I thjought it was time to upgrade from the X-trail, x-treme, something with X in it, blue and green ones, due to lack of padding and my foot rotating in the shoe or something. Anyway, hoping for more grip/stability, whatever lets me moves faster. These were cheap/mid range just to test the fit of Li-ning as I have non-Yonex foot shape. Box arrives a day early, great. Open it. LOADS of padding, especially at the top of the heel where i really appreciate it, looks like a rolled up pair of socks curled round. Eagerly try it one and OUCH, toes right into the end. Holy heck that is tight. Check the size: 260. I take a 270. Excuse the shouting and rant but:- WHY IN ALL THAT IS HOLY DOES AN EU SITE SHIPPING TO THE UK, DEFAULT TO US SHOE SIZES?? Not happy. Awaiting to hear whether they decide if this is my error or theirs (its both really), before I potentially put these up for sale for retail - return postage cost.
Would be good to know which models you are talking about specifically. I have slightly wider feet and find the LN shoes quite comfortable regarding width, talking about highend and upper midend shoes. The Yonex Aorus 2 or Power Cushion 88D felt more narrow in comparison.
The "Professional" ones that seem to be the same shape as the "Monkey King". They're not interested in any form of help to rectify "my" error (Yeah I know i'm a muppet but its bad web design) so I dont think I'll be placing another order from there. Shame. Also, £50 postage to return. Nope. (Edit, under £10 for royal mail). Alternatives are the Monkey Kings (love the reference, not so sure on the design) from a possibly dispreputable source (outlet 26?) or the Ranger 3.0 TD at quite a bit cheaper. I figured as I was treating myself I might as well go big, and promise to do more footwork drills. Next site I looked at, lists all three UK / US / EUR size on one place. not hidden in a easy to miss list/button. (AND it liste djsut a number in email confirmation, without specifying US). Apologies if you can taste the salt while reading this. TL;DR Ranger 3.0 TD any good, or go for the top price Professional/Monkey King? Ordering from LiNing-eu - ORDER IN CM.
Would you mind to post a pic of the pair you are talking about? And also which shop did you order from? You need to give some detailed Information so that we can follow you! Would choose the Monkey King over any TD version, the latter ones are usually worse in cushioning and also durability. Spending a bit more on shoes is probably the best way to spend money for badminton, reducing the strain on your joints and especially knees. Also check out Li-Ning.de and Li-Ning.dk in addition to Li-Ning.eu, they may have different pairs in stock, f.e. the Sonic Boom, Shadow Dagger or Cool Shark series. If you narrowed down your size, you could also check out Aliexpress or Shopnings.com. Prices can be very attractive, even including shipping and possible import taxes. Returning stuff is a pain in the butt though, so knowing the right size is really important. I am using the Cool Sharks as my secondary/tertiary pair (mostly for less intensive training session and social games). Love the looks and they have solid cushioning albeit obviously not as good as the high end ones.
I am yonex 10.5 which is same as li ning 11.5, had to research a lot before I purchased. Return to eu is also a hassle, most likely lose out on shipping. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
So. A small update. I was looking at li ning.de, shipping is a little more expensive. Different selection, simialr prices. I have been offered a refund to include the original shipping, so we have both lost out on shipping but i have provided a few examples of where someone might be mislead as to what size they have ordered. Very happy with that result. I NEARLY went for the Ranger TD from a UK shop, at £70. Same shoes are 43EUR on the original site! Puts them around £55 ish delivered? I still went for the Pro shoes again this time anyway.
