Fencing Shoes

[Kasha4890]

Hey guys, I'm new to the site, and I've only been fencing for 6 or 7 weeks now, so I offer my apologies if this is not the right place for this topic, and I would also like to apologize for my general ignorance with all things fencing =P

So recently I've noticed that I'm starting to form a blister/callous on my left foot (I'm a rightie, so my left foot is my back foot). It's forming on the inside of the ball of my foot (If I line the end of my pointer finger up against the side of my big toe, the blister is forming about where my finger's knuckle touches my foot), and it's recently been causing me a little bit of pain, and a decent amount of concern.

As far as I can tell, it's coming from the way I advance and lunge. On my faster advances, I kind of do a little "hop", propelling myself forward slightly using my back foot. When I propel myself forward like this, I lift the heel of my back foot up, and use the ball/toe of my back foot to push myself forward, while at the same time I pivot my back foot slightly outward, (My heel swivels in, to make the rest of my foot move counter-clockwise) and kind of roll my foot to generate the forward momentum. Unfortunately, while this method of advancing is faster, and more natural feeling for me, it's putting significant, recurring pressure on one part of my foot (The part where the blister is forming). The same problem occurs when I lunge, only at a far greater magnitude.

My parents are both attributing this to the shoes I've been wearing, which I partially agree with as the shoes are fairly old. So, today they bought me a new pair of shoes, a pair of Brooks "Adrenaline" running shoes from a local running shop. They seem to be better than my previous shoes, but I'm not sure if the problem is going to continue occurring or not. The guy that was helping me get a good pair of shoes expressed doubt that any of the shoes they had would be able to give me the right kind of support on the ball of my foot, because running shoes generally focus their support on the heel and the arch, and are more based on running forward in the shoe, rather than pushing off at a sideways angle that fencing requires.

So, now that you've got my life story, I'll get to my questions.

Have any of you have similar issues (Blisters/callouses on the back foot due to the pressure created by pushing off from the back foot)? Do you have any suggestions aside from getting new/different shoes?

Should I be wearing running shoes while fencing, or should I get "fencing" shoes? Is there a noticeable difference between fencing shoes and normal shoes as far as support in the ball of the foot goes? Are there any shoes you guys would recommend to me for my specific issue?

Or is this not an issue with the shoes I am wearing? I'm kind of leaning in this direction, because I think my form might be off, (maybe I'm pushing off wrong or something?) and that might be causing the issues. Do you think that's the case?

Thanks for listening, and thanks in advance to any of you who respond =P

[WGH]

You'll probably get better advice than this, but here's some.

First, calluses can be good! If you get turn that blister into one, you won't have to worry about it anymore. I'd probably keep the blister taped/bandaged until it isn't a problem. Also, double socking is great. You can wear a pair of sport socks under your fencing socks (or vice versa) and really help with the friction.

Second, the shoes probably have something to do with it. I'd take back those running shoes. They really aren't designed for side to side movement... in fact they're probably designed to limit it. If you can't afford/don't want to get fencing shoes, go for any kind of court shoe such as racketball or tennis. They're designed to give you far more lateral movement than running shoes and require very similar shock support to fencing shoes, though I believe they tend to be a little heavier. Though when you can get D'Art IV's for just over $100...

[CvilleFencer]

Blisters are part of fencing. Or any sport with fast foot movement and direction changes. Wear two pairs of socks and "break your feet into the sport". If you get to feeling that fencing is unusually hard on your feet, talk to a ballerina...

[foibles]

Shoes with good lateral support should make an improvement over running shoes.

You might consider the AF Elite Fencing Shoe.
Or the Nike Ballestra.
I personally like Yonex Badminton Shoes.
Many like Leon Paul Scimitar fencing shoes.

There are many others to choose from, both fencing specific, as well as good court shoes (raquetball, volleyball, squash, etc).

Some calluses are required, but a good shoe should certainly help.

[Alexander Kai]

Though when you can get D'Art IV's for just over $100...

I own a pair of these. They are awesome. My only complaint is that they have just a little too much support in the heel, but I'm just being nit picky.

I like the puma's that I had before them though, but they were a bit flat <_<

[malediction]

Shoes will help - fencing shoes also tend to be tighter than tennis shoes, if you get a good fit, so your foot won't slide around in them as much.

But, in general, blisters are part of the sport. Eventually your feet will become calloused and you won't even notice anything anymore. If you haven't already, you'll probably notice some pain or blisters on your hand, particularly at the base of the thumb, soon.

