Could anybody tell me what is the advantage of using badminton shoes over basketball shoes? The only one I can think of is they are somewhat lighter. In my opinion basketball shoes (middle to high end) are better designed, both aesthetically and functionally. Bball shoes have better cushioning, better stability, better ankle support (mid-high cuts), very good traction, and better looks (that one's subjective, or maybe you don't even care). I know some gyms require gum soles, but where I play they don't. And Bball shoes don't mark gym floors anyway. And don't say that court shoes are better for sideway movement and Bball shoes are better for forward/backward movement, like many people I talk to. Moving sideways is vital when playing D. And I feel much safer moving sideways in my Bball shoes about rolling my ankles.
seems to be a fair point, altho i do think altho you favour the ankle support, they may actually be restrictive for some players.. but looking at the movement basketballers do in comparison with badmnitoners i'd say they needed similar footwear.. the extra ankle support is probably necessary when they come down from dunking... this doesn't happen as often in baddy - but they still jump just as high for the jump smashes... the extra support could also be due to basketballers being physically bigger than most baddy players hence the need to protect the joints under stress...
Its a matter of choice but good shoe is vital if you play ''seriously''. It is true to say that Basketball shoes have more cushioning but sometimes too much fancy cushioning is not what we want. Alot of good badminton/court shoes (asic, yonex, Mizuno...) have some cushioning+ impact absorption where I don't find in any Nike or Basketball shoes you can use to play badminton. An example of an impact absorber is Mizuno wave technology, I tried it and it really works. Also, basketball shoes tend to be poor in ventilation and are generally heavy. I find those criteria very important when it comes to Badminton. Most of basketball shoes are high and it can be very dangerous for the ankle. I dont agree when you say that Basketball shoes have better traction, stability and ankle support. Badminton/court shoes are supposed to give better traction and stability, thats where they excel thats why they are there for. I don't think I will move faster with basketball shoes. Bottom line is when you play with basketball shoes it is like gambling with your feet. I have many friend who keep rolling their ankle with other type of shoes than court/badminton shoes: skateboard, basketball, runnign shoes... Dont get me wrong, I'm not saying you can't have ankle injury with court shoes. Some people seem to roll their ankle as a hobby but you have higher chance to get ankle problem with other type of shoes.
Personally, I believe different shoes are designed for different sports (especially high end models). For recreational play, it might not be a major impact, as we don't have too much aggressive moves. However, during intensive rallies, the problem might build up little by little, as well as increasing the chance of injury. 1. Basketball usually have thicker soles. This is good for basketball, as there are a lot of high jumps in this sport, such as dunking, rebounding, blocking, defense, even just simple jump shots. 2. In badminton, I believe the "twist" and balance are the most important issue, but high jump is more like the secondary. The bottom should not be too sick, as I saw several ppl sprain their ankle or knee due to off balance movements. The worst case i see, was this guy's basketball shoes got caught between floor pieces, and fell hard on his knee. It's been 2-3 months, and I did not see him again in club. 3. If you don't have many choices for badminton shoes, u might consider to purchase a pair of good volleyball shoes from local sports store.
In addition to the factors that have already been discussed (ankle support, ventilation, weight, sole thickness, etc.), another issue is cost. Comparing hi-end bball shoes to high end baddy shoes, your typical Nike Air-Max / Shox can easily cost Cdn$200+, whereas a pair of Yonex SHB-89 is only in the Cdn$130 range at most. The bball shoes are probably more durable, but badminton puts a lot of stress on the shoes with frequent directional changes, so the bball shoes might wear out just as fast under those conditions. At the end of the day, the deciding factor for me are still weight and sole thickness. When I'm playing baddy, I wanna be light on my feet, and I wanna feel the floor underneath my feet when I move around on the court. -Rick
But are badminton shoes designed for gym floors or the mats? So far..my cross trainers are not really restricting me. The grip isn't that good, but I think it has more to do with the gym floor. I've seen advanced players in my club wipe their shoes with their hand before each serve just to get a better grip. Luckily I haven't any injuries so far.
