I picked up my new "THE 9" shoes today, and threw 3 games to make sure I didn't make an expensive mistake.
Here are some of my first impressions:
The 9s have a more streamlined profile than my SST8s. When I first looked at them, I almost thought they would be too small. But when on the feet, they're every bit as roomy as my SST8s. As advertised, the leather is soft, and they're comfortable without any need for break-in. It did take me the first two games to comfortably wear in the new S7 sole. I used one of my broken-in H7 red leather soles from my SST8s. The H5 that comes with the 9s is too much brake for my tastes.
The design of the 9s should correct a few of the major complains about the SST8s. First, there is finally a replaceable toe guard. It's built into the replaceable soles that integrate perfectly into the shoe. Wear out the toe guard? Simply replace the sole. It's a vast improvement over the clunky toe cap used on the 3G Ultras. Second, the 9s have built-in sole flex points that should largely eliminate the cracking many experienced on the SST8s. That's the problem that finally killed my SST8, although I got 5 years and close to 3,000 games out of the pair.
Only time will tell if the improved design translates to longevity. My initial impressions of the 9s is that they're solid and should last as long as I want to keep them. Given the total dollar investment, I'm hoping so…...
