Breakdown

Comfort: 7.0

No two feet are exactly the same, and our playtesters all liked different aspects of these Fila Mondo Forzas. The high arches in these shoes were a hit for Michelle. She said, "I was lucky enough to test one of the prototypes of these shoes, so it is always fun to see what comes to market. Unlike most Fila tennis shoes, the Mondo Forzas have a snugger, more medium fit, which worked well for my medium-width feet! They were also snug in length. I didn't mind that and had no issues with the length, but I would recommend going up a half size if you prefer a roomier toebox. The uppers felt really supportive and snug in a good way, and the underfoot cushioning was firm yet responsive, and the shoes were easy to wear hour after hour. I have the highest arch on the playtest team, so the uncommonly high level of arch support was welcome. There were a few times when I had some rubbing where the tongue and heel collar met, but it was not enough to cause a blister, and it usually went away if I tied the shoes tighter and wore a slightly higher sock. These aren’t the most breathable shoes, but they aren't too bad."

Brittany also appreciated the slimmer width. She said, "Fila definitely surprised me with the overall fit of the Mondo Forza shoes. I was expecting the generous width I had seen in previous Fila models like the Speedserve and Axilus 2 Energized. However, to my delight, I found a much snugger fit that was perfect for my narrow feet.They were right on the edge of being too short, but fit my feet perfectly. I noticed that the cushioning underfoot was on the firmer, more supportive side, while the cushioning around the ankle collar and tongue was plush (almost too plush). The biggest thing I noticed was the presence of arch support. These have one of the highest arch supports I can remember testing, and unfortunately, the support felt like it was positioned too far back. This caused some soreness underfoot throughout the playtest."

The modern design and light weight of these shoes caught Zsofi's eye. She described, "I thought Fila did an awesome job with the cool, modern, minimalist design. I generally prefer shoes that allow me to feel more connected to the court and are on the lighter side, so I was excited to get out on court and put these to the test. There was a bit of break-in period, but the shoes became more comfortable as the playtest went on. I have flat feet, and these shoes come with aggressive arch supports, which was too much for me and a bit of a pain point during this playtest." 

Tiffani liked the firm cushioning and breathability of these shoes, but the fit wasn't quite right for her feet. She said, "When I first tried on these Mondo Forzas I immediately noticed that they do not fit anything like Fila's Axilus 2.0 Energized or Speedserve shoes. Those shoes fit my wide feet well. The Forzas have a snug medium forefoot and a pretty shallow toe box. Those two features didn't give my feet much room, and the shoes always felt tight. It wasn't painful, but I didn't feel like my feet could relax comfortably, and I was always aware of the shoes on my feet. The arch height is also quite high for my flat feet, and it sits slightly too far back. It took a couple of hours for the shoes to break in and for the arch to compress just enough for me to feel more comfortable. I thought the cushioning was firm and supportive rather than plush, which didn't pose any issues for me on court. Ventilation was fine for me, and we tested these through some extremely warm weather."

Foot Support / Stability: 7.7

Overall, our playtesters were pleased with the support and stability they got from these Fila Mondo Forzas. Michelle had a positive experience moving around the court. She described, "The uppers are made of a solid, durable woven material, and that gave me confidence in these shoes when it came to support. The lacing system worked well, and I always felt locked in. Stability was never in question. The shoes initially felt like they might be bulky, but that wasn't noticeable on the court."

Once Brittany adjusted the laces, these shoes felt nice and secure on her feet. She said, "About 30 minutes into my initial hit with the Fila Mondo Forzas, I stopped to retie my laces and utilize the last eyelets to get the most secure fit. Prior to that fix, I had some heel slippage that was causing some rubbing on the back of my heels. I was able to remedy the situation for the most part by using slightly higher socks and retying the laces. Moving forward in the playtest, I found the ankle stability to meet my high standards (due to a previous ankle injury), and my ankles felt fully supported even during aggressive movements."

Tiffani felt more confident in these shoes after an initial break-in period. She noted, "I was having trouble keeping my heels locked in place during my first hitting session, and they kept popping up. I stopped playing to use the last eyelet adjust the lacing which helped some, but it took a couple of hours for the shoes to start flexing better and moving with my feet. I had no sliding issues within the shoes, and the uppers didn't stretch, so my feet were held in place."

