OOAK Table Tennis Forum

In the past I played badminton for years and used amongst others, HiTec Squash, Prince NFS 1, 2 and IV. Using the Prince shoe carried over in to my table tennis playing days and when the time came to replace a pair I thought I'd try a pair of dedictated table tennis shoes. I chose the Stiga Wasp because they were light but I when I tried them I found them very "flat" with little or no arch support and little or no cushioning. From what I've read table tennis shoes tend to be "flatter" in comparison to other court shoes because table tennis has more lateral/sideways movement and emphasis on stability rather than the forward and back and jumping of a sport like badminton which requires cushioning to protect the foot and knees from the impact of foot on floor.

However, that flatness and lack of support lead to problems with my feet and achilles tendon so I switched back to a HiTech Badminton 4:SYS shoe but that needs replacing now. The Asics Gel Hunter 2 seem to be described as a handball shoe, but some sites also sell them as table tennis shoes and I've read reports from people who recommend them as a table tennis shoe.



They appealed to me because the advertising says they have the cushioning and support but are suitable for table tennis too. This and them being in a sale convinced me to invest in a pair.

As I'm not filming anymore equipment reviews or comparisions of types of equipment (blades, rubbers) until the ITTF sorts out the plastic ball fiasco and authorises one and they're sold to the general public, I thought I'd try to do a video review the Asics Gel Hunter 2 instead.

The type of thing I'd liked to have know before I'd bought and which I can show in the video is the comparative:

1. Weight
2. Size (Reports suggest Asics are a "smaller fitting shoe" so you need to order a bigger size - I've a feeling from only looking at them that they are narrower in width but not shorter in length
3. twist ability of the sole
4. hardness of sole (can't measure it but I can compare it in terms of pushing the sole in with my fingers)
5. non marking of the sole
6. grippiness - not 100%sure how to show this
7. lacing set up - if you look at the photo, you can see to eyelets at the top of the shoe which don't have the laces threaded through them - so what are those holes for?
8. close up of the stitching and finishing in general
9. high speed video of me playing in them (concentrating on my feet only ) looking to see how they react to poor footwork and sideways movement - I might not test them properly but my lunging and stepping is probably similar to a lot of people here so is also probably more relevant to players like me than a pro who's footwork would test them in a different way to how I'll be using them.

Shoes I can compare certain elements of this type of testing against include, a pair of Asics tennis shoes (this will demonstrate the difference in weight and help confirm if sizing is consistent across brands / product ranges), a very very old pair of worn out Prince NFS 1's probably 15plus years old, the HiTec 4sys badminton shoes I currently wear, a lovely comfortable pair of reebok reflex transion trainers (will help show the difference in softness, height, twist/flexibility and grip tread of the sole - the reebok's are a very very comfy trainer but I won't ware them for table tennis because I can see myself turning my ankle very easily in these when moving sideways. Snd if they haven't been thrown out the stiga wasp table tennis shoes which will highlight how flat the wasps are in comparison.

This is the type of information / images / testing I'd like to have seen done but would you want to see done for a review of the Asic Gel Hunter 2 (or any table tennis shoe) so that the review would be useful to you. Or, is there no point wasting my time doing a review of the Asic Gel Hunter 2.

Note: strange how I've never baulked at paying £35 for a sheet of Yasaka Rakza 7 and replacing it every 6 months but the idea of spending similar money on a pair of shoes has always gone against the grain and I'll wear them until they fall apart. Yet one only increases my fun whilst the other protects my health. What price health. Now there's a reality check for me.

I appreicate the effort you are taking here with the shoe review, but there is only a couple of things thats really influence my choice of shoe.

The first and by far most important thing for me (and I would like to think other people as well) is how the shoe FEELS on my foot. I don't really by shoes online unless I am re-buying a pair I have tried in real life. We all have different size/shapes feet and different manufacturers/models all have slightly different shapes/sizes even for the "same size" shoe.

The next 2 things that take a back seat to how a shoe feels, is performance and durability. Does it do what I want? How long will it do it for?

Shoes are by far a thing of preference. One of best guy at my club plays in Nike high tops, Hes 2300+.

I also played competitive badminton, so I have been and will continue you to wear Yonex badminton shoes, as I have never worn a better court shoe. I play a modern defensive game and move a lot just like badminton so I also appreciate the grip/arch support. Yonex's top of the line shoes have some technology that I didnt even know existed in shoes, its worth checking out.

