shoes good for both martial arts training and everything else?

[Fiendlover]

ok so i need new shoes but i want shoes that will be great for martial arts training. i've been looking and i've came up with these two shoes. but not only do i want shoes that would be good to train in but i also want them to be for everyday use as well. like being outside, walking long distances, and possible hiking. if i can't hike in them thats fine but everyday use along with training is what i'm looking for. and i was hoping to have some input on either of these shoes.

http://www.shoebuy.com/otomix-stingray-boot/1549/1549

i like this one. it has more details on it and the comments others made on it sounds really good. like one of the guys said that it was great outside, yardwork, and for the gym.

http://store.martialartsmart.net/90-201.html

this one says the exact same thing on the other five links ive looked in to. and it doesnt really say much about it. so im thinking the other one.

what do you think?

P.S thanks in advance.

 

[Andrew Green]

I think you need two pairs of shoes, what works for martial arts doesn't work for other activites. The wrestling shoes beat the TKD shoes by a very wide margin, however they are not for out door use. They have very thin soles and you will burn through them quickly. This also means little cushioning, making them very bad for running on pavement, or doing anything that has you on your feet a lot. Not to mention you'd be tracking dirt onto the mats, even if they look clean you can still pick up all sorts of fun things like ring worm and drag that into class.

Shoes used for martial arts should only be used for martial arts.

 

[Fiendlover]

I think you need two pairs of shoes, what works for martial arts doesn't work for other activites. The wrestling shoes beat the TKD shoes by a very wide margin, however they are not for out door use. They have very thin soles and you will burn through them quickly. This also means little cushioning, making them very bad for running on pavement, or doing anything that has you on your feet a lot. Not to mention you'd be tracking dirt onto the mats, even if they look clean you can still pick up all sorts of fun things like ring worm and drag that into class.

Shoes used for martial arts should only be used for martial arts.

hmmmmmmmmm thanks for the advice.

 

[Mark Jakabcsin]

Learn to work (train) in all the different shoes you own and then you don't have to worry. Due to my job I often wear dress shoes. I keep a pair of J&M wing tips down on the floor and occassionally wear them just to get the feel. On occassion I also wear my hiking boots, sandals, and casual shoes. Each type has a different feel with different advantages and disadvantages. Train in all of them often enough and you will simply adapt to what ever, if anything, is on your feet.

Take care,

Mark J.

 

[Fiendlover]

Learn to work (train) in all the different shoes you own and then you don't have to worry. Due to my job I often wear dress shoes. I keep a pair of J&M wing tips down on the floor and occassionally wear them just to get the feel. On occassion I also wear my hiking boots, sandals, and casual shoes. Each type has a different feel with different advantages and disadvantages. Train in all of them often enough and you will simply adapt to what ever, if anything, is on your feet.

Take care,

Mark J.

i have trained in all my shoes but i never thought to adapt them. but that would be good advive especially if there is a need to use defense when you're not wearing training shoes. thanks Mark. :lookie:

 

[Flying Crane]

A decent pair of cross-trainers work great for martial arts training, and they are great for active daily wear as well.

 

[Fiendlover]

A decent pair of cross-trainers work great for martial arts training, and they are great for active daily wear as well.

i'll look into them. thank you Flying Crane.

 

[Flying Crane]

i'll look into them. thank you Flying Crane.

You're welcome.

Cross-trainers have good support and cushioning, and aren't a specialized shoe like wresting shoes. Wresting shoes don't have support and cushioning, so if you wear them out on the streets, you are asking for foot problems. Cross trainers have a mix of qualities that you would find in running shoes and court shoes. You've got the cushioning for running, but lateral support and stability like a court shoe has, so you won't roll your ankle if you shift from side-to-side. DO NOT use running shoes. They aren't built with side-to-side stability so much, so in martial arts training you can roll your ankle.

You probably shouldn't do serious off-trail hiking in cross-trainers, but I've certainly done day-long trail hikes in them with no trouble.

I wear cross-trainers all the time. It's pretty much the only thing I wear, except for the rare occasion when I need to dress up and wear something to go with a suit.

I do keep my workout cross trainers separate from my daily wear cross trainers. I tend to sweat a lot when I train, and my shoes can become damp. You don't want to be wearing wet, sweaty shoes all day after your workout. So keep a separate pair for training, so they can air out and dry, and you can spray them down with lysol once in a while if they get funky.

 

[Fiendlover]

You're welcome.

Cross-trainers have good support and cushioning, and aren't a specialized shoe like wresting shoes. Wresting shoes don't have support and cushioning, so if you wear them out on the streets, you are asking for foot problems. Cross trainers have a mix of qualities that you would find in running shoes and court shoes. You've got the cushioning for running, but lateral support and stability like a court shoe has, so you won't roll your ankle if you shift from side-to-side. DO NOT use running shoes. They aren't built with side-to-side stability so much, so in martial arts training you can roll your ankle.

