Footwear?

[Nathan Dexter]

Hey.
I was wondering what everyone uses for footwear well practiceing and sparring.
Thanks

[Mike Chidester]

Comfort Mocs have been all the rage here in Provo for a while. But you've got to make sure you don't get the kind that has a stretchy mouth, because then your feet will slide around when you step agressively.

[Josh Welsh]

I wear steel toe combat boots, but they are a very comfortable variety. I wear them working all day, and barely notice them.

[Jaron Bernstein]

I like asics wrestling shoes.

[Tim Merritt]

Wrestling shoes.

[Randall Pleasant]

Cheap tennis shoes. They work great for me since we practice in a hot dry dirt of a hot dry park. These shoes are not so good once I hit a modern floor, especially hard wood, since there is more grip, which makes itself known in my knees. If I was going to practice a lot on a hard wood floor I would be looking for something that gave fair grip while still allowing me to turn freely on the ball of my foot.

[Kevin Peterson]

I used to wear cross training shoes, but then I tried wrestling shoes and I will never go back. I could not believe the difference going with a thin sole shoe made. Just my opinion.

Kevin Peterson
ARMA Appleton

[Todd Eriksen]

My preference is indoor soccer shoes, good for both indoor and outdoor wear.

[Nathan Dexter]

thanks, now what did the actual soldiers of the period use?

[Jaron Bernstein]

Meyer's dudes look like they are wearing slippers.

Footwear is an interesting question. The less you have, the more mobile you are. Mauy Thai guys fight barefoot. Boxers wear pretty mobile things. On the other hand, if your feet are unprotected in a place that has rocky ground, sharp things all about and the like, maybe more foot protection is in order. Most folks in current US law enforcement wear boots, despite them being comparatively unwieldy when chasing some fellow in nice running shoes.

[JeffGentry]

Hey Nathan

Historic enterprise's offer's 2 turnshoe's that look's very close to what we see in art work, they are kind of pricey.

Historic Enterprise's turn shoe

Buckle turnshoe

I want to get a pair before summer is out i think it will change the way i move and fight, I think these are what are seen in Talhoffer and Wallerstein.


I think in Meyer he is wearing a pair of cowmouth shoe's, IIRC that is what they were called, the Landsknecht wore them alot.

Here is an example of them, i do not know how accurate this particular example is.

Cow mouth shoe

It has been my experience that smooth leather sole's do not have much traction on grass, so hopefully i will have a pair in the next month or so.

I am currently wearing Asics wrestling shoe's.

Jeff

[Mike Chidester]

Footwear is an interesting question. The less you have, the more mobile you are. Mauy Thai guys fight barefoot. Boxers wear pretty mobile things. On the other hand, if your feet are unprotected in a place that has rocky ground, sharp things all about and the like, maybe more foot protection is in order. Most folks in current US law enforcement wear boots, despite them being comparatively unwieldy when chasing some fellow in nice running shoes.

Indeed. I used to fight in combat boots, and thought that the weight didn't affect me at all, but when I started wearing athletic shoes the difference was incredible. The mocassins, though, make my New Balance running shoes feel heavy, and still have great treads for taction on grass and dirt.

[Tim Merritt]

I said wrestling shoes above, but somebody mentioned turnshoes by Historic Enterprises. I have a pair of those also. They can be slippery in grass and modern smoth surface, like an indoor basketball court. Good on dirt, gravel.

Also have used "kung-fu" slippers, that grip somewhere between leather bottom turnshoe and rubber wrestlijng shoes.

The common thread here is they are all thin bottom, flat, and flexible, with grip on different surfaces being the only difference.

The wrestling shoes are a good comprimise and the goofy factor isn't quite as high. I mostly use the turnshoes (or elf shoes, as my kids call them) around the house and yard as slippers.

[Shane Smith]

I like wrestling shoes as well. The flat soles really make for good footwork and they're readily available.

[Bill Welch]

We got some thin bottom indian moccs, that work great they have a thin rubber sole, so they are not as slick in the grass.