Nike Ballestra

[erooMynohtnA]

It doesn't say official in the title.

[edew]

So far, the shoe feels fine. There's a bit of give in the uppers so that it's not all squeezed tight. The toe box is roomier than the typical european ones, although the european ones look better. Traction is good, but my floor is rubber matting, so almost anything is good traction there.

[Mo]

Cody Mattern somehow got Nike to give the entire US Olympic Fencing team their new shoes. Bless his little Epee fencing heart.
I have one of them sitting on my desk as I type.
Interesting, don't worry, they haven't been worn yet....

The Momster

[piste off]

You get 20% off the price if you use the code "BACKTOSPORT" 160 - (20% X 160) = 128 plus shipping and tax.

I am not in the market for new shoes, but you are my Online Ordering Hero.

R-

[erooMynohtnA]

Don't thank me, all that information came from Craig.

[bunbury]

Cody Mattern somehow got Nike to give the entire US Olympic Fencing team their new shoes. Bless his little Epee fencing heart.
I have one of them sitting on my desk as I type.
Interesting, don't worry, they haven't been worn yet....

The Momster

I'm pretty sure that this is a requirement for them getting the contract.

[Emfuser]

Those shoes look promising, but the last time I fell for fencing shoe hype, it was a pair of Scimitars that cost me $140 and lasted 6 months before I wore through the heel (several times).

I'll wait for feedback.

[veeco]

Yep, same here. Just because Nike made them doesn't mean they are better than the Adidas Assymetrics, which IMO are the best fencing shoes ever made.

[rchung]

Mine too, but mine are breaking down and have been restricted to cheesegrater strips only.

Thus my purchase of the Nikes, because after all the effort they put forth, I have some hope that they're better than the new (and more expensive) Adidas.

[edew]

I personally prefer the 1996 Olympics' Adidas model as the best. The Aysmmetrics were good, but the back foot wore out too quickly and the traction was not that great on some surfaces.

[rchung]

I'll agree with you on those weak points, but alas, I'm too young to have seen the days of the '96 Adidas...

[TooLoftheDeviL]

I personally prefer the 1996 Olympics' Adidas model as the best. The Aysmmetrics were good, but the back foot wore out too quickly and the traction was not that great on some surfaces.

This is why I am currently using the front shoe from the asymmetrics, and the back shoe of the LP scimitars.

[DangerMouse]

I personally prefer the 1996 Olympics' Adidas model as the best. The Aysmmetrics were good, but the back foot wore out too quickly and the traction was not that great on some surfaces.

I'm with you on that. I've been using mine sparingly since I finally wore a hole in the back foot of my last pair of black stripes.

[bigdawg2121]

They're not assyms, but they're close enough to be the only fencing shoe I've seriously considered to be worth my money since the assyms. Unless they altered the production version to reduce durability I have little concern over how long they'll last either.

[exclusivelysabre]

I was fortunate enough to receive the nike ballestras as a gift. unfortunately they're a half size too small. i have a men's 7.5.. anyone willing to do an exchange for 8 or 8.5?