Babolat Jet All Court Women's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 3.3

Lightweight shoes aren't always ideal for hours of demanding on court wear, but by utilizing Kompressor cushioning in the midsole and maintaining a soft Matryx upper, Babolat made sure these latest Jets offered step-in comfort. However, our four playtesters did have some concern when it came to sizing. "When I tried on these Jets I immediately knew I needed to size up a half-size," began Tiffani. "The shoes felt narrow through the forefoot of my wide feet, and my toes were touching the ends of the shoes. Once I moved up a half-size the Jets felt like a snug medium in the forefoot and the length felt correct. The shoes were comfortable enough to play in right away, and I felt no pinching. The cushioning was lower profile, which I prefer for that faster court feel. The Jets didn't feel very ventilated, and I didn't like to wear them for long after my hits. While on court these shoes didn't cause aches and pains, but afterward my feet felt slightly fatigued, which I will address in the support category. The uppers did loosen up as time wore on, and the snug fit lessened over time."

Having playtested the original iteration of these shoes, Michelle was interested to see what was updated. She quickly realized that there were some very subtle changes. She explained, "These shoes felt very similar to the original Jets we playtested. They were super light and soft with decent minimal underfoot cushioning, which made them quick and speedy around the court. The first thing I noticed was that these shoes ran small. Unfortunately for me, Babolat doesn't make anything larger than my normal size (women's size 10). If there were a bigger size I definitely would have taken advantage of that. I found the previous version to run short as well, but this time around it bothered me more. If it was later in the day and I was lacing these up they felt much tighter than I prefer. My toes hit the end of the shoe and were cramped in the toe box. The uppers were soft and comfortable, but I prefer more structure and support from the uppers. There were certain days when I had a bit of pain on the medial side of my right foot, which is very similar to what happened during the playtest of the original Jets."

Like the others, Brittany needed to size up for a better fit. Once she got in the correct size, she said, "The uppers were a snug fit around my narrow width feet, which helped me stay locked in when I was moving aggressively. However, the uppers did stretch out slightly over time, but not enough to impact the performance. The cushioning was on the minimal side, which I expected, but there was enough cushioning underfoot to absorb the impact when I was moving around. My biggest issue with these shoes was the comfort. The uppers pressed down on a sensitive spot on my right foot under my big toe and caused some pain that, unfortunately, never went away. I also experienced this with the previous version, so the Jets might not be the right fit for my feet."

Hannah also found herself in a dilemma with the sizing. She agreed that they fit slightly short, but she felt like she was between sizes. She stayed true to size because she was worried the soft uppers would open up and stretch out after they were broken-in. She explained, "I couldn't fit the Cadence insoles I normally wear into these shoes. Other than the sizing, these shoes were comfortable out of the box and had that low to the ground, connected feel I like, so I was excited to test them on the court. However, they ended up causing me some pain during play. Despite the performance characteristics, the toe box was lacking a good balance of cushioning and stability. Because of this, a lot of added pressure was put on my toes on almost all of my movements. By the end of a hitting session my toes were pretty tender."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.2

The blended Kevlar Polymide uppers of the Jets performed nearly identically to the first iteration, and all four playtesters yearned for more support from the soft uppers. With her narrow feet, Brittany liked how she could cinch the laces tightly. She added, "I could get my feet to feel fully supported within the shoes, and I didn't experience any movement when making abrupt changes of direction during match play. Since my ankle injury last year I have needed more support and stability than in years past. With the Babolat Jets, I was left wanting just a little bit more ankle support, especially during longer hitting sessions. I never felt like I was going to roll an ankle or tip in my shoes, but my ankle was a little sore from having to work a little harder."

Initially Hannah thought these shoes would be plenty supportive and stable. She offered, "I usually shy away from shoes that are built up with too much support. However, when I got down to the court I struggled with stability on this playtest. For some reason these shoes forced a lot of pressure on my toes, and the softness of the uppers not only contributed to some comfort issues, but also affected stability. My heel had good support and was held nicely, but my toes were doing a lot of work. In addition, I couldn't really trust these shoes to hold my forefoot in place or take away any of the pressure I was feeling when I was changing directions."

