When I play badminton, I carry two pairs of identical court shoes with me, just like carrying two identically strung racquets with the same strings and tension. Everytime I play, I would rotate my court shoes thus giving the other pair time to breathe, aerate, or dry out. I feel by doing this: - it gives the shoes a greater life span - lessens the smell - minimizes the environment for athlete's foot - the two pairs will be equally worn-out thus you won't have the new shoes syndrome! - and, if it happens that one shoe gets ripped, you can easily change over With having 2 racquets: - it allows your grip to dry out - if you're hitting real bad one day, just switching to the other racquet can be a psychological tool to get your timing right Does anybody else do this? Cheers!
Sorry, my editing time ran out... (cont'd) With having 2 racquets: - if a string or racquet breaks, switching over to the second is a no brainer (this is key especially if you play competitvely or compete in tournaments!) In both cases, it is presumed you have found a shoe and a racquet you are comfortable playing with. Cheers!
Very good point. I do purchase identical shoes, and some time switch around. However, I never bring 2 pairs to the gym, as my game is the "lazy" style, which I force my legs NOT moving much.
Hi, I have two pairs of Hi-Tec Switchback. But i haven´t used the second part until now, it´s still backup. But your cases sound very good to me, so I´ll try it.
I do almost the same as lazybuddy with shoes. I don't find the second pair nearly as indispensable as the 2nd racquet. I just can't compare the probability of a string or (yikes!) a racquet breaking with anything that might happen to a shoe. Hence, I never take two pairs of shoes to the gym. I am content to use the second one the next day while the first is taking a full two days to dry out. I know a lot of people who take their shoes off between games and sit in socks or walk in slippers until their next game.
I agree with most of break-my-string's points as long as it is not geee string. Anyway, i would like to suggest you can bring extra pair of socks or wear slipper between games to let the shoe breath out the bad breath... Sorry for the bad joke, it was just too tempting.
I have two pairs. One sits out while I use the other pair. Shoes tend to take two to three days to completely dry out during summer. So, having a second pair comes in handy. And I also take out the Super Feet Green insoles when I let the shoes sit and dry.
I find having two pairs of shoes a bit of a luxury...first of all, shoes aren't exactly cheap. There are pairs that are cheaper than others, but as a whole footwear is something I have to save up for. The only time I had two pairs of shoes was when I was alternating between my two futsal pairs in a tourney because my feet were swollen from the pent-up heat. Secondly, shoe soles have a lot in common with car tires. Even if you don't use them, they degrade over time. I can't quite justify my having a second pair if it's just going to waste away. This is what I do instead. To each his/her own I suppose.
Same here Type 100. I haven't seen players here that actually brings two shoes in a game. Its either they interchange their shoe the next playing day with another shoe that they have at home. In helping out the environment, I spray mine with a shoe deoderizer to minimize the smell.
I totally agree when it comes to playing in tournaments, such as in the 3-day WA Open, I bring over a dozen pairs of socks, change them after each match. I have foot orthotics to deal with instead. Unfortunately, my footwork is so slow, having a pair of yonex badminton shoes will not improve my agility on the court at all, in fact, if you were to strap Lin Dan (wearing nose plugs, ha ha) on the bottom of my feet, I still won't go any faster! That's why I'll stick to basic indoor court shoes rather than specialized badminton shoes. Gee, I never knew badminton shoes have a "shelf-life" ...but seriously, how will you know if your pair is "fresh" from the manufacturers, as compared to being stale? Cheers!
a good idea! i have to admit though that i seldom buy two pairs of the same shoes. mainly because by the time i get to buy new shoes, they will be new models as my prior one would be out of production. then i am taking a larger risk by buying 2 pairs of them. and esp when i buy in HK where i won't have time to test them thoroughly. but now i will think hard about getting 2 pairs next time i buy.
Actually, my way is the lazier style... ... although my badminton bag has the ability to carry 2 pairs of shoes, I use a cloth bag (absorbs moisture and won't stink-up by racquet bag) to carry all my shoes, this way I don't have to think about swapping shoes (leave one at home & take the other), it's all there! Just to be clear... I'm not recommending players to change their shoes after every match (unlike socks during a tournament with long breaks) but to change everytime you start a new session. When I go hunting for shoes, I usually buy 2-4 pairs pending on their return policy. Strange as it may sound, there are stores that allow a "no questions asked" return policy provided there are minimal signs of wear (hey, you can't tell until you try!) and you return the shoes within a certain time period. I can see buying from HK could be very costly should you need to get a refund! Cheers!
If you have rubber-soled dress shoes, you'll know they're too old when the rubber literally cracks and crumbles as you walk. They're not made for longevity, they're made for grip and everyday use. In the case of badminton shoes I haven't come across any very old examples that have suffered the same fate. Besides they're usually worn down at the soles or elsewhere first before the sole rubber itself gets all brittle and crumbly.
It sounds like Type 100 has had the opposite experience compared to what I have encountered. When I open the last pair of shoes that I purchased 1.5 years ago (not even counting the number of years from the original date of manufacturing, shipping from over seas, warehousing, to the date of purchase), the shoes has not shown any signs of "degrading over time". I guess that's the "benefit" of buying higher quality specialized badminton shoes... the patented synthetic soles "degrade" over a few months which allows the shoes to get better traction and gets lighter in weight (besides your wallet)! Cheers!
However, I think the rate to worn out a pair of badminton shoes should be much faster than those chemical formulars kicking in place. Back then, when I play about 20+ hrs per week, I can get a pair done in less than 4-6 months. That usage period is usually much shorter than the shipping and storage time from the manufacture and dealers, as BMS stated in his post. Also, I believe carefully hand wash the shoes once or twice per month can help the gripping issue as well, as you are brushing out the dirt from the rubber surface.
I am thinking about ordering 1 pair of SHB100MX and 1 pair of SNB100LX. Try 1 SHB100MX right and 1 SHB100LX left. Rotate the next week. SHB100MX only the 3rd week and LX the 4th week. OK, guys, stop laughing.
Sorry....but... Maybe we should look for right handed vs left handed badminton racquets also! Cheers!