Zsofi did not feel comfortable sliding on the court in these shoes. She explained, “The Fila Mondo Forzas do look super speedy and the design makes you want to slide on court, but unfortunately, I felt like I didn't have enough support from the upper to do that. Tying the shoes tighter and utilizing the second hole in the lacing system helped with stability."

Overall Sole Durability: 7.3

Our team had mixed results when it came to evaluating the durability of the Fila Mondo Forzas. The soles held up well for Zsofi, and she appreciated the inclusion of a durability guarantee. She said, "I didn't see that much wear on the outsoles, plus I thought that the six-month outsole durability guarantee was a really cool feature that makes these shoes very attractive." 

These outsoles wore a bit more quickly for Brittany. She said, "I was interested to see how the durability of the unique split-pattern tread would hold up. After about 10 hours in the shoes, I was surprised to already see some balding in high-wear areas. The outer section of the split tread was smoothing out as well, but I didn't see any wear on either the toe or upper areas. Overall, I would say the durability is about average, or maybe slightly below for its weight class."

Michelle had a similar experience. She added, "These are not the most durable shoes we've tested lately. I've worn them pretty consistently for the past several weeks, and my Mondo Forzas are smoothed down under the big toes, the tread pattern is flattening out and I’m losing a bit of traction.”

The durability level of these shoes also surprised Tiffani. She said, "I honestly was expecting better durability from the outsoles. I saw the tread beginning to wear slightly after about eight hours. It's not near balding after the dozen hours I have played in these shoes, but the wear is more than I usually see at this point. I have also scuffed the medial side of the forefoot panel. Some material is flaking off, but it appears to be cosmetic. The toe bumper, though, looks to be in good shape where I drag on my groundstrokes."

Traction: 7.5

After a break-in period, our playtesters were very satisfied with the traction they got from these Fila Mondo Forzas. They did all notice that the soles were loud and a bit distracting on the court, though. Tiffani explained, "Overall, the level of grip and give is good for me. I could trust the soles when I pushed off to run, and I could stop easily too. My main complaint is that these shoes make a loud, scratchy sound that was distracting at first. I think that the sound had subsided by the sixth hour, and the outsoles were broken in."

"Speaking of the tread pattern, the first thing I noticed when I started playing in these shoes was how loud they were," Brittany added. "It wasn't the typical squeaking sound, but more of a scratching sound — almost like a vinyl record scratching. After three to five hours of playing the sound had significantly decreased, and I rarely noticed it. When it came to the playability of the traction, however, I was shocked to find they offered a pretty good blend of give and grip, because I thought the shoes would have too much give after looking at the outsole. I felt comfortable stopping and starting, as well as changing directions."

The sound of the outsoles on the court surface was also an issue for Michelle. She said, "The traction was not my favorite when I began this playtest, but I got used to it, and it was better after a week or so. The lateral half of the split outsole felt and sounded like playing on a carpet court, or even like wearing clay outsoles on a hard court; this was more a sound issue for me than anything else. When it came to functionality, the outsoles performed well. I thought they would be fairly slick, but they weren't."

It took Zsofi a little time to get used to the tread pattern on these Mondo Forzas. She said, "I found the outsole to be a bit too slippery for me, but at the same time, I also felt stuck in certain shots when I expected more give, so it was an interesting playtest for me when it came to traction. It took me a bit of time to get really dialed in and figure out the grip of these shoes."

Weight: 8.0

Our playtesters had a wide range of opinions about how lightweight these Fila Mondo Forzas felt when playing. The weight of these shoes impressed Tiffani as well. She said, "These Mondo Forzas felt good in terms of weight. I didn't feel weighed down, and I could move around with relative ease. They do feel lighter and more nimble than the Fila Axilus 2.0 Energized shoes."

"The weight of the Fila Mondo Forzas was average to me," added Brittany. "On one hand, they didn't feel heavy or clunky, so they weren't slowing me down in any way. On the other hand, they didn't feel exceptionally light and quick. Nonetheless, the overall weight did not bother me."

The stability of the Mondo Forzas added weight in Michelle's opinion. She noted, "These shoes are on the heavier end of the spectrum in terms of actual weight and how they feel on. They are really stable, but they didn't feel as fast as the speed shoes, or even some of the hybrid shoes, we've been testing."

Breakdown Summary