Shoes with huge potential.

Atom · Post by **Atom** » 30 Oct 2004 11:21

I looked at a pair of shoes months upon months ago that I felt would have made decent shoes for footbag, but me and Spadrick were of the mindset that is was lavers or nothing. So now I need new footbag shoes and I was looking at all my known options, NB ct 300, mesh lavers, leather lavers (cause they are close and cheep), and those climacools.

Long story short I asked Jorden Moir what he thought of a pic of these shoes, they are Merrel: Helium Ventilators, and he answered "maybe". So I took Johnny Suderman up to the local shoe store (Al's shoes) and we looked at a pair, I tryed both shoes on, did a couple alternating toe stalls and a couple clippers. I was really impressed when Johnny tried one on and gave me his thumbs up approval. He can reply what his thoughts are but I'm sold on them. Feel free to ask about them.

heres a link to see them --> http://www.shoebuy.com/sb/s.jsp/st_36783
and --> http://www.shoes.com/product.asp?p=5008 ... t_id=53161

so check 'em out folks, the only down side may be the sole is not flat, but it has lots of grip.

P.S. next spring Canada as well as the US are going to have 15 color combinations for these shoes.

Seath · Post by **Seath** » 30 Oct 2004 11:26

are they heavy?

Atom · Post by **Atom** » 30 Oct 2004 11:45

they are so close to being the same weight as leather lavers that I would say they are even. we actually held one of each in our hands.

Laroche · Post by **Laroche** » 30 Oct 2004 11:47

Theres these shoes called Rod Lavers... Everybody uses them... Nobody has ever won a world championship in the past 14 years without them. They are from Adidas, you should look them up.

G-Units look good too.

Atom · Post by **Atom** » 30 Oct 2004 11:48

wow I thought you were totally gonna give me the "lavers or nothing" speech, then you slip in the g-unit comment...I like that.

Laroche · Post by **Laroche** » 30 Oct 2004 11:59

I was

But i forgot about the g-units until the last minute.

BUT i will give you the speech:

Why dont you try lavers before trying to look for anything else? They are not expensive, you dont have to order from the internet, you could call if you want to not have to deal with online forms.

Whats wrong with them? i sense alot of anti-laverism from this forum by new players, and i dont get why. If Peter Irish, Ryan Mulroney, and Vasek Klouda swear by them, why cant you?

Atom · Post by **Atom** » 30 Oct 2004 12:23

I OWN a pair of modified leather lavers, I LOVE throwing on Johnny Sudermans mesh lavers and busting a couple moves with them, but here is two reasons I want to look else where.

1) because if there is another shoe that competes against the Adidas: Rod Laver in performance, and is available for me to pick up, tonight if I wanted to (because my leather lavers are thrashed), then that is better for me. call it impatience if you like, but thats how I operate.

2) Because I would like to not be relying on a dying brand of shoes for my footbag needs.as far as I and Johnny can tell they need no mods, so i can send any new player out to the shoe store to buy them and not only will they be there, but they can pay cash, debit, money order, credit card, and even with coupons.

I have an actual Adidas factory in my town, my neighbor even works there, and I still can't get a pair of mesh lavers in ontario. That could be inacurate, but I doubt that all the ontario footbag players have missed a resource of mesh lavers. I have a couple extra thoughts but i will save them now, incase this was a sufficent answer.

Ph33rh4x · Post by **Ph33rh4x** » 30 Oct 2004 12:27

People are just searching for something different. There are thousands of different shoes out there so lavers dont have to be the only thing. Just because lavers work for the pro's and many other people, doesnt mean they will for the next guy. Its all about personal prefrence.. use what works for you.

Posi-Cole · Post by **Posi-Cole** » 30 Oct 2004 13:01

I think it's dumb when people try to put people down for trying to find new footbag shoes.

Lavers are good, granted, but it's silly to think that eventually there won't be a shoe made that is better, so we always have to keep our eyes open. Also, the worst thing I find about Lavers is that they aren't very forgiving on the legs. I mean, they are tennis shoes from the 70's ... Shoe technology has definitely come a long way until then and if we don't want to all be walking with a cane by the time we are 50, it's not a bad idea to try to find some more shock absorbing shoes.

Laroche · Post by **Laroche** » 30 Oct 2004 13:58

If they are not "forgiving" on your legs its because your doing the move wrong, or you need more muscles. The problems ive had with harsh landings has ALWAYS been because i didn't land on my toes. If you land on your toes then you won't have any pains.

And what gave you the impression that lavers were a "dying" brand of shoe? there is no offical saying that lavers are going to be discontinued soon. Footbaggers have been rumouring about it for ages, though.

And yes, if they work for 95% of the pros and 95% of most players, they should work for you. The only reason that I can think of that you would need other shoes is because:

1) You dont want to order online because you dont have a credit card or your parents (or whatever) wont let you use it on the internet. Jon Schneider has ALWAYS ordered his shoes through the telephone, just call them up, its not like they are out to scam you or anything.

2) You have wide feet, and lavers are made narrow. Get G-Units. They are good too.

Atom · Post by **Atom** » 30 Oct 2004 18:27

As bad as people seem to be all about "anti-laverism" as you put it, others seem to be too defensive of the Rod Lavers. My comment about a dying brand... well like I said there is an adidas factory here in town, the neighbor works there and she as an employee is allowed to buy any adidas products she wants. the rod laver is not a continued brand of shoe, not in leather, canvas, or mesh.

If I have given you the impression that lavers don't work for me, then I apologize. And as you don't know me, I'll let you know you don't have to "think" of WHY I would buy other shoes, just ask.

FYI I have no worries with using my credit card to buy a 3rd abshire when I need one. And IMO lavers are the widest shoe I have ever bought, I have a size 12 that fit ok when I got them, and just stretched with wear and mods. narrow is not a word I would use to discribe them...

