How to maintain badminton shoes?

**Phydhel** · 08-23-2005, 07:07 AM

I have always wanted to ask, how does one maintain their badminton shoes so that it can last as long as it is supposed to last. Any tips on the do's and don'ts of shoe maintanence? Especially the grip, THX!!!

**Jinryu** · 08-23-2005, 07:38 AM

If you've got excessively sweaty feet, use mothballs or some sorta stink/moisture absorber. On the other hand, don't let them too dry either. Don't leave under sun. Don't leave in area too cold. Like goldilocks, you gotta find that medium that's just right.

My personal experience is that too much moisture on shoes sealed in (like, people who forget to take their shoes out of their gym bag after a particularly sweaty session) everything tends to go downhill... the leather becomes too soft to be supportive, and the glue probably becomes less effective making it more prone to 'crocodiling', for example.

On another side, I knew someoen who wore their badminton shoes as street shoes, which is a definate no no-- the gyms no indoor shoes aren't designed for the heat of asphalt and concrete, and they're not meant to take tearing stabs from little rocks and whatnots.

**bambini** · 08-23-2005, 07:51 AM

i spray the inside w/ lysol disinfectant after every session and let it dry before putting it back to the bag after 1 day. i seldom clean the exterior coz i use it only for playing badminton.

**LazyBuddy** · 08-23-2005, 08:09 AM

Originally Posted by bambini

i spray the inside w/ lysol disinfectant after every session and let it dry before putting it back to the bag after 1 day. i seldom clean the exterior coz i use it only for playing badminton.

Similar here. Instead, I use alcohol cotton balls to clean the interior like once per week. Then, let it dry for several hrs, before put it back to the bag.

**Phydhel** · 08-24-2005, 10:06 PM

Thx guys! How about maintaining the grip on the shoes for maximum traction during play? I mean how do you minimise the tendency of shoes getting slippery on court?

**marshall** · 08-24-2005, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by Phydhel

Thx guys! How about maintaining the grip on the shoes for maximum traction during play? I mean how do you minimise the tendency of shoes getting slippery on court?

Here's what I do:
1. Clean the soles using dish detergent and a small plastic bristle brush about 3 inches long and 3/4 inch wide, the kind sold to clean dirt and grease from under your fingernails, small enough to keep in your gym bag. Do this as needed.

2. Put a damp rag or small towel beside the court and wipe your soles after a rally if you need to. Some floors have a lot of dust on them. Once I was playing on a very dusty court and tried to move to the back line but could not. My feet were moving fast but my body wasn't going anywhere. I looked just like a cartoon character.

3. Ask the guy running the gym if he has a damp mop you can use to remove the dust before you begin to play. Sometimes he'll have someone clean it for you.

Do these things and you lessen your chances of looking like Wiley Coyote trying to catch the Roadrunner.

**Phydhel** · 08-25-2005, 03:01 AM

Thanks man I'll see what I can do!

however im not too sure where to find such fingernail brushes here in m'sia.I have not seen fingernail brushes before actually. Can a toothbrush do an equally good job?

**Boggieeiggob** · 06-05-2012, 02:54 PM

A little temporary trick that I do is i put a little water on the floor and tread on it, then i keep rubbing the shoes on the floor until they stop squeaking and have that grip again (I only really do this with shoes I've used for a while, not brand new ones). As for the detergent on the soles, does that really work? Like, I know this will sound stupid but like, doesn't the detergent damage the soles?
And for the mop, I thought any mop will do? I thought it doesn't have to be damp to wipe away feathers and dust etc.

**gundamzaku** · 06-20-2012, 05:07 PM

i use sanitary wipes from the hospital where i work to wipe the bottom sole because it has bleach and alcohol it kill germs as well as cleaning all the dust and dirt off. i also clean the leather part just because i like it clean looking. i also use a paperclip wrapped with one of those wipes and clean the treads inside the sole because aplethora of dirt can build up there.

after i play i leave my shoes outside of the bag in the trunk to air it out for about a day.

i only wear the shoes inside the gym, when i walk out, for example, to the parking lot to get something, i take the shoes off and put on my sandals. this way i will minimize the chance of contact between my shoes and dirt elements.

