New Balance Coco CG2 Women's Tennis Shoe Review

Dual-density FuelCell cushioning underfoot helps make these New Balance Coco CG2s both comfortable and responsive. In addition, these shoes come in two width options, which is something Tiffani appreciates. She said, "I always give props to New Balance for offering tennis shoes in different widths, and because I was given the option, I chose the D width. When I first tried them on, these Coco CG2s felt a bit narrower through the midfoot than other New Balance D models I've worn in the past. It took me about an hour of court time to get them to stretch just enough to feel comfortable from the midfoot down into the toe box. I enjoyed the underfoot cushioning, and I found it most noticeable when I was sprinting forward. Overall, these shoes are very comfortable, but I did have one issue around the ankle that I think was related to the tongue. When I pulled tightly on the laces to get a more secure fit around the ankles, the hard edges of the tongues would dig into my ankle bones even though I was wearing higher cut socks. I often stopped to fiddle with the tightness around the ankles to get that secure feel without the pressure on my inner ankles. Also, the Coco CG2s do run on the warm side, but it didn't bother me during play."

The Coco CG2s felt so plush that Michelle found herself wearing them for long periods at a time. She described, "I have always loved the design of the Coco shoes and fell in love with the first version, so I was interested to see how New Balance updated them! When we started this playtest, I was spending more time on the court as a coach and less time hitting, so I instantly found the Coco CG2s to be really comfortable. They fit very well, and I could wear them for hours on end. I still enjoyed the comfort. They offered when I started wearing them to hit in, but they did feel a little bulky (but lighter than the original version!), and I had a bit of toe jamming. They felt more ventilated than the originals, but still a bit on the hot side. Once the playtest ended I relegated these shoes to more teaching, coaching and wearing around rather than serious point play or training sessions."

Plushness and energy return were highlights for Zsofi. She said, "The New Balance Coco CG2s have been on my wishlist to try for a long time, so I'm not exaggerating when I say I was very excited for this playtest. I had to go up half a size to find the right fit for me, but the shoes still felt pretty narrow for the first couple of hours or so. After that break-in time, the uppers did open up some and didn't feel as snug, but I struggled a bit to make the shoes fit me well. The taller (almost basketball-like) design of the shoes really does not fit my feet nicely. I felt like the front part of my ankles kept rubbing up against the tops of the inside of the shoes, and the shoes weren't really moving with my feet. I also had to wear higher socks with these shoes, which I learned the hard way. The highlight of the playtest was that plush underfoot sensation. The Coco CG2s feel extremely soft underfoot! This, in combination with the built-in carbon plate, gave the shoes amazing energy return. I really enjoyed how bouncy the Coco CG2s felt throughout the playtest, and they propelled me forward and up high on court."

Although the comfort improved as Brittany wore her Coco CG2s more, she still struggled with minor issues throughout the playtest. She explained, "After slipping the Coco CG2s onto my feet, the fit was perfect in my true size 8. I thought the length was standard and the width was medium. The arch support fit perfectly for my medium arches. I did have a several hour break-in period. I felt the uppers were a little on the stiff side, and I had to wear higher socks due to the higher cut of the shoes to prevent rubbing. However, the overall comfort got better the longer I wore them. The underfoot cushioning was present, although I would say I felt it more in the heels than in the forefoot. The tongues were cushioned (almost too cushioned), and they felt bulky. They were sliding around a lot and rolling up inside the shoes, which caused some discomfort at times. During play, I had to readjust the tongues to lay flat. Another issue I had was ventilation. The Coco CG2s were extremely warm, and my feet were heating up even in the cooler winter months. I found myself taking them off immediately after playing."

A carbon plate in the midsole and a higher mid-cut design ensure these New Balance Coco CG2s keep feet supported and stable throughout long court sessions. Brittany thought the Coco CG2s excelled in this category. "As I expected, the highlight of the playtest was the support and stability. The Coco CG2s fit my feet pretty well, and I felt like I sat deep within them. There wasn't any extra room throughout the shoes, and I felt secure. Moving aggressively in every direction, the shoes held my feet in place well when I moved aggressively in every direction. As for stability, these Coco CG2s are at the top of the list. Thanks to the higher cut, I was able to get a locked-in fit around my ankles. The Coco CG2s kept my ankles safe and secure, and I never felt like I was going to have any issues."

The Coco CG2s helped Tiffani feel confident in her on-court movement. She added, "I had no worries about rolling an ankle in these shoes, and they also felt quite supportive. My feet were sitting down inside the shoes, especially once my feet settled into the cushioning. I had no problems with sliding side to side inside my shoes and had no toe jamming. The support and stability were top notch."

Even though they felt more flexible than the previous version, the Coco CG2s still stood out to Michelle for their stability and support. She said, "The Coco CG2s offered me high levels of support and stability. I would say these are some of the best features of the Coco CG2s. The basketball styling really translates into plenty of stability. I think players looking to wear these for tournament play actually may find them to be too stable at times, though they flexed better for me than the original version. They moved better with my feet yet still remained supportive."

