Not to mention of 6 months of what. Would someone like me, fencing 9 hours a week, go through them in 6 months? Or would an NCAA fencer doing it 30+ a week go through them in 6 months?
Given who's been testing them, I'm sure they're estimating 3-6 months for someone practicing several hours a day, every day.
It's not like they're saying that the shoes are unusable after half a year, they just think you should replace them due to wear that you can't see. You need cushioning, and once the padding has lost its resiliency, it's not going to be as effective in preventing chronic stress injuries to knees and ankles.
Even before your three year old shoes need tape on the soles to keep your from wearing through your socks, they've stopped being good for your feet because there's less shock absorption. Of course, I don't care, and I'm not going to spend that sort of money every year.
If Adidas stops making* fencing shoes, it will make Sexual Harassment Panda very sad.
* Since my first three pairs said "Made in Germany" and my last two pairs say "Made in China," I don't know if I can say Adidas really MAKES fencing shoes now, even...
It's not like they're saying that the shoes are unusable after half a year, they just think you should replace them due to wear that you can't see. You need cushioning, and once the padding has lost its resiliency, it's not going to be as effective in preventing chronic stress injuries to knees and ankles.
Even before your three year old shoes need tape on the soles to keep your from wearing through your socks, they've stopped being good for your feet because there's less shock absorption. Of course, I don't care, and I'm not going to spend that sort of money every year.
That is the argument that I've always heard from runners... but how is that affected when you use replacement inserts (or use custom orthos, like some fencers)?
Rick
__________________ "Some people are born great fencers, some people achieve fencing greatness, and some people have it thrust upon them."
It's not like they're saying that the shoes are unusable after half a year, they just think you should replace them due to wear that you can't see. You need cushioning, and once the padding has lost its resiliency, it's not going to be as effective in preventing chronic stress injuries to knees and ankles.
They also said the measured deterioration in resiliency etc is negligable. That's the part I'm curious about.
What Sean told us is that the Nike company policy/corporate line is 3-6 months but that he's seen the shoes that the Chinese team has been using at their 3 and 6 month wear check-ups and the worst has been some "minor scuffing" and that the white now looks dingy grey.
The Zoom Air for the heel should not degrade, and nobody has worn completely through the shoe with foot drag yet. The part that degrades is the padding for the forefoot, moreso with the fencers that "dance" on the balls of their feet more (epee fencers, Vezzalli.)
That is the argument that I've always heard from runners... but how is that affected when you use replacement inserts (or use custom orthos, like some fencers)?
Rick
Most inserts I've seen are softer than a midsole, so you're getting something that feels softer but cushions less for high impact activities.
Given an insert with the same properties as the midsole, I see no difference, other than the fact that the added bulk of the insert makes the shoe a little bigger and heavier.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KD5MDK
They also said the measured deterioration in resiliency etc is negligable. That's the part I'm curious about.
I think they mean "negligible to customers who have yet to buy the shoe, but noticeable to customers who already have it and should take care of their feet."
The question for me (and many others) will be are they a significantly better then our current favorite shoe? For Addidas users, this may be a moot point - now that Addidas has lost the olympic contract, they may no longer make fencing shoes. But for those of us who use, say one of the Leon Paul shoes, and are happy with them, it may be not such an easy sell.
Additional sponsorship question. Are Olympic team members >required< to wear this shoe?
More or less the answer is yes. By and large they're better than anything else out to the best of my knowledge (haven't tried the Viktorias...yet). You may find some issues with slippage depending on what part of your foot you tend to use most often (if you're almost always on the balls of your feet) and what kind of surface (dusty, or otherwise slippery sport court for example). In that limited and specific case you might want to stick with a Hi-Tec or an actual tennis shoe. Although, really not much of anything sticks all that consistently in that situation. People with narrow feet may be wary although they don't seem to actually be much narrower than the Adidas.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bunbury
Not to mention of 6 months of what. Would someone like me, fencing 9 hours a week, go through them in 6 months? Or would an NCAA fencer doing it 30+ a week go through them in 6 months?
More like the latter and really the damn things have held up pretty well. I can usually see some scuffing and a little early wear within a week or two, if that, on most shoes. These just look a little dusty.
__________________ I now dangle to the left....my tassle. Get your minds out of the gutter.
"Martin was not an optimist; he was a prisoner of hope." Optimism is about assuming there's evidence that justifies your outlook while hope is about creating the evidence and procuring your own happiness or vision of the world. - Professor West
More or less the answer is yes. By and large they're better than anything else out to the best of my knowledge (haven't tried the Viktorias...yet). You may find some issues with slippage depending on what part of your foot you tend to use most often (if you're almost always on the balls of your feet) and what kind of surface (dusty, or otherwise slippery sport court for example). In that limited and specific case you might want to stick with a Hi-Tec or an actual tennis shoe. Although, really not much of anything sticks all that consistently in that situation. People with narrow feet may be wary although they don't seem to actually be much narrower than the Adidas.
So are you saying they are narrower than the Adidas? I'm confused, because you said people with narrow feet should be wary, and because Adidas are pretty freaking narrow.
No. They're at least the same width as the Adidas. I know some people with wider feet that can't stand the Adidas though. Conversely, some people with wider feet still lke the Adidas. If you can wear Adidas you should be able to wear Nikes. If you require something wider you might want to stick to your Hi-Tecs
__________________ I now dangle to the left....my tassle. Get your minds out of the gutter.
"Martin was not an optimist; he was a prisoner of hope." Optimism is about assuming there's evidence that justifies your outlook while hope is about creating the evidence and procuring your own happiness or vision of the world. - Professor West
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