***kwun*** · 06-20-2012, 05:20 PM

the OP ask for tips which makes badminton shoes last longer.

the way to make it last longer is to use it less. and don't use it unless you have to.

the other part that the OP ask is to make the grip last longer.

the number one cause of badminton shoes losing grip is the accumulation of dust on the bottom of the shoes. a few ways can avoid the accumulation of dust:

1) don't wear it outdoor. this should be obvious, a parking lot or the sidewalk has way way more fine dust coming from the environment as cars, etc than inside a gym. this will keep the shoes less dusty. not wearing the shoes outside also means that you are not wearing it to travel and thus shorten the time the shoes are used and it will last longer. not exposing the shoes to the more rough outdoor surface also means it will last longer as well.

2) clean your shoes regularly. even if you follow 1) overtime, dust and particles build-up on the soles of shoes, and fill in the texture on the sole. This reduces the friction the shoe is able to have on the court, losing your shoe grip. Take a scrubby and some soapy water and go at it. Hold the sole facing down if you do not want any water getting into the inside of the shoe. Scrub the bottom sufficiently with the soap, and then let the shoes air dry. The next time on the court, you will notice improved shoe grip to help you maneuver.

**Boggieeiggob** · 06-20-2012, 05:47 PM

About cleaning the shoes with soap water. I tried it on my old pair of shoes ( I've only EVER worn them on court) using a little detergent with water and an old toothbrush, then I tried it on four the next time I tried but it felt as if I hadn't done anything with it. Did I do anything wrong?

***kwun*** · 06-20-2012, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by Boggieeiggob

About cleaning the shoes with soap water. I tried it on my old pair of shoes ( I've only EVER worn them on court) using a little detergent with water and an old toothbrush, then I tried it on four the next time I tried but it felt as if I hadn't done anything with it. Did I do anything wrong?

it could be the case that the court you are playing at is not dirty enough for dust to accumulate? or that it is already sufficiently grippy so making it cleaner has little effect.

or the court is so dirty no matter what you do to the shoes makes no difference.

**visor** · 06-20-2012, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by gundamzaku

i use sanitary wipes from the hospital where i work to wipe the bottom sole because it has bleach and alcohol it kill germs as well as cleaning all the dust and dirt off.
.

cleaning the soles with bleach or any strong chemicals is not a good idea as it'll cause damage to the latex rubber

**Boggieeiggob** · 06-21-2012, 02:53 AM

Oh, oops. I used detergent cuz I read somewhere else I was supposed to use detergent >_>' so will it be fine if I use soap water and a toothbrush now then?

**yurimaster2010** · 06-22-2012, 04:14 PM

The enermy of shoe i see is sweat, so i use charcoal to suck out those moist n smell than put it back into bag.
Shoe r cheap n rubber do detoriate so y trouble to clean? If u can affort buy n sell zf why not change a new pair every 6mth if u r heavy users?
Furthermore i see this year there many seductive shoe in the pipeline..
Those r my tips..

***kwun*** · 06-22-2012, 04:16 PM

shoe are not cheap! not anymore.

decent one, even in Asia are approaching US$80 per pair. over here they starts at around US$90.

**Boggieeiggob** · 06-22-2012, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by yurimaster2010

The enermy of shoe i see is sweat, so i use charcoal to suck out those moist n smell than put it back into bag.
Shoe r cheap n rubber do detoriate so y trouble to clean? If u can affort buy n sell zf why not change a new pair every 6mth if u r heavy users?
Furthermore i see this year there many seductive shoe in the pipeline..
Those r my tips..

I have to agree with Kwun here. I'm in the UK, and a good pair (not pro or anything, just good but not like, the 'lower' end) of shoes costs about 40-50 quid in the UK. I bought an old pair (can't remember it's model name) and it wore out on me in about 4 months, playing 1-2 times a week. I've now got a pair of Yonex's 2012 SHB F1R (I think it's called?), which cost me £56, even though it's really nice. But yeah, I'm not just gonna chuck 'em out when they wear out