I’ve tried em all (almost) -the best shoe on the market is the ASICS Gel Res 7

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red rook

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I go through a lot of shoes. I also play a lot of tennis. So much so that I’ve had insertional AND non-insertional Achilles tendinitis (different legs), plantar fasciitis, a major ankle sprain, and neuropathy in my toes and on the outside of my foot over the years. I use both the green and orange superfeet. And on and off ASO ankle braces.

My shoe past has included the Adidas barricades 6, 7, 8+, 2015, 2016, 2016 boost, 2017, 2017 boost, 2018, 2018 boost (2018 fit is terrible), ASICS gel res 6, court ff, gel games, speed 3’s, Nike vapors 9.5, new balance 996v3, Wilson rush pro 2.5, babolat propulse (can’t rememeber what edition). Also I’m sure there are others...those are the ones I remember off the top of my head. The Wilsons were better than I thought they would be. The vapors are nice but toast after a week and a half.

Anyways, I am glad to say that the ASICS gel resolution 7’s are the best shoe on the market. Those crazy tennis warehouse boys said the same thing in one of their video reviews but I said yeah, sure. The thing is the gel res 7’s hold their value at 129 and change and hardly ever go on sale anywhere. So when I saw TW had a happy hour sale with them going for 99 I caved.

I have about 10 hours on them. These have a great heel to toe transition (not sure what it’s called) but my Achilles’ tendons have felt so much better. I also like a stability shoe but not one with such a stiff mid foot shank that my Achilles has to work harder than it should (picture a slat of wood from toe to heel, your Achilles and calf don’t get the benefit of shoe flex if the shoe is too stiff through the mid To high foot area). The upper is soft enough and the shoe has good cushioning (I use my orange superfeet though). The sole also isn’t so grippy as to give your knee issues, particularly when I plant my front foot and twist on a backhand. Some may not like the slightly* slick outsoles but I think they’re perfect. For now on I’m going to bone up the extra Johnny and stay with the gel res. Hoping the 8’s don’t get changed too much. Very happy with the purchase.
 
Been using the Gel Resolution 7s for about half a year now... I fell in love with them just like you!

Great all-round shoe and I really have no major complains about it
 
I appreciate the post. Heavy compared to other stability shoes? I see they are at or similar to others in terms of weight. A quick check shows the gel res 7 is 14.2 ounces (size 10.5). Barricades are 15.3, Propulse 15.4, 996v3 15.2, T22 Lite 15.6, Rush pro 2.5 14.8, Power eclipsion 14.2 (no warranty), and the nike cage 3’s come with a recommendation to go up to a larger size so the weight given at 13.0 is dubious. The cages are also a far cry from the barricades and gel res’s of the world.

I’m not sure on the locking down part. I have used the gel res 7 with ASO braces but also played 4 hours w/o them and didn’t perceive any ankle stability issues (although admittedly the barricades shine in this area).
 
Sorry, impact protection sucks. The GR6 couldn't protect my knees even on clay, and the GR7's cushioning is the same. For me, I need something with real cushioning. That's why the Court FF is the best Asics shoe for me, and the Barricade Boosts also have much better impact protection than the Gel Res.
 
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I'm not here to convince anyone of anything, just stating my opinion. Everyone's viewpoint is valid of course.

That said I can speak to both the FF and the boost. I don't notice a big difference with the FF and the gel res on cushioning - maybe I received a bad pair. Secondly, the boost has good cushioning but went flat for me over time (2 months?). I have had four pairs of boosts. I'm a big guy but not that big - 190 pounds.
 
red rook said:
I'm not here to convince anyone of anything, just stating my opinion. Everyone's viewpoint is valid of course.

That said I can speak to both the FF and the boost. I don't notice a big difference with the FF and the gel res on cushioning - maybe I received a bad pair. Secondly, the boost has good cushioning but went flat for me over time (2 months?). I have had four pairs of boosts. I'm a big guy but not that big - 190 pounds.
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You say that it's just your opinion, but the fact that the title of your post includes the words "best shoe on the market" suggests that it's more of a claim. To you, cushioning is about comfort. I say that because you obviously aren't getting any knee pain from any of these shoes you mentioned. I'm 53, and for me cushioning protects my knees. Whether a shoe "feels" flat is not as important to me as whether my knees feel sore during a long match. I'll say that the Gel Res cushioning feels comfortable to walk around in, but it's not substantial enough for many older players. An extreme example of that is Nike Free minimal shoes. Those are probably the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn, but you'd better not strike the ground with your heel if you're wearing them.
 
My friend, this is a forum. Anyone with a ruble's worth of common sense knows nearly every post contained therein is opinion.

My knee pain went away when I lost 25 pounds. Too much cushioning in the wrong places for me is actually detrimental - if you feel orthotic-type insoles they are not the most cushioning devices. But they help (for me) prevent injury. I think everyone has a balance they must strike between performance, support, cushioning, etc.
 
I thought the 6's were pretty good but stayed away from the 7's after they covered up the toe box with rubber. How's the breathability on the 7's vs some of those other shoes you mentioned?
 
They've been my shoe for a while now. Nike dropped the ball with the cage line and I moved over. Been pretty great but they're a bit clunky...it would be nice if they could get the weight down more but overall I'm happy.
 