So, I don't want to say you are wasting you time, but I am not bothered either way. Perhaps seeing some ones gripes about a pair of shoes after some extended use is the best way to judge a pair of shoes. For instance, your experience with table tennis shoes gives me an idea of them vs badminton shoes, and that information I can use. If someone doesnt have any complaints, then you know the shoe is doing its job.

The only complaint I have with my pair of Yonex shoes(because no pair of shoes is perfect) is the insole wore out, where it use to have this weird web pattern that wouldn't allow my foot to slide in the shoe, now its completely gone. Then again my shoes are probably 2.5-3 years old and I can probably get a new insole at the cost of saving a perfectly good shoe.

_________________
VKM
Tenergy 05 2.1
Feint Long III .5

Thanks for the feedback townhousecrackers. Seems like shoes are a very "personal choice" so a review would have it's limitations. Your comment about how they last is a very good point. If I do one, I'll probably do a type of "unboxing one know" and use them for about 3 months then compare how they looked at unboxing with how they end up looking 3 months down the line - I'll be better able to say how they feel then too.

Nice looking shoes there Debater!

At the end of last year I found Fila Swyft shoes on sale at a local store. I took one look at the construction and particularly the shoe grip design and thought they looked like they would fit the bill for me. I'd had several pairs of Diadora sport shoes which had been ok, but nothing startling, and the last pair I'd gotten were different and didn't offer much grip. So I bought 2 pair of the Fila's.

Well after 7 months of using the Fila's I have to say they are the best shoes for TT I've used. They don't have the typical swivel grip on the foot ball area that many TT shoes have. Instead they have pimple grips (like a section of SP) crossing the shoe in one inch strips all the way from tip to heel. These allow pivoting just fine and give a nice amount of grip while allowing movement to be uninhibited. Of equal importance as the grip to me was the cushioining. With the arthritic knee I have, this is paramount along with grip. Running a close second to these factors is the level of support around the ankle area. When I snapped my achilles I had "proper" TT shoes on...the kind with low sides and no real cushioning to speak of. I am fairly certain these things contributed to the injury as I think a little bounce and some extra support may have been the difference between so much pressure bearing on the achilles that it snapped versus potentially springing me up on my feet and giving the support throughout the action to allow that. I can't prove that of course, its only my theory.

The shoes are nice and light, which is a factor close behind the other two. While varying weights of shoes can be acceptable, and lightweight is no good if grip, cushioning and support are not there...it is great if the shoes don't weigh you down.

The Fila's also came in nice bright colours/styles which made them desirable as well. And style is not a factor to be dismissed.

Of course build quality is an important overlay factor on all of this because without it, no matter how good the other things are (and low quality isn't going to shine in the other things anyway), the shoes need to last a decent amount of time. I like to get at least 1-2 years from a pair of TT shoes that I only wear 2-3 times per week. As I have 2 pair of the Fila's which average at being worn 1-2 times per week at most, Id like to get 3 years out of these. Considering I got them at half retail price, or the equivalent of 2 pairs for the price of one if I get that long I'll be wrapped. They still look pretty new after 7 months, so they are tracking well. I paid $118 for the 2 pair btw, how much were the Asics on Sale versus retail?

In conclusion, I would have to say that my game has stepped up quite a bit in the last 7 months. In that time besides the shoes, I have changed to Dtecs on my BH and have continued developing my pip attacking, and have also taken to wearing "skins" (compression pants) when I play which I am finding helps my muscles greatly. I think all these factors have contributed to improving my game...and I am pretty sure the shoes can take a large chunk of the credit as I am more sure-footed than I was in the previous shoes.

I have to say, a video review of shoes is probably not something highly intriguing for me right now, but if you do it, I'll watch it I'm sure.

Edit: I found a pic I took of the shoes I got. They are referred to as running shoes, but I feel they are great for TT too!

_________________
I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

I use Asics handball shoes similar to those pictured in the first post. I guess a video review would be of little use to me. Shoes are chosen by fit, weight and sole properies, durability and price.

As for 7, i am not quite sure about the top eyelets, but there are certainly more ways than one for lacing your shoes.

