adidas Avaluxe Women's Tennis Shoe Review

Breakdown

Comfort: 9.3

The BOOST cushioning in these adidas Avaluxes makes you feel like you’re walking on clouds, and the midsoles provide ample comfort and responsive rebound energy on the court. Brittany is very familiar with the adidas Stella Courts, so she was curious to see how the Avaluxes would compare. She said, "I was so excited to revisit one of my favorite shoes, now with a new name, and spoiler alert, I am happy to report they play exactly the same! I find the Avaluxes run long and found a perfect fit a half size smaller. I found a medium width and medium arch support, and I found the toe box to be perfect in both width and depth. I may just be nostalgic, but the Avaluxe is still one of my favorite shoes in this category. There is no break-in period, which means I can head straight to the court to play without issues. There is also plenty of cushioning underfoot, and the upper is soft and flexible. The ventilation is great, and I had no issues playtesting during some of our hotter months."

These Avaluxes were so comfortable that Tiffani wanted to keep wearing them even after she was done on the court. She said, "The Avaluxe shoes have been known by several names; most recently they were called Stella Court, and originally the Stella Barricade BOOST. I've loved these shoes through all the names for their step-in comfort and underfoot feel. The fit remains the same, which for me means they run slightly long. I could have gone down a half size for length, but I liked the width in my usual size, so I stuck with that. The BOOST cushioning does an amazing job at softening the impact of running on a hard court, and it kept these shoes comfortable even when I was done playing tennis. The ventilation was average to above average, and I had no issues with arch support. I really don't have any complaints when it comes to comfort!"

After going down a half size, Ana was happy with the fit and feel of the Avaluxes. She described, "I can honestly say the adidas Avaluxes were amazing for me. They were just like I remembered from the first time I played in them, back when they were the adidas Stella Courts. I didn’t need any break-in time and did not experience any pain during this playtest. The only issue I had was with the tongues of the shoes that hit the front part of my ankles, and that gave me some discomfort. It wasn't too bad since I wear long socks, but when I wore the shoes with short socks I could feel the tongue rubbing. The Avaluxes felt very breathable, and my feet did not overheat at any point during the playtest. The Avaluxes also have a built-in sock system, so even though they are wider than some other women's shoes, they still offer great support. The sizing was a bit of an issue, but they fit much better after I went a half size down."

The comfort underfoot impressed Zsofi, but she did have an issue with the tongues of the shoes. She explained, "I did have to go down a full size, but I didn't need much break-in time once I found the right fit for me. The Avaluxes were super comfortable underfoot, and they felt very nice and plush. Comfort was probably the biggest highlight of this playtest for me. I liked the BOOST technology in the midsoles. I loved how light the shoes felt on my feet, and how close to the ground I felt with each movement. I did have to opt for wearing higher socks for this playtest, which is not typical for me, because the tongues of the shoes started rubbing against my ankles so badly that it caused some bleeding, which was painful. Something about the material just felt harsh against my skin, so the longer socks helped with protection."

Foot Support / Stability: 8.4

Seamless booties and substantial heel counters help give the Avaluxes a good level of support and stability by locking in the wearer's feet. The Avaluxes ended up providing even better support than Ana was anticipating. She said, "Surprisingly, I thought these Avaluxes offered great support. I did not have any issues when moving in them and was even able to slide on the court, which is the biggest problem I tend to have with softer shoes. The built-in sock system worked better for me and offered more support than I expected. The shoes do run big, so I definitely needed to go down half a size for a good fit."

Once Brittany adjusted the laces, she felt confident moving on court. She noted, "The uppers of the Avaluxes offer a nice glove-like fit around my narrow feet, and I didn't have any extra room within the shoes. I felt fully supported in all my movements, even when I had to chase down a drop shot (or two or three). The ankle collars hit in the perfect spot, and I utilized the back eyelets to get even more stability. The only thing I wanted to note here was that I needed to make a conscious effort to tie the last laces closest to my ankle a little tighter than normal at the beginning of a hit because the ankle collars could flare out if they were too loose. But once I did that in the initial lace-up, I didn't have to think about it again."

Lacing up tightly was key for Tiffani. She explained, "Because these Avaluxes do run a bit long and I didn't size down at all, I was making sure I tugged tightly on the shoelaces to get the full support out of these shoes. The uppers are soft and pliable, so I wouldn't get the support I need for singles play if I didn't tie the laces tightly. The stability of the shoes was not an issue for me, and I never felt like I was going to tip over."

