New Balance CT520

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 21 Jan 2005 15:36

I've played in over a dozen different shoes unmodified, and not just a session. I used over a dozen different shoes straight from the box untill they were toast.

The ct520 is the worst shoe I have chosen yet, and the only shoe I modified since I left the laver way back in 98. I like to feel the bag, and the fabric on this shoe is thick stiff canvas reinforced with 5 layers of foam with a huge logo stiched on it. Even after gutting the foam, the material is crappy and holds the shape too well to ever break in to my satisfaction. I've seen several people independently arrive at the conclusion of cutting a hole in the side of the shoe.

sampotter · Post by **sampotter** » 21 Jan 2005 16:12

What other shoes have you played in?

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 21 Jan 2005 16:33

Rod Lavers,
some Brooks walking shoe,
some New balance walking shoe,
Rod laver millenium edition
Brooks Hyperion,
Nike prestos
Brooks Hyperion II,
Addidas Supernova Cushion,
Addidas Boston,
Addidas Supernova controll,
Adidas response controll,
New Balance CT330,
new Balance ct300,
new balance ct520,

JFootbagger · Post by **JFootbagger** » 21 Jan 2005 17:16

Nagasake wrote: (also, I think I may have come around on my opinion on the shoe goo rail, but I'm not 100% on that, yet)

For me, I don't use the shoe goo rail. I stall on where the N is, or close near there. Just gotta crank yo ankles

sampotter · Post by **sampotter** » 21 Jan 2005 17:48

That's where I stall the bag, too. Roll off occurs when the bunch up material causes the bag to roll off. That rail isn't to stall on, it's to prevent roll off.

JFootbagger · Post by **JFootbagger** » 22 Jan 2005 08:12

I feel ya on the roll off

Just need to craddle more? Ah who knows...but I'll let you know how my game play is with out the rail...

sampotter · Post by **sampotter** » 22 Jan 2005 12:16

"cradle more" -- I can't without the brocka. Thus the need for the mods. :-p (btw, this shoe is starting to shine, I can't wait for the session today which we MAY get footage from!

)

JFootbagger · Post by **JFootbagger** » 22 Jan 2005 17:57

Nice!

Sergey · Post by **Sergey** » 23 Jan 2005 21:25

I've used Lavers, Climas and now I switched to NB 520;
I consider these shoes to be the best ones you can find for freestyle now. I don't really get what problems ppl were having with the instep, but I just removed canvas and built up the shoe goo rail. I really like it and I have NO roll off at all. The only bad thing about NB is that they are kinda bulky, so it's pretty hard to hit double dex moves, but I'm not much into that anyway

.

Right now, my game improves like never before, my strings are longer, trick are bigger and stuff so I highly recommend these shoes to you guys.

sampotter · Post by **sampotter** » 23 Jan 2005 21:37

I had my session in 520's yesterday (sorry, no footage

), and I did poorly enough to think I was getting worse at footbag. Today I had a session in 300's and resumed to my normal progress and hit a ton of new things. The 520's do NOT hold a candle to 300's. Maybe with extensive modding, but I dunno. The 300's are excellent straight out of the box -- I played in them unmodded (aside from lacing) for several months before modding them further. I just can't say the same for the 520's. I don't understand how people can call these the current best shoe.

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 23 Jan 2005 22:16

Sergey wrote:I don't really get what problems ppl were having with the instep, but I just removed canvas and built up the shoe goo rail.

Uh, it kinda sounds like you took steps to make the shoe not have a roll off problem. Straight out of the box, the ct300 blows the doors off the 520.

Sergey · Post by **Sergey** » 23 Jan 2005 22:43

Tsiangkun wrote:
Sergey wrote:I don't really get what problems ppl were having with the instep, but I just removed canvas and built up the shoe goo rail.
Uh, it kinda sounds like you took steps to make the shoe not have a roll off problem. Straight out of the box, the ct300 blows the doors off the 520.

Yea, I did some mods to make them better and I agree with you that 520's are useless right out of the box.

JFootbagger · Post by **JFootbagger** » 27 Jan 2005 14:26

WOW, me and mosher must be the only one's who shred in them raw. maybe we're weird?

mosher · Post by **mosher** » 27 Jan 2005 14:36

JFootbagger wrote:WOW, me and mosher must be the only one's who shred in them raw. maybe we're weird?

I have only shredded in raw 520's for an hour or so on one occasion. I am a clima cool soldier.

I believe Allan Haggett plays in unmodded 520's, or I read that somewhere at least.

sampotter · Post by **sampotter** » 27 Jan 2005 15:37

mosher wrote:
JFootbagger wrote:WOW, me and mosher must be the only one's who shred in them raw. maybe we're weird?
I have only shredded in raw 520's for an hour or so on one occasion. I am a clima cool soldier.

I believe Allan Haggett plays in unmodded 520's, or I read that somewhere at least.

Then I would say you are not qualified to make a good assessment of this shoe (no offense intended, just looking out for people who may buy them).

As for Haggett, I'm pretty sure he doesn't like these shoes very much, at least in relation to the 300's.

520 Update --
Adding shoe goo to them today, I'll report back later with my opinion.

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 27 Jan 2005 16:07

I don't think anyone liked these shoes as much as the 300, but once I added a lil wax and removed the outer fabric they work well. I'm only using them because I bought four pair, and the 300 has been discontinued.

sampotter · Post by **sampotter** » 27 Jan 2005 16:11

You can still buy the CT300 at zappos.com (shh). ;p However, I think I'm going to try and make this shoe work for me as I don't want to become too reliant on a shoe that will invariably be impossible to get soon.

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 27 Jan 2005 16:30

I don't want to pay full price for a discontinued shoe.

I was getting the ct300s for $19.99 a pair back in the day.
I scored my collection of 520s for about the same I think, which is why I have four pair to go through.

I still have a couple new pairs of ct300s laying around.

LittleBoy footbag · Post by **LittleBoy footbag** » 27 Jan 2005 17:09

wait, what kind of 300's do you guys have? I looked and there's one that's like CT300 LT and one that's just CT300.

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 27 Jan 2005 17:59

not the LT. I had CT300B and CT300W