best tt shoe?

[Gaurgle]

Can also say now after trying the Li Ning APPU007-1, they're great!
Better than Rifones (for me, at least).
A lot better fit, lighter, more rigid. superb grip!
Breathable and neat!

 

[muhammad]

I read that some tt shoes does not have enough cushioning for people above 80kg. Personally I have struggled with heel pain with mizuno wave medal 6 and asics gel blade 7 that went away when I moved to asics gel rocket 10. Now after two years I am looking to replace my gel rocket. It is in perfect shape but lost grip, looks like the sole is hardening.

@Zwill How is the cushioning on Fireflash? can you compare it to other shoes you have tried before?

And in general can anyone recommend tt shoes that have good cushioning and still have good grip?

 

[Wakkibatty]

I ordered a pair of FireFlash / Speed Art TT shoes direct from Sanwei back in late Jan, and they only just arrived today.

My usual size is 44 / 10, but these things seemed MUCH smaller than that length wise, which greatly confused me.

Turns out there's a LOT of extra internal padding at the back of the heel on these shoes, especially at the top of the shoe, just below the ankle. It's sliding my foot forward at least an extra 8mm - 10mm than normal, so my toes are super compacted for length.

It's a great shame, as they actually look like halfway decent shoes, and are a nice design and weight.

If you're considering buying some of these folks, you might want to grab some that are at least one size larger than normal if you want your feet to actually fit into a set.

Am currently working with Sanwei to try and get them exchanged.

 

[Wakkibatty]

I read that some tt shoes does not have enough cushioning for people above 80kg. Personally I have struggled with heel pain with mizuno wave medal 6 and asics gel blade 7 that went away when I moved to asics gel rocket 10. Now after two years I am looking to replace my gel rocket. It is in perfect shape but lost grip, looks like the sole is hardening.

@Zwill How is the cushioning on Fireflash? can you compare it to other shoes you have tried before?

And in general can anyone recommend tt shoes that have good cushioning and still have good grip?

See my FireFlash post above.

Haven't had a chance to try the shoes yet, but they do appear pretty well padded, and I can confirm they are a nice weight and fit.

It's only that extra padding at the back of the shoe that's making life difficult for me... it really does slide my food forward quite a surprising amount.

The width of the shoe isn't too bad (my feet are a touch wider than average) but sadly you have NO spare toe room length-wise with these shoes whatsoever... or at least I certainly don't.

With time the shoes' upper fabric would probably stretch to fit, but I think my big toe would drop off first through poor circulation

The shoe's outer material is a light weight plastic that reminds me a little of dense nylon, so I'm curious how well they will last. Certainly they should breathe okay though, as the side mesh is very open-weave material

Apart from the above, they otherwise seem to be a reasonably good product. Hopefully a proper fitting pair will prove worth all the extra hassle of returning them. I was told Sanwei don't have a warehouse anywhere in the Oceania / SE Asia region, so the replacements have to come all the way from China.

 

[Zwill]

I read that some tt shoes does not have enough cushioning for people above 80kg. Personally I have struggled with heel pain with mizuno wave medal 6 and asics gel blade 7 that went away when I moved to asics gel rocket 10. Now after two years I am looking to replace my gel rocket. It is in perfect shape but lost grip, looks like the sole is hardening.

@Zwill How is the cushioning on Fireflash? can you compare it to other shoes you have tried before?

And in general can anyone recommend tt shoes that have good cushioning and still have good grip?

Hey, I find them to be comparable with lezoline shoes from butterfly or wave drive regarding cushioning. Wave medal indeed is a harder shoe.
You might wanna try a badminton shoe if you are looking for more cushioning. For sure they are softer but also the midsole is thicker so...
In my wave medal I used a gel insole and that worked pretty well. Maybe you can look into that too.

 

[riemsesy]

See my FireFlash post above.

Haven't had a chance to try the shoes yet, but they do appear pretty well padded, and I can confirm they are a nice weight and fit.

