Babolat Jet Men's Shoe Review

Overall Comfort - Score: 4.3

Our playtesters were extremely impressed with how soft and comfortable the Jets felt right out of the box. Chris attributed a lot of that comfort to the unique Matryx upper technology. He said, "The uppers of these shoes felt flexible and comfortable from the very first wear, and the Jets moved well with my feet. I was able to quickly forget about them and just focus on my tennis -- always the sign of a good pair of shoes. I felt low to the ground in these shoes, but there was still plenty of cushioning for comfort. The outsoles also felt very soft, and it felt like the soft rubber added some springiness to the proceedings. Inside the shoes my feet felt secure and comfortable, and I was able to find a solid enough fit even for my super skinny feet. The insoles molded nicely to the shape of my arches, and the shoes offered ample rigidity in that area to remain supportive."

Even though these shoes have a slightly narrow fit, they were soft enough to accommodate Jason's wider feet. He said, "From the fit to the cushioning to the ventilation, everything was impressive. The uppers were so soft that my wider feet were able to fit comfortably inside the shoes. I liked the cushioning and felt like it was more than adequate for tough landings, especially considering these are lightweight, speed-oriented shoes. I also thought the Jets breathed exceptionally well, and there was never a time when I felt my feet were overheating."

Andy also really liked the soft, plush feel, but he would've liked a little more support for longer-lasting comfort. He explained, "These shoes are super soft and comfortable right out of the box! From the initial try on I was really impressed with how soft and light they felt. The unique upper material offered a really nice fit around my feet, with good breathability as well. The cushioning was good under the heel, but it was a little lacking in the forefoot. I would've liked a little more support through the arch area as well; my feet were feeling a little achy after wearing them for a while -- like feeling that you'd get after walking around for a long time in sandals."

Troy appreciated the cushioning, but he also would have liked a bit more support. He said, "When I first slipped on the Jets I enjoyed the slim fit and a better fit lengthwise compared to the Propulse that I recently tested. For being such minimal, lightweight shoes, they had ample cushioning in the heel and forefoot. The cushioning was not as good as in the Asics Gel Solution Speed 3 or the Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tour, but I found it better than most lightweight shoes. The upper material was soft and comfortable but didn't breathe quite as well as shoes that have more mesh in the uppers. The arch support was average for me, although I did install my orange Superfeet Premium Insoles, which helped with the support."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.9

Having proved their worth when it came to comfort, the Jets relied on a low to the ground ride for stability. "For being lightweight, speed-oriented shoes, the Jets' support and stability were pretty good," said Jason. "I would've liked it if the uppers were just a bit stiffer to provide more stability, but it wasn't really much of an issue. I could feel the uppers move and flex more than other really stable shoes, but I never had any problems with it on court."

Troy had a similar experience. He said, "The lateral stability was good mainly because of the low-to-the-ground ride of these shoes. This allowed me to stop and start aggressively without fear of rolling an ankle. However, after a short break-in period I thought the shoes stretched out a bit and weren't quite locking my feet in the way I would've liked. Two pairs of socks and my aftermarket insoles helped with this issue, though, since they took up more room inside the shoes and helped fill them out."

On the other hand, Andy had no issues with the level of stability that the Jets offered, but he wasn't completely satisfied with the support. He critiqued, "The stability of these shoes was very good. The upper material did a good job grabbing my feet when needed during aggressive lateral movements, helping me feel protected. The ride is very low to the ground as well, which adds to the stable feel. However, one of my biggest criticisms of these shoes was the lack of support. They are just so soft that they don't offer much in the support category. Like I mentioned in the comfort section, after wearing them for a long time I was getting the same aching sensation that I would get if I walked around in sandals all day."

Chris held the highest opinion of the bunch, and he loved the ride and level of support the Jets offered. He praised, "The fit and feel of these shoes was definitely fast, flexible and light, rather than stiff and stable. However, the low-to-the-ground ride had me feeling very safe inside them. The uppers flexed well, but they also offered enough resistance to stretching to keep them from ballooning out at the sides during aggressive lateral cuts. I never had any issues with toe jamming on quick stops, either. I did have a little sliding side to side inside the shoes, but it was minimal and didn't cause any discomfort. The fit felt like a true medium to me."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 2.8

Durability was certainly not a strength of the Jets, and almost all of our testers' pairs were showing signs of wear and tear fairly early on into the playtest. Andy was not terribly impressed by how well the outsoles held up, although he noted some positives. He said, "The tread pattern on the outsoles of my pair wore down pretty quickly during the test. After about 10 hours of play there was noticeable balding under my big toes. This may just be the natural trade-off for how light and fast the Jets are, though. I usually do some damage to the uppers of my shoes because of how much I slide on hard courts, and this area on the Jets actually held up very well. The protective rubber on the medial side and toe area showed little to no wear."

