Yonex Sonicage 2 Men's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.0

When it came to comfort, the Yonex Sonicage 2 needed no breaking in. Mark said, "I really liked the fit, breathability, comfort and arch height of the Yonex Sonicage 2. I have slightly narrow feet and a decent arch height, and I prefer speed-oriented tennis shoes. At 11.2 ounces (men's size 10.5), the Sonicage 2 qualifies as being lightweight. It uses lots of mesh for the upper, with just enough TPU over the mesh to keep my feet feeling cool and secure. Arch-wise, I’m not really bothered if the height is low, but most shoes that I test provide a medium or low arch. I am happy to report that the arch of the Sonicage 2 is medium to slightly high, and that felt great under my feet."

Troy also enjoyed the fit, ventilation and lightweight feel, but he typically prefers shoes that are a bit heavier and offer more midsole cushioning. He explained, "On the upside, I loved the fit of these shoes. They're narrow, which works well for my foot type, and very snug and contoured. They didn't cramp my feet or pinch them since the uppers were fairly flexible and molded to my feet. The ventilation was decent; I never really had to worry about my feet running hot. The arch support felt slightly higher than medium and gave me decent support for such lightweight shoes. My biggest gripe was the very minimal feel under the forefoot. I know that these shoes are ultra light and aren't designed to be well padded, but I just need more cushioning under my feet when playing on the hard courts."

Although Chris found the overall comfort to be good, he was not completely satisfied. He said, "The Sonicage 2s were very comfortable shoes and didn't require any break-in to feel good on court. For me, comfort was one of the strongest points of these shoes. They offered a lot of flex and moved well with my feet, and I never experienced any rubbing, poking or pinching from the upper materials. The ventilation was good enough to keep my feet from overheating, but I thought the previous version breathed a little better. I would have liked a more substantial midfoot shank to improve rigidity under my arches. I found the shoe to be too flexible in the arch area, which put some undue stress on my arches. Beyond that issue, the cushioning worked great, and the ride was nice and comfortable."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.5

With their light and minimal build, the Sonicage 2s weren't the most stable tennis shoes our playtesters have tried. Going into this playtest, Mark knew these were very lightweight shoes, so the Sonicage 2s exceeded his expectations when it came to support and stability. He said, "For such a lightweight tennis shoe, I have to say that the upper sufficiently secured my feet during all the abrupt direction changes I made. I will also point to the midfoot shank as a key contributor to stability."

While the Sonicage 2s aren't as stable as he prefers, Troy enjoyed the low-to-the-ground ride, which benefited the lateral stability. He said, "When it came to stability, the very low ride was the best thing these shoes had going for them. They are very minimal, without a lot of stability features built-in, but there was a little bit of torsional stability with the shank. Support was good for me thanks to the tight fit, but in the end, my preferred shoe type is something a bit more solid and stable, like the Asics Gel Resolution 8."

Chris agreed that these shoes lacked the midfoot stability he typically looks for in a match-day shoe. He said, "Comfort, speed and flex all seemed to take priority over stability in the Sonicage 2s. The uppers wrapped my feet and supported my movements well, but there was a lack of rigidity to the midfoot compared to the PC Eclipsion 3s and PC Fusion Rev 3s. However, the Sonicage 2s win on everyday comfort as a tradeoff to the stiffer, performance ride of the others. I didn't have any issues with my feet sliding around inside the Sonicage 2s and was happy with the security I got from the lace system and upper materials."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.3

Our playtesters found that the Sonicage 2's outsole held up fairly well given its feather-light weight. Chris explained, "The Sonicage 2s are not the most durable shoes I've worn, but they held up decently. I wore a good chunk of the rubber away under the big toe of my right shoe. The rest of the outsoles looked good, with no significant signs of wear. Considering how very light the Sonicage 2s are, I was impressed by how well they held up."

Mark puts his shoes through many hours of long grinding rallies. He described the wear on his pair, saying, "The Sonicage 2 checks most all of the boxes in terms of feel, fit, aesthetics and performance. That said, durability is not going to be its strong suit, which is expected from lightweight, speed-oriented tennis shoes. I have approximately 30 hours of hard court play in them, and I am just about through the outsole, working into the midsole."

Considering the ultra-lightweight nature of the Sonicage 2, Troy got what he expected out of them in terms of durability. He said, "The outsoles held up fairly well, about what I would expect from lightweight shoes. There was a bit of balding under the balls of my feet and around the tip of the toes after about 15 hours of on-court wear. I prefer shoes with a durability guarantee, but for those who like a very minimal, lightweight option, these have pretty decent durability."

Traction - Score: 4.2

The Sonicage 2s offered a good balance of stick and slide, which allowed our playtesters to move confidently on court. Chris found exactly the type of traction he likes. He said, "I didn't have any issues getting all the grip I needed to move at full speed in the Sonicage 2s. I liked the amount of grab the outsoles offered on push off and thought it complemented the light and fast feel very well. When coming to a stop, the outsoles allowed me to slow down in a controlled manner, and even add a little slide. My on-court movement felt very natural. I never noticed the shoes getting stuck when I made small adjustment steps, so the blend of grip and give was working for me."

Mark also found the traction to his liking. He said, "The outsole material and tread pattern of the Sonicage 2 delivered the sort of traction I am comfortable with. I am not looking to slide deliberately, but I do want my shoes to slide a little, which is precisely what I get with these Sonicage 2s."

Troy found that the rubber needed a little time to break in. He explained, "The traction was a bit on the sticky side during the first few sessions on court, but it broke in well. After a few hours of wear on the gritty hard courts, the rubber outsole became slightly smoother on its outer layer and started to offer a little more give. It wasn't quite as grippy, which gave me a smooth and controlled stop. From that point on, I enjoyed the traction."

Weight - Score: 4.7

There was really no denying that the Yonex Sonicage 2s felt ultra light on the court. Troy thought these shoes would be great for players who prefer a minimal feel. He described, "These Sonicage 2s are some of the lightest shoes I have playtested, but I was surprised that they still performed relatively well as far as support goes. For those players out there that love a minimal feel and a slimmer fit, these shoes are great."

Mark continued, "The Yonex Sonicage 2s are definitely lightweight according to the scale (11.2 ounces for a men's 10.5). More importantly, they feel light and speedy on court."

On the other hand, Chris wouldn't have minded a bit more mass if it meant better stability. He said, "The Sonicage 2s felt very light and fast on court. I think there's room to beef them up a bit for better stability under the arches without taking much away from the speedy feel."

Overall - Score: 3.9