Your views on shoe modding

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 21 Feb 2005 15:25

BainbridgeShred wrote:Question is; how long before the IFPA puts regulations on modifications?

Nobody who tries to put regulations on footwear would ever receive my vote again. I really hope that I'm in the majority, too.

HooD · Post by **HooD** » 21 Feb 2005 16:26

I've progressed my game in many types of ways, if you want to call them unfair or cheating, well then, my game wouldn't be where it is now. First off, let's just make a list of things i've done to improve. I know this is about modifying shoes, but I'll put things in a bigger picture , showing that modifying shoes can be just as important as any other change in your game. I stand more on the side of modifying shoes to where it helps you, because simply, there aren't footbag shoes, so we modify them to our likes. I do know that players can be pro without all these modifications, but it's only to help. One perfect example is Sebastien Duchene. He doesn't mod his shoes at all, and he executes his moves so very perfectly with his style. Then there are people like me, I've modified my shoes a lot, but nothing to where my shoes make footbag easy for me. Everything I learned I can do with normal lavers, all the skills I've learned, were through practice, not shortcuts.

I started off with Adidas Crosstraining shoes, lots of curves everywhere. So my first big step was buying Pumas, I bought them solely for comfort and flat surfaces. My game jumped a notch because of the flatter surfaces and the lightness of the shoes. So as my skill raised, I played more enjoying the progress.

My next step was to buy a decent bag, I bought juice from http://www.worldfootbag.com with Raw Shred. This helped me out even though I didn't understand why the bag was so rolly at the time.

After that, I bought some lavers, that was a huge step for me. All i did was used the shoe lace method that was shown from worldfootbag.com. My next step was cutting off the toe boxes, because they were to much like teacups, which actually hindered my game. Around that time, I started buying hand stitched bags, and I am currently in love with Lonn Irish's bags.

The biggest step in my game boost was knee surgery, so I got my left knee modified. I put some bone from my left hip into my left knee cap. Without that surgery, no shoe mod could add up to what that did to me.

After that, I was so into the game because pain had left me. I started playing with different mods on my shoe. Different lacing, different cuts on the toe box, different lavers. I messed around with shoe goe and tubing, which I still use. If you hand me a pair of normal lavers, I can still shred hard with them, without the shoe goo, without tubing, without cuts, just plane lacing. The more change in my equipment, the more I played. Everything became easier, not only because my shoes were different, or I had a better knee, because I'm now into the game more than ever. Playing tons more than I once had.

So in short, modify what needs to be done. Flat surfaces are a must, light shoes are a must, good bags are a must. IF you want to stick with heavy clunky shoes with no modifications, sipa-sipa hacky sacks, and baggy shorts, then have fun not being closer to your full potential.

JFootbagger · Post by **JFootbagger** » 21 Feb 2005 17:47

this whole thing about mods. really is kinda vague. It all really depends on the DEGREE of modifications, like Ken said.

Hell, if players want to mod their shoe to make tricks eaiser (without practice), go ahead and let 'em...but I don't think they'll get (or deserve) the amount of props as those who have fewer mods on their shoes.

sampotter · Post by **sampotter** » 21 Feb 2005 18:30

JFootbagger wrote:Hell, if players want to mod their shoe to make tricks eaiser (without practice), go ahead and let 'em...but I don't think they'll get (or deserve) the amount of props as those who have fewer mods on their shoes.

Modifying your shoes isn't going to let you hit a ton of tricks without practicing. It's going to let you practice without getting pissed off at the game. I honestly don't understand how you can determine the proper amount of props to give someone based on whether the person is playing in (in this case) Lavers or Lavers with a bit of shoe goo. If the person hits a trick, so what if they have modded shoes? If you're at a tournament, you're not going to be in a circle with a person and that person's identical twin or clone, one with modded shoes and the other without. Give the person the props they deserve for deciding to spend any time with this game at all and move on. It's enough that our sport is so hard to get into and stay with it already. We don't need people neglecting others the support they deserve because we deem their mods to be too much.

Here's something:

Props Ian, for being resourceful with your game and caring enough to want to improve. You could play with cardboard boxes on your feet and I could care less.

habitat · Post by **habitat** » 21 Feb 2005 18:45

Nagasake wrote:You could play with cardboard boxes on your feet

Wow, thats actually a good idea, wait for my next video!

Anyways, I thought the subject at hand wasn't modifying, but the degree in which you modify. Such as using shoe-goo to create some sort of undropable surface.

IMO shoe-goo isn't bad for correcting surface malfunctions (aka all shoes not used/made for freestyle footbag) If you were to do something like that, I would think of it more of a joke, because too much is too much, and it will have negative effects on your game.

BTW, james, I don't know if it's just me, but your taking it way to seriously, like you do most things. Modding is what most people do, its not cheating, no matter what you think. Just because you decided to work three years to get your osis down and someone else did it in alot less time with a little shoe-goo, doesn't mean they are using/making excuses for not wanting to work as hard as you did. It just means you prefer not to use mods, and thats your choice, I don't really like the fact you have to curse in most of your opinionated messagese, doesnt really get your point across any better, bro, then again, this is my opinion

Basically we all agree, but somehow find a way to argue about something.

Laroche · Post by **Laroche** » 22 Feb 2005 08:19

No, you see Mr.Randall, we do NOT all agree. I think Ken stated my stance pretty well, so I won't re-iterate.

The point James is trying to make is that you can do anything with hard work. Just practice and your clippers will fix themselves. It's not complicated.

IMO It's Tom, Newf, or YOU whos going a little more over-board then James. One post describing his opinion isn't enough cause for some ridiculous rant like the one you wrote.

habitat · Post by **habitat** » 22 Feb 2005 10:03

Laroche wrote:The point James is trying to make is that you can do anything with hard work. Just practice and your clippers will fix themselves. It's not complicated.

