So my Victor SH-P9200s recently died on me after 3 years(glue on front of the shoe keeping the rubber and PU leather together has finally given in. I am looking for a new pair now and it's very important to me that they are the most stable pair on the market(to prevent more outward ankle sprains). I've looked around at some current models but none seem to measure up to my old 9200s. In The Netherlands here so options are quite limited but I wouldn't be opposed ordering from another European shop. Does anyone know which shoes currently on the market will protect me the most from any possible ankle sprains? My ankles are weaker due to having sprained them approx. 6 times in the past. Thanks guys if you can help.
I'd recommend Victor P-series, P8510 in particular as I've been wearing those for more than 6 months now. It has great ankle support and cushioning. Yonex SHB65 (Any variant) also can be a great choice as it has great ankle support and cushioning, it's just i found them to be less durable than Victor's.
I had quite a lot of sprains in the past. Forcing myself to change my footwork placement really helped. Forza shoes I think are very very stable for me. They feel quite solid so it’s a bit of a trade off for stability.
Thanks man will look into those. How do you think they would compare to the P9200s? The sprains I've had were before I started playing competitive badminton. These days I don't get them(maybe due to the fact I've been using 9200s?). Agreed about the footwork, but to train said footwork one would still need to wear shoes!
I myself never own P9200, but lots of my friends own it and I observed that P9200 seems to have problem with the mesh on the outward side of the shoe. That part always seems to tear after sometime. Contrary to P8500-ish series, I own several of them and never has this kind of durability problem.
Then I would be very careful when you change shoes. The feeling will be different and you might roll on the ankle just because of the different feel.
Indeed the mesh was a problem. Went through two pairs of 9200 and had this issues. Bought a few weeks my 2nd pair 9300 and can say that they are an improved version of the 9200. (fixed mesh issue and the wear inside the toe box of the 9200)
I've been using 9200s for ~3 years and yeah the mesh ripped for me too, but that wasn't a problem(except aesthetically, and gave more ventilation). For me the front of the shoe broke(rubber broke off the PU leather front upper and the result was a big hole and a little rip in the rubber as well. Not ideal when your foot occasionally shoots through the front of the shoe...! Sadly no P9300s for sale here... Came across the Victor A920s. While they are classed as an All-Round shoe instead of a Support one, they have a really stable looking Brace Tek piece. I wonder how they would compare to the 9200. Would rather keep using footwear from Victor as the 9200s lasted so long and fit so well, instead of switching sides to FZ Forza or Yonex and getting a surprise). Forgot to mention my latest pair out of 2 total in the last ~3 years(the pair that lasted only half a year) was from FZ Forza. Rather not take the chance with them again. Another thing I'm wondering: what exactly are the downsides of buying a shoe manufactured, say, 2 or 3 years ago? I remember when buying a new quality table tennis bat the rubber was very brittle(and broke in multiple places), but older second hand ones had what seemed like indestructible rubber(even the really cheap ones from random brands). One of my broken pairs of shoes are also only half a year old and already had a huge rip in the rubber sole. They were also, at the time, a very recent model. So you'd think buying older shoes means more durable rubber, but possibly less cushioning due to the hardening and possibly shorter glue life. Right now I'm looking at: -Victor P8510 C though compared to my 9200s they don't look anywhere near as sturdy(no runner's loops either) -Victor SH-P9200s(hopefully newer model but possibly old) as they have served me very well for 3 years -Victor SH-A920 look sturdy except the wrap around the ankle is quite thin and they are classed as All-Round shoes(also no runner's loops) If anyone has any more ideas... I'm all ears, otherwise I'll need to go for one of the above.
I have seen some players with weak ankles to opt for basketball shoes as they tend to have better support.
One sec, how does your sprains in the past weaken your ankle? Is this an actual condition i can google more of?
I've been looking around after you mentioned that. The best match I could find was this: https://www.championstore.com/en/champion/men/shoes/s20899 but the heels are always too high for my liking. Basketball shoes also generally seem to lack many features badminton shoes tend to have. I also don't know enough about basketball shoes to even know if those are any good. They don't really list much information. I would, but don't currently have the financial room to buy both quality shoes AND quality ankle braces that are also supportive.
Every time you sprain your ankle, your ankle never goes back to 100%. Then there's the fact that I sprained my ankles like 6 times, so the chances of it happening again are high regardless. I'm also pretty tall and have a fairly heavy build so I really need shoes with amazing support.
