I would love to hear from anyone that have had both Mizuno and Yonex badminton shoes. How do they compare? Specifically, if you have both top of the line shoes from Yonex (SHB-99?) and from Mizuno (Wave Smash S1), please give us a run down of pros and cons of both. Thank you.
just wondering what are the prices of SHB99 and Wave Smash S1 over in Canada? In Singapore the Wave Smash S1 costs about 50% more than the SHB99. Kind of rules out the Mizunos for me tho' looks-wise, its a refreshing change from Yonex look... tho' someone posted a pic of a new colour SHB99 recently.
the price from bbesports.com surprisingly shows that Mizuno is abt the same price as Yonex top range (after member's discount, you can join the forum for free and enjoy the discount) ... I've tried Yonex SHB-50, 55 and 68 but the cushions were not as comfortable as the Mizuno shoes but I've not tried any of 89 and 99 yet ... I own a Mizuno 9km-xxxxx shoe ... the cushion is good and it fits well for my wide feet ... unlike all the ASICS gels which only design for narrow feet ... I'll need to get an extra 1-1.5 US size larger to have the comfortable feeling on my wide feet but then again the length is too long ... so I would say a NO-NO on ASICS for wide-feet, YES-YES on Mizuno for wide-feet ... Yonex sits in between them in terms of wideness ... I am wearing Mizuno US7.5 (perfect) and I've tried Yonex US7.5 (a little tight) and US8 (just right), as for Asics US7.5 (took me a while to stuff my feet into the shoes), US8 (tight on fore-mid feet), US8.5 (fit on wideness but too long in length) Sorry for a little off-topic as I am not comparing any of the top-range Mizuno to Yonex ... but I hope this info can help some of you here to decide on what shoe brand to consider ...
yonex shoes are generally narrower than other shoes. so it may not be made for everyone because if you get a size bigger then when u lunge in badminton, you big toe may hit the front. Archie, the mizuno 9km series is for volleyball i think.. volleyball shoes have better cushioning, but they are "taller" ie higher off the ground than badminton shoes, giving you a less "stable" feel. conclusion, go try the shoes! whatever fit u best !
I recently purchased a pair of Mizuno Wave Smash S1, but have yet to try it out on the court. (The shoe was purchased in HK, the same shoes would cost twice as much if purchased in Canada) Prior to the purchase, I went to different shops to try on both the Yonex SHB 99mx, and the Mizuno Wave Smash S1 at least once each before buying. Honestly though, I leaned towards the pair of Mizuno mainly because it was something different, since everyone I know is wearing Yonex on the court. Also, I've heard from several sources that Yonex's inner sole isn't the most durable, and is relatively worn-out more quickly. My initial impression of both shoes is this, Yonex: initially more comfortable cushion, but narrower in the fore foot area. Mizuno: A noticeably more pronouced curve in the foot-arch area, wider fore foot area. I was only able to rely on my initial impression of both shoes, and both seemed to be comparable in comfort. Again, I would love to hear your comments on the shoes if you've had the chance to try out both on the court. I would also love to hear from you if you've only had the chance to try out only one of the two pair of shoes, and give us your comments and review on it. Thanks.
I've had several chances to try the pair of Mizuno out on the court since the last post, and here are my comments: - The shoes does have a grippy gum sole, but it needs an initial break-in period before they provide adequate gripping power on a slightly dusty court. - The forefoot area is very "thin". It can be slightly uncomfortable when stepping forward, since the shoe top cuts into the top of the forefoot. This problem lasted several nights before the material softened after being broken-in - The heel of the shoe provides adequate cushioning / shock absorb for jumpers. - Excellent lateral stability and support. - Excellent manuevability and agility - Excellent air circulation and breathability, keeps feet relatively dry and comfortable
mizuno with code 9kv are for volleyball and for badminton its 7kv, anyway ive tried yonex before and its kinda hard for my feet, also it didnt last long, i think it lasted for just 3months, the sole just came apart. mine is the mizuno wave smash sr, i ve been using it for more than a year, its very comfortable like wearing only socks, its also lightweight, flexible, and has good support. im still using it but next week im gonna buy the wave smash 2.
