if we assume that the pricing of their badminton gear will be the same as that of their pingpong gear, then it's not going to be too much under yonex
The biggest benefit of this is the sponsorship and publicity badminton will get from Adidas. Maybe their rackets will be awful, but money is money no matter where it comes from.
Maybe not. But from a different viewpoint, Adidas ping pong gear is real good quality and on par with the best contemporary brands. I have tried out one of their ping-pong shoes (phenomenal), an Adidas board and balls (a little slow for my liking, but good quality) and the Tour Carbon bat (phenomenal for a premade bat). If their badminton gear manages to keep up the good work, they will be something to look forward to .
i guess i have differen sentiments on adidas pingpong gear of course i'm comparing a $50USD adidas blade to a $150USD butterfly blade. but you are right, they are way above average for sure. and from your perspective, i guess i will be looking forward to adidas badminton gear since at least they should be on par with head rackets and RSL rackets?
glad to see another brand to try and get into the badminton scene, kinda tired of seeing just yonex, carlton, victor ect.
Shouldn't you be the one telling us instead of asking? But there have already been Adizero badminton available for a while now (BT Feather) http://www.badmintoncentral.com/for...Adistar-badminton-shoes?p=1801592#post1801592
AS LONG AS IT IS REASONABLY PRICED vis-a-vis Li-Ning ... EVERYBODY IS WELCOMED to give us more choices and options !!
that's interesting. How did you find that put because I'd really like to find the contact for badminton in HK.
the adidas superstars are so comfy, if their badminton shoes are just as comfy, then i'll switch over to adidas and i know i won't look back!!
I'm all for more competition in the world of badminton (means prices can come down)! I've already boycotted Yonex since lately their quality has gone down significantly especially their shoes! Li Ning and Victor are currently my fav, but if Adidas does their homework, they can easily make great products without skimping out on the QC.
SOTX were trying it big a number of years ago but what happened to them. Why did Carlton go down? I am all for better badminton shoes. I really like the outer side supports that Yonex introduced in the last few years. Really helps with stability on my leading leg when lunging forward. In fact, this is why I switched back to Yonex shoes after years with Mizuno.
I think Adidas needs a winner in order for them to really push through their products. If they just get anyone and that person doesn't win any championship, it is not going to be good for them. Carlton lost out partially in this concept, I believe. They do not have proven winners on the circuit. Of course, the distribution channels are also another factor which we can take a look at it as well. Adidas definitely have a fantastic distribution channels worldwide with their own boutiques and distributors. It will definitely be interesting to see how Adidas will perform in badminton which is saturated by the giants (Yonex, Li Ning etc) and other minorities. Will it be a small wave or will a tsunami comes?
Since when have Carlton gone down? They are alive and well in the UK.. ,maybe its because instead of building the brand Mike Ashley ( the owner ) is clearly selling the gear in his budget "sports shops" for bargain bucket prices.. Stack em high and cheap is his motto.... Maybe he's forgotten he owns it..
I think the reason why some companies have not had the success that Li Ning has enjoyed entering the badminton market is simply they do not have the financial ability to have such an entrance. SOTX and Carlton simply do not have the money to or corporate infrastructure like Li Ning has. Other recent attempts by the "tennis first" brands (like Head, Wilson and Babolat) just lacked the "full" commitment. They have the corporate infrastructure, the industrial connections and financial means but they didn't budget enough into marketing and major sponsorship to make a major splash. adidas is the worlds largest sporting goods company. IMO they are not at a disadvantage in any aspect. It is corporate commitment which I think is the only thing that can really hold them back. With badminton being large in Asia, this will help them capitalize on a growing "untapped" market that their main rivals have not yet explored. If they fail miserably then they could simply "acquire" Yonex.
I think Yonex UK have already made their move on the back of this news. All their rackets have dropped significantly in price here in the UK. I think they know what's about to come from Adidas and the quality of the products they're going to offer.
From severely overpriced to in line with the rest of Europe? Best one to watch would be NR800 in this regard seeing as it is the latest model and should not be subjected yet to the natural price drop after the initial phase (excluding holiday sales & offers) ...