You probably shouldn't do serious off-trail hiking in cross-trainers, but I've certainly done day-long trail hikes in them with no trouble.

I wear cross-trainers all the time. It's pretty much the only thing I wear, except for the rare occasion when I need to dress up and wear something to go with a suit.

I do keep my workout cross trainers separate from my daily wear cross trainers. I tend to sweat a lot when I train, and my shoes can become damp. You don't want to be wearing wet, sweaty shoes all day after your workout. So keep a separate pair for training, so they can air out and dry, and you can spray them down with lysol once in a while if they get funky.

hm i'll try some. but what if i put a really good sole in those grappling/wrestling shoes? how much would that really help? say i just stick with those shoes just for training? would it help a lot with the arch or should i just stick with something else?

 

[masherdong]

I wear wrestling shoes quite often. I train in them and walk around in the mall with them. I started wearing them everywhere back in the early 90's. I also used to wear those chinese shoes with the reddish brown soles everywhere too. So, my feet are used to it. I do have to say that I dont wear them so much now outside the school. I will still wear them one or two days out of the week.

 

[jks9199]

hm i'll try some. but what if i put a really good sole in those grappling/wrestling shoes? how much would that really help? say i just stick with those shoes just for training? would it help a lot with the arch or should i just stick with something else?

Replacing the sole on a pair of wrestling shoes wouldn't be worth the cost; they're simply not designed or intended to be general purpose shoes. At best, you'd end up with a 1970s style pair of sneakers kind of like classic Converse shoes.

For general daily wear, cross trainers are great. Flying Crane covered them pretty well. They're also good for training. But I'd encourage you to get a pair of wrestling shoes or something similar for training, and reserve them for that purpose. They're kinder to your training partners, and will reduce the odds of bringing dirt into the school.

 

[JadecloudAlchemist]

I for one train in the shoes I wear everyday.
There are Martial art shoes such as Tiger claw and Adidas TKD shoes however they are mostly for indoor training instead of everyday use.
I always look for light shoes for mobility.

 

[Grenadier]

Training in shoes isn't entirely unusual. Some diabetics have to train in shoes, since they need to take care of their feet more carefully.

In those cases, I've recommended K-Swiss tennis shoes, just for dojo use. They won't leave marks on your floor, and are very comfortable, while giving them the cushioning and support that are needed.

They're also not heavy at all, and last a long time.

 

[Flying Crane]

Replacing the sole on a pair of wrestling shoes wouldn't be worth the cost; they're simply not designed or intended to be general purpose shoes. At best, you'd end up with a 1970s style pair of sneakers kind of like classic Converse shoes.

For general daily wear, cross trainers are great. Flying Crane covered them pretty well. They're also good for training. But I'd encourage you to get a pair of wrestling shoes or something similar for training, and reserve them for that purpose. They're kinder to your training partners, and will reduce the odds of bringing dirt into the school.

Good points here.

If you keep a specialty shoe for training, such as wresting shoes, I agree, keep that for training and don't wear them around outside of that. There are reasons, as expressed above, why that can be a good idea, to use something like this for training. Specifically for hands-on contact training. If you practice a lot of forms, cross-traininers might be a better choice.

I really believe that if you wear shoes without cushioning and without arch support all the time, your feet will eventually suffer for it. Our feet are designed to be bare, but on soft surfaces like grass and dirt. This allows the bones of the feet to spread and flex while we walk. But much of our world is paved over in concrete, and this isn't often good to go barefoot on. It is unforgiving and gives no cushion. You can injure your foot this way. So you need to wear shoes with good support and cushioning. But this binds up the foot and doesn't allow the bones to flex so much. That's why the arch support is important, to avoid injury there while the foot is bound up in the shoe.

 

[Fiendlover]

thanks everyone. you do provide good points and i do appreciate the advice.

 

[7starmarc]

At our school, everyone where's shoes for class. Most wear a light MA shoe (otomix, etc.) Some wear wrestling shoes. I've tried both and found them wanting, as I do a fair share of my practice outdoors, sometimes on grass, sometimes on asphalt. Most cross-trainers ahve been too heavy for my taste. I have recently started wearing a Nike "fitness" shoe. I think it's designed for aerobics or somesuch, but have performed pretty well in class as well as outside and for some limited (few miles) running. It took some getting used to the more generous sole, but that is also why it performs better in other conditions. I also chose this shoe because it was designed with a pivot point at the ball of the foot. Most cross-trainers are not designed for that kind of motion (you can tell by the tread pattern).