No cement. Pretty much all school gyms in Germany (which is where we play) have swing-floor, which is linoleum floor with some kind of cushioning system beneath. Problem is that my feet have 'spread' and started to flatten a little, which in turn caused a mis-alignment of the achilles tendon and thus some wear&tear. Getting back to form now with physio, a myriad of stretching, balancing and stailizing exercises, and no more than 2 baddy sessions a week (which is, quite frankly, torture). On court, I'm back to ~70%, at least that's what it feels like. Only upside is that to compensate for my sudden lack of sport, I do a lot more gymwork for my legs and bodyweight exercises at home for my upper body. My shoulder and smash say thank you, but getting in position to play one is still a lot harder than I remember
Indeed - that is the problem. If you want soemthing that's going to fit perfectly after two months, it won't fit perfectly until then.
thanks j4ckie for the input... it's just awkward nothing is listed in that shop currently. Basically I don't have to pay online retail since it's victor but it's still pricy. Since it's not listed I might try to get a 102 pair or the new yonex. I keep looking...
[MENTION=64484]j4ckie[/MENTION] What's swing flooring? Still sounds like cement under a layer of linoleum. Still not as good for the joints as badminton mat or floating hardwood.
No. It's basically floating hardwood with linoleum on top...mats are usually not all that much better since they're basically a non-cushioning layer of rubber just to increase grip (and have clear lines, not like our hall ). But of course no one here has the most expensive Yonex stuff, so maybe those are just freaking great....although I have my doubts More cushioning would actually result in the foot slightly sinking in and reducing the athletes' ability to move quickly, much like a cushioned shoe does...
i tried shb101ltd size 10.5 in a store near me as they do not carry sh9000. the width is not comfortable for me. how wide is sh9000 compared with 101ltd? I am planning to buy from Eric and do not want to end up with the uncomfortable one. thank you for the suggestions.
9000ACE (in the same size) is wider than the 101LTD, which I found to be one of the narrowest shoes I've tried.
thank you. I would like to know the width in numbers b/w these two models. I could not find it on Victor's website and other vendors that I know.
What I can say is that I found the 101 and 101 LTD (blue/black) too narrow and they pretty much stopped circulation in my feet, yet I can play with all Victor shoes so far. My SH9000 were a bit tight in the beginning but widened to a very comfortable width (splitting hairs - they even got a tad too wide, making it hard to tie the laces tight enough). The 910 are pretty comfortable, although I notice part of the fitting system pressing on my foot a little, but not to the point of discomfort. The 8500 I just received today, and dry-testing they feel just like they should (just a bit too short, comfortable width, which means they'll probably be a comfortable length after a couple sessions and a tad wide).
If your Achilles felt like it'd tear any moment after one training session with the wrong shoe, you'd be a little obsessed as well Seriously though, I run through 4-6 pairs a year, regardless of model or brand. That I got the 910 and 8500 at pretty much the same time is a coincidence as Eric was able to procure a pair in my size after initially telling me he couldn't, and I took the chance although I had already ordered the 910. Glad I did that as the 8500 look and feel pretty great, and I'm half looking forward to tearing through the 910 just so I can start using the 8500
First of all I've gotta say Eric offers great service. Thanks for that Shoewise I would say it's a really good one here. Had the same grip issue with my yellow pair. Luckily it vanished after 4 hours intense break in. Since I went on an international camp and had roughly 6 hours intense training daily for about one week I think I can sum it up: - quite stable and durable feel, seems to be far more durable than my previously worn Yonex F1 - very nice feel, had a tad too much space in my toe-area allowing my toes to move slightly too much - nice direct feel and response - "rather sporty" cushioning. My forefoot did hurt a tad during and after my camp, power cushioning is better here - I did replace the inner sole at once and placed a custom made insole Surely I can't make up my mind based on long term usage but still I'd say that my first impression does have it's pros and cons. Pro is that I regard this kinda shoe as one of the most durable I've ever owned. Stability, feel are on a high level and putting the quality this shoes are made of into regard the high price tag is more or less justified. Cons are the lack of cushioning for the forefoot. If you train really hard on a high level for hours on daily basis you do wish more cushioning there. Furthermore doing fast and aggressive moves those shoes do a great job but don't provide me with the side stability of the SHB102. Thus said, it's the second best shoes I've ever owned. SHB102 is still the shoe to go for in my humble opinion for everyone who has wide feet.
I got the red one recently, it came with black and red shoe laces, the black shoelaces are about an inch shorter than the red ones. I tried on the Yonex SH01 as well before I bought the shoes, i felt the heel of Yonex SH01 is higher while I can feel my feet more contact with the ground with Victor 9000. They are very snugly, also grabs the court very well and I also feel more speedy during the games. One of the best shoes I have ever bought. Highly recommended!
^ Just a word of caution though. For playing on dedicated mat floors, it's the best. Light, supportive and very responsive. You'll definitely feel your feet and the shoes are functioning as one solid unit. However, don't wear them on any other flooring other than mat, as they lack the cushioning for those harder surfaces, which would eventually lead to foot and heel pains.
I am using a Victor SH9000ACE and find it very good planning to order a second pair. Anyone heard if Victor might come out with a newer model in the near future. Just thinking if I should wait for a little while before ordering.
New shoes will be available next year but whether they are a direct replacement for 9000 is difficult to say. Paul www.badminton-coach.co.uk
