Fila Axilus 2 Energized Men's Shoe Review

Overall Comfort - Score: 3.9

Our playtesters found the Fila Axilus 2 Energized to be relatively comfortable overall, but they would have liked a little more cushioning underfoot. Mark described the positives and negatives, saying, "Length-wise, the Fila Axilus 2 Energized shoes were perfect for my feet, and although the width for both the midfoot and toe box are pretty wide, the lacing system did allow me to achieve a proper fit. Once I had them laced up and was playing in them, I discovered these shoes felt low to the ground, making my directional changes on a tennis court safe and easy. However, the midsole did not offer a high degree of cushioning at either end of the shoe. Ventilation was definitely top shelf for my needs; the tongue and most of the upper efficiently dispersed any built-up heat. As far as the arch height and its location, I never once thought about it, which is a good thing."

Even though this shoe has a wide fit, Chris came away pleased with its comfort. He said, "The Fila Axilus 2 Energized felt super comfortable from the first wear to the last. I liked the level of cushioning, and my feet felt very protected under my heels. The forefoot cushioning was more minimal, and I liked the blend of comfort and court feel. I also liked the flexibility of the upper materials, which gave the shoes a no-break-in feel. My one knock when it came to comfort was the wide fit of the shoes. I have narrow feet, so I had to really crank the laces to get a better fit. Still, my feet slid around inside the shoes, which would cause some discomfort on the bottom of my feet toward the end of a long hit."

Troy thought the comfort of the Axilus 2 Energized was very middle of the road. He described, "I found these shoes to have decent comfort in the sense that they were easy to break in and were not too rigid. I also found them to have average breathability. I never really had any unwanted rubbing or pinching inside of the shoes, but they just felt too minimal when it came to the forefoot cushioning. I am accustomed to shoes like the Asics Gel Resolution 7 and New Balance Fresh Foam Lav, both of which give me a much plusher ride underneath the balls of my feet. Other than the lack of forefoot cushioning, I enjoyed the overall comfort of these wide-fitting shoes."

Jason enjoyed the Fila Axilus 2 Energized's updated fit, but he still wished for a few more refinements. He said, "It appears Fila has addressed the length issue of the previous version; these shoes felt true to size. With a nice wide fit and low arch, the Axilus 2 Energized felt great on my foot. Considering these are supposed to be normal-width shoes, dare I say, they might even be a little too wide for me. I felt like the underfoot cushioning was good for walking around in, but I would've liked a slightly more cushioned ride when playing. The uppers needed zero break-in time and flexed in all the right places."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.7

The Fila Axilus 2 Energized offered good stability, but because of its wider fit, the support level wasn't as high. According to Troy, the low profile was integral to the performance of this shoe. He explained, "Because my feet were very low to the ground and the TPU shank provided a decent amount of rigidity, I found the lateral stability to be pretty good. The low-to-the-ground ride allowed me to feel confident when changing directions laterally since I didn't feel like I could topple over. The slight downside was the support level. These shoes were a little too wide for me, and I was sliding around a bit inside of the toe box."

Jason also found room for improvement in this area. He said, "Starting with the positives, as soft and supple as the uppers are, they did a good job of keeping my feet and ankles from rolling and twisting when I was planting and changing directions. However, I noticed that my feet were moving around within the shoe during play due to the wider fit, resulting in a bit of rubbing on my big toes. The old-school laces don't lock in as well as most laces you find in modern tennis shoes, so as a hitting session went on I had to tighten them again if I want that fully locked-in feel."

Mark found the uppers to stretch, which hindered the shoe's support somewhat. He said, "The midsole and midfoot shank contributed to the Axilus 2 Energized's stability, but the uppers are pretty elastic and did not quite hold my feet in place the way I prefer. Overall foot support was sufficient, but Jason did put me in some positions on court where I felt like the lateral side of the uppers stretched a little too much."

