Fila Axilus Energized Women's Shoe Review

Overall Comfort - Score: 3.6

Our playtesters found that the Fila Axilus 2 Energized offered a very generous fit and a soft, flexible upper. With wider feet and plenty of experience in Fila shoes, Tiffani was the perfect fit for this playtest. She started, "I was one of two playtesters on the review of the original Axilus Energized, and this update performed just like the original for me. The fit remains wide, and it reminds me a lot of the Prince NFS shoes from long ago. The fit is wide from toe to heel, and the toe box is also quite deep. Although I enjoyed the wide fit in the toe box, I wished for a lower volume fit in the forefoot for a more streamlined feel. Like the previous model, the cushioning felt firm underfoot and low to the ground. These shoes didn't leave my feet feeling sore after play, but I would notice a hard landing every now and again. In a perfect world, the cushioning would be a little more responsive. Ventilation was not an issue for me, but there was not much arch support."

Michelle noted the wider fit. She said, "These shoes are super cute and take color well, so I was excited to give them a go. Plus, a few of my favorite WTA players wear them, so I was curious to see how they performed. First things first, they fit wide throughout. Initially, I really didn't think it would be a problem. My feet get wider toward my toes, so the lack of support in the heel was the first thing I identified as a bit of an issue. I felt like I was ready to pop out of the back of the shoes. Luckily, that didn't happen, and the feeling dissipated a bit once I got moving. After an hour of wearing these shoes I really had to cinch them up; I like my shoes tight. This caused the uppers to pucker as I pulled them as tightly as I could. The laces were also extremely long, and I had to triple knot them just so they wouldn't drag on the court. The shoes didn't have much arch support either. Aside from that, the Axilus 2 Energizeds performed well for me. The cushioning wasn't super plush, but I felt like it was enough from me to feel quick and ready to move when needed. It was less of an issue when I was wearing two pairs of socks, but if the fit were just slightly narrower I think any problems I did have would have been quickly solved."

"I've been seeing these shoes on tour quite a lot, and I was pretty excited to finally get them on my feet," added Julie. "At first fit, they felt very comfortable and flexible. Another thing I noticed right away was the width of the shoes, but it unfortunately didn't fit my narrow feet well. I couldn't wear these shoes unless I had two thick pairs of socks on. The playtest really started for me once I made this adjustment. Underfoot was pretty flat with low arch support, and although I liked this feature at the beginning of the playtest, it also caused some issues. As soon as I pushed my hitting sessions more intensely I experienced numbness and tingling in the forefoot. The lack of arch support definitely hindered my movement on court. I caught myself avoiding adjusting around the ball because small quick steps hurt my feet. The Fila Axilus 2 Energized shoes aren't really built for my narrow feet and aggressive footwork, so comfort was lost as soon as I started moving around the court. On a positive note, the mesh upper was a big plus for flexibility and ventilation."

Brittany's initial try-on of the Axilus 2 Energized shoes revealed two things: there would be an extremely wide fit and no break-in period. She explained, "When I slipped the shoes on my feet I noticed a soft, moldable upper that did not have any hot spots or rubbing. I could immediately hit the court without any break-in time walking around in them. However, the wider fit was a big issue, and my narrow feet were swimming in the shoes, with a ton of extra room throughout. I had to wear two pairs of thick socks and tie my laces as tightly as they would go. In turn, this caused the laces to be extra long and the upper to bunch at the top of the shoe. While it wasn't a perfect solution, I was able to play in them. When it came to comfort, I found the cushioning to be on the firmer, more supportive side. I wanted a plusher feel to help absorb some of the shock I encounter when moving aggressively."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.4

The Axilus 2 Energized received mixed reviews when it came to support and stability, with most of the playtesters wishing for a more locked-in, secure feel. While Brittany struggled to find support, she was pleasantly surprised by the shoe's stability. She described, "As I expected, the wide fit led to some support issues. Even with all my little fixes, there was still plenty of room from the front to the back of my shoes. I could never get completely locked in, and this caused my feet to move around inside the shoes when I was playing. However, when it came to stability, I was impressed. Even with the softer uppers, my ankles felt stable on quick starts and stops, and I felt confident I was not going to tip in them."

Michelle was left wanting more in both areas. She said, "Because these shoes fit a bit wide, I can't say they were always as supportive or stable as I would have liked. The uppers held me in well when I cinched up the laces as tightly as I could, so I have no doubt that they would have worked better for me if I had wider feet. Before I tried these shoes on I was assuming they were more built up and would offer more stability, but they really weren't overly built in my opinion. Stability was OK, but I was not always 100 percent confident when making quick cuts or recovering from off the court."

"These shoes fit my feet, so I filled out the width fairly well," said Tiffani. "Where I struggled was the high-volume toe box with the soft uppers. The uppers stretched quite easily, so there was some movement inside the shoes, which caused occasional toe jamming. The heel area was also a bit wide for me, and that was partly because the laces just didn't keep the ankle area cinched up for an entire hitting session. I would opt to switch out the laces for the rounder kind from another pair of shoes if I were to continue wearing these Axilus 2 Energizeds. The stability levels were fine, and I felt that my feet and ankles were well protected."

