Thoughts on VKTRY Insoles?

Yeah, right... 200 bucks for a pair of (non-custom fit) insoles. What a joke. And looking at the technology... well... complete bogus if you ask me. The way the carbon is woven will not at all have any of the promised effects. And since they don't show any details of what other layers there are, I'm guessing that there is a layer of simpel PU foam or anything similar on top of the carbon that is actually doing the job of energy storage and cushioning. So same as a 20 bucks Speco Cross trainer or anything similar.

 

This is all just marketing mumbo jumbo. Yes carbon plates in a specific design have shown to increase performance in marathon running. Look up Kipchoge's nike vapormax and how they were banned. But these look nothing like how vapormax's behave. In addition, badminton is an explosive game and carbon fibre plates have shown no evidence to increase badminton performance. If you really want carbon fibre insoles, you can find much cheaper ones from a more reputable company: https://superfeet.com.au/product/superfeet-australia-carbon-fibre-thin-insoles/
Better yet, most high end badminton shoes already have a built in carbon plate.

 

I have been using superfeet orange insoles to help rehab my foot injury [overloading of sesamoid region i.e. playing too hard / too often].

They are very good, and I got them from a UK website [outdoor GB] for only about 25 quid.

3rd party insoles are designed to improve your performance by injuring you less...so you can play with less injuries / less serious injuries, more often.

When picking between insoles, carbon fiber is okay because it will provide some support with a very low weight etc. The oranges will be heavier insoles, but provide more protection. That is where they can 'improve performance' ...by being lighter (generally with the tradeoff of being less supportive].

Neither will provide any noticeable foot propulsion etc. Spending $200 on those VKTRY insoles, is like spending $1000 on Yeezy's as 'expensive shoes must be better for badminton.'

 

If you prefer a more cushy feel, I recommend getting a yonex replacement insole from here: https://e78shop.com/collections/insoles/products/yonex-wave-insole-yb-30-1-insole-yb-30-1. These are just thicker versions of the factory default insoles.

 

I would stay far away from yonex insoles. The factory one's may as well not exist.

At $50 they are very pricey, the superfeet orange's are made by a big company who specialize in them, and the product actually offers support [support =/= cushioning].

If you play 6x a week, you'll definitely notice a big benefit when being adequately supported.

How long have you played 6x a week? Any injuries?

 

Forgot to add: those are Hong Kong Dollars, not USD

 

Yep, I'm 26. I'm also iterating through different processes to get in as good physical knick as possible, but as you say YMMV. I have hyperflexible joints, which help in racquet sports [dexterity] but make them more injury prone too, for example.

However, putting undue stress on a body is something that will eventually lead to issues. One of my training partners in table tennis is a Doctor who has been practising since the early 80's. He has 3 son's who had reached the top 10 in the country.

Basically one of the important ideas that he confirmed is that repetitive stress/forces from high reps/impact in high level sports will lead to injuries, in months/years/a decade, as eventually your body / muscles / tendons will not be able to support your physicality. That is why supportive insoles are good, all they do is lower impact / increase support, so your body doesn't have to take as much of the impact. This lowers your risk, as well as the magnitude of any injury.

Tennis elbow, knee, back, ankles and now feet injuries are things i desperately want to protect against. I'd rather play at 99% for the next 30-40 years, rather than play at 101% by playing in the lightest shoes around for a decade, then at 50-60% for the next 25-30 years. As a non-professional, you can recover than 2% through improved technique / conditioning, whereas for a pro the tradeoff may be worth it.

 

Carbon is better for low arch feet, orange for medium to high arches. Orange also better support / injury prevention, which may not be necessary for you now [if you ever get injured in the future, or think you need the support for any reason] as you know your body better than me and seem to be in good knick.

There are many tradeoffs. You know your playing level, as well as how much stress you are putting on your body if you play at high intensity, as well as how strong your body is [and if you are wrong, you can learn the hard way and improve for the future]

For me, I was never a power player, and hence soon after incorporating some jump smashing, that perhaps triggered this injury. For the level I'll be playing table tennis, tennis and badminton, I need the support, especially as I know my body is more delicate than the average guy. The guys I compete with are all top 50 in the country [or top 100 for tennis], so I am always trying to get reduce/catch up the physicality advantages they have accrued through their physical talents/making the most of it, so that I can leverage where I have some advantages, so I'm always pushing to improve my physicality...which will lead to problems if i don't protect myself or push too hard too soon.

Pro sports is filled with careers of talented pros who spent more time injured than playing at the highest level. Seasons / tours are brutal for elite athletes, even though there is a lot of money spent on their nutrition/sports science/care, and also likely on drugs [legal as well as PEDs]. If their bodies break down playing at that level of physicality, who am I to even deal with half that intensity of footwork etc.