There's new player to the badminton shoe world: United Kranes: http://www.unitedkranes.com/ I recently tested the United Kranes "Arena" badminton shoe. The retail price is: $89.00. It's an indoor court shoe. Unfortunately the Size: 12.0 was too narrow for me and I can only give you the results after wearing them twice. The size is true to size as I normally wear Size: 13.0 and that size was not available. Because the Arenas were narrow, I removed the stock insole which is something similar to Super Feet. The insole is really awesome but I had to remove it and basically not use an insole in order to fit the shoe. So the review would only be better with the insole in place. I compared the Arena briefly to my Yonex 100-MXs with SFB and was pleasantly surprised. The Arenas felt more stable and had better cushioning even without an insole! They just felt better than the 100s. This really surprised me as the 100s with SFB are first-rate. After playing two games wearing mismatched shoes (left: Arena, right: 100-MX), I opted to remove the 100s and wear only Arenas. But as I continued to play and my body temperature went up and my feet expanded, the shoes were just too tight. I noticed the Arenas didn't remove heat as effectively as the 100s and were a little bit heavier, about an ounce heavier. Until United Kranes makes a Size: 13.0, this is all I can review. Hopefully one of you can purchase a pair and give us a full detailed review.
What's the grip of these shoes like, especially seeing the two big areas without much threads next to the big toe area and at the outside heel area? Also, the gum rubber parts of the soles look quite thin, wonder how long they'll last, as I'm a notorious sole destroyer (I have worn out 1.5 pairs of SHB-90M's over the last 2 yrs)! Still looks decent though, more like a streetball design =)!
The grip is very good. It uses clear rubber and as I recall, clear rubber has the best traction for indoor terrain. Not sure how long the soles will last. A notorious sole destroyer? Are you sure? Only 1.5 pairs in 2 years? That's not notorious. Graduate to one pair every 6 months and then you're getting there.
now now, there you go again, comparing us humans with pandas .... 1.5 pairs every 2 years is quite a lot in my book.
That's probably cos I don't play as much as you; plus I don't have panda tonnage! ; On average I only play about 4-6h per week; and that's mostly (90%) doubles. The 1.5 pairs are only badminton shoes; doesn't include my casual, work and other sports shoes! Taking those into account I've worn out 6-8 pairs in total over the 2 years; all due to the worn out outsoles.
where to buy? Is anyone selling these shoes? Did a search but I can't seem to find any retailers... bolts
Insole The insole looks very very similar to the Karakal XS 300...only difference is the colors...Looks really comfortable from the pictures...
Seems like a good value considering the insoles you get with the shoes. Do they sell those insoles seperately? bolts
I dont see the insoles sold separately here but you might check with the distributor or Karakal home office....www.giadinhsports.com or www.karakalworldwide.com....I have been wearing the XS 300 for over 8 months playing everyday (21hrs. per week) and they are holding up well...one shoestring loop has torn out but the soles etc have another 4 months left at least....
In search for united kranes retailer I came across United Kranes when searching for warrior badminton sneakers. I fell in love with it. I know this thread is 2 years old but I'm searching for retailers aside from internet retailers such as Moxsie.com. Thanks in advance.
