Fencing shoes or not?

[goldbaker]

Fencing shoes will help your footwork. Just keep in mind that they don't have much cushioning to speak of. Non-fencing shoes in the tennis/racquetball/volleyball category work pretty well. The vast majority of higher level foil and sabre fencers wear fencing shoes, but, as noted above, a lot of the epee fencers don't. I think the reason is that you spend a lot of time bouncing up and down in epee making subtle distance adjustments, rather than moving quickly up and down the strip. So for epee, the cushioning factor may outweigh the lateral movement factor.

Anyway, I wear fencing shoes with custom orthotics shoved into them. I've tried just about every other kind of shoe to get a little more shock absorption, but they just don't feel the same. I also had a bad experience with indoor soccer shoes, although a lot of other people seem to like them.

[achilleus]

[quote]Originally posted by goldbaker:
<strong>Fencing shoes will help your footwork. Just keep in mind that they don't have much cushioning to speak of. Non-fencing shoes in the tennis/racquetball/volleyball category work pretty well. The vast majority of higher level foil and sabre fencers wear fencing shoes, but, as noted above, a lot of the epee fencers don't. I think the reason is that you spend a lot of time bouncing up and down in epee making subtle distance adjustments, rather than moving quickly up and down the strip. So for epee, the cushioning factor may outweigh the lateral movement factor.

Anyway, I wear fencing shoes with custom orthotics shoved into them. I've tried just about every other kind of shoe to get a little more shock absorption, but they just don't feel the same. I also had a bad experience with indoor soccer shoes, although a lot of other people seem to like them.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Some people mistakenly believe that the shoes help your footwork. The shoes don't. It's the person wearing the shoes that make the difference.


Many people prefer wearing fencing shoes, but they aren't neccessary. Ralf Bissdorf took the silver medal in the 2000 Olympic games wearing tennis shoes, in foil. His footwork is mighty fine.

[foodle]

[quote]Originally posted by Caithdein:
<strong>
is it worth buying fencing shoes of any sort or will trainers suffice?
</strong><hr></blockquote>

By trainers do you mean crosstrainers or do you mean normal running shoes which are sometimes called trainers as opposed to racing flats? Neither type of shoe is very good for fencing. Running shoes are mostly made for front-to-back stability. Your back foot in fencing needs a lot of side-to-side stability, which running shoes are not renowned for. Also, your heel is very far off the ground in running shoes.

Crosstrainers might be ok, but probably still have too much cushioning and the heel is too far off the ground. When I fenced in crosstrainers, I tended to rip the heel of the outsole off of the midsole, but maybe that was just my bad technique.

You should definitely get some shoes that are more suited to fencing. Whether you get geuine fencing shoes or just some indoor soccer/squash/volleyball shoes is mostly personal choice. At very least, if you're already going to spend the ~$50 on trainers, get some shoes better suited to fencing.

[damianip]

[quote]Originally posted by edew:
<strong>

I know that Soren Thompson doesn't (or at least didn't, when I saw him fencing many years ago) wear fencing shoes. He wore racquetball shoes.</strong><hr></blockquote>


I saw him at a couple NCAA tourneys this year. If he was was wearing fencing shoes, they were unlike any I've ever seen.

The shoes didn't seem to hurt him much.

Paolo

[GreyGhost]

Hmm, Am I the only one wearing Hi-tec supermagnum combat boots?

[GreyGhost]

Looks like I am....

[shyHeidi]

Combat boots... You can make lovely artwork on the gym floor...

[GreyGhost]

[quote]Originally posted by shyHeidi:
<strong>Combat boots... You can make lovely artwork on the gym floor...</strong><hr></blockquote>

Ah! Not to worry! Modern combat boots have rubber soles! Inch thick rubber soles with stell liners, but rubber soles none the less.

[shyHeidi]

Ah... ... ... I fenced in boots once...
Made nice black marks... dark ones... all over... it was actually kinda funny.
(and yes, I cleaned them up)
But how can you actually move in boots with inch thick heavy soles and... and... ack!
...and your feet would get awefully hot...

[135711]

well, i bought a pair of purple fencing shoes to sort of support a former fencing teacher who has/had a purple and black web site, which is dangerously outdated, maybe he should take another look, but on second or third thought i was the one who pressured him to keep the board up to date, and then he felt compelled to continuously update the freakin board, until it became a total job in itself, and them we all lost track of fencing, as well as the other part, when we all sort of became lost in a realm of sca but it to me, is sort of a growth process, and should just be accepted as part of the growing pains of a youthful club, including, hey-la stream of unconsciousness here: does anyone remember when their brother's voice cracked for the very first time, like when the first shot of testosterone hit his veins and the voice went up an octave, then dropped, and the whole family sort of tuned in.
not enough attention is paid to this part, and this is really the best part.

[Fencing Angel]

[quote]Originally posted by GreyGhost:
<strong>Hmm, Am I the only one wearing Hi-tec supermagnum combat boots?</strong><hr></blockquote>

hmm... sounds like my brother..

Before i got fencing shoes i just uesd a cross trainer and i found them to work VERY well. one thing that i'd push, if you where going to buy just regular shoes, find a pair that have a some what rounded off heal.. makes advancing a little easier.

just my 2 cents..

[ 04-27-2002: Message edited by: Fencing Angel ]</p>

[Mo]

Please forgive me for bringing your comments more attention than you'd like. I'll try to remain silent and let other impressionable young minds here pick out what they will.
Hey Rex, what about semi-senile not so impressionable old minds?? <img src="graemlins/crap.gif" border="0" alt="[Crap]" />

[The Crazy Wacker]

[quote]Originally posted by GreyGhost:
<strong>Hmm, Am I the only one wearing Hi-tec supermagnum combat boots?</strong><hr></blockquote>

not the only one

[Caithdein]

Work and uni got on top of me for the last couple of weeks so i haven't been around. Thanks for all the advice and tips.

Ive decided against the combat boots though <img src="graemlins/jester.gif" border="0" alt="[Jester]" />

think I'll just get some tennis shoes for now and see how that works out. Probably still get some fencing shoes in the future just to compare but for now its cheaper and easier to obtain a decent pair of tennis shoes.

Thanks again for the replies

[Craig]

If you're from Canada you're not allowed to wear fencing shoes.

;-)

Just seems like all of the Canadians use cross trainers or tennis shoes.

Craig