Julie trained hard in these shoes, and she really tried to put the support to the test. She said, "The stability and support were good considering the high level of flexibility. At the beginning of the playtest I felt well balanced when moving aggressively around the court during point play. However, my preference always goes toward high-stability shoes, and I would have appreciated less flexibility for added stability. After my fifth hour in these shoes I started experiencing slight knee pain and discomfort. This is an issue that usually pops up when my footwear is lacking stability. To confirm this thought, I switched to shoes offering extra support, and the knee discomfort went away quickly. I'm sure some players would appreciate the flexibility and support level of these shoes, but for my personal preference, I definitely needed more stability."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.0

Both the sole and toe durability of the Fila Axilus 2 Energized received top marks from our playtesters. Michelle was pretty impressed with how well her pair held up. She said, "I have been wearing them fairly consistently over the past two and a half weeks, and I am seeing very little wear. Honestly, the biggest wear issue I'm seeing is the crinkling of the upper from being tied so tightly. The outsole has a lot of life left in it, and it is wearing well."

The Fila Axilus 2 Energized also impressed Brittany. She continued, "I didn't wear the first iteration of this shoe so I can't compare the durability, but this update had excellent sole and toe durability. With around eight hours of play, the outsoles do not show any signs of wear. The toe bumpers have also held up remarkably well. It is safe to say the Axilus 2 Energized shoes are durable, and the six-month outsole guarantee is just icing on the cake."

With a recent ankle injury (not related to tennis), Tiffani wasn't able to put as many hours into these shoes as she usually would, but she still played enough to get a feel for their durability. She said, "Both the outsoles and toes held up well on our gritty indoor hard court. The plastic cover on the uppers impressed me. I have a tendency to turn my left foot over on my backhands, and the uppers managed to feel soft and withstand the court abrasions without suffering heavy scratches. Plus, there's a durability guarantee on these shoes for peace of mind."

Julie was in a similar situation as Tiffani. She said, "I didn't put in my usual 10+ hours in these shoes to truly test the durability because of the stability issues I encountered. However, I usually do notice small signs of wear after four hours or so on court. I'd say the outsole seemed to last a little longer than average. I put in about six hours in these shoes, and the wear is minimal."

Traction - Score: 3.7

Most of our playtesters thought the Axilus 2 Energized's modified herringbone tread pattern gripped the hard court well on aggressive movements. A combination of features allowed Brittany to get the most out of the traction. She said, "The traction did its job quite well. I attribute a big part of the success to the low-to-the-ground feel. I felt connected to the court and could feel the tread pattern underneath my feet. I got everything I needed out of the shoes — both grip and give to successfully move quickly around the court."

Tiffani had no complaints about the Axilus 2 Energized when it came to traction. She said, "The traction felt fine to me. Since I like a mix of sticky and slippery, I just want a consistent response from the outsoles of the shoes, and that's what I got from the Axilus 2 Energized."

Michelle continued the praise. She said, "I liked the traction of these shoes. They helped me feel confident even if I was a bit worried about stability. The traction also wore consistently through the test. I am not one to slide or feel comfortable when I lose my footing, and luckily I never slid out."

Unlike the rest of the team, Julie was looking for a little more stickiness, especially when she was pulled out wide. She explained, "You can definitely slide with these shoes. While that's a great feature for hard-court sliders, I'm not really a slider unless I'm playing on clay. I wanted more grip, especially when it was time to step up my game and move aggressively. As soon as my opponent made me move side to side, I lost too much time sliding at the end of my shots. I'm not saying I was sliding like Rafa on clay, but it was the one second of sliding that was frustrating because I know I can recover faster."

Weight - Score: 3.6

With the Fila Axilus 2 Energized weighing only 11 ounces (for a size 8.5), the playtesters had mixed feelings on the weight. Although Julie found the Axilus 2 Energized to be light and speedy, she wouldn't have minded a little extra weight. She said, "Just like the scale shows, these shoes felt pretty light and fast. I wouldn't consider them the most lightweight shoes I've worn, but they are lighter than average. The mesh upper is reinforced with a very flexible plastic, which helps with the weight of the shoes. Being a stability fanatic, I would have loved the shoes to be heavier for added stability."

"I thought these shoes would feel like they weighed much more than they did," added Michelle. "I was concerned they would weigh me down and feel bulky, but they didn't at all. They performed like a mid-weight shoe. I never felt weighed down or slow because of them. I can't say they were ultra fast, but I felt quick enough to wear them for point play."

Tiffani had mixed feelings when it came to the weight. She said, "These shoes didn't feel heavy on my feet, but I didn't exactly feel like Hermes out there either. The uppers of these shoes were flexible, which made for good comfort, but it also led to them feeling a little sloppy. Even though my feet fit inside the shoes nicely width-wise, I wanted a more streamlined fit. The shoes allowed too much internal movement, which kept me from doing my most efficient footwork."

Brittany didn't feel as quick on her feet as she wanted. She explained, "The weight indicates that the Axilus 2 Energized shoes fall into the lightweight category. For me, the shoes didn't feel as light as the scale indicated. I think this was due to the wide fit and all the extra room within the shoes. Now, the shoes did not feel heavy by any means, but they were around average among all the shoes I have playtested."

Overall - Score: 3.5