As a competitive player, Zsofi struggled to get the support and stability she needed for her A-game. She said, "I thought the Avaluxes were a bit too soft under my feet, and unfortunately, I didn't feel supported enough. The outsoles on this version use a sticky rubber material (which was also very flexible), and for my aggressive playing style, I needed a bit more rigidity from the outsoles to support me as I pushed off during shots. The soft and sticky outsoles, in combination with the not-especially-supportive uppers, left me feeling a bit insecure in my movements."

Overall Sole Durability: 8.5

The outsoles of these adidas Avaluxes held up very well for our whole crew during the test period, but sliding on gritty hard court surfaces did affect the uppers for some of our testers. Brittany logged a lot of playtime on her Avaluxes as she got ready for a competition. She described, "I’m training for a tournament, so I put the Avaluxes to the test with easily 20-plus hours on both indoor and outdoor hard courts. Even with extra time on court, the outsoles are holding up great. I am just starting to see some slight wear in the high-wear areas under my big toes, but the outsoles still have plenty of life left. I am seeing some scuffing on both toe bumpers. However, it looks to be cosmetic-only, and I don't anticipate wearing them down."

Tiffani didn't notice any unusual damage on her Avaluxes. She said, "I'm getting some wear along the medial edge in the forefoot region, but it's what I would expect from my tennis shoes. My toes are pretty scuffed up, but it's mostly cosmetic. This is an issue I've experienced with previous Stella Courts, and it's primarily noticeable on white-based cosmetics. The sheen of the toe bumper wears off first due to my toe dragging, then I get discolored streaks from the dragging that don't wash away. There's plenty of material left on both my toes and outsoles, though, so I have months of wear left on these Avaluxe shoes."

Ana likes to slide into some of her shots, so she saw the most wear on the uppers. She said, "Since I liked the Avaluxes way too much, I started wearing them during my weekend matches, and I could see how they were becoming a bit more run down. The soles held up very well, and there was barely any wear on them after more than 10 hours of playing. The main issue for me was the material on the uppers. Since these shoes are not specifically made for players who slide on hard courts, I noticed the top part on the left shoe was breaking, and I could see a hole starting to form."

Zsofi did not test the limits of these Avaluxes the same way she usually does. She explained, "I didn't see much wear on the outsoles or the uppers, but I didn't move in the shoes as freely or as aggressively as I normally would due to the lack of stability."

Traction: 8.5

Durable rubber in a modified herringbone pattern gave these adidas Avaluxes an optimal level of traction for the majority of our playtesters. Tiffani said, "I can't think of one instance when I felt stuck or I slipped unexpectedly. If I had to pick, I think the Avaluxes offered more grip than an easy slide, but the balance felt spot on to me. I could stop as needed, pivot and move without having to think about what my shoes were doing. I'd say ideal traction is when I'm not thinking about it."

The Avaluxes' balance of grip and give worked well for Ana's game. She said, "The traction was surprisingly great. I didn’t think the shoes were too sticky, and I was not slipping around the court much. I had a good grip on the court and was able to switch directions easily."

After a short amount of court time, the traction became ideal for Brittany. She said, "The colorway we playtested had translucent outsoles similar to the soles in other shoes I have tried, and I have not been a fan of them because they were too sticky. I didn't have that issue with the Avaluxes. The soles felt slightly stickier when I first put them on, but by the end of my first hitting session they had smoothed out. For the rest of the playtest, I didn't have any issues and enjoyed the perfect balance of give and grip."

Zsofi would have preferred more give in the traction. She said, "The traction was just a bit too sticky for me. Due to the soft rubber outsoles, I sometimes felt stuck while turning out of shots, and the Avaluxes’ didn't really allow me that full range of movement I normally prefer."

Weight: 8.9

Considering the amount of cushioning these adidas Avaluxes have, our whole playtest team was impressed by how agile they felt moving on the court. This category was a highlight for Zsofi. She said, "The Avaluxes feel light on my feet. This was one of the aspects I did really enjoy about these shoes."

For court shoes that fall in the midweight range, Brittany was surprised by how nimble the Avaluxes felt. She said, "The Avaluxes have just enough substance to make me feel like my feet are protected, but they’re light enough to help me move seamlessly around the court. On the scale, the Avaluxes' actual weight is around average or slightly above, but I found that they feel lighter than the scale indicates."

Tiffani appreciated the trade-off of a little added weight for extra comfort. She described, "The Avaluxe shoes don't have that spartan, ultra-light feel to them, but they certainly don't feel heavy. I liked the weight and think they feel light on my feet, especially considering how much cushioning I could feel underfoot."

These Avaluxes never slowed Ana down either. She said, "The Avaluxes were surprisingly light. I did not feel held down at any time, and even after several coaching hours, the shoes felt comfortable and not heavy at all."

Breakdown Summary