"I thought the durability was about average for speed-oriented shoes," Jason said. "I noticed some wear and tear starting around the 12 hour mark. I'd put the durability just slightly below the Asics Gel Solution Speed shoes."

Troy was also able to wear down his pair fairly quickly, and he critiqued, "The durability was below average compared to other lightweight, match-day type shoes. The tread on the outsole went bald and eventually wore down to the midsole faster than other lightweight shoes I have tested. I found the Asics Gel Solution Speed 3 and adidas adizero Ubersonic -- two other lightweight shoes I've tested -- to be more durable. The area of the outsole that wore down the fastest for me was the toe region. I'm not a huge toe dragger, but this could be an issue for players who do it more than I do."

Chris compared the Jets to one of our best-selling speed-oriented shoes, saying, "The outsoles held up decently for me. I'd put them right there with the likes of the Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tours, but just behind the adidas adizero Ubersonics."

Traction - Score: 4.5

Everyone was very pleased with the level of traction the Jets offered. "That Michelin rubber compound does it again!" Jason exclaimed. "I've always been impressed with the traction of Babolat shoes with Michelin rubber, and it remains the same with the Jets. There was some slippage when trying to stop and change directions, but I didn't mind that too much. The positive part was that I didn't slip when making that first explosive step. That's when a lack of traction can become dangerous."

Chris was moving at top speed with full confidence. He praised, "I loved the grip I found in these shoes. I could really trust them out on court. When I pushed off quickly I found the grip I needed to take that explosive first step. Likewise, I felt like I could easily gauge the feel between grip and give to confidently stop, slide or change directions quickly."

Andy shared a similar opinion, offering, "The traction was good, and I felt totally confident with how the outsoles reacted with the court. The outsoles gripped when I needed them to and gave me a little slip when going for an aggressive slide. I really liked the level of traction and felt completely in control of my movement in that regard."

Troy liked the traction and felt that it might suit players who like to slide on hard courts. He explained, "One thing I noticed about the traction was that it seemed as though these shoes were designed for modern aggressive movers who like to slide into shots on hard courts. I don't slide on hard courts, but I see how these shoes could enhance that part of a player's game. Whenever I came to an aggressive stop the outsoles of these shoes had enough grip to allow me to slam on the brakes, but at the same time there was a bit of give that had me sliding slightly to a safe stop. The amount of grip and slip worked to my benefit and had me feeling like I could change directions with confidence."

Weight - Score: 4.9

The highlight of the Jets for us was their speedy feel on court. "I was blown away by how light and fast these shoes felt," Andy raved. "I'm hard pressed to remember any performance shoe that felt as light as the Jets and still offered enough stability. The low-to-the-ground ride and fast feel made me feel like I was moving around the court in a sports car. I realize there are some trade-offs to the lighter weight, but I absolutely loved how fast the Jets felt on court."

Jason would put these shoes up against some other extremely popular lightweight performance options. He explained, "The lightweight and low-to-the-ground feel are definitely highlights of these shoes. I felt like I could move quickly from sideline to sideline. I would put the Babolat Jets right up there with the Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tours, adidas adizero Ubersonics and Asics Gel Solution Speeds."

Troy thought these were some of the fastest tennis shoes he'd ever worn, and he praised, "The Jets have a light and fast feel to them. The combination of the low-to-the-ground sole and the minimal, lightweight upper material was unique, and it made them feel 'jet-like.' These shoes are among the lightest-feeling performance tennis shoes I have tried to date."

Echoing the other's thoughts was Chris, who shared, "I never actually looked at the weight specs for these shoes and just went by how they felt on court. I felt very fast in them. Whatever the weight of the shoes; any heft remained well hidden from me. I think the Jets felt fast because they flexed and moved well with me. The low-to-the-ground ride also contributed to the fast feel."

Overall - Score: 4.1