Fila Axilus Energized Women's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 3.2

After a few weeks of on-court testing, it was clear that the Axilus Energized was designed with wide-footed players in mind. The roomy fit in the toe box and the firm cushioning were the defining comfort factors of this shoe. With her wide feet, Tiffani appreciated the fit right away. She said, "Wide-footed players take note: These Fila Axilus Energized shoes have a nice, roomy toe box! Even with my wider feet, I needed to cinch these shoes down tightly to get a secure fit. I didn't require any break-in time before heading out to play in these shoes. The cushioning felt firm and low rather than plush, and I had no issues with any rubbing or pinching. The arch support also felt low, and the ventilation was about average."

With her narrow feet, Hannah did not experience the same levels of comfort. "These Axilus Energized shoes were extremely roomy," she confirmed. "They have a wide fit, and I found myself lacing them up as tightly as possible, which I rarely do because I don't like the feeling of pressure on the top of my feet. Lacing them tighter helped me achieve a slightly more snug fit through the midfoot. The laces feel kind of cheap and don't seem geared toward performance footwear, but they still did the job. Overall, I would have to say that these shoes are not designed for narrow-footed players. The toe box was stiff, and with all of the extra room I had, I was enduring a lot of toe jam with little to no buffer on what felt like the hardest part of the shoe. Other than the fit, these shoes did not offer very plush underfoot cushioning or arch support, so I improvised with my own insoles. Once my personal insoles were in place, the shoes felt more shallow than I would have liked. On the plus side, the tongue and heel collar did not cause any discomfort or rubbing, and the ventilation was good."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 2.9

Once again, it was a tale of wide feet versus narrow feet when it came to the Axilus Energized's support and stability. Unfortunately, even after she cinched up the laces, the extra room continued to affect Hannah's movement. She described, "As I mentioned above, the wide fit really compromised the support and stability for me. Lacing the shoes tighter helped me achieve slightly more stability through the midfoot, which did help temporarily. I played a set in these shoes and didn't find myself thinking about my movements after a couple of games, but I actually ended up taking a fall in them. I don't think someone with wider feet would have had the same issue. I never felt very connected to the court, and with so much extra room in the shoes I really didn't like the feeling of sitting up so high. The support wasn't great either, but adding my own insoles definitely helped."

Moving around the court didn't pose the same challenges to Tiffani, though she had her own share of issues. She said, "These shoes were plenty stable for my lateral movements, and I felt supported for the most part. I had only a couple of instances of toe jamming, and I think that was because I needed to tie my shoes more tightly. I did find myself adjusting the laces a few times over the course of an hour. The laces felt like they were designed for casual shoes, such as Converse Chuck Taylors, rather than performance tennis shoes. They tended to loosen up and required periodic retightening. As mentioned, the fit is quite wide even for my wider feet, so I felt it necessary to keep the laces pulled as tightly as possible to gain the support levels I like."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.5

Our playtesters both agreed that the lifespan of the Axilus Energized shoes was decent, but not particularly impressive. By the end of the playtest there were signs of wear on the outsoles, though the toe guard remained intact. Tiffani said, "I noticed the outsoles starting to wear slightly within the first 10 hours of use. Although there was not an alarming amount of balding, the wear was more than I expected. These shoes are wearing as fast as speed-oriented models, like an adidas Ubersonic 3 or the Nike Zoom Vapor X. The toe bumpers are holding up better, and I've seen some minor scraping."

"These shoes probably won't last me multiple months, but I think they will continue to showcase average durability," Hannah reported. "There is some slight smoothing after about two weeks of wear, but there's nothing to be overly concerned about. I would recommend these shoes to someone who isn't looking to buy strictly for durability. They offer good value, and they still have plenty of wear in them. Although they aren't the most durable option on the market, the six-month guarantee is a really nice bonus."

Traction - Score: 3.8

Noticing an even blend of give and grab, our playtesters felt confident with the Axilus Energized's outsole. Though Hannah typically prefers a slightly slicker outsole for smooth transitions, she felt that the Axilus Energized shoes gave her the traction she needed. She explained, "The traction was somewhere between grippy and slick. It's tough for me to gauge traction accurately when I'm sliding or unstable in the shoes, but the Axilus Energized shoes seemed to offer a good balance when it came to grip. The tread never felt like it was working against me, but it also seemed to stick to the court when I needed it to."

Tiffani concurred, saying, "The traction was never an issue for me. I didn't notice these shoes feeling overly slick or sticky, and I felt confident with my footing during all of my movements."

Weight - Score: 3.6

Our team described the weight of the Axilus Energized shoes as midrange. The shoes never felt especially nimble, but they also didn't weigh our playtesters down. Tiffani thought that these shoes felt heavier than they weighed. She said, "I wasn't bothered by the weight of these shoes, but they didn't feel ultralight like speed shoes such as the Babolat Jet Mach IIs. They felt more middle of the road. They're pretty light on the scale, but I thought they felt a bit heavier than their indicated weight because of the voluminous fit."

Hannah, however, thought her pair felt lighter than she anticipated. She said, "The Axilus Energized shoes actually played a bit lighter than I expected. I stopped noticing these shoes on my feet weight-wise after a few points, which is always a good sign. These shoes aren't very built-up or supportive, but they aren't extremely lightweight either. These fall somewhere in the middle of those two extremes, which I think will appeal to players looking for a solid balance."

Overall - Score: 3.4