Chris added, "The Axilus 2 Energized shoes felt nice and stable on court. The problem for me was finding a supportive fit. My feet were sliding around from side to side in the shoes on lateral moves and forward on quick stops. However, once I was up against the side of the shoe on a lateral cut, I thought the uppers supported my movement. My arches felt decently protected. The shoes flexed nicely under my toes while remaining rigid directly under my arches, so I was able to sprint around worry-free."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.1

Our playtesters found the Fila Axilus 2 Energized's Evergrind rubber outsole to hold up well on the hard courts. Jason thought these shoes stood out in this category. He explained, "For lightweight, minimal shoes, the outsoles held up surprisingly well. I had a little more than 10 hours of testing time on my pair, and I'd say they could go for another 10. As a bonus, they come with a six-month durability guarantee."

Chris thought this update was more durable than the previous version. He said, "The outsoles of the Axilus 2 Energized shoes held up well. I'm not sure if the rubber compound has been improved, but I got slightly better durability from this update. The toes also resisted court abrasion well. All in all, for a light feeling shoe, I thought the Axilus 2 Energized lasted well."

While he did notice a bit of wear near the toe, Troy also preferred the Axilus 2 to its predecessor in this category. He said, "The overall sole durability was average for me. Considering the weight of these shoes, I would compare the durability to models like the Nike Air Zoom Cage 3. The toe region and the area underneath the balls of my feet held up better with this Axilus 2 Energized than the first generation. I had some slight balding around the toe region, but other than that, they held up with little wear over about 12 to 15 hours of court time."

Like the rest of the team, Mark was pleased with the durability of the Evergrind outsoles. He said, "From heel to toe, the outsoles provided a high degree of durability for my 52-year-old feet. I have about 20 hours of hard court action on them at this point, and by the looks of my pair's outsole, I have a lot more than 20 ahead of me. I can typically get through the outsole of a sole warranty tennis shoe in four months of play, and my guess is the Axilus 2 Energized will last me about the same length of time."

Traction - Score: 4.4

Our playtesters gave the Fila Axilus 2 Energized their stamp of approval for traction. Chris picked this section as a highlight of the review, saying, "One of my favorite parts of the test was how well the Axilus 2 Energized shoes gripped the court. I was able to push off aggressively and find the traction needed to take a quick first step. Both when sprinting forward and when pushing off laterally to recover to the middle of the court, these shoes gripped well. The outsoles also felt good when I had to pivot or slide a little out of a shot. I was able to control my movement well and never had any issues with the outsoles feeling too sticky."

Mark agreed, adding, "I definitely experienced the 'Goldilocks' effect with regards to the level of traction from the Axilus 2 Energized. The outsole compound and tread pattern let me feel confident moving or stopping in any direction, whether the hard court was recently cleaned or not."

Troy thought the balance of traction was ideal as well. He said, "I found the outsoles on these shoes to give me just the right amount of traction. They never had an overly sticky feel to them, which is something that I liked. The outsoles had a semi-firm feel to them and provided a little bit of give as I slammed on the brakes. As I put more and more playtest hours on these shoes, I found the outsoles to break in well, and maintain a good blend of grip and give."

Jason felt that the Axilus 2's traction got better and better as the playtest went on. He said, "The traction felt pretty much unchanged from the previous version. There's plenty of grip, so I had no slippage issues. I actually liked the traction more toward the end of the playtest as the outsole got slightly slicker, when I could slide a little to stop and change directions."

Weight - Score: 4.4

Weighing 13.7 ounces (size 10.5), the Fila Axilus 2 Energized felt quick around the court for our team. Chris described, "The Axilus Energized 2s felt nice and light on my feet. The flexible uppers gave them a very fast feel when I was up on my toes and sprinting around. I think the fact that I felt low to the ground also helped give the shoes a light feel."

Jason loved the weight of these shoes. He said, "For me, this is probably the standout feature of these shoes. They felt nice and light on my feet. Combined with the low-to-the-ground feel, these shoes made me feel faster than I think I am."

From the start of the playtest to the finish, Troy thought the Axilus 2 Energized felt fast on court. He said, "I thought this shoe felt a bit lighter than the scale might indicate. It flexed easily and didn't really have much of a break-in."

Mark was impressed that a shoe as durable and supportive as the Axilus 2 Energized could feel so light. He said, "On paper, I will consider any tennis shoes weighing less than 14 ounces to be a lightweight option, but that does not always indicate that they will feel light in terms of playing in them. That said, the Axilus 2 Energized does weigh less than 14 ounces, features a sole warranty and still manages to feel like a speed-oriented shoe."

Overall - Score: 4.0