Babolat Propulse Storm Tennis Shoe Review

Overall, the underfoot comfort and cushioning of the Propulse Storms proved to be one of their more impressive areas of performance, providing a soft and stable feel underfoot. Mark found heel-to-toe comfort in the Propulse Storms. He noted, "The fit of the new Babolat Propulse Storms pretty much matched my size 11 length and medium width feet. I was also impressed with the high degree of midsole cushioning from heel to toe. I actually ran a couple miles in the Propulse Storms and had zero issue with their comfort. The arch height featured the usual 'slightly low' profile, but it still delivered enough comfort and support for my high arch. Although this was a summertime playtest and my feet never overheated, I will say the ventilation of the Propulse Storms could have been improved with the use of a bit more mesh in strategic spots on the uppers.”

The comfort of the Propulse Storms also felt impressive to Oak, given their price point. He said, "One of the better aspects of the Propulse Storm proved to be their inherent comfort, which was evident from the get-go and held up well throughout the duration of this playtest. These shoes were so-so ventilation-wise. I noticed my feet were a little on the sweatier side post-hitting but nothing too detrimental. The arch support was sufficient but not too noticeable either. I found the fit of the Propulse Storms to be accommodating, and I didn’t feel like I was slipping or moving around within the shoes. I will note that after longer hitting sessions my feet would feel a little tired/sore, but I think this discomfort over time had more to do with the support of the shoes and my concerns when pressing hard against them."

Troy had a less than great experience in terms of the comfort on his feet. He explained, "When it came to the comfort of these Babolat Propulse Storm shoes, I felt sort of indifferent. There was nothing about these shoes that made me discouraged to the point where I didn't want to wear them, so in that sense I don't want to complain too much. However, I felt like the cushioning underfoot was a bit lackluster, and the uppers were just OK but not really all that plush or form fitting. I felt like the ventilation wasn’t all that great, and they felt a bit stuffy when I played in them for long periods of time. I would say the comfort was decent, but I felt like Babolat could have made the ride more cushioned and improved the breathability."

Support and stability were surprisingly impressive for the Propulse Storms, especially given their relative price point to competitors. Troy found a practical level of lateral support with these shoes, which helped him move well despite the lack of a "glove-like" fit. He said, "When I was moving laterally and changing directions from side to side, I found the stability of these shoes to be pretty good. When I think of shoes that offer a lot of support, I typically think of shoes that hug my feet like gloves and give my feet that real sense of being locked-in, secure and harnessed. I would say the support of the Babolat Propulse Storms is a little above average. I didn't find a super glove-like fit, but I felt secure around the ankles, with no heel slippage, when I used the last eyelet to cinch up the laces."

Oak found a bit of a mixed bag when it came to the support and stability of the Propulse Storms. He said, "The support supplied from the cushioning was mostly practical, and I appreciated how the shoes felt initially in motion. Where they didn't function as well for me was their support laterally, which was harder to trust into and out of corners and during most aggressive movements. I felt like the uppers weren’t responsive enough at times, and this lack of mobility made the shoes harder to trust when I took that initial movement toward a shot or when I was recovering out of the corners. I had to be conscious of the shoes' lack of support during faster sprints up to the net because I didn't feel comfortable aggressively stopping for a shot close to the net. The shoes also felt a little clunky in general when I was moving at higher speeds, which further decreased my confidence in their movement. Just some pretty glaring issues for me mobility-wise."

Mark had a more favorable experience when moving around the court. He clarified, "The new Propulse Storms feature a reasonably low-to-the-ground stance and have a wide enough foot print to make them inherently stable no matter the directional change. Combined with the supportive upper and heel cup, I would say the Propulse Storms punch above their class in terms of overall support and stability."

Thanks in large part to a well-trusted Michelin-made outsole, the Propulse Storms proved surprisingly rugged. Mark found a welcome level of durability from the outsoles of the Propulse Storms. He said, "For a player getting close to 60 who still moves OK, the outsole durability of the Babolat Propulse Storms was better than average."

Oak found better-than-anticipated durability, but he still noticed some balding in areas of high wear. He explained, "Durability has been better than I expected, but I am still noticing some balding on my outsoles. The wear is manifesting in the usual areas but to a degree further than I'd like to see given how much time I've put in on the shoes. The uppers have held up nicely over time, though, and I appreciate the lack of creasing (for the most part). Toe durability looks to be pretty good as well."

Troy found excellent durability outsole-wise. He noted, "The outsole durability was great for me. I noticed some slight wear on the tread underneath the forefoot, but other than that they held up very well. I don't slide on hard courts, but the medial side of these shoes and the toe region were well protected from dragging."

Some playtesters enjoyed the traction of the Propulse Storms, while others found them to be a little “sticky.” Troy found excellent levels of traction that felt in line with the rest of Babolat's performance lineup. He noted, “As I have noticed with most of the Babolat shoes I have tested, the Michelin rubber compound provides a nice grippy feel on the hard courts. I could trust the outsoles on these Babolat Propulse Storm shoes to grip the court and give me an efficient take-off whenever I was changing directions or pushing off toward the next ball. The thing that makes this outsole rubber unique is that it feels nice and grippy, but not too soft or gummy; I also like how it wears in after a couple of weeks."

Oak had some issues with traction, finding too much "stick" for his liking. He explained, "Traction was OK. Overall, the shoes would stick a little when I was pivoting off the toe box, which was less than ideal. Instead of finding that nice blend of grip and give, I found the shoes to operate too much in the 'sticky' realm. They just weren't super nimble off the toe box, which made them harder to trust for more aggressive movements."

Mark found the traction to be up to his standards on a variety of hard courts. He said, "From the start to well beyond the end of this playtest, the Propulse Storms delivered premium traction on the four different hard courts I most often play on. I also found their traction to work very well on a padel court."

Although the Propulse Storms weighed more than expected, most of the testers thought the shoes felt lighter than their actual weight (which is always a good sign). Mark was surprised to find the actual weight of the shoes hovering around the 15-ounce mark on average. He explained, "As far as support goes, the Propulse Storms did not feel like lightweight court shoes. In terms of a speedy and maneuverable feel around the court, I would have guessed them to weigh a little less than their 15-ounce average weight for a size US men's size 10.5."

Oak found the weight of the Propulse Storms to be conducive for his mobility around the court. He noted, "I've mostly enjoyed the weight shoes. They are light enough to sprint quickly but not so light as to skimp on cushion or support. I do think the weight could've been distributed a little more evenly; the heel and toe both felt adequate, but the midfoot felt a little sparse underfoot."

The Propulse Storms didn’t feel too heavy on Troy’s feet. He said, "I would say these shoes felt pretty middle of the road in terms of their weight. They aren’t the lightest or speediest shoes at 15 ounces even, but considering they fall into the more durability/stability silo for Babolat, that weight is pretty average. I didn't think that these shoes felt too heavy or clunky nor did they feel super fast or speedy -- pretty middle of the road."