Yonex Power Cushion Eclipsion 2 Women's Review

Comfort - Score: 3.1

As a whole, our team never seemed to find a perfect fit with the Power Cushion Eclipsion 2s. The locked-in feel through the toe box and the moderate underfoot cushioning were applauded, but the playtesters found an extremely narrow fit in some spots, uncomfortable arch supports and a heel cup prone to slipping. Michelle liked the supportive cushioning and the softness through the ankle collar, but she experienced unwanted pressure on the sides and bottom of her feet. She explained, "Throughout this playtest, I just felt that my feet never fit correctly in the shoes. I have medium-width feet, and I would say these shoes definitely run on the narrower side. The widest part of my foot sits in the toe box, which really didn't fit comfortably in these shoes. The uppers bulged when I wore them. I like feeling snug and secure in my shoes, but these were uncomfortably tight. I don't think going up a size would have helped either; the Eclipsion 2s were just built too narrow for me. As a player with a high arch, I usually appreciate Yonex's higher arch support, but these shoes started causing some aching in my arches. The cushioning underfoot was solid, more supportive than plush, and the ankle collars were nice and soft. These shoes definitely required a break-in as well. The first few times I wore them I had some aches on the outsides of my feet, but the shoes did open up and got better the more I wore them."

Even with her narrow feet, Kristen had similar comfort issues, though she liked the cushioning. She said, "These shoes fit true to size for me, though they required a slight break-in. They cinched my forefoot too tightly at first, but after a couple of hours they broke in and started to feel comfortable. These shoes definitely aren't lacking in cushioning, and they made me feel like I was sitting a bit higher off the ground than other shoes I've been wearing. I felt that the underfoot cushioning acted as a nice springboard when sprinting for balls, but at first it did feel a bit too bulky. I had some issues with the left foot arch digging into the medial side of my left foot the first couple of weeks, and I had some pressure on the lateral side of my right foot when I was on the run, but both of these issues seemed to subside over the course of the playtest. These shoes had a glove-like fit around the mid- and forefoot, but the downside to that ultra-snug fit was that my feet felt a bit suffocated. There was not a lot of ventilation to these shoes, and I could feel my feet warming up within the first 30 minutes into a hitting session."

Hannah, who also has narrow feet, chose to go up a half size, but she still had similar complaints about the fit. "First off, these Yonex Power Cushion Eclipsion 2s ran short, so I went up half a size," she said. "Even with the size up, I found these shoes extremely narrow and snug through the midfoot and the toe box. I have pretty narrow feet, but the shape of these shoes was just too constrictive for me. After I played a set in these shoes the outsides of my feet were feeling pain from the tight fit and the built-in arch support underfoot. Overall, there was just a lot of pressure that started in the midfoot and continued all the way into the toe box area. The heel cup was also shallow, so these Eclipsion 2s just never molded to my feet, and the poor fit caused me to constantly worry about my steps on the court. The mesh uppers were a nice feature, though, and I thought that the ventilation was above average."

Even with some tweaking and adjustments, Brittany could never quite dial in her fit. She said, "While I don't have a long history with Yonex shoes, I have playtested a couple different models. As I was expecting, this Eclipsion 2 fit on the narrow side. Even with my narrow feet, the fit was almost too narrow in the midfoot for me, and I had to consciously loosen my laces around that area to get a more comfortable fit. The uppers are on the stiffer side, and there was definitely a break-in period for me. In fact, I don't think they ever felt fully broken in. There is moderate cushioning underfoot, around the ankle and on the tongue. I would also say these shoes run on the warmer side, and I could feel my feet heating up as I was playing. My biggest issue was with the arch support; it just did not hit my arches in the correct spot. I felt like they were too far forward. This caused some discomfort throughout the playtest, especially on my outer arches."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.3

While our playtesters generally appreciated the Power Cushion Eclipsion 2's support, they struggled to lock in their heels, which led to some periodic instability. Brittany was satisfied with the initial snug and stable fit, but she desired more ankle support. She said, "I found both positives and negatives when it came to the support and stability the Eclipsion 2s offered. My feet were secure inside the shoes thanks to the narrow fit, and I didn't experience any sliding within the shoes when I was moving aggressively. However, even though the shoes are narrow I still struggled to get a locked-in feel on my heels. I had to use the extra eyelet and really make an effort to tie my laces tightly in that area. The first couple times I wore them I thought they were on the stable side. Then I started noticing my right ankle (where I had a major injury in the past) was slightly swollen and tender after each hourlong hit. I hadn't experienced this with the last few shoes I playtested. This left me wanting a little more ankle support from the shoes."

Kristen's experience was nearly identical to Brittany's. She thought that the Power Cushion Eclipsion 2s would have had top-notch stability if they had more heel and ankle protection. "The Eclipsion 2s really cinched around my forefoot, but the heels and ankles felt a bit neglected," she said. "There really wasn't any heel support to keep my feet completely locked in. I had a couple of moments when my heel slid up from the shoe on an aggressive turn, causing me to trip up and slightly roll my ankle. Had these shoes kept my heels locked in, they would have been more or less a complete package stability-wise. They did have a glove-like fit in the mid- and forefoot, and I found the uppers to be soft and supportive."

