Having just got my ideal racket/string combo, I've decided to treat myself to some dedicated badminton shoes for my birthday. I've narrowed my selection down to three candidates: SHB-100MX, SHB-99MX and SHB-99 LTD. Since I'd expect shoes to be a LOT more difficult to counterfeit than rackets, I'm VERY tempted to get whichever shoes I end up choosing from a HK based seller I found on ebay because of the mental prices - £50 for 100's (including postage) and £45 (including postage) for 99 MX's. As always, I like to do my homework before commiting, and I've yet to find a thread that compares these three shoes directly, especially since the 100's are brand new (if there IS such a thread, my apologies!). My main concerns are softness of sole (I am 6'1 and weigh 200lb, so I come down HARD from jumps) and lateral support, as my feet tend to slide sideways in my current, non-dedicated shoes. Can anybody stack the 100's up against the 99's? Many thanks in advance... M.
haven't tried the 100's, so this might not be as useful to you as a comparison, but perhaps as a testimonial. i have 2 pairs of the 99ltd, and they are excellent. i wouldn't say they're the best out there cause i haven't tried enough to comment, but i'd say it's hard to go wrong with them.
Here in US, Yonex USA is not shipping out SHB-99LTD to dealer anymore. I am not sure is Yonex UK is doing the same or not. However, there is a replacement for SHB-99 LTD. That is SHB-100 LTD. However, I have not ried it yet and I don't know how good it is.
yeah, the 99ltd is still available in the uk at the moment. though i'm sure once this batch runs out, that'll be it. sometimes i wonder whether there's any point calling it a limited edition since they seem to produce as much of it as the regular 99's. oh well, guess it's just a marketing tactic ....
Very true! My usual choice, Central Sports, attaches the enticement "available only from selected retailers" (or words to that effect), but EVERY racket-sport shop I look in seems to carry them - Yonex seem to "choose" their retailers by throwing handfulls of darts at their catalogues! The reason I haven't gone out and bought the 99 LTDs immediately is two-fold: 1. My HK shop on ebay has them £5 more expensive than the 100 MXs; 2. I don't really know what I'm paying for (besides the admittedly gorgeous colour scheme) over standard 99 MXs I've read Dan's comments on the 99 LTDs - his only qualm was the average durability (which is not a concern for me, a 6/7 hrs per week player at the moment) - but I'd be really interested to hear his and anyone else's thoughts as to whether they are worth ($$$!) choosing over the regular 99s or, indeed, the 100s. Many thanks, M.
I think Yonex doesn't promote or sell the SHB99 anymore, but I think the basic difference between 99 and 100 is the hexagrip sole. I bought a pair of SHB99MX shoes a few months ago here in SG and the dealer did tell me that he was clearing all his existing stock of SHB99. All said and done, SHB99 is a great pair of shoes for badminton
Purchasing shoes online is a no-no for myself. I believe you need to try out the shoes before purchase. Different manufactures, or different models within the same manufactures, or even same model with different regions (i.e. different manufactured bases / batches), could be slightly different. However, the slight difference could be significant for your comfortness (safey and performance concerns) when it comes to shoes. If the price difference is not very significant, I will purchase shoes from local sources, where as I can try the shoes, and much easier for return / exchange if needed.
Totally agree. I can never figure how people can buy shoes online unless they have already tried the exact pair on before. Shoes either fit or they don't for me. I can tell as soon as I put them on. If they are not comfortable, then forget it.
From your selection, the 100's is better (taken from a team member who has worn 99's and 100's, since it came out - he said that 100's basically takes the 99 as the base, and produces more grip, feels lighter, and gives more support). However, you cant go wrong with any of the models really. They are all top of the range.
yup, great selection. cant go wrong w/ any of those. my only suggestion is to try them on 1st before buying. you need to feel how it fits, thats the most important thing to do when buying shoes. ill fitting shoes can cause a lot of injurues to an athlete. by the way, i have both 100 & 99. the 100 seems roomier in the toe area.
Birthday came and went, and I eventually went for 99LTDs. I purposely got them 1/2 size bigger than my street shoes and they fit perfectly (with thin socks!). Having played a few sessions with them, I am really pleased with my purchase, as my soles have been totally pain free so far - which shouldn't be taken lightly for a 200+ pounder!
