ASICS Gel Resolution 9 Clay review

As a clay-court version of ASICS's top-of-the-line Resolution 9 shoe, we are convinced that the Resolution 9 Clay is one of the best tennis shoes you can get if:

• you want the highest level of stability and support
• you prefer lots of cushioning in tennis footwear
• you need a shoe that will last you for many months (+a 6-month outsole warranty)

ASICS had to make sacrifices when designing such a reinforced tennis shoe. One potential turn-off could be the shoe's sturdy PU upper which, while durable, halts breathability.

If you want a better-ventilated shoe, try the previous Resolution 8 or the ASICS Solution Speed FF 2.

The Resolution 9 carries over a very welcome feature from the previous edition, called the Dynawrap. Comprised of a semi-gusseted tongue and two straps around the instep, it does a fabulous job of locking down the area that's often overlooked in tennis shoes, the forefoot.

As a result, not only did our heels and ankles feel secure but there was also no foot play in the forefoot.

The Resolution 9 Clay does not cut corners on cushioning, that's for sure! Even before measuring its thickness with a calliper, we could feel the most generous impact protection in this ASICS shoe.

The tool only confirmed our experience - with 31.7 mm of stack height under the heel, it is one of the cushiest tennis shoes in our roster.

The balls of our feet felt just as comfortably supported as the heels. With 21.5 mm of stack in the forefoot, it is just a bit thicker than average in the Resolution 9 Clay.

Staying on our toes throughout the game felt easy on us but didn't detract from the court feel either. Perfect balance!

It is common for a tennis shoe midsole to be thicker in the rearfoot. That way, the heel is placed higher off the ground, receiving better impact protection in this area. Meanwhile, the forefoot remains closer to the court for better manoeuvrability and court feel.

ASICS Gel Resolution 9 Clay found a sweet spot with a 10.2 mm heel-to-toe drop. That's a standard heel elevation for a tennis shoe.

The brand's famous FlyteFoam makes up the primary cushioning of the Resolution 9 Clay. Full-length, it stretches from the heel to the forefoot creating a very smooth platform.

Measuring its softness with a durometer returned 29.5 HA which is right at the average of tennis shoes. Neither too soft nor hard, it can be described as moderately firm. We believe that it is a perfect setup for a stability-oriented shoe.

In addition to FlyteFoam, this ASICS shoe also features the renowned GEL cushioning. It comes in the shape of two small units, one in the forefoot and one in the heel.

It is a bit tricky to measure their softness because of their thin shape, but we can tell that both are incredibly squishy. However, because they are embedded into the firmer foam, they add a nice bounce as opposed to wobbliness.

Even in its insole, the ASICS Gel Resolution 9 Clay didn't skimp on padding at all. Based on our calliper measurement, it is a 5.2 mm thick layer of extra foam.

Trying the shoe on in a standard width, we were satisfied with the overall fit of the Resolution 9 Clay. It is not only consistent with the fit of the hardcourt version but also with the previous Resolution 8.

We grabbed a calliper to measure the widest part of the shoe's toebox and it turned out to be perfectly average at 101.2 mm.

Just like most other ASICS shoes, the Resolution 9 Clay does not have any critical tapering in its toebox. Measuring the shoe's width around the big toe, our calliper showed 78.3 mm. On foot, that translates to a normal medium toebox shape with no squishing or pinching.

Very few tennis shoes on the market can compete with the stability offered by the ASICS Resolutions. Every component of this shoe was tailor-made to provide the most supportive experience.

Let's start with the most obvious one - the Dynawall. This incredibly stiff TPU shank with large side wings wraps around the shoe's midfoot like a claw.

Holding the shoe in our hands, it felt as though the shoe's mid-section had been cemented! That's how stiff the Dynawall makes it. On a 1-5 scale, we rated the shoe's torsional rigidity with the highest 5!

If you can't stand another ankle roll in your tennis game, we recommend investing in the Gel Resolution 9 Clay immediately!

But the shoe's support doesn't end with the Dynawall. Wrapping around the shoe's heel and lateral side is an ergonomically designed TPU component of contrasting colour.

We found that it adds stiffness and structure to the already firm heel counter, amplifying the foothold in this area.

Completing the shoe's stability ensemble is a sufficiently wide and steady platform. It doesn't stand out as particularly wide but there is a visible flange in its forefoot that supported our forceful lateral movements quite a bit.

Measuring the shoe's platform in the widest part, our calliper showed 109.3 mm. That's adequately wide for a tennis shoe.

In the widest area of the heel, we also got a calliper measurement of 89.2 mm. That is more than enough for a tennis shoe heel.

