Want to buy shoes for ultimate? As there are no shoes especially designed for ultimate*, it might be a bit difficult to find good shoes. Here are some tips and suggestions for shoes.
Tip #1: Most obvious, but also most important: They should fit and feel stable. For indoor I recommend shoes with ‘shock-technology’/damping; better for your knees.
Tip #2: Be especially aware of the quality on the sides of the nose of the shoe. Due to your cutting movements, there is quite some lateral force on this part of the shoe; this is where most shoes eventually break. Note that this means that in general soccer cleats are less durable; the nose of the shoe is made to be perfect for kicking a ball, durability is second.
Tip #3: If you have weak ankles; there are plenty of shoes out there that are high, it provides you with some extra support.
Tip #4: Do not buy running shoes. The soles are made for walking straight only (and will rip due to the lateral movements during cutting).
Tip #5: Grip; you need lots of it. Outdoor some people prefer hockey shoes, but especially in wet conditions, you really want more grip. Therefore, if you want a shoe that is useable in all field-conditions; I recommend korfball, lacrosse or baseball cleats (note: metal spikes are not allowed).
Suggestions for outdoor:
- Adidas Copa Mundial (Soccer) – Jasper (most popular shoe)
- Asics (Hockey) – Chris (warning: grip loss in wet conditions)
- Mizuno Franchise (Korfball) – Rolf (wide feet)
- UA Highlight MC (Football) – Jeremy (not sold locally)
Suggestions for indoor:
- Asics (Volleyball) – Chris
- Mizuno Wave Rally (Volleyball) – Rolf (wide feet)
Rolf
* Update: Kickstarter-project with shoes especially designed for ultimate