ye those are monkey kings ( I currently use the yellow ones). They are fantastic in terms of stability and comfort but heavy so if you're not used to the heavier weights, it will be a drastic change of pace. Also note that because the soles are not the traditional rubber gum soles, traction will change based on the courts you play on (some courts will become easier due to superior traction while others will be more slippery)
Had to return them as they have a yonex toe box shape crush my little toes while big toe has too much room. Now waiting on the 9200 arriving in a "local" sport shop, just an hour and a half away. Should be worth it to find at least one pair of high end shoes for my foot shape. One thing I did notice last week, on my old Li nings. I pulled th tongue really high, such that the toes curled up. Felt a bit bouncier and more grip. Odd. New options, now I realise for Victor you need to filtter by EURO shoe size. I'm having no luck with these non UK shoe sizes xD https://www.directbadminton.co.uk/mens-badminton/mens-badminton-shoes/victor/victor-sha610-badminton-shoes-whitered-893B https://www.directbadminton.co.uk/mens-badminton/mens-badminton-shoes/victor/victor-sha922-badminton-shoes-blue-926C https://www.directbadminton.co.uk/mens-badminton/mens-badminton-shoes/victor/victor-a610-plus-ac-badminton-shoes-bright-whiteblack-926D Any input on these 3 would be appreciated. The SHA610 look to be the same shape as the 920 (i think) I tried before, in too large a size. The shape of those was great, but for cushioning I want to go as high end as possible.
The listing on directbadminton for these shoes is incorrect, they're V-shape, not U-shape. I returned them after trying them on, They were tight on my little toes. P9200 were the right shape for my feet, but I got them in a size too small. If the p9200 II is the same shape then it might be a good shout.
Thank you. I think I checked Victor site to confirm these are listed as U shape, and ruled some others out that were V shape. They certainly LOOK V shape but I thought worth a go. Annoyingly just found a picture of my foot next to the LN pro - clearly not the right shape for me. So, 610 or bust I think, they should be here tomorrow. 9200 ii for next match season starting in September maybe!? Added photo of my foot shape.
Yes, I think around 4e. similar shape to DuckFeet. I think I'll give the 9200ii a try next time I need shoes. I couldn't find any UK stores with them and didn't fancy the gamble with return shipping costs back to EU.
Does anyone know if the sha920 are U or V shape? Nice as the 922 are, they seem half a size smaller on court than testing in the house. Currently have the 44 and they're really nice, tempted to get another pair of 43 to see if the fit is better. If the 920 are U shape rather than the V shape 922 then it's a no brainer, I'll try them in 43 instead. The heel padding and mid foot support are really great in theb922, presume the 920 are the same. Sent from my SM-A315G using Tapatalk
920 are V shape. So are the 9210. 610 are U shape but very rigid upper, and not much padding so even though the shape was right, my toes were still uncomfortable. And they feel liek a cheaper shoe. I want that premium cushiony support! Forza look a good shape, but apparently fit small. I wonder if that's because of the flat toebox shape. Then I found this, which shows them fitting very large. 29.0cm for a eur 44??? https://www.forza-shop.com/forza-sizing Have decided the 922 are too big so they are up for sale. Worn on court so I cannot return them. I felt slow in them and still managed to end up with sore toes.
So i played on Victor shoes for about 6 years. Ive worn sh80, 920 922 960 830ii 9100 and 9200. Id say the 80 was slimmest fitting and I could not really notice any different width on any of the others except the 830ii, those felt quite wide to me. I wrecked the cushioning on all 9100 9200 series, the 920 is still my preferred shoe after going through about 7-8 pairs Verstuurd vanaf mijn H8324 met Tapatalk
I ended up with the 9210s. I didn't realise they are classed as V, I thought i'd seen them listed as U. Anyway, they have the same nice snug feel as the 922, especially around the mid-foot, but more toe room. They need breaking in but so far so good. Not perfect but not cramped enough to cause pain. Adding up all the return postage these are the most expensive shoes I own and that includes snowboard boots. Sigh.
Maybe 6 or so sessions. The grip is amazing, first pair I've broken in by wearing outside though. They still feel a bit big and clumpy, not broken in yet so still a bit stiff. I'm wearing 2 pairs of socks to get them snug around the mid foot. Very comfortable. The mildest hint of a pinch at the little toe after playing. So far, amazing shoes and I wish I'd just gone straight (back) to victor shoes in the first place. Very pleased with them! Sent from my SM-A315G using Tapatalk