Welcome to the review of the Yonex Power Cushion Aerus Z badminton shoes advertised for being the lightest ever badminton shoes by Yonex and used by many top international badminton players including, but not limited to:
- Keigo Sonoda and Takeshi Kamura before retirement
- world No. 1 Doubles Player Marcus Fernaldi Gideon
- world N0. 4 singles player An Se-young
- world No. 4 Doubles players and 2021 World Champions Yugo Kobayashi and Taguro Hoki
- world No. 8 and former world No. 1 Ratchanok Intanon
As top players have performed so well in them, it certainly adds confidence in their status as high performing shoes.
Specifications
Weight: 250g at size EU 42 / US Mens 9
Heel height: ~30mm with provided insole
Forefoot height: ~20mm with provided insole
Heel to toe drop: ~10mm
Summary
Pros:
- Fast
- Lightweight
- Plentiful cushion
Cons:
- Expensive
- Narrow fit
How it performs
Lightweight
Most badminton shoes seem to be above 300g at the least and with a lot close to or over 400g. This huge weight could really slow down the movement of the player, making them take longer to recover from every movement, longer to get to the shuttle and spend more energy from every movement, resulting in lower quality shots during the match.
The Yonex Power Cushion Aerus Z badminton shoes feel sufficiently lightweight and does not noticeably slow down the movement. Possibly the shoes could be made even lighter since the upper of shoes seems rather thick.
Cushion/shock absorption/outsole
Some people may be worried that the shoes do not have enough support due to such lightweight. But at 30mm height at the heel and 20mm height at the forefoot, there is plenty of cushion. Lunges and jumps could be performed without pain or discomfort and minimal recovery time needed to get into the next movement.
The 10mm height differential from heel to forefoot may feel like too much for some people, especially those more used to barefoot and zero drop (0mm differential) shoes. However, even as someone who used zero drop shoes or no shoes for 9 years in every day life and training, it was easy to get used to the Yonex Power Cushion Aerus Z. 10mm seems to be an okay drop/rise help keep the body balanced while on the toes and supported while having the knees in front of the toes for the quick movements.
The grip is as good as you would expect from a badminton shoe. Have not slipped in them yet.
Durability
Having played about 32 hours in the shoes and in a mainly doubles and an aggressive attacking style, they are still holding up well. There are no noticeable signs of wear and tear.
Cons
The downsides to the shoe include high price and them not fitting well for people with wide feet as they are long and narrow in shape. It can also be uncomfortable for the big toe when striking the top of the inside of the shoe which has a hard feeling. A sock with padded toes is a cheap solution to this problem.
Conclusion
The Yonex Power Cushion Aerus Z badminton shoes seem to be a great shoe to help players play faster and last longer in the match without sacrificing cushioning to protect the body.