Babolat SFX2 Women's Shoe Review

Overall Comfort - Score: 3.8

Players who are familiar with the original SFX shoes will notice some differences when stepping into the SFX2s. Tiffani immediately noticed some changes that were made with this model. She loved the original SFXs because of their wide fit, but unfortunately, this update didn't fit her the same. She explained, "I was a bit disappointed to discover that these SFX2 shoes felt much narrower than the originals. It took a few hours for me to break these shoes in because they were squeezing my feet in the forefoot. My feet appreciated the soft cushioning, which seemed to be slightly lower profile than the previous version. I liked it, though, because it left me feeling a bit more connected to the court, and I still had plenty of protection underfoot. After playing in the SFX2s for a while I was wishing I had gone up a half-size due to a slightly short fit, and it might have helped a little bit with the width. Ventilation was average, and the arches never bothered me. It was just the initial break-in that I struggled with as far as comfort goes."

Also surprised by the snug fit, Karly said, "The SFX2s were pretty tight in the toe box when I first tried them on, while the previous SFXs were very wide shoes. They felt noticeably shorter and much narrower than before. I also wasn't expecting them to need a break-in period, but it took a few hours for them to loosen up in the toe boxes. The SFX didn't need any break-in and felt soft right out of the box. The SFX2s still offered the excellent cushioning the SFX is known for. There was plenty of cushioning throughout the shoes, and I loved the soft feel underfoot."

Brittany recalled that the two characteristics that stood out to her when she playtested the original SFX were the wide fit and excellent cushioning. She said, "There was still plush cushioning underfoot and soft padding on the tongue and ankle collar. However, I was surprised that the fit changed. The SFX2s are much narrower than the previous version. In fact, they fit my narrow feet well, and I would even say they had a glove-like fit! I also found that they run a little short in length. In my normal size 8 my toes were right on the edge. However, I didn't want to go up a half-size because I liked the narrow fit. Because my feet are narrow I didn't need a break-in period. I thought the arch support was perfect and I had no ventilation issues."

Michelle, the only playtester to have never worn the original SFX shoes, was expecting wide, comfortable shoes. She noted, "The SFX2s were pretty snug on my medium width feet. The cushioning was super plush, and there was step-in comfort, but these shoes did feel a bit bulky. I also felt a little pressure on the inside of my right foot throughout the playtest, and I'm not completely sure if it was because of the snug fit or the way the shoes fit my feet. Either way it caused some aching, which hindered my overall comfort score. As I will mention later, I did gravitate toward these shoes when I was feeling extra sore due to a tough workout because they're so cushioned."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.7

Our reviewers had a mixed response to the support and stability of the SFX2s, but they did all agree that these shoes kept them upright. Because of the glove-like fit of the SFX2s, Brittany's feet were held in place when she was moving aggressively. She offered, "Because the uppers didn't need to stretch out at all for my narrow width feet, the support stayed the same throughout the playtest. I didn't have any issues with ankle support, and the SFX2s protected my ankles when I was moving around the court. Although the ankle collar was on the lower side, I was able to tighten the laces high enough to secure the shoes around my ankles and I didn't have any issues."

"I had mixed feelings about the support and stability of the SFX2s," said Karly. "On one hand, they wrapped around my ankles really well and kept them secure. I never felt like I was going to roll over when making hard stops or aggressive changes of direction. On the other hand, once the SFX2s loosened up I didn't think they held my feet well toward the front. I could feel my feet moving side to side within the shoes, making the SFX2s feel unsupportive. All in all, they locked my ankles in for good stability, but I wish they offered more support for the rest of my feet."

Stability was the standout feature of the SFX2s in Michelle's opinion. She commented, "There were a few times during the playtest when I was making quick cuts or I was completely on the run and thought I was going to fall or slip, but I didn't. It was pretty impressive. I trusted these shoes to keep me upright, and luckily, they did just that! There was a lot of padding in the uppers, so the support was soft. All that padding made it hard to really cinch up my laces, but I never felt like I was going to step out of my shoes."

Tiffani added, "I always felt confident with the stability of the SFX2s. I didn't fear rolling an ankle, but I didn't quite feel secure with my footwork due to some issues with support. Even with the tighter fit, I could feel the uppers flex too much. I was sitting on top of my shoes rather than down in them, so when I was moving laterally my feet would slide off the sides. The uppers stretched enough that I could feel my feet going over the edge of the chassis. It made recovery from side to side movements slower, and although I didn't feel like I was going to fall, I just wasn't 100 percent confident."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.8

In terms of durability, the SFX2s performed on par with other shoes in their weight category. "The durability of these shoes is around average," commented Michelle. "I am seeing some smoothing, but feel like I still have a good amount of wear to get out of these shoes. Considering they are on the heavier side, I think they will continue to hold up well. I'm not a toe dragger, but I'm seeing some good wear on the toe bumper."