Thanks for all the explanations, it does clear up things for me a lot Brave_Turtle, your friends playing with skateboarding and running shoes are just plain stupid (just the shoe thing, no offense to them). i'm drawing comparison between Bball and baddy shoes just because they have similar functions. TheGr8One, I wouldn't use cross-trainers for badminton either...I tried that before and the bottom of the shoe just basically detached from the rest of the shoe...lucky there's no injury but I've seen some other cross-trainers do that in badminton Maybe my playing style is weird, but sometimes when I brake hard in my court shoes I feel like my foot's going to rip my shoes apart or maybe roll my ankle, and I feels so much safer in Bball shoes BUt one thing I'm definitely sure is the sole thickness of Bball shoes does not jepordize its stability at all, the thickness (for cushioning) give them even more design options for stability So i am convinced that badminton shoes can be jsut as good as Bball shoes if not better...I guess it all come down to personal feel, kinda like some people prefer head-heavy racket and some balanced racket. I'll test some of the points you guys pointed out, but I'll take a few extra grams if it gives me a safe feeling. I want my mind on the game instead of my feet. Maybe you guys could try playing with basketball shoes, you just might like the feeling
...hello...i was just wondering...do all those special features in those high-end Yonex shoes like the 89 and 98 that are supposed to increase the durability of the shoes really make that big of a difference?...cause like...i've read so many posts about people wearing out these high-end models so quickly and i thought that these shoes, consdiering their prices, features and quality and the performance of the player would at least for quite a while. like...the serious players here with these expensive shoes...how often do you guys wear them out and how often do you guys have to replace em? ...like...right now...i'm planning to get a pair of the SHB50's just to see the difference badminton shoes make for me compared to regular running shoes...but if those features in the 89 and 98 really make that big of a difference in the shoe's lifespan...then i don't mind paying the extra as long as it keeps me from having to buy a new pair of shoes every 6 months or something...
You should try shb50 and shb89 and see their difference. I ended up buying the shb89. This is my first pair of badminton shoes so I can't tell you when it will last. I only wear them on badminton courts and never wear them on the street. Wearing them about 2-3 times a week. At first, longevity of the shoes was my concern too. But now, decrease the risk of injury is my priority. When you get injured, you can't train as you normally would.
...haha...good point about injuries...but the problem is that i don't really have that much extra cash to experiment with right now ...but still, i agree that injuries should be a key factor in deciding on a shoe...but i personally feel pretty good about not hurting myself...these too will be my first pair also...so i'm not too sure if it's a good idea to jump to such a high-end model right away...maybe i'll wear out the 50's and then upgrade...of course they'll only be for indoors...by the way, how old are your 89's and how solid do they still look?
It is only 2 months old. Because this is my first pair of badminton shoes, I take very good care of it. Such as wiping off dirts from the surface and bottom of the shoes after every game so they are still in good condition. I am more worry about the soles because they are showing signs of wear. I didn't buy the shb50 because its exterior is less flexible than shb89. Try it out and you will see what I mean. Shb89 is amazing. The shoes are not slippery. (badminton shoes should be close-fit, not 0.5 size bigger like walking shoes).
Hi, I've always had the same question in mind. Although I can't say I've worn Yonex shoes(although my doubles partner swears by them), I've tried volleyball and tennis shoes and ended with basketballl shoes( the Nike Hurrache 2k4s ). I agree that the badminton shoes or shoes designed in that sort of nature offer more freedom of movement, but along with the movement, there comes the exposure of injury to the ankles. With basketball shoes (and more particularly, mine..the 2k4s), the ankle support is good..not too tight and just enough for mad dashes to the net and fast leaps to the back. The most important aspect is the closeness of the feet to the floor. Average basketball shoes tend to create a larger buffer between feet and floor, therefore, the reaction time is delayed and you know how important that is for badminton. With higher end bball shoes, especially when they are on closeout provide good cushion just where you need it (in the front ) and excellent tread that lasts. The only bad part is that sometimes the traction is too good and it prohibts you from sliding. My partner who uses Yonex tends to lose traction pretty quickly compared to me. In the end, it just matters what sort of player you are and how you use your legs and feet. For me, the Hurraches (and I'm not endorsing anyone, I just find that Nikes fit my feet perfectly) look cool and play very well compared to all the shoes I've used before. By the way, what is the weight of the shb98? not all bball shoes are heavy, the hurraches are only 13 ounces (size 11).
...i see...i'm just wondering, could you kinda describe the soles and how they are bascially...like...the way that they're worn out...like, just look old or something? and another thing...since the 50's are less flexible than the 89's...that'll mean that the 50's will like come apart faster than the 89's if used the same right?...anyway...thanks for the info......oh yeah...where did you get em and for how much?
Ok. Now you mention it, I take a look at the sole and it is still fine. I was picky about it because friction wears away the white lettering (ie. the "little white icon" and "power cushion insole fg") on the sole. I don't think the shb50 is less durable than shb89. My experience was that when I bent my foot, the less flexible upper skin of shb50 also bent toward the top of my feet like a wedge. I don't have to tell you that it was painful. Other people are quite happy with their shb50 (type "shb50" into search) so I guess I have no luck with the shb50. I bought the shb89 from ClearOne in Richmond ($115, tax included). Try them on. It didn't take me long to decide between the two. My only concern at the time was the fit. I am very happy with the shb89. At first, I was very careful that I don't twist my ankle with a pair of new shoes. Coincidencely, I was focusing on my footworks at the time. Since I improve on my footworks, I don't get ankle injury anymore. But, I am still very careful when I get very tire. This is when it is easy for me to twist my ankle. Hope it helps.
