Asics Men's GEL-Rocket 7 Volleyball Shoe

UPDATE:I am on my fifth pair. As long as the price does not change and they continue to last six months I will probably just continue buying these good shoes.UPDATE:I am now on my fourth pair of these shoes. They fit well, give me good grip and support. They are not too expensive. And, now I know that they will last between 5 and 6 months before the soles wears out. I play or drill for about eight hours a week, squash.ORIGINAL REVIEW:They are mostly comfortable. This is my second pair. They are narrow around the front, squishing my pinky toe. I will wear heavy socks to stretch them out a bit.Update: they wear out rather quickly.I have had these shoes for 3.5 months and they have worn out on the sole and the toes where the sole connects to the top of the foot. I use them only for squash. I put them on and take them off at the gym, so they've never seen cement. I calculated that they have gotten about 95 hours of use. I do not know what is the expected lifetime for squash shoes. But, these seems a little low. Otherwise, the tops and insides are in perfect condition. Maybe these are better off for sports other than squash.

I'm a pretty big guy (~250lbs) and play hard, so my shoes take a lot of abuse. I've been using these for the last ~5months playing racquetball for ~3-5hrs per week, and the a holding up just fine. Most court shoes I have blow out just behind my small toe (from quick stops and cutting side to side in the court). The sole is sticky and isn't wearing out too fast. I also have high arches, and these shoes fit my feet perfectly without the need for additional inserts. Super pleased, I'll be buying another pair after I've trashed these. I hope Asics keeps making them.

I am a tournament player with 2E width needs. In almost all cases a D width shoe is a disappointingly narrow fit, and accordingly so do the choices for decent racquetball shoes. For years I have worn NB basketball shoes on the racquetball court, which get the job done yet are heavier than optimal, feel slow for racquetball IMO. NB doesn't make a racquetball or volleyball shoe. Their tennis shoes can be had in 2E, but aren't made for wood floors.I tried the HEAD Sonic shoes because they come in a mid cut but those gave me my first case of plantar fasciitis in my right foot, so I was forced to dump them, but the lighter weight was definitely a plus. So, what next?Coincidentally I noticed that a lot of guys in the league I play in seemed to be suddenly wearing Asics shoes in the various models - Flashpoint, Sensei, Gel 7 etc. and the feedback was that all the models came somewhat large, and wider. I tried them all and for me the Gel 7 is the answer. The cushioning is outstanding, plantar fasciitis not a problem now, even after I play. My forefoot feels just comfortable enough in the 12D size i bought. I normally wear a 11.5 2E. in NB shoes. Overall the Gel7 is a solid, light weight shoe with excellent traction and for a wide foot, an OK fit.

Here is the list of Plus and Minus that I found after using these shoes for 6 months (only in Badminton court for 4-5 days a week for 1-2 hours a day):Plus:- The Shoe really fits as expected and is good quality.- The Look of the shoe is sporty however in black/Silver Combination, the silver is too flashy (but I will not consider it negative).- Laces stay in place.Minus:- The shoe feels a little hard on the feet and not very flexible or soft as a sports shoe should be.- I did not feel any difference with the GEL Cushioning system.- The flex point of my right shoe is not correct, which is leading to the incorrect creasing between the toe support and the lacing. I am worried that with the incorrect alignment of the Flex Point, the shoe may not last long.

I ordered theses Gel 7's for my husband. They came in an Asics box and were a true size 13. He had worn them about 6 times to play pickleball for about three hours at a time. They required no break in period and feel great. He said the arch support and cushioning were a plus and were great for starting and stopping as well as lateral movements during the game. Traction is good. Worn on inside court primarily. He has had a knee replacement and his knee feels good as well after wearing these shoes. He would recommend.

I have flat feet and need a court shoe (actually all shoes) with a stiff insole, rear foot control, and a high arch (most shoes do not come with a high arch so I need to augment the shoe with an arch support). This Gel-Rocket 7 has the stiffest outer sole/shaft in a court shoe I've come across---as stiff as a hiking boot--but with a flexible toe for quick forward movements and jumping. The rear foot\heel control so far is very stable. I tend towards underpronation, but with these shoes and arch support I don't seem to supinate (underpronation) or overpronate. Court shoes take a lot of abuse, so time will tell in regards to its durability. Fit was as expected.

I play squash, which is tough on the shoes because of all the start-stop-return that one perform during the game. These volleyball shoes did not perform as expected because:1) They gave me black toe nails.2) They wore out really fast. I bought them in October/2016 and lasted only until April/2017.The reason I tried them for squash was because before I had the ASIC Men's Gel-Dominion Volleyball Shoes and I totally love this other model because I didn't have to break them the first time I used them, and they lasted from April/2015 until October/2017. Three times as much as the Gel-Rocket 7. I thought that newer models would be better but I was wrong.I recommend the Gel-Dominion better than this one.