The outsoles held up pretty well for Tiffani. She said, "I'm starting to see some wear on the outsoles after about a month of wearing them, but I could easily wear these for a few months more. As with the original SFX, these SFX2s are showing the most wear at the toe bumper. I've roughed that up quite a bit, although there is still plenty of material left. My toe dragging habit would likely cause the toes to wear out before the outsoles. I've also noticed that I scraped up the medial side of the upper more than usual, but there's no fear of a hole. It just looks a little dirty from the scrapes."

Brittany found the durability to be very similar between the two SFX editions. She said, "The durability was above average, and I saw little to no smoothing on my outsoles. These shoes have a ton of life left even after 15-plus hours on the court. However, I have started to see some wear on both toe bumpers. While it looks like there is plenty of life left, I started to see visible smoothing after just a couple hits. I've also seen some smoothing on the upper of the right shoe in some high wear areas."

While Karly wouldn't consider the SFX2s to be extremely durable shoes, she did think they were more durable than the previous version. She said, "The original SFX outsoles smoothed down much faster. After about 15 hours of play I have yet to see any major wear to the bottom of these shoes. The only concern I have with the durability is around the toe box. I'm not much of a toe dragger when I play, but I noticed the outsoles at the toes scuffed up faster than usual. I wasn't too worried about causing significant damage to the shoes, and I'm fairly happy with the improved durability on the rest of the outsoles."

Traction - Score: 3.7

The traction of the SFX2s worked just right for most of our playtesters. Michelle said, "I think it's good when I don't have strong feelings about a shoe's traction. I never felt like I was slipping and I never felt like I was getting stuck. There was just the right blend of traction for me, so I didn't have to worry about any of those things."

Traction was above average in Brittany's eyes. She commented, "There was plenty of grip under my feet, and I didn't find myself slipping or 'turning my wheels' when I had to stop and start quickly. I liked that there wasn't too much grip, and I never felt like my feet stuck to the court. I thought this stayed consistent throughout the playtest. I did feel like my feet sat higher off the ground due to the plush cushioning, and I was missing the low-to-the-ground, connected feel that I prefer."

Karly thought the traction was mediocre. She explained, "It only took a few hours before I felt a drop in the shoes' tackiness, and by the time I was done testing them they offered noticeably more give than grip. They never got to the point where the outsoles were too slick, and I never slipped, but I prefer a little more traction."

There was a nice mix of grip and give for Tiffani. She added, "I felt there was just a slight amount of give from the outsoles, so I could pivot and stop just how I like. I never felt like I was going to lose my footing, and on the flip side, I didn't feel stuck to the court, either."

Weight - Score: 3.5

Weighing in at just over 13 ounces (size 8.5), the SFX2s didn't feel as heavy as our team thought they might. Karly thought the construction of the SFX2s made them play much faster than the previous model. She said, "They didn't feel as bulky as the SFXs, and they locked my ankles in better. The insoles also felt higher at the heels, making it feel as though I was constantly on the balls of my feet. They allowed me to take off quickly, and I could make fast cuts because of their good ankle support. The speedier ride was one of my favorite improvements to the original SFX."

The SFX2s didn't feel overly heavy or light to Brittany. She said, "I thought these shoes felt lighter and sleeker than the previous version. I attribute this to the glove-like feel. However, when I weighed the shoes I was surprised to learn that they were just slightly heavier. I think Babolat did a good job in distributing the weight."

"There's a sea of lightweight shoes on the market right now, and these SFX2s did feel slightly heavier than most of them," said Tiffani. "They weren't as heavy as a shoe like the adidas Barricade V Classic, but I did feel some extra weight. The weight didn't bother me, though. I felt the lower support level hampered my movements more than the weight of these shoes."

These shoes felt a bit bulky to Michelle. She offered, "They are on the heavier side, and they did feel a bit heavy for me. However, sometimes the comfort was worth the trade-off. On days when I was feeling extra sore from a tough workout or run I would gravitate toward the SFX2s for that softer feel. I think the weight is appropriate to maintain so much comfort. I think any player considering these shoes would probably put more of a priority on comfort and stability over their weight on a scale. On the flip side, if I knew I was going to do a lot of running, or even some on court sprints, I made sure not to wear these because I just never felt explosive with these shoes on."

Overall - Score: 3.6