I have both the SHB-99 and Wave Smash S1. The Wave Smash is lighter and easier to move around. The SHB-99 has more cushion and is more comfortable. My feet always feel a bit more beat up after wearing the Wave Smash. Maybe the Mizuno just need to be broken in more. The SHB-99 was comfortable from day one.
Mizuno badminton shoes carry the code of 7KM. The following link would benefit players interested in Mizuno badminton shoes: http://catalog.mizuno.co.jp/catalog/product/product_category.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474395181589&seFlg=1&bmUID=1111892151903
yup. They are over 100 measurements that a cobbler will take to make you a shoe. Asking others what shoe will fit is difficult. But like others are saying, the yonex does offer alot of cushioning.
I agree that the SHB-99 was more comfortable when I tried them on initally, but I ended up choosing the Mizuno because of durability concerns. I imagine the Yonex shoes to be excellent and will serve me comfortably for a few months if I had chosen them, but many commented on the fact that their soles (especially the inner soles) are worn-out easily.
just an update...ive stop using my wave smash 2 'cuz after playing with it for 2 months my feet hurts, i think its the narrow shape design of ws2 compared to ws1, ive gotten the shb-99, gonna start using it tomorrow.
well, seems like my pair of mizunos is now completely broken-into. I love the lightness and agility of the shoes, and so far I've been experiencing less foot pains after several matches on the court, compared w/ my previous shoes.
im not sure but maybe its the design or i should have bought size bigger. my ws1 was great, size 25.5, then i bought ws2 also 25.5 but i dont know why my feet hurts whenever i wear them. i think 2 months is already a long time breaking-it in. so my assesment is that the ws2 is narrower 'cus both my 2smallest toe hurt, left and right foot. or i should have bought size 26. my shb-99 is size 26.
I believe that it is important for the width of the shoes to fit your foot without having to increase sizes from what normally would fit you; unless the length of the shoes also seems shorter than the stated size. To be honest, personally I think a pair of Yonex SBH-99m is more comfortable compared to the Mizuno Wave Smash SR1. However, since the pair of Mizuno's are also decent in terms of comfort, I was hoping that they will outlast a pair of Yonex; which are known to have their inner soles worn-out quite quickly.
I've personally never heard of an insole wearing out quickly. I've had problems with the sole of my shoes wearing out. My last pair of Yonex 89's developed a hole on the corner just outside the left big toe. I was taking lessons at the time and was forced to drag my left foot while lunging with my right for pushes and net shots. I think the same thing happened to my previous LIBA shoes, too, though. The insoles in all of my Yonex shoes have lasted just fine, and I take them out to wash them frequently, too. My 89's are not too stable in the upper. The old ones are now as pliable as canvas basketball shoes but even my brand new 89's are lacking in stabilty in the upper. No such problem with the 98s, though, and the 99s seem to be at least as stable as the 98. I haven't tried Mizuno. I got my last pair of 89s for about C$71 and the 99s are only about C$102 in Korea whereas Mizuno S1's are C$152 and the Wave Smash S2 is C$126.
I was actually thinking of asking my friend to get those Mizuno shoes from Korea. Looking at the price you bought yours, it looks like the prices are very steep. I guess I will have to drop the idea and get it from Singapore instead. Just out of curiosity. Did you get your shoes from a sports equipment shop or shopping mall?
The way I phrased it may have been rather misleading. I haven't actually bought Mizuno shoes here. I was talking about the Yonex shoes I bought and then comparing the prices of two popular Yonex models against two Mizuno models. Actually, as of the time I posted to this thread last, I'd never seen Mizuno shoes in a store but that has changed. It is now possible to buy the Mizuno S2 in stores here and I believe the price is identical to the online price. That is, W105,000, or MYR414 at today's exchange rate. I'm not interested in the S2 because it is the Japanese-style mid-cut. The low cut S1 is listed at a much higher price here and only on the Mizuno Korea website, not on any of the online shopping sites and the shop with the S2's has never heard of the S1's. That tells me that it really isn't available.
If your friend has a chance to visit HongKong, you could also ask for them to be picked up there as well. They were selling for around $540~$560 HKD, which is about $82~$85 Cdn, or around $100 USD.
