Yonex Power Cushion Pro Women's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 3.5

All of our playtesters took note of how plush the Power Cushion Pro felt. However, most of our team encountered some sort of fit issue. Brittany needed a break-in period of about 2-3 hours before she felt like the upper was starting to loosen up, and she found the ideal comfort of this shoe. She went on to say, "It was a bit stiff starting out, but once I got past the break-in period I only had a short adjustment period every time I put the shoes on. It would take about 10 minutes for my feet to 'adjust' to the shoe. The shoe length ran slightly short, and there wasn't a lot of room in the toe box. However, since I have narrow feet, I stayed true to size. Nevertheless, I thought the cushioning was excellent and found plush cushioning throughout the shoe."

"If I were to rate just the cushioning of this shoe, I'd without a doubt give it a 5 out of 5. The cushioning was extremely absorbent and molded so well around the shape of my foot," said Karly. "However, that soft padding wasn't enough to give the overall comfort a perfect score. I had an issue with the shoe's stiffness. They fit tightly at the toe box, which put a lot of pressure on the outside of my wider forefoot, and the stiff arches left my feet aching during the middle of a hit. The shoes never fully loosened up for me. They always felt a bit stiff, and unfortunately, that stiffness overshadowed the great cushioning the shoes offered."

Tiffani thought the Power Cushion Pro lived up to its name. She said, "True to its name, the Power Cushion Pro offers plenty of cushioning. My feet sunk into the cushioning for a plush ride. Beyond the cushioning, however, I struggled with the comfort of this shoe. The Quattro Fit technology made the shoe feel constricting to the point where I felt pressure on the sides of my wide feet. The length was also on the short side. With the tight fit, I would advise those with wider feet to go up a half-size for some extra room in the forefoot. The shoe broke in after about four hours, but it remained tight through the forefoot."

Michelle's comfort experience was also a bit of a double-edged sword. She agreed that the shoe was very comfortable and provided ample cushioning throughout, but, she added, "Every time I stepped on the court I experienced a break-in period, and my feet would ache a bit (for about 15 minutes) before getting used to the weight and shape of these shoes again. The fit is slightly narrow for my medium foot, but I didn't feel like I would benefit by going up a size as the length was just right, and I enjoyed the fit through the toe box. I didn't have any other comfort problems, and the 'Power Cushion' does hold true to its name, this shoe is very well cushioned! I just wish the shoe broke-in better and loosened up more for me."

Ventilation - Score: 3.6

Our team of playtesters agreed that the Power Cushion Pro was a pretty cool shoe. "Considering the amount of cushioning and what appears to be minimal ventilation features in the upper, I was pleasantly surprised that my feet didn't overheat while wearing the Power Cushion Pro," stated Tiffani. "I didn't feel any air circulation, but I was never uncomfortable on the court."

The Power Cushion Pro didn't offer tremendous ventilation for Karly, but there was enough to keep her mind off the temperature. She said, "They were a little warm once I started running on the court, but I was never bothered by it."

Michelle thought the ventilation was OK. She said, "It wasn't the most breathable shoe, but it certainly wasn't the hottest shoe either. This is never a real deal breaker for me, so it wasn't a problem."

While there aren't a lot of perforations on the upper, Brittany was pleasantly surprised with the ventilation. She offered, "There was enough mesh on the tongue and upper to keep my feet from overheating. I was able to continue wearing this shoe after I was done playing."

Arch Support - Score: 3.4

The higher arch support was a dividing issue for our playtest team. Karly was just glad when the break-in period was finally over. She explained, "The stiffness and medium arches did not mesh well with my flatter feet. It didn't take more than 15 minutes before my feet started to ache because of the stiff feel and slightly higher arch. Eventually the arches loosened up a little and weren't as painful, but they never fully softened up for my flat feet."

With easy to please arches, Michelle thought the shoe was very supportive, and that included the arch. She said, "I found the support higher than normal, which paired well with my higher arch. Good support here!"

"The arch support definitely started a little higher than I am used to," added Brittany, who has medium arches. "I noticed the arch support as soon as I put the shoe on. However, after the initial break-in period the arch support compressed and fit my arches much better. While I can still feel the support, I don't have any issues with it."

Tiffani agreed that the arch support was a "healthy medium support." She added, "With my lower arches, the support was definitely noticeable. After a few hours of break-in the arch molded to my foot, and I was comfortably supported."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.1

The Power Cushion Pro excels in the area of support and stability, and our team felt very confident moving around the court in these shoes. Michelle, who normally gravitates toward shoes with good stability, found these to be very stable and supportive, almost to the point that it hindered her movement. She explained, "I almost felt like I was so well supported and stabilized that it was hard for me to recover for the next shot after I made an aggressive cut. There wasn't enough give in the shoe to get me bouncing back for the next ball. That could be a weight issue as well, but it definitely felt like the shoe was ultra stable and a bit bulky! I usually enjoy sturdy tennis shoes, but this one was a little too sturdy for my tastes, although I know several tennis players who will appreciate this aspect of the shoe!"

Brittany found an impressive level of support and stability. She offered, "For starters, the Power Cushion Pro had a glove-like fit. This kept my foot securely in place when I was moving aggressively around the court because there wasn't any extra space in the shoe. The shoe also fit snugly around my ankle, giving me all the support that I needed. I felt very confident while moving thanks to the support and stability I received."

