Mizuno Wave Lightning 6

this shoe is not for Badminton....

 

It's a volleyball shoe. I have been using the previous generations for badminton for more than two years now. It rides abit high but surprisingly stable. The cushion is better than regular badminton shoes which means it last longer. Only downside is if you have wide feet, it might not fit comfortably.

 

So Cappy75, does this mean that it can use for Badminton??

How was your movement though during the game?

I actually like the design the lightweight of this shoe.....

Reviews please......

 

Yes, in fact this shoe is more suitable if you're considered heavy weight. Most competitive North American volleyballers are very tall (at least 5'10" and over) and probably weigh at least 170lbs, this shoe is designed for their specific bodytype and movement. As court movement for badminton and volleyball is very similar, there shouldn't be too much adjustment from regular badminton shoes. I have yet to roll and injured myself while wearing these *touch wood* although there were times when I was very tired and almost rolled my ankle, the shoe was rigid enough to stablize my footing.

 

I need to put my 2 cents in from my personal experience.

I own a previous version of the Mizuno Wave Lightning which I purchased originally when I played volleyball. They were great shoes. I subsequently also used them to play squash and ultimately badminton. I am 6' tall and weigh 190lbs so the extra cushioning on these shoes felt great. I also had a number of 'close calls' with these shoes almost rolling my ankle on a few occasions but felt that the shoes were sufficient to use across different sports.

It is while playing badminton that I rolled my ankle badly in one session tearing one of the tendons in my ankle. This ultimately required surgery to repair and the ankle no longer has the same mobility that it once had.

Volleyball shoes are designed differently than badminton shoes with more cushioning used to reduce the impact of jumping. Badminton shoes are typically less elevated with probably less cushioning overall but more stable to the ground. I do not recommend using volleyball shoes for badminton if you are playing at any standard above low intermediate which will require quick movements around the court.

These days I will only wear badminton shoes designed for badminton when I play.

 

i've used this shoe, too flexible especially on rubber courts...i've tripped a couple of times and almost injured my ankle..since then, i switched to a legitimate Badminton shoe, (yonex shb200 & shb91).

 

Sorry to hear about your injury, Genghis. These shoes do ride alittle high, and it's almost alway nasty when they roll the wrong way. I am fortunate that I have few near miss with the lightning despite my regular games and training. However the cushion of the Mizunos are far superior to Yonex badminton shoes and I am confident enough in my footwork and leg strength to minimise those rolls. With the pounding my joints get on the court, I will not compromise on the cushion. Incidentally, I have seen lots of players wearing the latest yonex badminton shoes rolled their ankles so it's not just the shoes they wear that contribute to their injuries.

 

Thanks cappy75. You've made many good points in all of your posts. You are correct that the types of shoes alone will not guarantee against an injury but I do feel that badminton specific shoes will help reduce the possibility.

I also agree that Mizuno shoes are superior than Yonex shoes. In fact, I am currently thinking of purchasing a new pair of Mizuno shoes but ones specifically designed for badminton. ie. Wave Smash Wide.

I know that availability is sometimes a determining factor when choosing volleyball shoes for use in badminton. That is the reason why I was using the wave lightening previously.

In terms of cushioning, I always switch out the factory insoles with other insoles to reduce the pounding my joints feel from badminton.

Anyways, I hope you stay injury feel and respect your reasons for choosing the shoes that you use. At any rate, most of us on this forum probably use shoes that are better for us than these classics:

 

LOL! Yes, indoor court shoes have come a long way since the dragonfly. I have had the Wave Smash before as well. Wonderful shoes they were, but I could only get them from Japan and they're only affordable with group discount from an organised group order. Not sure about the availability in Singapore but then again there should be more of those shoes sold in Asia than in North America.

 

I played with Mizuno Wave Spike, Asics Rocket, and assorted Yonex shoes. The Yonex shoes ride noticeably lower than Mizuno or Asics and it took me a little while to get used to. However because of the extra padding my knee doesn't bother me anymore.

Just as a note, my old doubles partner twisted his ankle twice using yonex shoes so it's all in the footwork.

 

may i know what mizuno shoe are for baddy?
what about wave tornado series? any input?