Even though the ASICS Gel Resolution 9 Clay comes with such substantial stability components, we found that it bends along with the foot quite well.

To compare its level of flexibility with other tennis shoes, we fixed the Resolution 9 to the table and turned to our force gauge. We measured that it takes 25.2N to bend this ASICS shoe to a 90-degree angle. That's 20% less than it takes an average tennis shoe!

It is only reasonable that a shoe with so much cushioning and stability comes on the heavier side of tennis footwear. But to our great surprise, the Resolution 9 Clay didn't outweigh the average that much.

Tipping the scale at 13.0 oz (369g), it is only slightly burlier than a typical tennis shoe. In fact, it is lighter than the Adidas Barricade 13 Clay (13.4 oz/378g).

With its extraordinary emphasis on protection and durability, we didn't expect much breathability from the PU-covered upper of this ASICS shoe. And it didn't feel particularly ventilated on our feet during the playtest.

To back up our subjective experience, we ran a smoke-pumping machine test in our lab. Filling the shoe's upper with smoke, we observed how reluctantly it escaped through the thick material, primarily in the tongue area.

This left us no choice but to rate the shoe's breathability with a lower score of 3 out of 5. You can see how the shoe's most ventilated areas are distributed in our transparency test below.

Hovering the shoe's half-cut upper over the light makes it pretty clear that the mesh tongue is the main source of fresh air in this ASICS shoe.

We also grabbed a microscope hoping that the shoe's toebox ventilation was not entirely hopeless. Luckily, we found a fairly porous mesh layer beneath the thick PU layer. It helps to make the shoe's interiors not so toasty.

Familiar with the incredible durability of ASICS tennis shoes, we couldn't wait to see how the Resolution 9 would hold up to our demanding Dremel test.

Using a sandpaper tip, we packed hours of on-court play into 12 seconds of drilling the shoe's toebox.

Barely able to even see the damage on the shoe's upper material, we didn't hesitate to rate its toebox durability with the highest 5 out of 5!

We were happy to see that the Resolution 9 Clay is nothing but fortified against toe drags on every front! The extended outsole rubber paired with a hard-wearing PGuard on the medial side of the toebox turns this ASICS shoe into a real monster.

Even from the inside, the ASICS Gel Resolution 9 Clay continues to be unbeatable. The inner lining of a tennis shoe is often among the first parts to develop holes. But it doesn't seem to be the case for this shoe!

Seeing how most shoes give up the moment our Dremel touches them, the heel lining of the Resolution 9 was left with a mere cosmetic scuff after 4 seconds! That's a clear 5 out of 5 for heel padding durability right there!

In the history of RunRepeat shoe lab, never once did ASICS AHAR rubber disappoint us. And the ASICS Resolution 9 Clay was no exception.

First of all, it is among the hardest rubbers we've measured, especially across clay court shoes. With a durometer reading of 88.5 HC, it is on par with its hard-court counterpart.

To further test the shoe's outsole, we upped our Dremel's speed to the demanding 10K RPM. Holding the tool's sandpaper tip against the rubber for 22 seconds, we checked how easily the treading would wear out under such pressure.

With the help of a tread gauge, we measured that the dent left by the tool was only 0.8 mm deep. It is a fantastic result for a clay court outsole. For comparison, the clay version of the famous Adidas Barricade sustained over a millimetre of damage (1.06 mm).

Hard, durable. and THICC! ASICS really made sure that the Resolution 9 Clay is here to stay. Our calliper showed 4.6 mm which is in the upper tier of tennis shoe outsoles.

But wait, there is more.

This clay court shoe also comes with a 6-month durability guarantee which is a true cherry on top.

The herringbone tread pattern of the Resolution 9 Clay proved to be amazingly grippy, just like we expected. Its zig-zaggy treads were biting real hard onto the court keeping us surefooted in every shot.

ASICS went full force with the in-shoe padding in the Resolution 9 Clay. Both tongue and collar received plenty of love.

Measuring the shoe's tongue thickness, our calliper returned 10.1 mm. Not the thickest we've seen but certainly cushier than average.

Bad news for players who don't like spending more than a second to put their tennis shoes on. With no pull tabs or finger loops to hold on to, it take some fiddling to get the Resolution 9 Clay on.

The Resolution 9 carries over a very welcome feature from the previous edition, called the Dynawrap. Comprised of a semi-gusseted tongue and two straps around the instep, it does a fabulous job of locking down the area that's often overlooked in tennis shoes, the forefoot.

As a result, not only did our heels and ankles feel secure but there was also no foot play in the forefoot.

As if the shoe's in-built arch support and cushioning weren't enough, the insole of the Resolution is also removable. It can be swapped for an aftermarket one if you wish.