Ball Hockey Blog: August 2015

Last week we introduced the MK5 shoes and how they were specifically designed for ball hockey. That's not all we have. This week, we're going to show you the Salming Goalie Shoes and Viper Player Shoes. These shoes have been designed for the growing sport of Floorball which is mainly played in Europe but is gaining traction in other countries including Canada. What we realized is that when it comes to running, both sports are pretty similar.

Salming has designed their shoes for optimal grip as well as many other features that can be extremely beneficial for ball hockey players. Our first stop, is the Salming Slide Goalie Shoe.

**Please note: We'll be partnering up with Salming at our booth coming up this Thursday, August 13th to Saturday, August 15th at the CBHA Nationals in Ottawa at the Jim Durrell Centre.**

Salming Slide Goalie Shoes

This shoe is very light weight sitting at approximately 255g. Despite that fact that it feels like there's no weight at all, there is sufficient protection on the toes and along the inner sole. The material is a very durable polyester nylon providing excellent sliding properties no matter what floor surface you're playing on. So when you're in butterfly and you're trying to move across, you won't have the grip of your shoes holding you back.

The sole of the shoe is designed with an archflex allowing maximum flexibility and a gap for your pad strap if needed. The grip on the sole gives you the grip you need for complete control on those quick side steps allowing you to have more power in your strides and slides if using a slick sheet or pad cover.

There is asymmetrical lacing covered by an exo tongue construction that keeps the lacing in place and protected throughout the game. Here's what Nathalie Girouard, 2015 Women's Team Canada, had to say:

Salming Viper Series

Our next popular shoes are the Viper Series. These shoes will give you everything you need to increase your performance. It has a 3 layer construction for comfort, stability on lateral movements, and durability. The ErgoHeelCup stabilizes and fixates the heel giving you great fit and comfort.

The shoes come with a T.G.S. 62/75 (Torsion Guide System). That means that the distance from your heel to the ball of your foot (62% of the shoe) has been designed with extra stability and ends in the so-called "ballet" line, a 75 degree angle. In front of the 75 degree line, the shoe is equipped with greater flexibility to stimulate your foot's natural movements. All this is necessary in order to soften the strains caused by friction during lateral movements.

Another feature is the Lateral Movement Stabilizer. This unit is a light weight design integrated with dual torsion supporting your foot during fast and irregular lateral movements. The inner sole consists of a Roll Bar facilitating rolling the foot inwards and a toe push off while the outer sole has the Lateral Movement Stabilizer Plus preventing your foot from rolling outwards during those fast lateral stops.

The two biggest features of these shoes are the XR110 rubber traction on the sole of the shoe giving you extreme grip and the RunLite that features a special High Abrasion Injection EVA giving the shoes a weight of approximately 290g.

A bonus feature is the new Anti-Odour/Anti-Bacterial Inner Sole sock liner. With a high level of comfort and integrated anti-bacterial technology, the shoes will help keep your feet fresh during your game. The anti-odour shows positive effects on both mileage and your surroundings.

Make sure to check out the Canadian Ball Hockey Nationals this week in Ottawa at the Jim Durrell Centre. You can follow CBHA on twitter @CanBallHockey or on Facebook by clicking here.

The tournament runs from Monday, August 10th to Saturday, August 15th. BallHockeyGear.ca will be teaming up with Salming, August 13th to 15th, so make sure to come check out the tournament and check out our booth.

Have an awesome week!

The most common issues ball hockey players such as yourself are having right now is having the right footwear. Whether you're playing on Dek, Gym Floor, or Slab, you can't quite seem to be getting the edge you're looking for. Edge is not the only factor that's lacking, it's protection and durability. Within half a season, your shoes are torn up and those shots to the toes make your teeth grind.

The solution? Ball Hockey Shoes. That's right. There are shoes that are specifically designed for ball hockey. The MK5's, MK3's, and Mids are all designed to have a solid grip, with toe protection and durability. The MK5's and MK3's are also available in women's sizes. Each model contains similar features with slight differences.

MK5

The MK5 model comes in 3 different colours. Blue and Black for Men and Pink/Black for Women. The shoes are designed with a tire tread giving you more grip on smooth surfaces. They have been tested on all floor types, including the dek surface when there's morning due at 6am. The T-Guard is a solid rubber that protects your big toe area from sticks and shots. The shoe has also been designed with torque resistance, an anti-roll bar along the outer edge, and spy foam at some of the edges of the shoe to give more endurance.

MK3

The MK3 Model has the same tire tread as the MK5 along with ventilation in the centre of the sole. The toe protection is a little more soft but can still withstand a shot from a ball. The material used for the shoe is a little lighter giving the shoe less weight than the MK5 however this can reduce the endurance level. The MK3 will still last longer than your traditional running shoe.

MK5 Mid

The MK5 Mid is a mix of the MK5 and MK3. The tire tread remains the same as the other two models however the toe protection is at it's best. The highlight of this particular model is in the toe protection.

There's a solid rubber T-Guard for your big toe but has the same toe protection as the MK3 for all your toes. The shoe material is identical to the MK5 so it will last a long time. The mid cut design gives you more ankle support and protection.

If you're tired of slipping on the floor, not having enough traction, or you simply want to avoid this...