Breakdown

Comfort: 8.5

Armed with flexible uppers, supportive arches and plenty of cushioning underfoot, the Skechers Baseline Bullies scored high marks in the comfort department. The arch support and plush feel stood out to Brittany. She said, “I noticed a few things when I slipped the Baseline Bully shoes on: the underfoot cushioning, the arch support and the stiff heel. The underfoot cushioning from heel to toe was ample and plush. The thick underfoot cushioning of the Baseline Bullies feels very close to the coveted Nike GP Turbos. The tongue cushioning was good and the cushioning around the ankle was just OK, while the uppers were soft and flexible. My one issue with comfort came from the Hands Free Slip-ins technology in the heels. It felt too firm, and the heel cup pushed into my heels a little over halfway up. The feeling wasn't as pronounced by the end of the playtest, but I could still feel it. Lastly, I wanted to give props to Skechers for the arch support. They have one of the best arch supports in tennis shoes, and my arches felt fully supported."

Michelle was looking forward to a plush ride from these new Skechers shoes. She said, "It has been years since I have worn a pair of Skechers, but going into this playtest I expected these shoes to be strong in the comfort category, and they were! They felt very comfortable underfoot when I stepped into them, and my feet sank right in. The fit of these shoes worked nicely for me, and the arch support was notable, which was nice as a player with high arches. I felt like I really sat back and down into these shoes, which while comfortable, made me feel a bit slow to get going. Some of the more premium tennis shoes these days have an almost 'rock-forward' feel to their construction. This was a bit of the opposite, so my first step felt a little delayed, but the ride getting to the ball was comfortable! They took a bit of time to break in though, and they were a little stiff in the beginning. I also didn't think these were the most breathable shoes, and my feet got hot during extended play."

Because of Skechers' reputation, Zsofi knew what to expect from the Baseline Bullies. She explained, "Skechers is famous for creating comfortable shoes, so going into this playtest, I had no doubt that these shoes would be comfortable. When I first put them on, I could feel that amazing, plush comfort right away. You can see how thick the outsoles are, and they contribute to that plush sensation underfoot. As far as sizing, the shoes fit me internally, but because of their longer design, they looked and felt way too big on my feet, which took a moment to get used to."

Having wider feet, Tiffani needed to break these shoes in slowly. She described, "When I first slipped on my pair of Baseline Bully shoes they felt a bit tight around the midfoot, just below the widest part of my forefoot. I didn't experience squeezing in the toe box, though. I opted to wear them casually for a couple of hours to help start the break-in. I headed down to play after those two hours, and for the first hour they did feel pretty tight in that area. Thankfully, they relaxed enough after those three hours, and I didn't feel too squeezed in the midfoot. I did need to take them off after playing because if I left them on too long I would feel soreness in that area. I did enjoy the cushioning quite a bit, and even though I have low arches, I liked the substantial support in that area. The ventilation was average for me, and I think the uppers did a decent job of venting heat even with the ample underfoot cushioning, which often can lead to hot shoes."

Foot Support / Stability: 8.6

When it comes to stability and support, the Skechers Baseline Bullies were up to the challenge for our playtesters, and they earned a high score in this area from Michelle. She said, "The support and stability of the Baseline Bully shoes were on point. When we see new brands break into the tennis market the support and stability often seem to be overlooked. That's not the case here, as the uppers felt strong and supportive, and the shoes had good stability. This kept me confident in my movement, and I didn’t have to worry about twisting an ankle, losing my footing or anything like that."

The Baseline Bully's adjustable lacing system impressed Zsofi. She said, "Support-wise, I thought these Baseline Bullies were exceptional! I felt nicely locked in, especially thanks to the lacing system, which is built in a very cool way and allowed me to cinch the laces up nicely around my ankles. I thought it was a neat feature of these shoes. The midsoles had the perfect balance of cushioning and responsiveness, which I also really enjoyed."

Brittany felt stable moving in these Baseline Bullies, but she would have liked an extra eyelet for the laces. She explained, “For the most part, the Baseline Bully shoes did what they needed to do in the support and stability category. While I found the toe box slightly generous, I thought the shoes did a good job of holding my midfoot and heel in place, so I didn't have any noticeable movement within the shoes no matter which direction I was moving. I didn't have any issues with stability either. I did feel like I was sitting noticeably higher off the ground, but the shoes were wide enough to keep me from feeling like I was going to tip over or roll an ankle. If I had one small knock, it would be that I could have used an extra eyelet, like other tennis shoes have, to really get a locked-in feel around my ankles."