If the Adidas Rod Laver works for 95% of the pros, and 95% of most players, and everyone should conform to the lavers because of that fact. Then I ask you this, should everyone stick to one footbag alone? whatever the world champion uses when he wins should be everyones footbag because it works for him?

But what am I thinking, you reinforce the laver, but then you insist on suggesting an alternate shoe, the same as I am here. SOO it seems we both need the "Laver or nothing" speech. do you agree? Why do you suggest the G-unit if the laver isn't a dying, hard to find brand of shoe??

sampotter · Post by **sampotter** » 30 Oct 2004 18:58

Allan Haggett plays in 520s.
Red Husted plays in 300s.
Dylan Fry plays in 300s.
Noah Jay-Bonn plays in 300s.
Richard Abshire plays in 520s.
Jason Crook plays in Adidas A3's (I believe).
Anyone ever heard of the ClimaCool? Yeah, lots of Finnish players wear those.

Who cares if there hasn't been a world champion that doesn't wear Lavers? There are lots of tremendous players who don't wear Lavers.

The open winners this year at Worlds:
#5 - Jere Linnanen - ClimaCools
#9 - Dylan Fry - 300s

Shred 30:
#5 - Dylan Fry - 300s
#10 - Lasse Salmenhaara - Climas

I have a feeling how well you do at Worlds really has more to do with skill level than shoe choice... Further, my guess is that you'd find that the number of people doing well at Worlds and how many people actually play in shoes other than Lavers are fairly proportionate.

One last point... People had to find Lavers somehow, didn't they? They found them by trying various shoes and various methods out, I'd assume. I see nothing wrong with trying new shoes to find what works - not for everyone, but for you.

JFootbagger · Post by **JFootbagger** » 30 Oct 2004 19:08

It's always good to remember, shoes are JUST A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. Sure, the type of shoe you wear is gonna affect your play, but like...75% comes from your will to PROGRESS and GET BETTER! Progress is determined by practice which is fueled by passion which comes from the heart.

Just a little reminder to us all

so KEEP Kickin'!!!

*Jethro* · Post by ***Jethro*** » 30 Oct 2004 19:10

i dont think that the toe looks very good on those shoes. Stick with lavers,climacools or pumas.

Johnny · Post by **Johnny** » 30 Oct 2004 19:45

When I saw the pictures, I to was skeptical. I just ordered and recieved a brand new pair of Mesh Rods, and these Merrels felt more playable straight out of the box than my lavers did after 2+ hours of mods.

The toe area on these shoes is crazy! (at least on the size 12's I was wearing) They were completely open, and flat, no walls to get in the way, with a little rubber bumper at the toe that would really stop any roll off. Plus the entire toe area is only made of this fish net stuff, so that is all there is between you and the footbag. Tons of feel And the clipper, oh the clipper! It was soo flat, and with the same amount of feel as the toe.

These shoes although they do not look like it actually felt lighter than my rods.

Just like those pictures, my words do these shoes no justice at all. If you are interested in the slightest about how these play, just go into a local shoe outlet and see if they have any. Slip em on and you'll see what I'm talking about. I'm going to order a pair for sure.

Atom · Post by **Atom** » 30 Oct 2004 19:46

i don't like the look of the toe on the clima cools and the 520's, but the key is that the mesh/net material is far more "accepting" of a footbag for toe stalls then I have seen in mesh lavers.

I want to make clear that i'm not making a statement about how well they perform, I'm saying that I put a pair on, did a couple moves and really liked it. I am suggesting to anyone who is looking for new shoes for footbag, and isn't dedicated to lavers, to look at these as well.

So before anyone else has a mind to jump on the topic and disregard this shoe before trying it on, keep this in mind, I'm not saying that lavers blow....but that these are "shoes with huge potential"

lightningbolt · Post by **lightningbolt** » 30 Oct 2004 20:15

WOW! Somebody in my german class has thoes shoes! All class I'm always wondering if they be shredable and how much they weigh.

They always looked nice and meshy.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 30 Oct 2004 21:46

For me the main reason to get shoes other than lavers is that Lavers take over 2 weeks to arrive and the price is completely dependant on how the aussie dollar is going against the US dollar and it costs a lot (like $14 I think) to ship them here.

If there were a pair of shoes I could walk into a shoe shop and buy that were about as good to use as lavers - my next pair of shoes would be one of them.

reni · Post by **reni** » 31 Oct 2004 06:23

I played in g-units for one week. They have a perfect sole. the inside is great and they dont look too bad. but now i'm back in lavers, the g-unit are a too big for fast dexes and whirlingswirl stuff.
i've tested some other shoes that could be good fo freestyle: Savier "The Story" (leather and mesh) -> They look pretty laverish. but the company has gone bankrupt and the inside could be better. The Gravis dunbars aren't on production anymore. I played twice in it and if you cut out the inside or you have right angled clippers they're not bad. Even if the sole is not so resistant.
If i imagine the perfect footbag freestyle shoe, i see a rodlaver with a better sole, some freaking colors, a nice toe and the planetfootbag logo instead of the adidas leaf. Rod laver for president!.

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 01 Nov 2004 07:29

Laroche wrote:Theres these shoes called Rod Lavers... Everybody uses them...

People use the laver because it is available, consistently available, not changing shape, and not changing size. Many shoes work well for footbag, most of them are superior to the laver in many ways. The laver is not the shoe of choice because it is the best shoe . . . it's the best shoe that is consitently available.

When switching shoes there is a few weeks of adjustment in style to adapt to the shoe. Using the laver avoids this adjustment phase. I buy my shoes six pair at a time so I have enough for 1.5-2 years, and then find something new and make the adjustment.

Once you leave the laver, you can not go back.