Breakdown

Comfort: 8.5

The top-notch comfort of the ON The Roger Advantage Pros was a welcome feature for our playtesters, many of whom had recently spent some time testing stiffer shoes, like the ON The Roger Pro 2s. For Oak, the cushioning of the Advantage Pros had plenty to offer. He explained, "The step-in comfort of the ON The Roger Advantage Pros was quite high, which was definitely appreciated coming from the ON The Roger Pro 2s and some other stiffer shoes of late. I especially liked the roomier fit, the almost 'high-top' uppers and the lighter feel the shoes had in general. I thought the shoes had better ventilation compared to the Roger Pro 2s, but the 2s weren’t the breeziest shoes to begin with. Arch support was sufficient, but truthfully, I am never really thinking about my arches all that much. The overall fit was easy for me, and the smaller amounts of TPU felt less restrictive compared to some other uppers from ON. The comfort around the back of the shoes is superb as well. I liked the heel cushioning underfoot, and the way the uppers flexed when pressure was applied was quite nice."

Troy found more comfort than he had anticipated, and after an initial sizing adjustment, his feet settled quite nicely into these The Roger Advantage Pros. He noted, "I was a little bit hesitant coming into this playtest. I didn't review the ON The Roger Pro 2 shoes, but I did try them on a few times. My thoughts were that they felt firm, and there wasn't a whole lot of cushioning underfoot. I had a more comfortable experience as soon as I tried the Advantage Pros on. I will note that I have been wearing thicker crew socks lately as opposed to thin no-show socks, and the fit of these shoes in my usual 9.5 was just a tad short. I opted to go up a half size to a 10, and this worked well in terms of comfort and fit throughout the playtest. The overall fit was a bit roomy in terms of the width, but I felt locked in around my ankles and heels when I cinched the laces up tightly. I added my orthotic heel and arch supports, and that helped give me the support I needed.”

The ON The Roger Advantage Pros were an answer to Jason's prayers for a more comfortable ON tennis shoe. He described, "I noticed that these shoes were fitting my feet better than the Roger Pro 2s right out of the box. I wasn't getting the rubbing on my pinky toes that I had with that 2s, so that was great. I thought the cushioning was more on the minimal side, but I really liked the Cloudtec in the midsole. I thought it did a great job even though there was less material than I would've liked. The breathability of these shoes is excellent."

Foot Support / Stability: 8.3

Support can make or break a shoe, and the ON The Roger Advantage Pros once again pleasantly surprised our team in this category. Jason found adequate support for his movements and felt secure inside his shoes. He said, "For the most part, I thought there was enough support and stability from these shoes. I was able to get a pretty locked-in feel, so I felt pretty secure within the shoes, and I wasn't really sliding around inside them as I moved."

Troy found above-average levels of stability and support from the shoes, but he noticed a threshold in terms of the lateral support from the uppers. He explained, "I found the stability of these The Roger Advantage Pros to be sufficient. The SpeedBoard technology that was built into the heels and midfoot region gave me enough lateral stability when I was changing directions. If I had any doubts about these shoes, it was that the upper material was flexible and soft, so over time it felt a little stretchy when I was coming to a stop -- sort of that balloon effect of the upper stretching so much that it allows the foot to move off the midsole. This wasn't a problem to the point that I rolled over in these shoes. I would say I still had a decent amount of confidence in my lateral cuts, but it was something I started to notice as time went on (like after a few weeks of wear)."

Oak may have had the best experience of anyone on this review when it came to support. He felt confident enough to play a match in these shoes. He said, “The support has been fantastic throughout the playtest. While the ON The Roger Advantage Pros aren't the most cushioned shoes out there, the stability is great, and I felt comfortable moving laterally, as well as around the court. I found these shoes supportive enough to speed forward for drops or to run back for lobs, and pliable enough to work with my feet instead of against them. The support from the higher profile was easier for me to use than ON's lower profile on the Roger Pro 2s, and I enjoyed how the shoes held my feet when I came down from the air. That specific feeling really reminded me of the Prince Phantom 1s, one of my all-time favorite shoes. Across the board, I found great support from the Advantage Pros, even when I was in more uncomfortable positions. Recovering back to the middle felt doable as well, which can sometimes make or break a shoe for me."

