The Asics Gel Rocket 9 indoor court shoes. They are part of the long-running Asics Gel Rocket line. In 2021, these were replaced in the Asics lineup by the Asics Gel Rocket 10.
The Asics Gel Rocket 9 are marketed by Asics as volleyball shoes, but they are commonly used for other indoor court sports including squash and badminton.
In the squash world, the Gel Rocket line is known as being good value for money. These shoes are certainly popular at the club level because of their price point, but the quality is good enough that many professional squash players use the Gel Rocket line.
These are the ninth iteration of the Gel Rocket range, and they were first spotted in May of 2019. The prior versions are the Asics Gel Rocket 8, and before that the Asics Gel Rocket 7.
Here is some product information from Asics.com.
With exceptional fit, enhanced traction and upgraded, shock-absorbing cushioning, our GEL-Rocket® 8 model is a top-level shoe at an entry-level price. Known as a longtime favorite of beginner and intermediate court players, the latest GEL-Rocket® incarnation features our stabilizing Trusstic System® technology, gum rubber on the outsole for unparalleled traction and our signature forefoot GEL® technology cushioning. Weight: 11.9 oz.
The Asics Gel Rocket 9 come in a men’s version and a women’s version.
Asics Gel Rocket 9 Review and Unboxing
Here’s an unboxing of the Gel Rocket 9s. They are good-looking shoes in person. One cosmetic difference of these shoes versus the Gel Rocket 8s is the “GEL-ROCKET” label on the heel of the shoe.
Here’s my review of the Asics Gel Rocket 9. In a nutshell, these are very similar to the prior model, so if you liked the Asics Gel Rocket 8, the 9 is going to suit you just fine. The feel is very similar.
Some other points:
- I feel the outer sole of each shoe is ‘banked’ on the outside, which feels like an intentional design decision to help you push off laterally
- As usual, the Rockets do not have an easily removable insole. You can remove it but it’s glued down and you have to rip it out
- These weighed 372 grams on my home scale (size US 11.5)
- If you’re looking for a cheaper shoe, try the Asics Gel Upcourt
- If you’re willing to spend a little more, try the Asics Gel Tactic 2, which are a nice step up.
Asics Gel Rocket 9 — Men
Black with a dash of pink:
Spotted
George Parker rolling with these in Qatar 2020:
Black and yellow:
Black and red:
Spotted
Iker Pajeres at the 2021 Black Ball Open:
Blue and light blue:
White and blue:
White and blue:
Image via handballshop.com →
Product Info
Release year: 2020
Price: €60
Sponsored Links ↓
Buy (US): holabirdsports.com
Spotted
Patrick Rooney:
Photo via Steve Cubbins →
Racket: Probably Unsquashable Tour-Tec Pro painted black
Location: 2021 Black Ball Open Men
White and gold:
Image via handballshop.com →
Product Info
Release year: 2020
Price: €60
Sponsored Links ↓
Buy (US): amazon.com | holabirdsports.com
White and navy, spotted March 2020:
White and red:
White, black, and what looks like a gold color.
Sponsored Links ↓
Buy (Canada): racquetguys.ca
Buy (US): amazon.com | holabirdsports.com | racquetguys.com | squashgalaxy.com | squashgear.com | zappos.com
Spotted
Faraz Khan in 2021:
Photo via Steve Cubbins →
Racket: Head Graphene 360+ Radical 135
Location: 2021 World Championships [Men]
“Speed Red” and black:
Sponsored Links ↓
Buy (Canada): racquetguys.ca
Buy (US): amazon.com | holabirdsports.com | racquetguys.com | squashgalaxy.com | squashgear.com | zappos.com
Black:
Sponsored Links ↓
Buy (Canada): racquetguys.ca
Buy (US): amazon.com | holabirdsports.com | racquetguys.com | squashgalaxy.com | squashgear.com | zappos.com
Spotted
Mazen Hesham had these at the 2019 Channel Vas tournament:
Photo via cvassquash.com →
Racket: Eye V.Lite 125
Location: 2019 Channel Vas
This color scheme is called “Electric Blue Sour Yuzu”. Interesting. This one was spotted at PDH Sports in the UK.
Black and Blue:
Spotted
Nathan Lake at the 2021 British Open:
Asics Gel Rocket 9 — Women
Some new colors spotted in August 2020.
Black / Light Blue
Image via handballshop.com →
Product Info
Release year: 2020
Price: €60
Sponsored Links ↓
Buy (Canada): racquetguys.ca
Buy (US): racquetguys.com
Black / Pink
White / Light Blue
Spotted
Olivia Blatchford Clyne at the 2021 Black Ball:
Photo via Steve Cubbins →
Racket: Harrow Vapor Ultralite
Location: 2021 Black Ball Open Women
White / Navy
This color scheme was spotted early in 2020:
This is another one spotted in 2020:
Image via handballshop.com →
Product Info
Release year: 2020
Price: €59
Sponsored Links ↓
Buy (Canada): racquetguys.ca
Buy (US): racquetguys.com
Here are some women’s Gel Rocket 9 shoes, which were spotted back in 2019 at realvolleyball.com.
Black and White:
Sponsored Links ↓
Buy (Canada): racquetguys.ca
Buy (US): holabirdsports.com | racquetguys.com | squashgalaxy.com | squashgear.com | zappos.com
White and Black:
Sponsored Links ↓
Buy (Canada): racquetguys.ca
Buy (US): holabirdsports.com | racquetguys.com | squashgalaxy.com | squashgear.com | zappos.com
Asics Blue and White:
Spotted
Mohamed El Sherbini had these at the 2021 Black Ball Open:
White and Classic Red:
Sponsored Links ↓
Buy (Canada): racquetguys.ca
Buy (US): holabirdsports.com | racquetguys.com | squashgalaxy.com | squashgear.com
White and Dive Blue:
Spotted
Joshna Chinappa was wearing this model in 2021 I think:
Photo via Squash Site →
Racket: Tecnifibre Carboflex Airshaft 125
Location: 2021 Black Ball Open Women
This is a pink and black one:
Image via handballshop.com →
Sponsored Links ↓
Buy (Canada): racquetguys.ca | racquet-science.com
Buy (US): racquetguys.com
Thanks
Thanks to Keir and Dan for the tips on these shoes!
KW says
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Diego Elias wearing Black Gel Rockets at the Manchester Open 2021.
Dan says
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Found the women’s version, and it looks like they have more colors than the men’s version:
https://www.realvolleyball.com/womens/asics-womens-gel-rocket-9/
Pierre says
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Thanks Dan, added!