It's only that extra padding at the back of the shoe that's making life difficult for me... it really does slide my food forward quite a surprising amount.

The width of the shoe isn't too bad (my feet are a touch wider than average) but sadly you have NO spare toe room length-wise with these shoes whatsoever... or at least I certainly don't.

With time the shoes' upper fabric would probably stretch to fit, but I think my big toe would drop off first through poor circulation

The shoe's outer material is a light weight plastic that reminds me a little of dense nylon, so I'm curious how well they will last. Certainly they should breathe okay though, as the side mesh is very open-weave material

Apart from the above, they otherwise seem to be a reasonably good product. Hopefully a proper fitting pair will prove worth all the extra hassle of returning them. I was told Sanwei don't have a warehouse anywhere in the Oceania / SE Asia region, so the replacements have to come all the way from China.

I played with shoes that were a little too small and thought they would fit after a while. at first it was a bit uncomfortable. But after two training sessions, the bones in the front of my foot started to hurt badly. It took a few months for the pain to subside.

 

[Table10Ice]

In addition to TT I also play badminton, and did so before restarting my TT career. Since I already hade indoor (=badminton) shoes, I naturally use them during my TT sessions aswell.

My question is, in what ways do TT specific shoes differ compared to other indoor shoes, developed for badminton, hand ball, volley ball, floor ball etc?

 

[Wakkibatty]

I played with shoes that were a little too small and thought they would fit after a while. at first it was a bit uncomfortable. But after two training sessions, the bones in the front of my foot started to hurt badly. It took a few months for the pain to subside.

Yeah, this happened to me with some cross trainers I bought. Compressive forces on your toe joints can be really nasty.

I put the shoes in the post earlier today. Sanwei after-sales service has been surprisingly (and pleasingly) on the ball with my issue thus far. I've managed to speak with the same customer service rep on two separate occasions.

Real test of the shoes will be after several months of heavy play (I try hard to get decent play / practice / blade testing sessions in at least four times a week). If they're still in playable condition in six to eight months time, I'll consider that a win.

 

[Double_Trouble]

Importance of right footwear can not be overstated. In my view it is the single most important thing.
In my case it is not easy, I am Euro 47.5 size and it is truly hard to find something that fits (many brands go from 47 to 49 and those with 48 for some reason feel like 47) without looking like clown shoes.
No intention to advertise - just bought Mizuno Thunder Blade Z and like them very much. Comfy, good padding, sizing true, seem very sturdy.

 

[kevin.c]

no wonder the aero I have felt a little big

I'm about to order this shoe and I usually wear 2E width shoes for Nike or New balance. Would aero be more of a 2E or 4E width?

 

[FrenchFrog33]

You should try Yonex. They have great cushioning and models in wide fit.

Do Yonex shoes fit true-to-size?

 

[FrenchFrog33]

Does your tt shoes fit true-to-size?

 

[lt kettch]

Can anyone recommend a shoe that'll fit size US13 (29.5cm)?

I checked a couple of the shoes recommended in this thread I don't recall seeing any that go up to the size I need 😬

Thanks!

 

[Taute]

Importance of right footwear can not be overstated. In my view it is the single most important thing.
In my case it is not easy, I am Euro 47.5 size and it is truly hard to find something that fits (many brands go from 47 to 49 and those with 48 for some reason feel like 47) without looking like clown shoes.
No intention to advertise - just bought Mizuno Thunder Blade Z and like them very much. Comfy, good padding, sizing true, seem very sturdy.

I have the same problem. I wear size 48-49 (my foot length is 31 cm). However, I found a couple of options that make shoes for "big feet" Mizuno Wave Drive 9 (I'm currently using them) and before that I had ASIC Blade FF.
Manufacturers such as Butterfly, Joola, Donic, Li-Ning, Andro you can forget about it - their models are very small and will definitely not fit those with large feet.