Overall Sole Durability: 8.3

The ON The Roger Advantage Pro's durability proved to be somewhat divisive for the team, with some members feeling like the shoe underperformed in terms of longevity, while others had their expectations exceeded. Such was the case for Oak, who found better durability than he anticipated. He said, "So far, the durability has proven to be quite good! There isn't much wear guard or TPU on the uppers, so if you're prone to dragging your feet, this could be an issue. There are some scuffs on my pair in the spot where I always drag my feet when going for a hard ball, the left medial toe side."

While the ON The Roger Advantage Pros were resilient enough for Troy's needs, they didn't exactly blow him away in this category. He described, "The outsoles did a pretty good job of resisting wear during this playtest. There wasn't a ton of excess rubber on the outsole, but there was some added protection on the medial side of the forefoot, which is where I tend to put the most pressure. The toe tip and the medial side of the upper (forefoot region) have some TPU protection against dragging. Keep in mind, I am not out there sliding on hard courts, and rarely do I turn my foot over on the medial side."

Jason's experience with The Roger Advantage Pro's durability proved to be the least promising out of the three testers. He explained, "These aren't the most durable shoes out there. I think they are less durable than the ON The Roger Pro 2s. I was able to put in about 15 hours of court time during the playtest, and there were some signs of tread loss on the medial forefoot of my right shoe."

Traction: 8.3

The outsole of the ON The Roger Advantage Pros struck a nice balance of grip and slip for our playtesters. Despite his inability to slide in these shoes, Jason found that he could trust them on court. He noted, "These shoes feature a pretty sticky outsole. I tried and failed at sliding in them a few times, so if you are a player who wants to be really sure-footed and you don't want that give, you'll like the level of grip these shoes have."

Oak also had a favorable experience with how The Roger Advantage Pros interfaced with the court. He said, "The traction is great! These ON The Roger Advantage Pros have got that perfect blend of grip and give for me. I'm really loving how connected to the court they feel. I also really like how the shoes pivot off the toes. They have a great blend of grip and spring action to make staying on the balls of my feet easier. Even when in more desperate situations, I found that The Roger Advantage Pros have surprising levels of stability and responsiveness for getting myself back to a neutral position.”

The ON The Roger Advantage Pros worked seamlessly with Troy's on-court movements. He described, "The outsole and its level of grip worked well for me on the hard courts. I felt like I could pivot and change directions easily, and the rubber outsole was not too sticky. I have been testing another shoe lately that is borderline too grippy on the hard courts that I have been playing on. I noticed more give in the outsole rubber of the Advantage Pros, but there was still enough grip to give me confidence when stopping and starting.”

Weight: 8.8

Our playtesters all agreed that the ON The Roger Advantage Pros felt light and speedy on court, especially given their focus on comfort. While Troy appreciated how nimbly he could move in these shoes, he would have accepted a bit more weight if it meant better cushioning and support. He explained, "The weight of these shoes was good for me, not too heavy and not too light. I don't mind heavier, more stability-oriented shoes, so in this case, the shoes felt pretty light and let me feel somewhat nimble. I wouldn't necessarily want these shoes to be much heavier, but I think it would be a fair trade in order to get a little more cushioning and support. Overall, I enjoyed the weight and how these shoes felt as I moved on the court."

The weight distribution was about as perfect as Oak could've asked for in a middle-to-lightweight pair of shoes. He said, "The weight is stellar. These ON The Roger Advantage Pros are supportive without being restrictive, which can be a tricky balance to achieve. I felt fast in these shoes, and when I was in a more uncomfortable spot, the weight of the shoes felt trustworthy to push off against."

Similarly, Jason was more than satisfied with the fleet-of-foot feel he experienced while playing in the Advantage Pros. He said, "I loved the lightweight feel these shoes have. I felt quick in them and thought they transitioned in and out of plants and movements well."

Breakdown Summary