Breakdown

Comfort: 8.8

As far as comfort was concerned, our team of testers had few to no complaints. The Fila Axilus 3s supported all of our playtesters’ feet more than adequately, and they never caused any pain or discomfort. For Chris, the blend of support and stability proved excellent. He described, "I enjoyed the ride offered by the Axilus 3s. The cushioning did a good job of protecting my feet during hitting sessions. I liked the stability I felt under my arches, and the arch fit much better here compared to the Fila Mondo Forzas we recently tested. I felt pretty natural moving in these shoes. There was enough flex and comfort to allow me to focus on my tennis and not have to think about the shoes, which is always a positive sign. I never experienced any poking or pinching from the uppers, and I found the shoes to break in quickly. Ventilation was decent, and I was happy playing in the Axilus 3s even on hotter days."

Once Jason broke in his pair, he very much enjoyed how the Axilus 3s felt on court. He said, "The fit is not quite as wide as the previous versions, but it was still wide enough that I wasn't getting any rubbing around my pinky toes. I needed a slight break-in period of one to two hours because I was getting some pressure on the lateral forefoot area. However, it went away quickly, and then it was all good! I thought the underfoot cushioning was great, and it provided a more responsive ride, which I like."

It was smooth sailing for Munish after an initial adjustment period. He felt the Axilus 3s were "definitely some of the most comfortable shoes I have worn this year." He continued, "The mesh helps with the ventilation quite a bit, and I wasn't heating up at all when I was playing in the mid-day heat. There was plentiful cushioning all around, and I felt these shoes fit a tad bit wider, which is always appreciated on my side. However, it took a while to break them in, and I would credit that to the forefoot cage on the uppers, which barely budged in the beginning. The arch was slightly low, which I had to get used to, but it's nothing to worry about."

Oak also found high levels of performance from the Axilus 3s. He said, "These shoes felt plush when I stepped into them, and they were firm enough to support my movement around the court. The uppers were comfortable, while the insole and interior cushioning felt more than adequate. The ventilation was plentiful, with no breathability issues cropping up, even after lengthy, sweaty sessions on court. The overall fit dimensions were great for my regular-width size 9.5 feet, and the arch support was quite pleasant underfoot. I enjoyed the shape of the shoes both visually and physically on my feet, particularly the ample heel cushioning and substantial forefoot armor around the toe box. Pushing off the lateral walls was more than viable, and I felt supported when I moved more aggressively.”

Foot Support / Stability: 8.8

The Axilus 3s excelled from the ground up when it came to support and stability. Oak found fantastic levels of support and stability regardless of how he moved. He said, "The support from these shoes is among of the best I've ever experienced from Fila, if not the best. I really enjoyed how responsive and quick the Axilus 3s felt on court, especially as a more defensive player. I scrape and scrap my way through most of my points, so having shoes that let me scramble and slide effectively is extremely important. These Axilus 3s are incredibly stable during more aggressive maneuvers, allowing for instantaneous directional change, quick sprints up to the net and both offensive and defensive slides when necessary. I really enjoyed the lateral support, particularly around the toe box, which allowed me to pivot off of my feet with ease and trust the shoes during longer slides. Lastly is what I will refer to as the 'jump' (think of a baseball outfielder's first move toward a fly ball). With these shoes, my jump was superb. The first movement I made toward the ball always felt secure and fast, allowing me to get to the ball with time to spare." 

Munish also found phenomenal support from the Axilus 3s. He said, "These shoes shone through the most when I was scrapping for points and had to push off from side to side. I felt confident setting my foot into the court and pushing off without risking any ankle rolls. Although, I found that my heels were slipping a little despite using the extra eyelet. I doubled up on socks, and it was an easy fix.”

For Chris, the support proved entirely functional and obedient. He noted, "I found adequate support and stability from the Axilus 3s. While these shoes don't offer as stiff a ride as shoes like the Babolat Propulse Fury 3s or the Nike Vapor Cage 4s, I thought they felt faster as a result. I liked the way the shoes flexed and transitioned from heel to toe. When making aggressive lateral cuts, there was enough support from the uppers to prevent me from spilling over the midsoles, and the chassis of the shoes provided secure footing underneath my feet."

Jason was impressed by how much the Axilus had been improved in this category. He explained, "This is an area that has been significantly upgraded from the previous Axilus models. The uppers are stiff enough, and combined with the midfoot shank, they provided a really stable ride when I was moving side to side."

