessor. However, these shoes focus much more on a supremely comfortable ride than the normal qualities of lightweight shoes. Troy explained, "I found these shoes to perform similar to how the scale indicated. These are technically just within the lightweight category, but they don't feel speedy. The downside of these shoes is that they don't contour to my feet very well. Even though my go-to shoes, the Gel Resolutions 7s, are a bit heavier, they contour and flex with my feet better than these SFX3s, which makes them feel more nimble. I didn't find great heel-to-toe transitioning in theSFX3s. When landing on the balls of my feet I experienced a bit of a slapping feel."

Sean didn't mind the weight and actually wouldn't have minded if the shoes were a bit heavier if that translated to more stability. He stated, "I had no issues with these shoes feeling too heavy. I would have definitely wanted them to be heavier if it meant adding some TPU to the uppers or making the shank more rigid."

Jason was excited that this update came in lighter than the previous generation. He said, "These shoes felt so much lighter than the previous SFX2s. I could put them on and not give their weight a second thought once I got on court."

Although our cutoff for lightweight shoes is 14 ounces, Granville has his own standard. He described, "It's hard to believe these shoes, with so many high-end features, still come in at under a pound — my threshold for lightweight shoes."

Overall - Score: 4.0