BallReviews
Equipment Boards => Bags, Shoes, Accessories => Topic started by: Aloarjr810 on August 31, 2015, 03:39:53 PM
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Just thought I'd post this since there are a couple of posts mentioning them.
He mentions having a Achilles tendon tear and the support he gets.
also a kind of passing mention of there being a 2nd gen. version of the shoe.
Published on Jul 2, 2015
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I watched the whole video. Very informative, and I have a few thoughts:
1) In many regards, the TPU-X has similarities to the SST8. The narrator alluded to this throughout the video. He did appropriately point out that one of the major differences is that SST8s have a weakness in sole design that potentially results in cracking on the pivot foot. He indicated that 99 out of 100 people will probably not encounter this issue, but it is real. It took mine over 5 years and 3000+ games for the sole to crack, but it does happen.
2) On the Orthotics that had been in his SST8s, his main complain was that he had only one pair (due to expense), and that it was a pain transferring them to other shoes when needed. My feeling is that the expense of a good off-the-shelf Orthotic is a nit in the overall scheme of things, and it should not be an issue to have a dedicated Orthotic per shoe.
3) He continuously talked about how comfortable the TPU-X was with the factory sole insert, and proudly took it out to show it off. From what I saw, what's provided in the shoe is no different that the generic footbeds found in most other shoes. It had no specifically constructed arch support, and it was merely chance that he personally found it acceptable. No single footbed is going to be optimal for the total range of foot shapes going into any given shoe.
4) The "enhanced" tip construction on the pivot foot was essentially bulked up in volume to counteract potential wear from foot dragging and other abuse. The problem I see with this design is that with more material present in the front of the shoe, the greater chance of catching the tip during the slide.
In summary, they did a good job in fixing a few of the warts present in the SST8s. However, the 9s match all the features that were touted in the TPU-Xs, plus a replaceable toe guard that takes the 9s an additional step forward.
Still, it ultimately comes down to how each of the shoes feel on your feet. No amount of features will count for much unless the shoe is comfortable.
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"It took mine over 5 years and 3000+ games for the sole to crack, but it does happen."
I hope no matter the shoe you'd replace them sooner then that going forward.
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It took mine over 5 years and 3000+ games for the sole to crack, but it does happen.
I hope no matter the shoe you'd replace them sooner then that going forward.
Like the narrator said in the video, before he tried the TPU-X, the SST8 was his standard for shoes. Despite occasional complaints, they're one of the top shoes on the market.
My SST8s were still functional up to the time of the crack. The toe on the pivot foot was beat up, but I figured they would have lasted at least another 6 months. My PSO asked me to test out the Dexter Powerstep T3+, and that's what ended up killing the shoes. The velcro on the Powerstep is like a vise-grip, and while tearing it off, the sole cracked. Since the shoes were near end of life, it was no big deal.
If the Dexter 9s didn't exist, I'd be tempted to try the TPU-X. At this point, it doesn't make sense.
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I replace shoes every 2 years. Had one pair of Dexters I went close to four years in and never noticed the feel at the time till buying a new pair of Dexters and realizing how much the older shoes had worn out. No different then regular shoes they probably shouldn't be worn that long is my point.
With the new white/black tpu-x shoes coming here soon I will be getting them and storing my black/blue as extras next to my Brunsiwck pros(Dexter sst6 roughly).
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I replace shoes every 2 years. Had one pair of Dexters I went close to four years in and never noticed the feel at the time till buying a new pair of Dexters and realizing how much the older shoes had worn out. No different then regular shoes they probably shouldn't be worn that long is my point.
With the new white/black tpu-x shoes coming here soon I will be getting them and storing my black/blue as extras next to my Brunsiwck pros(Dexter sst6 roughly).
I changed out my original orthotics after 3 years. That's where most of the foot support comes from. Even at the end, the outside rubber sole still had bounce in it. When I SST5s, I experienced the loss of feel you discussed within 2 years. If you can dodge the bullet of the SST8 sole crack, they do hold up well.
After my SST8s cracked a few months before the 9s came out, I pulled out my backup Brunswick Pros to fill the gap. I always thought they were more of an SST8 SE that a SST6. Maybe they're a hybrid of the two.
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They may have been closer to sst8s.I don't remember and most of the sst don't change a whole lot. Ball park guess lol
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I have the original white Dexter sst8s...man they're due!
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Funny that the video is sponsored by Dexter SST8's in the closing credits.
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I still can't get a pair of TPU-X since I have small feet, so a pair of 9's need to be looked at. I'm still back in SST6 land