The shallow nature of these Power Cushion Eclipsion 2s concerned Michelle, and she recalled only half of her foot feeling secure. She explained, "With such a cinched-up fit on my feet, I was sure I would feel relatively locked in for this playtest. However, the Eclipsion 2s felt a bit shallow, and my heels kept popping up and out of the shoes. I struggled to keep my heels in the footbed, even when I used the last eyelet. This was more than a bit concerning for me. Because my feet never felt like they fit well inside the shoes, I found my stability compromised. I felt like I could tip over easily in these shoes. Luckily, I never had any issues, but I would have liked to sit a bit farther down into the shoes."

Hannah liked the underfoot support, but she had some severe stability issues whenever she tried to move aggressively in these shoes. She said, "The support of these Power Cushion Eclipsion 2s was good underfoot in the sense that they were not flimsy or too soft. The major issues I had in this category were the shallow nature of the heel cup, the narrow midfoot and the lower side edges. These features all came together to make me feel like I was falling and tripping over myself during any sort of aggressive movements. It could have been that my feet just weren't really locked in very well, but I specifically remember that I questioned every step when I was digging out a low slice or sprinting up for a drop shot. I constantly felt like I was on the verge of tripping over my own feet. The ankle support was also lacking."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.0

The team was happy to report that the Power Cushion Eclipsion 2s held up well over the course of their playtest. Hannah confidently shared, "So far, after wearing these shoes for about three weeks, I've had no issues at all in regards to durability. The toe guards and tread are still in great condition. These shoes should last me a good while longer."

Describing only minor wear underfoot, Kristen was impressed. She said, "These shoes hardly showed any signs of wear and tear after a month long playtest; I just had some slight smoothing of the soles under the toes."

"After about 10 hours of tennis in these shoes, it's safe to say I have many hours left on court," Brittany said. "The outsoles look virtually new, with no signs of smoothing or balding. The toe durability was equally impressive; the toe bumper is built up with Endurance rubber and extends up and over the upper. While I'm not the most aggressive toe dragger, these shoes should easily hold up to any dragging or sliding that may happen over their lifespan."

Out of the four playtesters, Michelle noticed the most wear on her shoes, but she still found the durability adequate for her needs. She said, "I am definitely seeing some smoothing under my big toes after several weeks of wear. We've tested some pretty light shoes this year that have worn better than these have, which isn't a great sign. However, they do still have a good amount of life left in them. I'd consider them to be average in terms of durability."

Traction - Score: 3.7

Falling on the grippy side of the traction scale, the Power Cushion Eclipsion 2s offered a substantial connection to the court. While some of our playtesters liked the extra security, others, including Kristen, were hoping for more give when transitioning into and out of shots. She recounted, "I could definitely feel these shoes holding onto the court. There were a few times when I was changing directions that I felt a little too much stick, and I was missing that quick release to get to the next ball. However, during a more direct sprint toward the net, I felt these shoes had the right amount of grab and give."

Michelle was fully on board when it came to the traction levels Yonex dished out in this update. She said, "Traction was a big positive for me in this playtest. I thought the Eclipsion 2s had a good amount of give, and I felt pretty secure moving aggressively. I never felt like my feet were going to slide out from under me."

Hannah's experience differed from Michelle's, and the traction just didn't seem to meet her preferences. She said, "It might have been the lack of support and stability I was experiencing when running and reaching for shots, but the traction felt like it had almost no give. I just felt like I was getting stuck one step too early and couldn't transition quickly or adequately, especially when I was returning serves. Someone who prefers a stickier connection to the court will probably like the grab that these outsoles offer."

Brittany echoed Hannah's findings. She said, "I think the outsoles offered a more grippy response when I was moving around. I definitely felt like they were sticking and grabbing the court, and I never got any give or slip when I was changing directions. As a personal preference, I like to have the ability to slide just a little so I don't feel stuck on the court. I also found that I was sitting up a little high in the shoes, so I didn't have that low-to-the-ground feel I tend to prefer."

Weight - Score: 3.8

Our playtesters agreed that the Power Cushion Eclipsion 2's weight fell somewhere between lightweight shoes and stability-oriented shoes. Hannah particularly enjoyed the light, quick feel that these shoes gave her. "The best part about these shoes was probably the weight. They're on the border of the lightweight category, and they felt nice and light on my feet, making them easy to move in even though the comfort just wasn't there for me. I do have to say that some of my steps felt a bit clunky, though. I think there was some weight on the bottom part of the shoes that made it hard to plant my feet lightly. But, overall these shoes played true to their weight and allowed for quick movements."

Michelle agreed, adding that Yonex attained a satisfying balance of speed without incorporating too much material. She said, "The weight was another positive for me. I really liked how these felt on my feet. They never felt too light or too heavy. They had a good balance of speed and support as well. I wouldn't categorize them as super light shoes, though. They felt a bit more built up than other lightweight shoe options, but they didn't feel bulky."

Though Kristen was also a fan of the weight, she found that the lack of ventilation made the shoes seem heavy on the court. She explained, "These shoes felt medium weight to me. When I was moving on court the narrow, streamlined fit helped me feel fast on my feet, along the lines of lightweight shoes. However, they still had enough weight to them to feel stable. I think the Eclipsion 2s seemed heavier than they actually were at times due to my feet getting so hot inside them."

Brittany found herself disappointed with the weight of these shoes. She said, "For the, the Eclipsion 2s actually felt heavier on court than their weight on the scale showed. The shoes felt pretty substantial when I was moving around playing a match, and I was expecting them to play lighter and quicker. I didn't necessarily feel slowed down, but I didn't feel especially quick on my feet, either."

Overall - Score: 3.4