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Thanks everyone for your responses! The ASICS gel res 7’s clearly don’t win every category. But my thought is they do most everything well and are suitable for high level tennis (I think Djok may have used them at Wimbledon?), and have 6-mo warranty. I’m not super cheap but I’m to the point where I need a shoe to have a warranty as I go through shoes in 8-12 weeks. Maybe I have grungy footwork I don’t know. The FF’s I may have to try again but very pricey w/o a warranty. Same with eclipsion 2’s. My opinion is the ‘best’ footwear should have good value and thus have a warranty.

I’m not sure on breathability. Honestly that’s not a huge parameter for me, or I should say, I’m just not sensitive to that subtlety. That said thinking back on it the ASICS are similar to the barricades, not as good as the vapors, and better than the Wilson rush pro 2.5’s in that category.

I haven’t tried a Yonex shoe in a while - they used to have too wide of a profile. Would love to try the eclipsion 2 and also the ff’s again.
 
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Bab sfx2 blew the gel res away for me as far as cushioning. Not close. Glad you love them though. Long ass narrow shoe for me and I don’t have wide feet. My left knee did not like them.
 
markwillplay said:
Bab sfx2 blew the gel res away for me as far as cushioning. Not close. Glad you love them though. Long ass narrow shoe for me and I don’t have wide feet. My left knee did not like them.
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Both my knees didn't like the Gel Res. It's a shoe for young sturdy players. I read the reviews of the Solution Speed FF, and I'm actually wondering now if the SS FF has better cushioning than the Gel Res 7 because of the FlyteFoam. That would be an interesting turn if that's the case.
 
I am interested as well. I know that Babis coming out with sfx 3 I guess. Wider toe box than the 2s. I am inbeteeen sizes in the sfx 2 so I will definitely be looking at the new babs.
 
travlerajm said:
This is my shoe of choice for tennis.

Unconventional, but more comfortable and joint friendly for quick bursts and changes of direction than any 'tennis' shoe.

https://www.big5sportinggoods.com/s...-Mens-Running-Shoes/5330111830104/_/A-6225908
Click to expand...

I used a running shoe, after a tennis shoe tore at the toe cap. I moved brilliantly, but went back to what I know after a few months. I might try again some day.

Did you intentionally pick a trail running shoe for the traction?
 
travlerajm said:
This is my shoe of choice for tennis.

Unconventional, but more comfortable and joint friendly for quick bursts and changes of direction than any 'tennis' shoe.

https://www.big5sportinggoods.com/s...-Mens-Running-Shoes/5330111830104/_/A-6225908
Click to expand...

I've seen some beginners use running shoes on the court....also saw some of them twist ankles & lose balance. Most running shoes don't give the lateral support that tennis shoes do as they are designed for forward motion, not side to side stability.
 
newyorkstadium said:
I used a running shoe, after a tennis shoe tore at the toe cap. I moved brilliantly, but went back to what I know after a few months. I might try again some day.

Did you intentionally pick a trail running shoe for the traction?
Click to expand...
I have narrow feet and high arches. All adidas run narrow, but only a few of their budget shoes lines have the high arch mold that fit my feet like a glove. I haven’t found a shoe from another brand that fits as well. The barricade mold also fits my feet well (also narrow with high arch), but is of course much stiffer throughout than a running shoe.

The trail running outsole does wear down faster, but it also has good traction on hard court. I purposely choose nonblack outsole color so I’m allowed on tennis courts.

The stability concern of running shoes is a myth in my opinion. I find I’m actually more likely to roll my ankle in tennis shoes vs running shoes because tennis shoes have a hard edge - once I start to go over the edge my ankle is toast. The softer edge of running shoes help keep the stabilizing muscles and nerves in the sides of my ankles trained and able to detect and resist a roll.
 
I think my next shoe purchase may be the gel res 7. I have loved other asics shoes, but I haven't tried the resolution line. I once rocked up to a doubles match, and realised I had left my tennis shoes at home. I played in brogues... on a wet court no less! How I didn't roll an ankle that day, I do not know.

Interesting, I will have to try another pair in the future. @travlerajm I certainly moved great in running shoes, but I was in better shape at the time. For now I will carry on focusing on coaching, so I can stop being thrashed by chinese tennis players.
 
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having tried them all as well, i've given up and now accept i have to pay the premium for barricades or resolutions (preferred).
 
red rook said:
I'm not here to convince anyone of anything, just stating my opinion. Everyone's viewpoint is valid of course.

That said I can speak to both the FF and the boost. I don't notice a big difference with the FF and the gel res on cushioning - maybe I received a bad pair. Secondly, the boost has good cushioning but went flat for me over time (2 months?). I have had four pairs of boosts. I'm a big guy but not that big - 190 pounds.
Click to expand...

We obviously all experience cushioning differently but for me, the FFs are far more cushioned than the 7s. I snapped my Achilles’ tendon quite a while ago and the FFs are much better - again, for me[emoji4].


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Without a doubt my favorite is the Diadora S Star K Elite. The kangaroo leather is far more comfortable than synthetic fabrics. It breathes well, too.
I rarely play outdoor hard courts so I cannot claim to the durability if exclusively playing that surface. But for me, I've experienced no issues. I play 12 hours of drills per week, with 5 additional sets of singles play and 3 of doubles per week. I rotate 2 pair of the same shoe. They last plenty of time for my purposes.
 
I too have tried them all. And the best shoe to me is Yonex Eclipsion Power Cushion.....I'm starting to see a recurring theme lol.
 
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