In the tennis shoe market, Yonex has been striving to meet the demands of players by providing various options for its consumers. The Japanese brand has made great improvements to the Eclipsion 2 and FusionRev 3, but most players don’t know about their third model: the Sonicage. Like the other two styles, the Sonicage utilizes updated Power Cushion+ along with Endurance Rubber II, Durable Skin and Toe Assist Shape technologies. The main difference is that the Sonicage will be a lighter weight and more breathable shoe. After testing Yonex’s Power Cushion Eclipsion 2, I was intrigued to see what the Sonicage had in store for players and how it compared to the Eclipsion shoe.

Cushioning and Stability
Cushioning is the best aspect of the Sonicage. From the first step-in you will get a great amount of cushioning from the midsole to the upper surrounding your foot. The sockliner, tongue and heel, all have a great deal of cushioning, making it an all-around comfortable shoe to wear. Additionally, the shoe will feel relatively lightweight, making it easy for you to move around the court. Stability was surprisingly good as well. The cushioning in the ankle area provided me with enough support so I could easily move side to side or make quick cuts forward. One area that could be improved is the arch support. Over a couple of hours of play my arches started hurting more than normal because of the relatively flat insole. Even with the support of the midsole cushioning, I didn’t feel there was enough arch support.

Fit and Breathability
Fitting into these shoes is very easy and they feel great on the initial put-on. Length is pretty true to size, but the toe box is not very big which may make the shoes feel a little narrow to some. Compared to the Eclipsion 2 and FusionRev 3, I liked this shoe’s fit better because my feet didn’t feel like they were being squeezed to a side. The tongue is unattached to the upper which makes it effortless to put your foot inside. One area that could be improved is the ability to tie the shoe tight and keep it tight. I had a few problems with the tongue moving on my feet resulting in the retying of my laces.

With the amount of cushioning on the interior, I was pleasantly surprised at how well my feet could breathe. The upper has a good amount of mesh that is protected by the Durable Skin Light and Toe Assist Shape technologies, so I wasn’t expecting my feet to breathe much in these shoes. However, my feet always felt comfortable and got plenty of ventilation, thanks to the upper mesh construction.

Durability
The outsole durability of this shoe isn’t the greatest but will last quite a while. But I do generally break down my shoe around the forefoot and outer heel from my movement on court. The front of the shoe holds up very well and only showed signs of scrapes or abrasions on the Durable Skin Light plastic. The upper construction was never affected even as I tried to slide in hard to reach shots. The Endurance Rubber II does a good job of providing durability and traction on court. I could easily plant and transition from defense to offense. Similar to the Eclipsion 2 though, I would only recommend this shoe for play about 1-2 times a week because you will get some outsole wear relatively fast.

Overall
All in all, the Sonicage is a great value shoe for many different levels of tennis players. The cushioning, fit and breathability are the best out of Yonex’s tennis shoes available today. Players can use this shoe for tennis or regular everyday activities because of its excellent comfortability. Although durability and stability aren’t the greatest, Yonex has made an admirable tennis shoe with the Power Cushion Sonicage that is just under $100.

About the Reviewer: Chris Virk-Brown currently works at Tennis Express on the Content Marketing team. He previously played at Neumann University and coached at the collegiate level for 3 years. He is an active USTA League and Tournament player.