Hi i was curious on what peoples thoughts on using Kobe 9 basketball shoes for badminton. If you dont know about the Kobe 9's, are light weight low to the ground. They are ment for guards so they dont have the bulk like other basketball shoes. I guess my question is there a big difference between basketball shoes and badminton ones? What would be the difference? Thanks
Are the soles on badminton shoes made more specifically for that green type court surface? Wouldn't the kobe style shoes been just as good if not better on wood courts?
Kobe's are all I use for Badminton. I went with them largely because I have size 13-13.5 feel, but also because they have all the features that you need for badminton - they're tough, super-light, have an 'indoor' sole, and have great torsional stability. The only downside is the price of the things, so if my 8's wear out, I'll probably look for something else like the Kobe Mentality or KD Trey 5. Thing is though, the suckers just don't wear out! I also have a pair of 6's that show almost no wear.
i used kobe 8 exclusively for about 6 months and unfortunately the lunar sole bottomed out. I realized it way too late and my achilles paid for it dearly. I'm sticking to power cushion for now. other than that, when new, it is way better than the shb-02 i have now in fit, support and perfomance.
Here's some other alternatives to the Kobes that might be worth checking out - Nike Hyperchase Nike Zoom Cage 2 Nike Volley Zoom Hyperspike Nike Kobe Mentality Nike KD Trey 5 Nike Hyper Rev Jordan CP3.VIII
from what i understand, the kobe 8 lunarlon insole is where all the cushioning is. And the said insole flattens after wear very quickly. The forefoot area was pretty much flat on my kobe 8 after a period of time.
I weigh 95kgs and have used mine every week for 18 months and they're fine. You must've got unlucky. I wonder if you can get replacements?
They're really tough. The 6's are a bit tougher than the 8's. The 8's have worn to a point, but don't seem to be wearing further. All of the shoes I'm considering down the track as replacements have reinforced toes. I thin it's overstated just how reinforced they need to be - I'd be happy to rock any of the Nikes I've posted above.
So any actual benefits from buying an badminton specific shoe over a basketball shoe for badminton? Im trying to decide right now what to get.
There's nothing special about badminton that requires a 'badminton' shoe. Any shoe that's designed for indoor sports like squash, volleyball, tennis or maybe even cross fit could potentially work. If you're looking at low top basketball shoes, you want them as minimal as possible, with a toe box that's not completely mesh. The ones that I listed on the last page pretty much all fit that bill, but as with all shoes it's well worth your while to go try them on first.
Indoor tennis shoes perhaps not so much though, the soles on them usually have no profile at all and of course they are not designed with jumps in mind. But what I came here for is to post about the Kyrie 1 new Nike shoe, which seems an even better fit for badminton than the Kobe's judging by this roundup: http://www.si.com/nba/2015/05/29/nike-basketball-wear-test-provides-hardwood-answers Haven't tried them and not immediately looking to do so until they hit they outlet store Picked up some Lebron's (11) for $40 down from $200ish originally. On the scale they hit ~435gr. , they are stiff as hell and have great cushioning. Almost literally feels like walking on air ... (not using them for badminton obviously; strictly off-court)