Re:Adidas Adistar Discus VS. Nike zoom rotational - Throwing Events Discussion

I was wondering if anyone has any insight as to which one of these shoes would be better for the discus and hammer events. What do you feel are some good qualities of both of these shoes? What is the advantage of the added strap in the zoom rotational IV? I have always used the nike zoom rotational in the past and have liked them, it is a pretty quick shoe. I have no experience with any adidas shoe though, and I am very curious about them. Thanks for any information you might have on this subject.

I haven't tried the most recent versions of Adidas, but over time I've tried almost everything made in the past 15 years or so. Time and time again the Nikes come out the winners in durability and consistency in performance. Especially up north where a lot of rings are rough, the Nikes seem the most the same on varying surfaces. In the past Adidas shoes had softer rubber and putting them on a rough ring resulted in slower movements. Plus, Nikes don't change much each year so you can expect to get a similar shoe once your current ones wear out....less time to break them in or get used to them.

The biggest difference I've found in shoes designed specifically for shot and disc as opposed to the more recent Zoom Rotational is a little protrusion on the outside of the foot. This protrusion on the Rotational does help as I find that I wear it off of the side of my foot quicker than anything else on the shoe (aside from the zipper on previous versions of the Rotational). Shot and disc shoes do not have this as you should primarily be on the ball of your foot in those disciplines. In hammer and weight throw you get more on the side of your foot and that protrusion is designed to give you a pivot point. If you are planning on throwing a lot of hammer and weight I would suggest the Zoom Rotational (you may be able to find older versions cheaper), otherwise find a shoe that has a good texture that you can throw with. Most throwers have found that the Nike shoes have more durability, but the sole is a bit harder and therefore faster which can be a problem for some people.

On a side note, I think that the purpose of the second strap is merely to replace the zippered closure on previous models. The zipper was usually the first thing to fail and the idea of strapping down the laces is a great one since laces hitting outside of the ring DO count as an illegal throw. Since they left off the zippered closure I think they went to two straps to hold down the entire length of the lace. Just a theory.

In response the the statment that a shoe lace touching outside of the throwing ring is a foul:

That statment is incorrect(according to NCAA Rules)It is considered a foul throw when:

Touches with any part of the body, before the hammer hits the ground:
1) Any surface of the metal band except the inside surface, or
2) The area outside the circle;

It states any part of the body touching outside the ring, not uniform(or anything that might be worn. ie glasses, shoe laces, legal jewlery or watches are not considered part of the body.

In response to what shoes to get:

They are both good shoes, but stick with the Nikes because thats what you're use to.

The first pair I ever used were the darker red and black Nike's. I had a lot of success with them and they lasted a very long time until a hole had finally worn through where I rotated. The next pair I got were the shiny blue addistars - the tiny grippers on the soles slowed me down big time, and gave me less "feel". In short, I traded them for a case of beer. Currently I coach and throw in New Balance rotationals. These are without doubt the best throwing shoes I've ever worn.

I would also like to add my two sense on this one. i have tried every brand of shoes that are out there and I love Nike shoes. I currently use the Zoom SD and I have had them for over two years. The bottoms aren't hard like the rotational but these shoes I feel fit better for bigger feet. I prefer the SD over the rotational, but that's just me. Also for a thrower just learning the spin or hammer I might suggest giving these a shot before starting out with the spin shoes.