I have them - but have recently worn other shoes, as I had some heel/achilles issues and the flat 9000s are not really the shoes you wanna wear when any part of your foot or leg hurts
Actually I get a worse blisters from the more cushioned shoes, especially a blister I get on the side of my right heel from the compression during lunges. The flat 9000s are better for not "pinching" this area.
Not talking about blisters here - those you just have to endure! The problem is that they have little cushioning so a slight injury or strained joint/tendon will hurt more compared to other shoes (and usually be strained even more, worsening the pain further).
I know I got that As i was saying though for me I do not have to endure those blister anymore, not with the more rigid sole of the 9000's. You painted the picture "when any part of your foot/leg hurts." Blisters were my most common foot pain but now, not. I was just giving a flip side.
Ah. Sorry, I misunderstood Should have been more specific in my op then...for me, minor blisters occur in every shoe, but very rarely. My skin has adjusted well to the abuse
j4ckie, I have these shoes too and I can't imagine how you can play with them on your hard floors? Concrete or suspended hardwood? With those floors I definitely have to use the Spenco Total Support Max replacement insoles for much better cushioning.
So that's why my 9000ACE feel so "hard" and overall lacks cushioning! So a change of insoles will improve the shoes cushioning?
For sure! It's been said these shoes are 80% speed but 20% comfort, as compared to say shb5ex which are 80% comfort and 20% speed.
Does any german buddy know whether the yellow version is available or not? I saw the green version in Taiwan, three months ago already. They weren't launched yet... I can't believe there is only the red color available here. Feels like getting the short straw here.
I have tried SH9000Ace some days back. I agree with most of the reviews that it is quite low to the ground, and i don't really like the idea and the feel of it. Adding Spenco Total Support Max is a very good idea, but sadly it is not available around my place, i have to order it online and get it shipped from abroad, which is costly. Therefore, i end up with SH8500D. Hopefully, it performs the way i am expecting it, my very first Victor shoes.
Afaik only the Red ones are available here. Order them from RKEP Eric - the price is better than the German retail anyway, even if you have to pay taxes at customs. Sadly for me, my feet have decided they don't like the 9000 after all and I'll have to find other ones that don't destroy my feet and Achilles
Didn't I caution you about wearing these shoes on those hard surfaces that you play on? Seems like you play on cement floor? Or is it hardwood? I would recommend only wearing these shoes on badminton mat floors, because the forefoot really has not much cushioning. And personally for me, because I have bad knees and flat feet, I must put on Spenco Total Support Max orthotics even on mat floors with these shoes. And there's no way I'd play on cement or hardwood with these shoes, even with those orthotics. Ah well, anyone reaching my age of late 40's will have to start to take every precaution to protect from injuries.
Prior to these 9000's, I had been using Yonex SHB200 and SC5EX, which are still the most comfortable badminton shoes I've ever worn. Unfortunately they're now discontinued and the replacement SC6EX is too narrow for me.
Ah.. SHB200, that shoes is good looking, a simple black and white combination, but still catchy. I could still find SC5EX around my area, though. I am just afraid SC5EX being too slow, since it has enormous cushion. I have considered buying those shoes and end up not buying it due to one reason or another. I like the design on Sc6EX, and it seems that it does not have cushion as much as its predecessor, and supposedly made it faster. However it is quite expensive, so i do not buy it. You have SH9000Ace + Spenco Total Support, that combination is awesome.
One thing I have noticed about my 9000: the length isn't quite as snug any more. I might go down half a size next time.