Adidas 2008 “D’Artagnan III” or Lightster Badminton Shoe?
For several months now I’ve been schooling local parents on the options that they have for fencing shoes. You can go with the high end shoes (we carry the Leon Paul / Hi-Tec Blades and Scimitars in our showroom) or you can go with the cheaper fencing shoes but you can also go with a shoe that is made for a different or larger market that incorporates many of the features you need for fencing.
Of the “non-fencing” shoes that are best for the purpose, the shoes made for squash and badminton work out the best because they are made to support the foot for the lunging motions and side to side movements demanded of a match.
Imagine my surprise today when I saw pictures of the “New for 2008″ D’Artagnan III fencing shoe. At $118 it’s a bargain over the $200 adiStars that are available at the Adidas online store. I went to the Adidas store to look for the D’Artagnan shoes and did not find them there, but did find the new Lightster Badminton shoe. The thing is, the Lightster looks exactly like the photos for the D’Artagnan, but the Lighterster is only $80, vs. $118!
So, are there differences?
The D’Artagnan features are:
The latest edition of the fencing world‘s favorite footwear, this lightweight shoe‘s flexible design is ready to perform.
TORSION® SYSTEM provides lightweight arch support and foot stabilization
adiPRENE®+ insert for forefoot propulsion and efficiency
adiTUFFTM for best abrasion resistance in the toe area
Nylon mesh upper for lightweight and breathability
Molded EVA insole for anatomical comfort
non-marking rubber outsole
The Lightster features are:
ClimaCool® provides 360-degree cooling for the entire foot
Seamless technology for comfort and stability
Ankle stabilizer for support
Imported
Based on the marketing bullet points, there is something different between the two shoes. Looking at the photos, the uppers of the shoes are a little different, with the D’Artagnan having more of a mesh appearance to it.
What do you think? Are the badminton shoes good enough or are the D’Artagnans worth the extra $38?
Anyone tried (or bought) the 2008 Olympics Adidas Fencing Shoes? - Fencing.Net Discussion on 28 Jul 2008 at 2:21 pm #
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jarmusch on 27 Sep 2008 at 3:19 pm #
I ordered the D’artagnan III’s already, so i made my choice:P, and relying strictly on the features, i would say that i made the right decision, because the badminton shoes don’t have abrasion resistant inserts on inside of the shoe. On a metal piste for example this would cause some serious wear, and affect the durability of the shoe.
Hope i helped out!
manuel arredondo on 24 Nov 2008 at 3:53 pm #
Hello,
I just got the D’artagnan III version. Nevertheless I would say that the badmington should be about the same thing.
I used to train in Tauberbischofsheim in Germany after highschool and they highly recomended Badminton or handball shoes instead of regular fencing shoes. Specially for Eppe fencers. I actually made my decision based in the similarity of this fencing shoes to regular handball of badmington shoes.
I believe that the Lightster should perform just like the D’artagnan III. I wish I knew about the Lightster before spending extra 30 dollars.
Manuel