Tbh, even the most supportive shoe will not prevent any roll overs. Basketballers roll their feet too even with such high support. Its just part and parcel of the game. With such weak ankles, an ankle brace is really a more suitable option moving forward. A brace that doesnt restrict motion, but prevent over-motion. I sprained mine once. Played with a brace after that. Sprained it the second time the minute I decided to try and play without it. Now it becomes my permanent badminton gear. More important than my racket.
Yeah I get that, but I *need* new quality shoes. My 2 current pairs have holes in them. They're a danger on the court. For now I need shoes and will look at ankle braces further down the line. I do have some extremely cheap ankle braces(just elastic ~1 euro braces) so they will have to do for now. Still undecided on shoes. The Mizuno Wave Tornado X2 MID shoes look intruiging but there has been some talk of people rolling their ankles in them more so than their previous shoes. Maybe the shape is different and needs getting used to - no idea. Thanks for reminding me about braces though, seems like I'll be needing them regardless but... shoes first!
So I've been using Victor shoes for the past 4 years including (from what I can remember) the A80, p9100 p9200 a920 a922 a960 and the a830 For me the p9100 and p9200 were most solid, the 9200s were the heaviest of all. The a920 were almost as sturdy, but a lot more comfortable. For me theyre better than the 922 (less stable) and the 960 (didnt fit my feet well, also less stable due to the more cushiony heel) I would recommend the 920s to anyone, despite the model being already quite old. Second the 830 is also quite good Verstuurd vanaf mijn H8324 met Tapatalk
Ankle support is the best option. I’ve tried many and the best one so far is: Neo G Ankle Support with Figure of 8 Strap - Support For Arthritis, Joint Pain, Ankle Injuries, Gymnastics, Basketball, Volleyball - Adjustable Compression - Class 1 Medical Device - 1 Size - Blue https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001M0BV6E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_49T1DbRA7TFMX I’ve gone over my ankle many times with varying shoes but have never gone over them when wearing the ankle support. The one above is a bit bulky than others but tightness can be adjusted which makes a big difference
Looks great man, will keep that one in mind! Yeah I've been looking at the 920s. Like you said from experience they are not as sturdy as the 9200s. They look a lot less sturdy too, like the fact they have a fair bit less cushioning around the ankle compared to the 9200s. I'm also a big fan of the 9200s' double loops at the top. Been looking at volleyball shoes(checked out a lot of pro-volleyballer stats and they are all around my height and weight, so you'd think the shoes were built for me) and have to say I can't get these out of my head: https://www.mizuno.ph/sports/product/indoor/footwear/297/wave_tornado_x2_mid Have to say the only downside so far to me seems to be the external lateral support(talking about the >< part on the outer side of the 9200s for example). While for with the 9200s it touches the ground, with these Mizunos it curves slightly upwards, increasing chance of ankle roll. Oh boy what to do. So far it either seems to be A)A920s or B) Tornado X2s(leaning towards these except for that slight reduction in lateral support). Heck I'd love to continue the P9200 or better series but the only ones for sale are old models. Can anyone tell me how 'fresh' or recently made older models are? Do they get remade at all or is it just old stock? Also don't see how you can know when a certain pair was manufactured - at least when shopping online. P8510s are sadly out of the realm of possibilities as they are made more for wider feet, and I have narrower-than-normal feet.
Do not buy basketball shoes, they are heavier and not suitable for badminton. I'd say perhaps you should stick to P9200 if this model is the one that currently suits you. There is a reason why this model keep being produced, albeit with some variations. Even current model that TTY's endorses is also a P9200 model. Another thing, I just remember that some of Lining Shoes, like Ranger 3.0, 4.0 or dagger series look like a basketball shoes and these have a sock-like ankle wrap that suppose to prevent ankle injury. I have tried Lining Ranger 3.0 in a store, it feels tight and nicely wrap around my feet up to my ankle. I'm not sure about how it perform on the court since these shoes are pretty expensive here so none of my friends own this model. Here's the link, look it up https://www.shopnings.com/li-ning-badminton/li-ning-badminton-shoes/mens-badminton-shoes.
For addition, I also own a pair of Victor A960. It has great ankle support, excellent sole grip, suited for narrow feet type and has great durability. A bit of a drawback is that A960 has less cushioning on the heel compare to P series.