TKD shoes

[jthomas1600]

Anybody train in shoes? What are your thoughts. I've always liked training barefoot, but for several reasons I am considering shoes. A few people do at our school and it's not frowned upon at all. Anyone have any experience or thoughts about this?

 

[ETinCYQX]

I usually train in shoes, personally. I find that it helps preserve my feet, keeps blisters down, and saves unnecessary pain. However, I do train barefoot half the time to keep the conditioning up. Also, I don't wear shoes to spar or train Judo.

 

[IcemanSK]

I don't like to wear them, but I have lately due to cuts on my feet. They are not as comfortable for me when I do poomsae.

I usually wear shoes (wrestling shoes) when I kick my heavy bag at home. It's a good habit I got into when I trained in kickboxing. A bit more protection for the ankles, I found.

Normally, I don't wear shoes during TKD.

 

[Gemini]

I only wear them when conducting a test or coaching. As for training, personally I hate them, but many people wear them. It's just a matter of preference.

 

[FieldDiscipline]

Quite a short, but potentially helpful discussion here.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Since parts started wearing out, were removed and some replaced I have taken to using shoes. They provide a little extra cushion to substitute for the parts the surgeons removed.

 

[BoA36]

I had severe plantar fascitis and found that training in shoes was the only thing I could do. Of course, competing in sparring or forms, no shoes allowed.

 

[bluewaveschool]

never been able to do it. we had one instructor that wore shoes even when sparring, and kicked you in the head with them. I was only 17-18, new black belt, didn't want to rock the boat complaining. I found out that after I went to college, two of the guys that I got my BB with were taking turns pounding the crap out of him during sparring over being kicked with those shoes.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

We arent allowed to train in shoes but when at home training I quite often wear shoes because the ground would tear my feet apart. I wear adidas kundos and quite like them and mine have held up well despite copping a thrashing. Id rather train barefoot if at all possible but a good pair of tkd shoes does the trick if barefoot isnt possible.

 

[Manny]

Anybody train in shoes? What are your thoughts. I've always liked training barefoot, but for several reasons I am considering shoes. A few people do at our school and it's not frowned upon at all. Anyone have any experience or thoughts about this?

I have used tkd shoes and don't like it. TKD shoes are good for personal hygiene and if you traing in a wood floor can be a plus however because if the rubber sole they tend to be tacky on paded rubber floor mats and this not allow for free feet movement like spining.
I would rather prefer train in bare foot.,

Manny

 

[ATC]

Don't like them. I tried the shoes but barefoot is much better for me.

 

[Manny]

I think the use of the tkd shoes has it's place, for example I have isuess with my left foot and the shoes can help me a little with this so this is wjy I want to buy a new pair for teaching, also the shoes help alot talking personal hyginie. I have one student who does not have two or three toes from one oh his foot and he likes to use the shoes however I have notice he can pivot so well becuse of the tacky feeling against the mat.

Manny

 

[Miles]

I prefer to train in bare feet but will wear shoes when injured or required (like at the Kukkiwon).

 

[jthomas1600]

The reason I started this thread was because I've had sort of a recurring minor nusance of a toe injury and one of the instructors asked me if I'd thought about shoes. I kind of just shrugged it off because I too prefer to go into the dojang in bare feet. One thing that's got me reconsidering though is that I wear tennis shoes almost exclusively in daily life and I wondered (especially from a SD standpoint) if it didn't make sense to train in a similar kind of shoe that I would be wearing should I ever actually need my TKD skills. Any thoughts on that?

 

[bluekey88]

Has anybody tried training in something like vibram.five fingers?

Peace,
Erik

 

[andyjeffries]

Personally I always train bare foot. Once, a year ago, we were training in a carpeted room for a few weeks as our normal training hall was being renovated. After slipping around quite a bit I put my Taekwondo shoes on (Adidas Delta X, I always prefer the 50% material/50% leather as they're a bit lighter/more flexible). I then tried to to a tornado kick and felt my foot grip too much and my knee take the impact.

Nearly a year later my torn meniscus still isn't well and I have a scan in 4-6 weeks to see if they (the National Health Service in the UK) will be willing to operate on it...

Needless to say, since that moment I've been back to strictly bare foot!

 

[Steven Craig]

I wouldn't personally, but if it is not frowned upon, I would look at three things:

1. do you have something that makes training hard without shoes (injury)
2. surface you are training on
3. are you able to when you grade (not as necessary once you are beyond coloured belts and not grading regularly)