Overall Sole Durability: 8.8

The overall lifespan of the Axilus 3s exceeded the expectations of our playtesters. Jason found impressive durability and was surprised to find himself wearing the Axilus 3s more than he initially thought he would. He noted, "I've worn my shoes for close to 22 hours now between tennis and pickleball, and I think they've held up really well in that time. I do see some balding in the toe areas, but I think I could get another 15 hours on them with no issues." 

The durability was also top notch for Munish. He said, "I have been using these shoes for three weeks now, and I haven't seen any wear on them at all. Granted, I don't really slide or drag my toes, but I'm still impressed by the durability."

Chris found himself wearing the Axilus 3s more than his usual testing parameters call for. He described, "I enjoyed playing in the Axilus 3s so much that I put more hours on them than I typically put on my test shoes. At the end of about 20 hours of court time, I have worn the outsoles completely smooth under the big toe of my right foot. There's still some rubber there, and I'm impressed, as I have worn through shoes much faster. The uppers and toe bumpers held up very, very well." 

While Oak did see some minor wear on his Axilus 3s by the end of the playtest, it was only cosmetic. He said, "After several hours on court with these Axilus 3s (about 15 hours), I can confidently say that they have broken in quite nicely. The only thing I've noticed taking a beating at all is the back of the heel, where some slight imperfections in the foam have started to become more visible. Thankfully, this is only a visual occurrence, and I haven't felt any impact on performance. The toe box durability is quite strong, and I haven't noticed any decreases in slide functionality or overall wear in this region, despite me sliding on the side or tops of the shoe every now and then. The uppers have maintained their high levels of support throughout the foot and have only become more comfortable to play in." 

Traction: 8.8

Despite a variety of playing styles on our team, these Axilus 3s gave each playtester the right level of traction to allow his specific kind of court movement to flourish. For Chris, the traction was phenomenal. He said, "One of my favorite categories of this test was the traction offered by the Axilus 3s. I found ample grip to help me sprint around the court at full speed. When coming to a quick stop and when looking to pivot to hit, I found enough give to keep the outsole from hanging up on the court surface. I also found the outsoles to be quieter than many of the shoes we have recently been testing, which was a welcome quality." 

"The traction of these Axilus 3s is simply superb," Oak added. "The shoes have instant responsiveness, while still remaining agile and mobile enough to slide around the court. Referring back to the 'jump' ability of these shoes, I was delighted to be able to fully trust my directional inputs and instincts on my feet. The 'easy' aspect of these high-level performance shoes was so satisfying to experience. I felt like I was able to get to that extra ball if I needed to or dial back my movement when I had ample time to prepare."

For Jason, the Axilus 3's traction proved to be extremely reliable. He said, "The outsole has such a great blend of grip and give. I had good footing when pushing off and accelerating to a ball, and the outsole allowed me to slide out fairly easily when I needed to stop and change direction."

Munish felt the Axilus 3s provided good grip on the court. He said, "I found great traction right from the get-go. I was able to take off with maximum speed in any direction I needed, and I felt very connected to the court while doing it. The traction wasn’t too sticky though, because as rare as it is, I was able to slide into drop shots whenever necessary. The Axilus 3s definitely lean more toward grip than give."

Weight: 8.5

The weight of the Axilus 3s was yet another area where our playtest team left the court feeling more than satisfied. Munish found the weight to be very workable, at least after his adjustment period. He explained, "These shoes weren't too heavy for me, although coming from the ON Roger Pros, I did need some time to adjust at the start of the playtest. After that, it was all gravy. I didn't expect them to be too light anyway, because shoes with so much cushioning and durability tend to pack some weight." 

Chris appreciated how the weight of these shoes supported their high-level performance. He noted, "The Axilus 3s felt pretty middle of the road in terms of weight. Considering the support, stability and impressive durability, I would say the weight that was there was put to good use." 

While Jason did notice a weight increase in this update, he found no issues performance-wise. He described, "The Axilus 3s do not feel quite as lightweight as the previous generation, but I didn't give the weight a second thought once I had them on my feet. If you're used to really light shoes, you may be cognizant of the extra heft these shoes carry, but I think that most people, including myself, will not have an issue with the overall weight."

Oak never once felt like the weight of the Axilus 3s was a distraction on court. He said, "The weight of these shoes was just about perfect for me. They're not too heavy, which could've caused mobility issues, and not too light, which might've raised durability concerns. The amount of material is well thought out and evenly distributed, with no areas feeling over or under packed. Even after two hours of hitting, the shoes don't feel heavy on my feet." 

Breakdown Summary