 

[Table10Ice]

In addition to TT I also play badminton, and did so before restarting my TT career. Since I already hade indoor (=badminton) shoes, I naturally use them during my TT sessions aswell.

My question is, in what ways do TT specific shoes differ compared to other indoor shoes, developed for badminton, hand ball, volley ball, floor ball etc?

One of my club mates said the main difference is that TT shoes have stickier soles compared to other indoor shoes. True?

 

[Robin0910]

Do Yonex shoes fit true-to-size?

Yes, but I don’t recommend them for tt. Badminton shoes have higher heels which eases movement (mostly needed in badminton) but is not good for stability in tt.

 

[Wakkibatty]

In addition to TT I also play badminton, and did so before restarting my TT career. Since I already hade indoor (=badminton) shoes, I naturally use them during my TT sessions aswell.

My question is, in what ways do TT specific shoes differ compared to other indoor shoes, developed for badminton, hand ball, volley ball, floor ball etc?

One of my club mates said the main difference is that TT shoes have stickier soles compared to other indoor shoes. True?

That can be gripper yes, but it depends on the shoe. Your need for the gripper sole also depends largely on the surfaces you play on.

I play at several suburban clubs regularly here in my home city of Perth, as well as at the main TTWA centre. The suburban clubs usually play at indoor basketball / netball / volleyball stadiums, which means sprung wooden floors. On these surfaces you need and want a shoe with good grip and good lateral support for sideways movement.

At the TTWA centre however they use proper ITTF authorised flooring, which can be naturally pretty grippy stuff. Court 1 there has brand new flooring on it with very high grip indeed -- if I use my regular indoor court shoes on that stuff, I can risk falling over or twisting my ankle if I don't really lift my feet fully off the floor fully with my footwork.

Extra grippy shoes + extra grippy floor = no room for "squeaky" footwork or dragging your feet during a pivot or step around. The second your shoe touches the ground even partially or lightly, it grips like glue. If your body weight is still moving sideways or rotating at that point, your feet won't accommodate the movement by sliding across the floor. They just instantly grip the flooring in vice-like fashion, and you end up rolling your ankle (ESPECIALLY if your over 6ft tall like I am, and it's harder for you to maintain the super wide stance some coaches seem to favor. On these kind of surfaces, you don't use slide-ways basketball like moments, you really need to lift those feet! ... You have to lift your feet so much it can almost feel like you're using a skipping rope, or doing traditional boxing footwork.

Long story short, have one super grippy pair for wood floors, and another slightly less grippy pair for proper TT flooring. Your ankles and knees will thank you for it.

 

[Airoc]

Long story short, have one super grippy pair for wood floors, and another slightly less grippy pair for proper TT flooring.

Good advice for all people who play on different floors.
Over here in the lower leagues you would regularly play on a variety of floors in away matches, mostly in school sports halls of sometimes rather dubious general condition and cleanliness. Too much grip of the floor is therefore a rare problem and I feel safe against slippery with Andro Cross Step and Cross Step 2.
Since they are also attractively priced and of high quality at the same time and feel comfortable to wear for me buying these is a no-brainer.

 

[NetProphet]

Does your tt shoes fit true-to-size?

Hey
Have you bought a pair yet?

 

[Table10Ice]

Good advice for all people who play on different floors.
Over here in the lower leagues you would regularly play on a variety of floors in away matches, mostly in school sports halls of sometimes rather dubious general condition and cleanliness. Too much grip of the floor is therefore a rare problem and I feel safe against slippery with Andro Cross Step and Cross Step 2.
Since they are also attractively priced and of high quality at the same time and feel comfortable to wear for me buying these is a no-brainer.

How is the Andro Cross Step 2 when it comes to sizing? True-to-size, or on the smaller or bigger side?

My feet are 27,3 cm. I'm thinking of size 43 (28 cm), because I hate cramped toe boxes and appreciate at least som wiggle room.