My Li Ning Hero are finally worn out, I'm interested in getting one of the abovementioned Asics court shoes. Any happy Asics owner here?
I have used both the Gel Beyond and the Gel Blade models and I liked both. Most of the players I know that are using Asics are going with the Beyond including myself. Beyond has greater cushioning than Blade, whereas Blade provides more court-feel as it is very low-profile and makes the Beyond seem like it is raised a cm or two at the heel. Grip-wise I find that Asics has hands down the best traction on clean courts. The traction also lasted longer than any of my Yonex shoes. Gel Blade for the court-feel and "low-profile" - Gel Beyond for cushioning. You cannot go wrong with either of them.
I have not experienced any slippage, however insoles are a very delicate topic. What may work for me, might not work for you and the socks used also play a large role in reducing slippage. But the insole can ofc. easily be replaced for close to nothing, so it should not be a major factor in buying new shoes.
It is lighter, yes, but I would not say faster. It is just what you prefer the most - Comfort vs. court-feel.
I agree with rbynck. I have the Gel Blade 5 after having used the Gel Blade 4. The Gel Blade is an excellent badminton shoe for fast movements and court feel. I haven't encountered any slippage with the insole. The quality control of Asics is impeccable.
Just came across this vid (in the comments section it says performance is similar but Blades are cheaper so the best buy) On a sidenote: I visited our so called Asics Flagship store in @AsicsAmsterdam and it was an utter disappointment . The indoor section consisted of 3(!) models of which two were very specifically aimed at volleybal, leaving only the Fireblast 2 that costs €140. The Asics outlet store has a better selection than that ... Just came across the Netburner Ballistic on Youtube, looks like competition for the Beyond (maybe even more cushioning). Have to say the Court Control has some great colourways #asics @ASICSeurope
Yeah I've visited the Asics store in Amsterdam yesterday and I was also extremely disappointed. Can't believe it's even a Flagship store! You can find the same shoes they're selling for cheaper online. About the Gel Blade 5; I do have a feeling their sizing is different compared to the previous model. My Gel Blade 5 is bigger compared to the same size Gel Blade 4 I had last season.
