Fila Axilus Energized Men's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.4

The breathable mesh and molded sock liner translated to a classically comfortable experience in the upper, while the Energized midsole reflected a more modern and softly responsive underfoot cushioning. Jason, who has wide feet, still found the Fila Axilus Energized shoes to fit wide. He said, "These shoes were comfortable to wear both on and off the court, mainly for two reasons. One, the underfoot cushioning was nice and plush, especially considering the lightweight nature of these shoes. And two, the fit was plenty wide for me. My toes didn't feel bunched together as they typically are in most regular-width shoes. I'd say these are the widest fitting 'regular-width' shoes I've ever tested. I had no issues with the shoes getting too hot or with the arch support."

Mark also enjoyed an immediately comfortable fit in his pair. He recalled, "From my first step in the new Axilus Energized shoes, I could tell they were going to offer my feet a high degree of comfort. Once they were laced up it was also evident that there was lots of room in the toe box. These shoes feature the sort of comfort level that I expect from good speed-oriented shoes. There are no seams or stitching inside the shoes for my feet to rub against during play, and combined with that extra space up front, these shoes required no break-in period for me."

In contrast to Jason's wide feet, Chris' narrower feet required an extra pair of socks. He shared, "I enjoyed a comfortable ride from the very first wear of my Axilus Energized shoes. The shoes didn't really require a break-in period for me, though they obviously softened up over time. The upper materials allowed my feet to move comfortably and breathe well, so I never felt uncomfortable or overheated. The fit was pretty wide and I have narrow feet, so it wasn't an ideal match. Still, with two pairs of socks I was able to fill them out enough to get a comfortable fit that didn't have me sliding around inside the shoes too much. The arch support did a good job of placing the flex of the shoes under the balls of my feet, so even though the arch fit was low (I have high arches), my feet still felt secure and strain free."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.1

The Fila Axilus Energized shoes come equipped with a TPU midfoot stabilizer designed to protect against strong lateral cuts and aggressive movements. Even with all that stability, our testers still found a welcome amount of flex, which kept their movements feeling fluid and natural on the court. Chris described, "I liked the way the Axilus Energized shoes flexed and moved with my feet. I thought they offered a great blend of support and stability. The chassis of the shoe kept it stable without making the shoe feel too stiff. Likewise, the uppers flexed well, yet also offered the support required for sprinting and cutting. I thought the shoes felt fast on court while providing me with a confidence-inspiring ride. The Axilus Energized reminded me of a wider fitting Nike Breathe Free II."

Jason thought the stability of his shoes wavered on vertical movements, because he wasn't getting a locked-in fit. He noted, "When I was moving side to side and trying to quickly stop and change directions, I thought the shoes did a really good job staying stable and preventing my feet from rolling over. But it wasn't as good when trying to stop and go moving forward and backward. Perhaps it was the wide fit, but I wasn't able to lock in my feet. Not only were my feet sliding a bit inside the shoes, but I was also experiencing a bit of heel slippage. I had my laces pulled as tightly as possible, to where the two sides were almost touching. Having an extra eyelet at the top would've certainly gone a long way in cinching that issue up (pun intended)."

Mark, however, was pleased with the level of support his pair provided him. He said, "To my slight surprise, the Axilus Energized shoes provided me with a higher level of support than I expected, even with the extra toe box space. In terms of stability, I'd give it decent marks, but the uppers err a little more on the side of breathability rather than stability."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.2

Backed by a six-month durability guarantee, Fila is confident that the Evergrind outsoles will withstand the taxing requirements of extended play on hard courts. Mark felt that his Axilus Energized shoes surpassed what he'd expect from a lightweight shoe. He described, "During this playtest I logged about 20 hours of hard court time in the Axilus Energized shoes; five of those hours were during tournament play. Glancing at the bottom of my pair, it looks like there's at least another 20 hours of hard court play left in them. That's pretty impressive for shoes that weigh less than 14 ounces (size 10.5)."

Chris also noted the impressive durability of his outsoles. "The outsoles and toe bumpers held up well for me," he said. "I liked the fact that the outsoles are durable and six-month guaranteed, but didn't feel heavy or clunky at all. I put a lot of hours on these shoes, and I saw only minimal abrasion. I put the most wear under the big toe of my right foot, but even that area still had lots of life left in it at the end of the test."

Considering the Axilus Energized shoes are built for performance, Jason was pleased to see how little wear his pair showed. He said, "I started to see some tread wear and tear around the 13- to 14-hour mark, which is impressive for lightweight shoes. They also include a durability guarantee for added insurance."

Traction - Score: 4.4

Grip and give: a delicate balance tailored for the complicated needs of high-end movement on a tennis court. Too much grip and players will find themselves stuck; too much give and the wheels will spin in place, or worse, a potential slip and fall. Luckily for our testers, the Axilus Energized seemed to balance the scales well. Jason elaborated, "I think the Evergrind outsoles lean more toward the sticky side. I had no problems with the shoes gripping the court on my first step, and actually would've preferred a little more give when trying to stop. But overall, the traction was great throughout the duration of the playtest."

Mark put his pair to the competitive test and was happy with the results. He said, "Leading up to my hard court tennis tournament I had played approximately 15 hours in these shoes, and I was confident enough to play tournament matches in them with zero traction issues."

As an aggressive mover, Chris needs a shoe that allows him to utilize his speed. He said, "I found a great blend of traction in these shoes. The grip complimented the other performance attributes very well and made the shoes feel nice and fast on court. I don't slide that much while playing, but I do slide out of shots when needed, and I found the outsoles to offer a predictable amount of give when doing so. More importantly, there was lots of grip when I needed to push off quickly or change directions.

Weight - Score: 4.4

At 13.7 ounces, the Axilus Energized shoes technically just qualify as a lightweight offering. But more important than just the number, our testers found these shoes to organically complement the way they moved around the court. For Chris, the weight worked well because of the smooth blend of attributes. He explained, "The Axilus Energized shoes are not quite the lightest shoes on the scale, but they felt nice and fast on court. I found them to play faster than most other durable shoes, especially shoes with a durability guarantee. I think the fact that they flexed well added to that speedy feel. I could transition from heel to toe very naturally and felt confident zipping around the court."

Jason was able to wear his pair without having to think about the weight, which is a great quality in performance shoes. He said, "These are definitely some of the lightest Fila shoes I've worn in many, many years. I liked the weight distribution, and I found that once I had them on my feet I never gave the weight a second thought."

Mark echoed Jason's positivity, saying, "On paper, the Axilus Energized definitely qualifies as a lightweight tennis shoe. When I put it to the test, it allowed me to maneuver around the court just as I'd expect from top lightweight shoes."

Overall - Score: 4.2