Even after adjusting the laces, Zsofi still struggled to keep her ankles locked down. She explained, "All in all, the support levels were good. My only issue with stability was my heels slipping up relatively easily, even with tightened shoelaces around my ankles. My heels kept slipping out a bit no matter how tightly I tied them, and it ended up putting unnecessary pain on my Achilles tendons."

The durability of the New Balance Coco CG2s impressed our whole playtest team. Brittany's pair is still nearly pristine after many hours of play time. She said, "Another highlight of the playtest for me was the all-around durability. I am seeing zero wear on both outsoles aft er 10-plus hours. The uppers look brand new as well. There is some slight scuffing on the toe bumpers, but it looks to be only cosmetic."

"Durability was top notch," Zsofi added. "I barely saw any wear on the outsoles, but they are so thick that they should last a long time. The wear that I saw seemed to be more cosmetic than actual wear and tear, so I really don't think durability will be an issue."

NDure technology in the toe cap held up well for Tiffani. She explained, "I have been trying to work on staying low on my groundstrokes, and I recall turning my feet over and dragging my toes when I was doing drills several times. The uppers aren't showing any wear from that. I put about 12 hours of hard-court time on my pair of Coco CG2s, and my outsoles are showing just a hint of smoothing. The rubber seems pretty durable, and with the six-month outsole guarantee, I have no worries in this department."

Being familiar with the previous version of these shoes, Michelle noticed the durability upgrade in this generation. She said, "I remember struggling with the durability of the first version of these shoes, which bummed me out because I wanted to wear them all the time. I spent more time coaching in these Coco CG2s than doing serious hitting and practicing of my own, so I wasn't able to genuinely push their durability to the limit, but the rubber outsoles seem to have been improved."

A new hexagonal tread pattern in the Coco CG2s enhances the traction, but that aggressive grip wasn't a positive for all of our testers. The traction level worked well for Michelle's game. She described, "For me, the traction was more sticky than slick, which makes sense since the Coco CG2s are fairly sturdy, durable and stable. I liked the traction levels, and watching Coco scamper and slide around the court in them makes me think they really offer players of all levels a good balance of give and grip. The updated traction pattern worked well for my footwork."

Traction was a high point for Zsofi too. She said, "Traction was optimal, maybe a tad bit on the stickier side for me but nothing outstanding to comment on.”

Brittany would have preferred less grip in the outsole. She said, "The traction was on the stickier side. I noticed it right at the beginning of the playtest and felt the outsoles were really gripping the court. There were times when I felt stuck trying to change directions. I would say the traction got slightly less sticky over the course of the playtest, but it was too grippy for me overall."

The outsole traction was also a bit of a sticking point for Tiffani. She explained, "My struggles with the Coco CG2s started with the traction. The outsoles are very sticky. I didn't notice it much when I was pulled forward, and I actually appreciated how the shoes would grip and let me sprint forward. Unfortunately, though, so much of tennis is moving laterally (at least for my retrieving style of play), and I often felt stuck to the court. There were instances when I was trying to cross over and my shoes just got caught up on the court, and I stumbled or felt slowed down."

Weighing in at 12.5 ounces (size 8.5), the New Balance Coco CG2s fall on the heavier side of the scale for court shoes, and this did not go unnoticed by our playtest team. The weight and feel didn't surprise Michelle. She described, "I would say these Coco CG2s are a bit on the heavy side. However, they felt lighter than the original version. They don't feel too heavy once laced up, but they are a little bulky when moving aggressively. Again, for the stability and durability and the basketball-esque style, I was expecting this. With that being said, I've tested some other shoes recently that feel heavier and clunkier."

Zsofi thought that the rebound technology in the Coco CG2s helped offset their weighty feel. She said, "These shoes did feel pretty heavy on my feet — so much so that I noticed I felt a bit sluggish wearing them. The rebound effect is nice, and I did have the sensation that the shoes were really bouncy. Maybe that helped a bit with the weight, but all in all, they still felt pretty heavy."

“These Coco CG2s felt pretty heavy on court to me, perhaps due to their extra height,” Tiffani added. "These shoes weigh less on the scale than I expected, although they are quite stable and durable, so the heavier feel was expected. I think the extra sticky traction also made these Coco CG2s feel clunkier and slower to me overall."

The Coco CG2s felt a little heavier to Brittany than she expected based on their weight on the scale. She explained, "The weight was deceiving. I felt the first version played lighter than the number on the scale indicated, but I had the opposite experience with the update. The weight felt heavier than the scale indicated even though the update weighed less. I am not sure why, but I think it was a mix of the stickier traction and the weight around the ankles. I definitely noticed the shoes when I was playing, and I felt slower than I would have liked."