Breakdown

Comfort: 8.3

Having playtested the previous model, all three of our testers were excited to experience what the Wave Exceed Tour 6 had to offer, and they were curious to see if the updates made any difference on the court. "Whenever I see a Mizuno shoe box, I think comfort," Brittany began. "With this sixth generation of the Exceed Tour, the tradition continues. When I initially tried these on, I found a snug fit that was perfect for my narrow feet. The length was true for me, and the arch support hit in the correct spot; these shoes could have been custom made for my feet. As I walked around, I could feel the plush cushioning underfoot and the soft, moldable uppers. This gave me the confidence to head straight down to the court because there was no break-in time needed. In the previous generation, one of my complaints was that the shoes narrowed too quickly in the toe box and caused some pain. With this update’s new upper, that issue went away for the most part. If I had any knocks, it would be the thin tongue, which I will go into more detail about in the support/stability section."

Tiffani, who has the widest feet on our team, has worn a couple of the previous models and found them to fit a bit on the narrower side. She continued, "That narrower fit remained true for these Wave Exceed Tour 6s. The uppers are quite pliable, so I didn’t experience any pain, but I could feel the squeeze on the sides of my feet. That aside, I really enjoyed the comfort of these shoes, especially underfoot. The cushioning somehow feels quite soft and plush, yet I still felt low to the ground. This combination of cushioned and lightweight is not one I often see in tennis shoes. My biggest issue in the comfort category was the tongue. I didn't like the tongue in the previous model, and even though there were some updates to it, I still find it to be lacking. It's too thin and much too short. The notches in it meant that the tongue would fold over as I put on the shoes, and I had to dig it out once my feet were in there. I could also feel the laces on the top of my feet because of the lack of padding. I did like the overall comfort, but I wish Mizuno would put some cushioning in the tongue."

From the upper to the midsole, Michelle thought the Wave Tour Exceed 6 did everything right in the comfort department. She said, "These shoes are really comfortable. There weren't a ton of obvious updates or changes to the previous version, which is a good thing. The pattern of the upper material did change for the better. Now it flexes really well with my feet and fits great too! The underfoot cushioning was surprisingly awesome for such a lightweight shoe. I also noticed that Mizuno updated the tongue. Previously the tongue dug into the top of my feet and caused some rubbing and blistering. I also recall it feeling 'sharper,' but this one was much thinner and more comfortable. It was a bit short and sometimes folded into the shoe, but luckily it didn't cause any discomfort for me. As for fit, I never thought about sizing up or down and didn’t need a break-in period for my medium-width feet with high arches. I also thought the Wave Tour Exceed 6s were breathable."

Foot Support / Stability: 7.5

Our crew agreed that the Wave Exceed Tour 6s offered good stability, but the testers all craved a bit more support. Tiffani said, "These Wave Exceed Tour 6s feel super light on my feet, but I was happy with the level of stability I received. The shoes are cut fairly low around the ankles, but I didn't ever feel like I was going to spill over. The shoes sit pretty low, so I felt confident moving around. The forefoot of the uppers did a good job of holding my feet in, and I was never sliding around inside the shoes. However, I did have trouble locking my heels down, and I had to use the last eyelet to get that area secured. As mentioned earlier, the tongue is thin, and when I had the laces pulled really tightly to keep my heel in place, I could feel all that pressure on the tops of my feet."

Michelle found the shoes to be a little short on support, but she thought the stability helped make up for that somewhat. She said, "I couldn't get my heels locked into the shoes, and I definitely had to utilize the last eyelets to get a more secure fit around my ankles. Stability seemed to be a stronger asset than support, though. I felt fairly stable in these speedy shoes. As someone who likes to wear their shoes tied tightly, these were shoes I could slip my feet out of without untying them." 

For Brittany, the Wave Exceed Tour 6's support and stability had both positives and negatives. She explained, "Starting with the good, I thought that the stability was slightly improved, and I felt that I sat nicely within the shoes. I never had any ankle issues and was able to move around without having to think about the shoes. The support, however, is where I had some issues. I could not get my heels locked into place. I tried using the extra eyelet, but with the tongue being so thin, there was too much pressure on the top of my feet when I tied the laces. I removed the laces from the second to last eyelet and only used the last eyelet to relieve some of that pressure. This gave me a slightly better fit around the ankles, but I was still having some movement within the shoes, both forward and backward, as well as the sensation of my heels coming out of the shoes on my most aggressive movements."

Overall Sole Durability: 8.5

Everyone on our playtest team gave the durability of the Wave Exceed Tour 6s high marks. Michelle said, "I'm always impressed that Mizuno puts an outsole guarantee on these shoes, and I'm impressed by how well they hold up considering how light they are on the scale. Based on their weight, I would expect them to wear out fairly fast, but they don't. In this category of lightweight shoes, I would say the Wave Exceed Tour 6s are some of the most durable. I am seeing little wear on the outsoles at the conclusion of this playtest, which is great because I have been enjoying these shoes on and off the court!"

Brittany added, "I put in 10-plus hours on court, and the outsoles, uppers and toe bumpers all still look brand new. I am not seeing any wear in any area. The Wave Exceed Tour 6 would be a great match-day shoe that will last through long practices as well. I would probably say these are the best lightweight shoes in the durability category."

Tiffani found the Wave Exceed Tour 6s to hold up much better than she would anticipate from such lightweight shoes. She said, "I have easily put 10 hours on these shoes, and I don't see much wear at the tips of the toes or under the balls of my feet. The only place I notice wear, and it's purely surface scratches, is the TPU midfoot piece on the underside of the shoes."

Traction: 7.9

The Wave Exceed Tour 6's traction levels were on the grippy side, but they didn't play too sticky for most of our team. Brittany explained, "I could feel my shoes gripping the court when I stopped moving or changed directions. I do prefer a little give, but I never felt stuck. For the most part, I moved around without having to think about the shoes, and the traction levels remained consistent throughout the playtest."

For Tiffani, the traction did feel a little too sticky. She said, "There were a couple of instances during points when I recall feeling tripped up, and not as smooth as I would have liked in my transitions. The shoes were also on the squeaky side, and while it wasn't a huge distraction, it was noticeable."

Michelle found no issues with the traction. She said, "The traction was a bit tackier, which is probably why I liked them! The traction levels remained consistent through the test, and I never felt stuck or limited in my movement." 

Weight: 9.3

The weight of the Wave Exceed Tour 6s was a standout feature for our entire team. They are extremely light yet still offer so many qualities players crave from their shoes. Tiffani said, "As with previous models, these Wave Exceed Tour 6s feel so light. With a performance shoe design, they're very quick around the court."

"The Wave Exceed Tour 6s are so light," echoed Michelle. "It was surprising to see how much technology is in them while they remain light on the scale. And they are durable! And comfy!"

The impressively light weight was the highlight of this playtest for Brittany. She said, "I felt extremely quick in the Wave Exceed Tour 6s and was able to move effectively and efficiently in both singles and doubles play. These shoes are on the lighter end of the scale but still offer high-performance characteristics, and I had plenty of confidence moving around the court."

Breakdown Summary