...hey...thanks...yeah...i went to crystal to try the 89's on yesterday...and for the first time putting on badminton shoes...it wasn't really what i expected...like...i was surprised about the support and the comfort of just standing there in them...and how it felt like they molded exactly to my feet...and like, basically no matter how i moved or soemthing...my feet always landed flat and like...i basically felt that it was impossible to twist my ankle or soemthing...like, so stable and stuff. ...however, i was kinda disapppointed by the power cushion...like...the shoe felt really flat and like... really close to the ground...but i couldn't really feel any bounce or stuff in em...like...despite the nice fitting feeling in the shoes, they felt pretty "hard" and like stiff...but aside from that, they looked nice and felt pretty good to have on...maybe i'll need to actually play with em to feel the significant difference they make
Yes, you need to do that to gauge the performance of the shoes. It doesn't help you much to walk around the store with those shoes on. Maybe do a little lunges and hopping around might help, just disregard the crazy look on the sales person's face.
it takes me about 30 mins to decide whether to get a particular pair of shoes or not. Wearing em' for 5 mins won't do much, but wearing them for a good 30 mins will help you feel if the shoes are right for you. any weird bumps or "imperfections" in the shoes become magnified after the first 15 mins. I also ask permission if i can do jumping jacks and lunges while wearing the shoes inside the store more often than not, they allow me (kudos to Mizuno in eastwood and Badminton Hub in makati) to do so. one thing I don't like about "high-end" badminton shoes (YY shb-98, Mizuno Wave smash) is that they're too "low-profile" like racing tires. Sure they offer excellent grip and feel, but you kinda sacrifice some of the cushioning comfort. I guess basketball shoes are the same. Some of the more expensive bball shoes I've bought were low-profiled compared to the cheaper ones. hmmm.. i hope nike can come up with a slim-type zoom air cushioning for indoor court shoes.
so i refuse to believe the hype that badminton shoes are always better for badminton, I got my self some air jordan mid bball shoes. well modern generation bball shoes are light ... very breathable and provides great grip. I am sure everyone has watch NBA game before live or on TV (preferably live) if you watch how they move and hear the shoes contact the court you know that they are pushing the boundries of traction and there is a lot of side movement especially when they are dribbling around someone guarding them. I tried bball shoes and and i did some badminton footwork in them and it felt comfortable. I thought that they would feel heavy but they are not. It quite light. but everyone has their opinion of course ... i looked for alternatives because badminton shoes are not easily available in new york ... and i need to try my shoes before buying them.
As I play basketball and badminton, I own many pairs of ball and badminton shoes. I've been trying to substitute my Yonex/Victor/LiNing with Nike/adidas due to the cooler design of the BBall shoes. In my experience, badminton shoes have thinner layer of midsole compared to basketball shoes. They are lower to the ground for badminton quicker responses. BBall shoes are higher off the ground making them less stable, especially when there is air bags underneath (yes, that also includes zoom air). I even tried adidas with puremotion tech which is probably the lowest to the ground to date, still I felt badminton shoes are more stable. The shoes I tried were low cut Basketball shoes such as kobe 5 and adidas puremotion low. On the other hand when I play ball using badminton shoes, they were not as good as ball shoes. Movement-wise, badminton shoes are quite good. However, the midsole cannot absorb as well during jumps especially on rebounds. Also when I made cuts, the shoes felt too minimalist to handle the body weight. I have learned my lesson. I always try to use the correct shoes for the correct sports whenever I can.
Specific Shoes for the sport As I play basketball and badminton, I own many pairs of ball and badminton shoes. I've been trying to substitute my Yonex/Victor/LiNing with Nike/adidas due to the cooler design of the BBall shoes. In my experience, badminton shoes have thinner layer of midsole compared to basketball shoes. They are lower to the ground for badminton quicker responses. BBall shoes are higher off the ground making them less stable, especially when there is air bags underneath (yes, that also includes zoom air). I even tried adidas with puremotion tech which is probably the lowest to the ground to date, still I felt badminton shoes are more stable. The shoes I tried were low cut Basketball shoes such as kobe 5 and adidas puremotion low. On the other hand when I play ball using badminton shoes, they were not as good as ball shoes. Movement-wise, badminton shoes are quite good. However, the midsole cannot absorb as well during jumps especially on rebounds. Also when I made cuts, the shoes felt too minimalist to handle the body weight. I have learned my lesson. I always try to use the correct shoes for the correct sports whenever I can.