"This was a different feel from all the speed shoes out there -- one that I haven't felt in a while," Tiffani said. "I always felt secure in my movements, whether I was making quick adjustments or scrambling for a ball out wide. Although I fully trusted this shoe to hold my foot, I did have a slight issue with the forefoot outrigger on the lateral side. When crossing over, I tended to scrape this on the court and tripped myself up at times. Perhaps I've gotten too used to wearing speed shoes, but I felt the shoe was plenty stable without that added platform."

Stability was a big highlight for Karly, who said, "With their glove-like fit and slightly stiffer material, the Power Cushion Pros kept my feet and ankles feeling secure. My movements on the court were anything but hesitant with the locked-in feel. I did notice a little bit of loosening around the ankles after the break-in period, but even so, I thought the stability of the Power Cushion Pros was great."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.5

After spending hours on the court in the Power Cushion Pros our playtesters were shocked when they turned their shoes over to find an outsole with very little wear. Considering the weight of these shoes and how long she played in them, Karly couldn't be more pleased with the durability of the Yonex Power Cushion Pros. She raved, "Even after 15-plus hours of play I've yet to notice any wear to the outsole. I haven't come close to tearing through the sole, and I don't see that happening anytime soon."

"I am seeing very little wear on these shoes, which is awesome," said Michelle. "They are holding up very well! The outsole is really beefy, and you can tell this shoe has been made of high quality materials. I'm very impressed with the wear I'm getting from these -- I know I have many more hours on them."

Tiffani played a lot of hours in this shoe and was shocked that she didn't do more damage to the outsole. She said, "The Power Cushion Pro ranks up there with the most durable shoes I've playtested, and that includes the legendary adidas Barricade V. There is more than enough tread to last me months and months."

This shoe held up to Brittany's standards. She puts the Power Cushion Pro in the "maximum durability" shoe category. "It held up to my playtesting, and after many hours on court, I can safely say I have many, many hours left. The outsole has virtually no wear and a lot of life left in it."

Toe Durability - Score: 4.6

The toe durability of the Power Cushion Pro was just as good as the sole durability. "I was unable to put a dent in the toe protection," said Brittany, who is one of the toe draggers on our TW team. "The toe bumper was thick and went up high enough on the upper to offer maximum protection. The toe bumper still looks practically brand new. The Guard Durable Skin on the upper added additional protection to the side of and above the toe bumper."

Fellow heavy toe draggerTiffani echoed, "Just like the outsole, I have inflicted little to no damage to the toe of this shoe. It's hiding the minimal court abrasions as well. This shoe is going to last a long time."

Traction - Score: 3.9

The traction of the Power Cushion Pro offered excellent grip on the court. Tiffani even thought the grip was too good at the start of the playtest. She explained, "I felt a little slower on the pick up and go, which is partially attributed to weight, but the shoe did seem to stick a bit to the court initially. This was less noticeable after I broke the shoe in, however."

The traction was just fine for Karly, who said, "There was a good balance between give and take on the court. I could stop quickly without ever sliding, but the traction was never so sticky that I felt stuck. I noticed a tiny decrease in the grip of the outsole toward the end of the test, but I was still changing directions confidently."

Brittany was a little more critical of the shoe, saying, "There wasn't anything noteworthy about the traction of this shoe. It did the job, but I would say it was about average. The Power Cushion Pros had my feet sitting higher off the ground than I like, and I didn't feel like I was really getting a good feel for the court. On the other hand, I never felt like I was slipping in them or that they were too grippy."

Michelle thought the traction was great, maybe too great. She said, "The weight and bulkiness of the Power Cushion Pro seemed to accentuate the traction, and there were some instances when my toe jammed into the end of the shoe because the shoe gripped the court so well. A player looking for ultimate support, however, will probably appreciate the great grip. This is one of the few times I would say that I could have used a bit more give from the outsole."

Weight - Score: 3.5

While our team has been playtesting many speed-oriented, lightweight shoes this year, no one on our team considered the Power Cushion Pro to be part of the lightweight category. Michelle doesn't usually have issues with the weight of a shoe, but the Power Cushion Pro did feel heavy to her. She said, "This shoe felt slightly clunky and bulky. It could be a combination of the weight and shape of the shoe, but I did feel weighed down and a bit slower. With the amazing durability I'm seeing, this shoe is worth the weight."

"This isn't the lightest shoe, but it's not heavy by any means," began Tiffani. "It doesn't have a brick-like feel when I move around the court, which can be the trade-off for high levels of stability and durability. The Power Cushion Pro has a good balance of weight and support."

Brittany prefers to wear lightweight shoes, and she found this shoe to be slightly on the heavy side. She said, "For the durability and support it offered, I expected it to be heavier. Regardless, I wouldn't say that the shoe felt clunky or hefty, and I still felt pretty quick on my feet."

Rounding out the comments on weight was Karly who said, "Sure, they weren't ultra lightweight shoes, but I still thought they played fairly fast for their actual weight. They had a little bit of heft to them, but I never thought of them as heavy. I thought that little extra weight actually helped them feel more stable than most shoes in the same weight range. They didn't have that feather-light feel to them, but they were stable and light enough for me to feel confident in making quick movements on the court."

Overall - Score: 3.7

Playtester Foot Types:
Karly - Medium width, Medium-low arch
Tiffani - Wide width, Low arch
Brittany - Narrow width, Medium arch
Michelle - Medium width, High arch

Review date: May 2014. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

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