_________________
My blog of failures, etc., also containing equipment list at "resurrection" (referred to in a few of my early posts), and my current lineup
Rating in the middle/low range in the region.
Moderating the LP Attacking subforum in the Technique section.

Yonex are the best! I had serious issues with my ankles "rolling" over with lateral movement. The badminton shoes are strengthened on the outside edges and the "camber angle" of the shoe is actually pointed inward a bit so when in a wide stance the soles are flat on the floor. They're not made for jumping or walking...just perfect for any sport with a lot of lateral movement! My Yonex shoes have lasted me now three years even though I've had to replace the inner sole about once per year due to wear.

 

_________________
Giant Dragon Kris Special : RITC 802 w/Dawei 2.2 35d fh : : Donic Blue Fire M3 2.0 black bh
Member of Charlotte Table Tennis Club, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Visit Charlotte Table Tennis Club on Facebook

£40 delivered vs listed price (if it's to be belived) of £65

http://www.zalando.co.uk/asics-gel-hunt ... x-002.html

Perhaps we should start a thread - What shoe do you wear for table tennis and why that shoe - a type of record. We seem to have other equipment ratings but little for shoes.

I've been sticking with Mizuno Wave Medal for years now...

_________________
instagram: rokphishtt

I use low-cut basketball shoes, Nike Kobe 8 to be exact. I like the Lunarlon foam of the Kobe's and their unbelievable grip on smooth surfaces; I almost fell down once when I dragged my foot instead of lifting it. Basketball shoes also have a portion of the sole extending from the lateral side of the shoe, so you don't roll your foot when moving sideways, the medial side is clear of anything so you can roll your foot inwards a bit when making those awkward shots. Plus the Kobe's are very light and have unbelievable foot lock down.

Problem with the Kobe's is that the Lunarlon is too soft, I'm starting to sink my foot in to the foam a bit, I tend to step really hard and put a lot of pressure on my foot; my technique uses the tension in my legs as a spring for my shots, more tension = more power. Aside from that, everything else is doing quite well up until now.

For those who will complain, the Kobe's are Guard shoes, meaning they were designed for lightweight, fast movements that involve a lot of sudden changing of direction, lateral movements, spins and breaks.

_________________
Primary:
Xiom Stradivarius
Xiom Vega China [Forehand]
Yasaka Mark V [Backhand]

Secondary:
Globe 583 "Whirlwind"
This Space For Rent [Forehand]
Yasaka Mark V [Backhand]

Wearing size 15 US that's where I have to start with all shoe selection. Then price and relative durability. I typically get volleyball shoes and they seem to serve me admirably well.

_________________
Photino
My rubbers are 9 years old. They won’t be there long.

This is the first part of the review. It set's the scene as to the type of shoes I've used in the past and why I chose the Asics gel-hunter 2's. Hopefully this first part should give people who watch the second and third parts a point of comparision or reference so they'll understand why I say what I do in the later videos and be able to identify with it.



I'm still finishing off editing parts 2 and 3. Part 2 will look at their construction, weight, sizing in comparison to some Reebok Realflex Transitions (slippers on steroids) and Hi-Tec Sys 4. Part 3 will be high speed footage review of how they perform and my experience of them after approx 20 hrs of use. I'll post them when they're finished.

I have an adidas shoe, light and with sufficient grip. It is a training shoe. I have a fila with gum sole shoe as well and a nike. But my favorite is the adidas shoe.

_________________
Enjoy the game. It is a never ending learning experience once you play and keep the ball on that 45 sq ft of space or should I say half of that space.

+1 for Yonex shoes! I got my first pair some months ago and they are the best I ever had. So grippy and so well cushioned.

I am also playing a modern defense game, so I need shoes with good dampening. Had a bit of knee trouble with less damped shoes, so I will stick to the Yonex.

In fact, the most important criterium for me is a grippy sole. If I don't have enoug grip, I can forget my game, since it is based on a lot of movement. The second criterium is, as stated above, a good cushioning effect.

I own the SHB-86 btw., what a nice shoe! Bought it at a bargain for 68€. Not cheap though, hope they last some time

I think you'll find they last very well indeed.

_________________
Timo Boll ALC ST
FH Tibhar Evolution MX-P Max
BH Tibhar Evolution FX-S 1.8
185g

Very nice Debater! I'll look forwards to your review... don't remember seeing a shoe review before.

_________________
OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide