Breakdown

Comfort: 8.1

Comfort was an exceptional area of performance for the Baseline Bullies, and for the most part, our testers loved how the shoes felt when moving around the court. For Troy, the comfort left little to be desired. He explained, "When it came to the comfort and the fit, I loved just about everything about these shoes. The cushioning was good, making me feel nice and padded as I moved on the hard courts. The fit was a little bit roomy in the toe box, but it worked out well when I wore a thick pair of crew socks. The arch support felt slightly low for me, so I tried using heel supports inside the shoes. Once my heels were elevated a bit I found that the heel supports were digging into the backs of my ankles, and that hard piece in the back from the Slip-ins technology was hitting me in the wrong spot. So basically, when I played in these shoes in stock form they were very comfortable, but my arches were lacking support. If I installed my plantar fascia supports, I was getting discomfort and some digging into my heels."

Oak had more issues than the rest of the team with long-term comfort. He said, "While the Baseline Bullies are comfortable on my feet, they have thus far been uncomfortable to play in. I'm thoroughly disappointed because they seemed promising initially, but these are some of the only shoes that have actually limited my mobility based on their weight and construction. Not to mention, my lower calves, Achilles and the sides of my feet all tend to feel sore after playing in them. Very rarely do I notice problems with the sides of my shoes as far as comfort goes, so the fact that these Baseline Bullies were uncomfortably pushing against the back half of my feet was surprising to me. The fit was pretty good, if a little wide. The foam, while plentiful, was pretty dense and not super pliable for me personally. I do think, however, that if your movement isn't too intense, or if you crave super rigid support, the Baseline Bullies would be a good option for you."

The Baseline Bullies proved to be one of the most comfortable tennis shoes Jason has tested in a long time. He described, "The Baseline Bullies feel almost as plush as the old Nike GP Turbo shoes, which is saying a lot. I thought the slightly wider forefoot fit me really well too, and the arch was fine for my low-arched feet."

Likewise, the comfort was fantastic for Mark's intended purposes. He said, "Within just a few minutes of play, I was enjoying the underfoot cushioning from the Baseline Bully's Go Foam Technology midsole, which I will describe as comfortably firm and not springy. The length was spot on, and to my feet the somewhat shallow toe box felt like a generous medium. Additionally, the Baseline Bullies’ uppers were extremely supportive without feeling restrictive, and they were sufficiently breathable."

Foot Support / Stability: 8.1

Continuing the trend of great on-court performance, the Baseline Bullies exceeded expectations in terms of lateral support and stability. Mark thought the support factor was extremely impressive, allowing him to effectively implement his counterpunching style of play. He described, "Besides comfort, I have to say support and stability are the main themes of the Skechers Baseline Bullies, which tied into the construction of the upper along with the firmness of the midsole. Like driving a car with a firm suspension through a tight turn, there is minimal lean, and the firm but comfortable midsoles of the Baseline Bullies kept my shoes level during directional changes."

Jason found ample lateral stability, but he had some issues with how his heels fit into the shoes. He explained, "I thought the stability was actually pretty good. The uppers felt like they were rigid enough to keep my feet stable when I was moving laterally and changing directions. My slight issue was with the Slip-ins technology, which makes the heel pretty firm. I just could not get a locked-in fit, so my feet were sliding around within the shoes."

This category proved to be a highlight of the playtest for Oak, although he noted a bit too much rigidity at times. He said, "The support was abundant, but there may have been too much in areas where I usually like shoes to feel more flexible. The Baseline Bullies use a flatter, more rigid chassis, somewhat similar to the ON Roger Pro 2s and Roger Advantage Pros, which makes the on-court experience feel very stable and sure-footed. They may have been too stable at times. The sheer size of the shoes made initial lateral movements feel somewhat clunky, so while support was inherently good, it perhaps limited my movement and preparation as well."

For Troy, the Baseline Bullies’ support was exceptional, though he did find it to be a bit lacking in the arch region. He said, "Other than just a minor issue with the arch support, which I felt was a bit low, I really had no issues with support or stability. These Baseline Bullies have pretty good stability, and I think that the midfoot shank and the lateral quarter wrap gave me the confidence to make quick lateral cuts. I’ve tried some of the Skechers pickleball shoes in the past, like the Viper Court Elite, and they were super comfortable but didn't have all that much stability. I could definitely notice the attention to detail and the improvements in the stability that Skechers made to the Baseline Bullies. The support was pretty good for the most part. The fit was a bit roomy in the forefoot, but I felt pretty much locked in when I wore a thick pair of crew socks and cinched up the laces."