I don't remember not agreeing with this in the statement, again finding something to argue about

habitat wrote:Just because you decided to work three years to get your osis down and someone else did it in alot less time with a little shoe-goo, doesn't mean they are using/making excuses for not wanting to work as hard as you did. It just means you prefer not to use mods, and thats your choice

His choice was not to use mods, and practice more, and thats his choice, as others choose to use simple mods to make it simpler as well so you don't have to work AS HARD as maybe James did. And this is no attack on you James, cause having completely unmodified shoes is tough for me, so props for that.

All I'm saying is there is choice, the same choice to be a homosexual, some do it, some don't, just don't hate because of it or make personal attacks (sorry) and play footbag

peace and love

mosher · Post by **mosher** » 22 Feb 2005 10:21

yeah, what he said.

we always get so angry over this.

pass the footbaggy pon de left hand side.

ericksonj · Post by **ericksonj** » 22 Feb 2005 11:14

I wonder why this shoe goo craze has not led to some random hacky slacker kicking the crap out of all the top footbag players. I mean if the bag rolls off less then you can obviously hit every trick you want and never drop right? I mean footbag is just about the stall isn't it? In fact since I have such a bad ass toe stall I think I will go out and hit all of Pinkus' moves and while I'm at it invent some more, all it takes is a good stall. Massive tricks section here I come.

....

JFootbagger · Post by **JFootbagger** » 22 Feb 2005 16:21

I think Ken has the best point of view here.

Paul Agostinelli · Post by **Paul Agostinelli** » 22 Feb 2005 16:42

zachatree wrote: so cocking<<< is where its at.

caulking zach, caulking

zachatree · Post by **zachatree** » 22 Feb 2005 16:48

Paul Agostinelli wrote:
zachatree wrote: so cocking<<< is where its at.
caulking zach, caulking

thanks, i knew it wasnt spelled right.

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 22 Feb 2005 16:58

I've got over a decade of experience when I say this . . .

No amount of shoe goo will help you catch the bag, prevent roll off, and get a clean set.

This game is mostly about what happens when the bag is in the air.

Shoe goo will not give you added abilities to dex the bag.

Shoe goo will not help you spin.

$0.01 *plink* $0.01 *plink*

Paul Agostinelli · Post by **Paul Agostinelli** » 22 Feb 2005 17:11

i figured id put in my 2 cents because im a new player and i just dont give a shit about footbag politics.

i started with lavers and i loved modifying my shoes so much that i ripped everything out from the inside of the shoe, when im not wearing them, the heel actually falls over because i removed the plastic insert! hell there isnt a modification i WOULDNT be willing to try. do i think im cheating or making it easier to execute tricks? no!

how many footbag players with the lace modification WITHOUT removing the first and/or second eyelets can cleanly, all the time, do pixie sets? ive heard of 2.

so TEACUPS, lemmie ask you this, is it easier, or harder to do any pixie set move with those walls?

on the topic of clipper rails, i just started using a shoe that no one else to my knowledge plays in, and i modified the hell out of them, look in my footblog (NELs Footblog!) and see the before and after pics.

i HAVENT gooed them up yet and i dont know if i will, but they're friggin running shoes for footbags sake! and the toes? they're actually rounded on the top. but you know what? im still better with them than ive ever been with my lavers, but i can hit EVERY one of my tricks with both.

so goo your shoes if itll help, because when was the last time someone said

"DAMN i would have hit that barraging ducking barfly with a clipper rail, why did i ever take it off?!"

NEVER!!!!!!!!

haha enough enough

~NEL~

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 23 Feb 2005 17:27

If making a few long posts to describe what you think of a complicated issue is going overboard, then fuck, lets all go overboard. We'd get a lot more shit figured out. That'd be swell.

C-Fan · Post by **C-Fan** » 23 Feb 2005 19:04

Paul Agostinelli wrote:how many footbag players with the lace modification WITHOUT removing the first and/or second eyelets can cleanly, all the time, do pixie sets? ive heard of 2.
~

Do you mean removing one or two of the eyelets? Almost nobody in Japan does this, and they can all do pixie sets. Frankly, if you are executing a pixie set cleanly, the bag is leaving your foot before you dex, so the eyelets don`t interfere at all.

I don`t doubt that there`s an argument to be made for modding, I just don`t think this eyelet one is very good. I don`t cut out the eyelets on my shoes, and I think my pixie set is as good as anybody`s in the world.

mosher · Post by **mosher** » 23 Feb 2005 21:46

Today I bought two gallons of shoe goo and dunked my whole climacools in the muck.

I made them into supercheater shoe-goo footbag boots.

Going to this extreme caused the expected result and I can now hit any trick on command.

I tossed out genesis>blazing flux screw>inmarius bsos warming up in them.

I guess all the theories were true, if you use enough shoe goo you CAN hit any trick without effort.

slapdash21 · Post by **slapdash21** » 24 Feb 2005 08:32

mosher wrote:Today I bought two gallons of shoe goo and dunked my whole climacools in the muck.

I made them into supercheater shoe-goo footbag boots.

Going to this extreme caused the expected result and I can now hit any trick on command.

I tossed out genesis>blazing flux screw>inmarius bsos warming up in them.

I guess all the theories were true, if you use enough shoe goo you CAN hit any trick without effort.

whoo-hoo! i knew it! im going to buy myself some buckets o' that m'self!

slapdash21 · Post by **slapdash21** » 24 Feb 2005 16:58

http://s34.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2R83 ... KFTQ8XAH5T

Uranos · Post by **Uranos** » 25 Feb 2005 05:02

that made me laugh

Your views on shoe modding

Is using Shoe-Goo etc to compensate for poor ankle flatness acceptable?