Stability continues to be one of the main things Michelle looks for in her footwear. She said, "The Jets offered good stability considering how quick and light they were. I never felt like I was going to roll an ankle or lose my footing while on the run, and I appreciated that. However, I would have enjoyed a bit more support from these shoes. While the uppers were comfortable, I just prefer a little more structure."

Tiffani enjoyed how supportive and stable the Jets felt while she was moving around on the court once she went up a half-size. She said, "I never had any issues with toe jamming or fearing that I would roll my ankle. With the lower profile of these shoes, I felt grounded and confident in my movements. However, after playing I would notice that my feet felt a little sore, as if they were fatigued. Over time the uppers loosened and weren't holding my feet as well. The support level was still OK, but it was as if my feet were working harder, which made them ache after I played."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.9

Our playtesters have come to accept that their favorite lightweight shoes may not always be the most durable option. However, the updated Jets proved to be a fairly durable option for our team. Hannah's Jets showed just a little smoothing after the duration of the playtest. She said, "Nothing major to note. I think the front and top of the toes would start showing more wear if I continued to play points in these, but I haven't seen anything yet."

Because Brittany struggled with comfort issues, she didn't get to test these shoes to the fullest. She explained, "I got at least eight hours on court in them (including some pickleball), and I haven't made a dent in either the outsoles or the toe bumpers. The outsoles still look new, and I believe they have plenty of court time left before I even start to see any sort of wear."

"Babolat told us that these shoes would be more durable than the original version," commented Michelle. "I'm not seeing any major wear, but I don't think I had wear issues in the original version either. The shoes held up well for me throughout the playtest."

These shoes really held up for Tiffani, too. "Especially considering how light they felt on my feet, I was surprised at their durability. I didn't do any damage to the outsoles or the toes of these Jets. I have many, many hours left on these shoes."

Traction - Score: 3.9

The updated Michelin outsoles on the Jets not only provided great durability, they also offered ideal levels of traction for our team. In fact, the traction was one of the highlights for Brittany, who prefers fast shoes. She explained, "The combination of give and grip and the low-to-the-ground feel had me feeling very connected to the court, and I was able to change directions with confidence. I felt the traction remained consistent throughout the playtest."

Hannah found the traction to be a strength of these performance shoes. She said, "At no point did I feel unstable when it came to gripping the court. I liked the balanced amount of give these shoes offered me. Overall, they had good traction for my aggressive footwork."

Michelle prefers tackier outsoles than the other playtesters, and she was also satisfied with how the Jets gripped the court. She commented, "For the most part I enjoyed the traction I got from these shoes. There were a handful of instances when I felt my foot slide out a bit, but that seemed to happen toward the end of the playtest. Aside from that, the outsoles offered a nice soft feel on the court surface, which I did like."

Tiffani never had any issues with unwanted slipping, adding, "I didn't feel stuck to the court, either. The Jets offered a good blend of traction. I prefer shoes like the Jets that allow me to pivot quickly to my next move but are also reliable when I push off hard to scramble up to a drop shot."

Weight - Score: 4.6

The weight of the Jets was hands down impressive. Our team was shocked that the shoes remained functional while weighing just over 9 ounces (women's size 8.5). With the low to the ground ride, Tiffani really felt connected to the court. "These shoes felt so quick and light to me, especially in the forefoot. The weight of the Jets felt good for their level of stability and durability."

Michelle was dazzled with this lighter version, but she admitted, "Could I feel the difference in weight from the original version? In all honesty, not necessarily. But there was no doubt that these shoes felt speedy and light! Props to Babolat for making shoes that can be quick and stable! However, I have to admit that if I could add a tad more support to the uppers in exchange for them being an ounce or two heavier, I would probably take it. However, I definitely felt fast in these shoes."

"I don't know how Babolat did it, but lightweight shoes got even lighter!" complimented Brittany. "While the new Jets are certainly lighter than the previous version, I didn't necessarily notice that much difference when comparing the two. Nonetheless, I enjoyed how light they were, and I felt fast moving around the court."

The weight of this shoe was another highlight of the playtest for Hannah. She explained, "I felt fast on my feet and never weighed down. Despite some comfort issues, the weight allowed me to move freely, and I was quick on take offs."

Overall - Score: 3.6