Overall Sole Durability: 8.4

The durability of the Baseline Bullies also proved impressive to our playtesters, the majority of whom saw little to no major wear on their outsoles. Unlike the rest of the team, Troy found himself wishing that these shoes were just a bit more resilient, or barring that, at least came with a durability guarantee. He said, "The durability of the outsoles was somewhat average for me throughout the playtest. However, I did note that the rubber on the outsoles of these shoes felt a bit on the soft side, and I noticed some balding under the main pressure points. I usually put the most pressure on the balls of my feet and the tips of the toes, and there was some smoothing to the tread there. I would say that the outsole durability was slightly less than my go-to shoes, the New Balance CT Rallies, and I would feel a bit more confident recommending these shoes to aggressive players if they were backed by a six-month outsole durability guarantee."

Oak found great durability, and he noted this as one of the best aspects of this playtest. He described, "I thought that the level of outsole and upper durability was above average, especially considering I put in around 40 hours on them. The left toe section that usually wears through first for me is still going strong, so if rigid durability is a priority, these Baseline Bullies definitely fit the bill. The uppers have also broken in nicely without breaking down."

Jason also thought the durability was excellent, with no real wear to be seen. He noted, "The outsoles held up really well during this playtest. I was impressed with the durability of the Goodyear rubber, and it showed little to no sign of tread loss. I put about 12 hours on my pair, and they look basically brand new."

Mark has already put many hours on his Baseline Bullies, and he expects them to last for many more. He explained, "I have around 30 hours of hard court tennis time on my pair and probably another dozen hours of play on a pickleball court as well. Although the Baseline Bully does not feature an outsole warranty, my shoes have plenty of rubber left to bully my friends around from the baseline or anywhere else on the court."

Traction: 8.3

While the traction of the Baseline Bullies proved viable enough, the overall performance tended to lean more toward grip as opposed to give. For Mark, the shoes simply required his usual break-in, and from that point on they were good to go. He said, "Traction was really predictable and good overall. The outsoles were a little on the sticky side when new, and like most tennis shoes I have tested, after an hour of play the Baseline Bullies provided the proper degree of grip versus slip."

The traction of the Baseline Bullies was too sticky for Jason at times, but it became more workable over time. He said, "The outsoles were pretty sticky at the beginning of the playtest, but the traction did get better for me as I wore them in. I was able to slide a bit by the end of the playtest, but I still would've liked slightly slicker outsoles."

The grippier nature of the Baseline Bullies actually proved useful for Troy, and he felt comfortable moving around the court. He described, "The traction was pretty grippy on these shoes. In terms of durability, the rubber was slightly on the soft side and maybe wore a bit quicker than I would have liked. The softer feel gave me a lot of grip when I needed to stop and change directions. I never thought they felt too sticky, and I enjoyed the level of grip that I was getting on the hard courts."

Oak found the Baseline Bullies to be on the grippier side of things, potentially to a detrimental degree. He said, "The traction was pretty intense, perhaps too much for me on the sides of the shoes, where I felt a little stuck to the court at times. There was too much grip to really confidently slide, and the quick pivot motions were slower than I would've liked. The grippy traction and the flat, rigid profile made it hard to effectively maneuver in these shoes. The Baseline Bullies did a good job of propelling me forward and backward on the court, but it felt like it took them a little while to get up to full speed."

Weight: 8.0

As far as weight was concerned, the Baseline Bullies earned mixed reviews. Oak struggled with the weight of the shoes in relation to their flatter profile. He explained, "The weight of the Baseline Bullies felt like the most disagreeable part of the construction; I felt like I couldn't roll off the balls of my feet effectively at all. In shoes with a flatter construction like this, I prefer less weight to help offset the way the shoes contact the court. I also felt like the weight was holding me back during that initial first movement toward the ball, what I like to call the 'jump' on a pair of shoes."

Troy didn't feel too strongly about the weight one way or another. He said, "The weight was sort of middle of the road for me. The comfort was good, and these shoes flexed well for me while I was moving, and I also never had to think much about them when I was on court. Overall, the weight was just fine for me, but keep in mind that a heavier shoe doesn't bother me as long as the comfort and support are there."

While Jason found the Baseline Bullies firmly on the heavier end of the spectrum, he never thought the shoe felt overly bulky or clunky. He said, "The Baseline Bullies definitely are not in the lightweight category, but I didn't find an issue with their weight. The heel-to-toe transition was pretty smooth and didn't feel clunky. Even though the shoes could be lighter, their weight was a non-issue for me."

Likewise, Mark had no issues with the heavier weight and felt agile moving across the court. He said, "I have come to expect that court shoes that provide a lot of support and stability will often weigh 15 ounces or more, and my pair of size 11s came in around 15.6 ounces. That said, I do consider the weight but am more focused on whether shoes feel agile around the court, and I'm happy to report that the Baseline Bully is built to support and last without sacrificing speed."

Breakdown Summary