"I found the Baseline Bullies to be pretty supportive and stable," Tiffani added, “but I did have some issues with the Slip-ins technology. The heel is intentionally stiff so you can slide your foot into the shoe, but that meant the heel didn't really conform to the shape of my foot. I like a really secure feel around my ankles, so I wanted an additional eyelet and a softer heel to really cup my feet. I didn't like using the Slip-ins feature anyway because I want to pull on the laces to get a tight fit every time I play tennis. All that said, I didn't really have any issues with toe jamming or feeling like I was going to tip over. It's more that I wanted to have that secure feel around my ankles."

Overall Sole Durability: 9.0

Our playtesters all agreed that the Skechers Baseline Bully shoes hit the mark when it came to durability. Brittany really put her Baseline Bullies through their paces, but she saw nary a scratch on them when the testing period was over. She described, "After 10-plus hours playing a variety of singles, doubles and drilling, I am impressed with how durable the Baseline Bully shoes are. I don’t seeing any wear or tear on the outsoles, even in my high-wear areas. There seems to be a lot of life left in these even after the playtest is complete. The uppers and toe bumpers are a similar story. There is no scuffing or smoothing, and I would say the overall durability of the Baseline Bullies is excellent."

Durability was a highlight of this playtest for Tiffani. She said, "I really have no complaints about durability. These shoes are not showing much wear at all, and the toes are also plenty protected with a toe guard."

"That Goodyear rubber is no joke!" Michelle added. "I tried to wear these shoes out and am barely seeing any wear at the end of this playtest. The uppers also held strong through the playtesting. For sure, one of the strengths of the Baseline Bullies is their durability!"

Zsofi was also impressed with how well the Baseline Bullies held up. She said, "I barely saw any wear at all on these shoes, and I think they will last a long time. These Baseline Bullies will be great for someone looking for durable, supportive tennis shoes!"

Traction: 7.7

For the most part, the Skechers Baseline Bullies kept our playtest team moving confidently around the court, with no fears of slipping or getting stuck. The balance of grip and give was right in line with what Tiffani would want from this type of shoe. She said, "The outsoles felt stickier rather than slick on the hard courts, but the traction level felt appropriate for the build of the Baseline Bullies. I didn't have any issues with feeling stuck to the court, and likewise, I didn't slip unexpectedly."

Brittany always felt secure moving on the court in the Baseline Bullies. She explained, "Honestly, I didn't have to think too much about the traction of the Baseline Bully shoes, which means they did what I expected them to do. They had a pretty equal blend of give and grip, so I never felt stuck or like I was slipping, and I was able to move seamlessly into and out of my shots. I will add that I didn't feel super connected to the court due to being higher off the ground thanks to the plush cushioning."

The Baseline Bullies landed a little too far toward the grippy end of the spectrum for Zsofi. She said, "Traction was definitely on the stickier side for me, and no matter how many hours I put in, it didn't really improve. I wish the outsoles had a bit more give."

The traction, combined with the overall design of the Baseline Bullies, ended up being an issue for Michelle. She explained, "The traction was a little sticky on these outsoles. Pair that with a heavier feel on my feet and the way I was sitting back into the shoes, and something about the traction of the Baseline Bullies was throwing me off. The sound was a little crinkly and crunchy, almost the way it sounds to wear clay shoes on a hard court. The outsoles just sounded different when making contact; it was better than squeaking but noticeable to me!"

Weight: 6.8

Tennis shoes that are built to be extremely stable, supportive and durable will usually come along with a significant amount of extra weight, and the Skechers Baseline Bullies are no exception. Noting this trade-off, Tiffani said, "The Baseline Bullies feel heavy and somewhat cumbersome around the court, and the weight is likely my least favorite part of these shoes. There is good stability and durability in exchange, though. I noticed the weight mostly when I was taking my small adjustment steps or crossing over to move laterally across the baseline. The toes felt stiff and less nimble than I like. I rely a lot on my movement, and these shoes felt clunky."

The weight of the Baseline Bullies was not ideal for Brittany. She said, "Unfortunately, weight was my least favorite aspect of these shoes. I don't mind shoes that are a little heavier, but these are some of the heaviest shoes on the scale, and I definitely felt it. Moving around the court, they felt clunky and slow when I was moving around the court. I think this is partly due to the wider fit and also because the plush cushioning underneath doesn't allow for a smooth heel-to-toe transition."

Michelle felt slowed down on the court while wearing the Baseline Bullies. She explained, "The weight was a bit of a negative for me, and the shoes felt heavy, bulky and slow. I felt like I was sitting back into the heels of these shoes, and that combined with the heavier weight just made me feel a little slow. These shoes were quite stable as well. I wouldn't consider them for match-day use or even serious training or drilling."

Zsofi would have preferred a more minimal design for the Baseline Bullies. She said, "I did think the shoes were a bit overbuilt, and I wasn't a huge fan of the heavy, bulky sensation under my feet. I felt like they slowed me down on the court, and because of that, I would not use these shoes unless it was for coaching and standing around all day."

Breakdown Summary