Hope all is well. Is there an opinion on the life expectancy of a good pair of badminton shoes? I ask because I've never worn a pair of badminton shoes to its death (e.g. torn apart, splitting etc.). I play on average 3-4 hours a week and my current pair still looks intact after 4-5 years of use. I do wonder whilst it looks structurally intact on the outside, I fear the cushioning inside maybe gone? Any thoughts / rules on this? Thanks! Justin
Depends on many factors I suppose, like weight, footwork, game intensity, court surface, etc. The cushioning of the insole does wear out though after about half a year of 4 hrs play per week. So that gets replaced. And the inside of the non racket dragging foot gets scraped a bit during lunges so I put tape there to prevent a hole from forming prematurely. My shoes can last for 2 yrs like this playing on mat floors.
I always use Spenco insoles in mine but what about the cushioning of the shoe itself? In hindsight, 4-5 years does seem to be a long time ...
Yep, I also use Spenco insoles, the Total Support Max for my flat feet. And yeah, after 2 yrs the outsole starts to wear significantly and the EVA midsole shows visible signs of compression.
I tend to ruin pairs of badminton shoes in around 6 months. Whether it's the midsole or deforming the shoe, wearing a hole in them etc...
I recently removed tape that I had on my Victor 9000ace to facilitate hole formation. Then, I would be able to justify a Yonex Aerus or SHB02 LTD. I also have a pair of A920 which has an enforced rubber material on that area and it has held up real good. Since I do rotate 2 pairs, I get 2-3 years out of them. I play 6-8 hours a week.
Agree with Visor. The aforementioned factors determined the lifespan of your shoes. As regards insole, I use DSIS Sorbo Tennis https://www.sorbo-japan.com/en/products/detail.php?id=30 The insole is also subject to the factors mentioned by Visor above I have been using Wave Fang RX for 1 year and 9 months now... whilst the DSIS Insole last for about 12 months.
Between 3-6 months but I can play up to 10 hours a week and it normally ends in a tear on my right shoe. I tend to just go for a cheap Yonex pair because I have to replace them so frequently
So bought this today at my local store: https://shopbadmintononline.com/mens-badminton-shoe-black-ayaj013-1-p-635.html Honestly, I think I can only wear Li-Ning shoes. Every single model from Yonex and Victor does not suit my wide and thick feet. Either they have the width but not the volume or vice versa. Tossed out the standard insole and replaced it with a Spenco insole and we are good to go!
Feedback, as (former) marathon runner: - cushioning of shoes is fading significantly after 3 years, even without using them (btw also applies for car tires for grip and durability ....) - rule of thumb: keep several shoes in rotation, number of trainings per week equaling number of shoes - I recommend to have at least 2 shoes in rotation, preferably 2 different brands - it is easier then to recognize when the cushioning of a shoe is gone .... Personal experience with badminton shoes in my family: - Ambitious junior athlete (11-year-old, state level) , training 3 times a week in average plus tournaments, shoes are gone after 6 months ( Yonex SHB SC2i) - hobby athlete with challenging gravity impact (myself), playing 2 times per week, cushioning also gone in approx. 6 months .... The real lessons learnt is: - just by training in a shoe it is impossible to tell wether or not the shoe is still functioning (e.g. cushion still working) - a frequent comparison to another shoe is very helpful, therefore use another pair in rotation additionally: - when I ask people: "how old is that shoe ?" the usual answer is " I just recently bought it ....." Looking at the shoe itself it is the model line from 4 years ago ;-) ...... therefore I use a Sharpie and write down the purchase date on the insole .... very surprising when you detect that the perceived-new-shoe is already 3 years old .... ;-)
Hmm... average shoe line-ups are being produced up to 2-3 years. I agree with you that cushioning of shoes is fading significantly after years, albeit being unused. Then why would you still purchase a 4-years ago model ? Btw, I also do running, and I prefer purchase last year model, waiting till the release of newer model and the retailers cut down the price of old versions.
As visor stated the factors are: body weight discipline (singles is more intense in terms of movement compared to doubles) footwork floor intensity FME my shoes can be used around 9 month. Insoles are gone after 3-4 month, the stock generally faster. My 9 month equals around 300-400 hours on court. I never developed problems with my joints, knees etc. I know club mates who play several years in the same pair of shoes, but have problems with their ankles, knees etc. They are the unlucky, but saved a few hundred bugs over the years. My health is priceless. For reference: Marc Zwiebler, a high level ranked pro go thru a douzen pairs of badminton shoes per year. I doubt that any pair of badminton shoe can live a few years. If you play 2-4 hours per week recreational, you can get around 2 years out of a pair of shoes in the best case. For anything else you save money and let your health pay your cheapness.
that was kind of my point .... people don´t think about the age of their shoes since the still look OK .....