Finally, if you're pushing into your lunges or advances with only the lower half of your foot (the ball and toes), then your form is off. Retreat on your toes, advance using the entire back foot, and land on the heel of the front foot. It's much faster and stabler once you get used to it. You might also be standing to high. Keep your engarde low, really sit into it. This will encourage you to keep your feet leveler compared to standing too high.

[Allen Evans]

THe shoe you buy isn't as important as the fit of the shoe that you're buying. That includes both the initial fitting, and lacing them properly when you wear them. When you buy shoes, make sure you wear the socks you will be fencing in (I, also recommend two pairs of socks) and that when you move in the shoes (using fencing footwork) you don't slide back and forth in the front foot or "fall off" the shoe on the back foot. Remember that with two pairs of socks in the shoes, you're not going to wear the same size shoe as your street shoe size. Once you find a pair of shoes that fit on the initial fitting, you may need to adjust the lacing of the shoes to make sure that they remain stabile on your feet. A good shoe store clerk can help with this.

I fenced in fencing shoes for many years. Most of them were over priced and lacked good heal protection, though they did other things well. In the past ten years I've been fencing/teaching in regular court or cross-training shoes, putting an end to bruised heels (from the lack of padding in the heel) and giving me good traction on a variety of surfaces. The shoes I wear take good care of my feet, let me move well, and cost 1/3 of the price of a pair of fencing shoes.

Fencing shoes are not the final word in foot gear, since everyone's foot is different, and may need different things. Your mileage will absolutely differ, depending on how much you fence, the composition of your feet, your footwork technique, and your size and weight. You'll have better results getting off the internet and going to a GOOD athletic shoe store*, trying on shoes, and talking to a clerk who knows his or her business. If you don't find an over the counter shoe that you'll like, you're going to be ready to start shopping for fencing shoes with some knowledge under your belt.

A

*I'm not talking "Footlocker" here or even your local Adidas or Nike store, but a store that caters directly to athletes and runners. You may have already found a store like this, based on your description, and some move conversations with the clerk might be in order, concerning cross training shoes.

[Allen Evans]

a ps -- both of the times I had a blister on my feet from fencing it was directly related to a poorly fitting shoe or wearing a single (very ratty) sock while fencing. Blisters' weren't "normal" for me.

A

[Gav]

I swear by sorbothane insoles too.

[TBean]

Have any of you have similar issues (Blisters/callouses on the back foot due to the pressure created by pushing off from the back foot)? Do you have any suggestions aside from getting new/different shoes?

Most fencers develop callouses on thier feet as a part of the sport - even in properly fitted shoes, there is some amount of friction. Too much friction you end up with a blisters. On my back foot I have calloueses on the front edge of my big toe and along the ball of my foot.

Should I be wearing running shoes while fencing, or should I get "fencing" shoes? Is there a noticeable difference between fencing shoes and normal shoes as far as support in the ball of the foot goes? Are there any shoes you guys would recommend to me for my specific issue?

I have never liked running shoes for fencing - as the salesperson pointed out they are made for a different kind of impact. Also the shape of the heel on a running shoe is not ideal for fencing/lunging. Fencing specific shoes won't have that problem but they are very expensive. Also to consider - badminton, volleyball or tennis shoes. I have known some very good fencers to wear and like any of those shoes.
In addition to some of the shoes suggesed; Adidas Feathers - tennis shoes - have been well liked.

Or is this not an issue with the shoes I am wearing? I'm kind of leaning in this direction, because I think my form might be off, (maybe I'm pushing off wrong or something?) and that might be causing the issues. Do you think that's the case?

Not seeing you fence it is hard to tell you if it is your form. Talk to your coach - tell them your issue with your feet and ask them to help you make corrections if necessary.

[Allen Evans]

Having (ahem) read the original post completely, it's pretty obvious that your footwork technique is probably contributing to you blister/callous issue, since your method of advancing is putting a lot of pressure, friction and torque on a very small area of your foot. While it's certainly fine to fence on the ball of your foot, the twisting motion you describe is contributing to your problem, and probably hurting your footwork as well (I suspect that while you may feel your lunges have speed, I would suspect that they have little or no power).

You might consider leaving the entire ball of your foot on the ground, get rid of the rotation, and flex the ankles and knees for more power and control. You might consider checking out these videos for a better idea about doing footwork.

A

[ShadyLane]

May I suggest anti-blister socks. I never had a blister since wearing this. http://www.wrightsock.com/running.html

In competition, I wear knee-high socks over these anti-blister socks.

I don't know if blisters and calluses are normal for fencing but I find that if you have it, something is definitely not right. I would suggest getting proper shoes and socks. I never had any blisters or calluses before and I wear running shoes (but I have good footwork so the type of shoe I wear doesn't bother me when I fence). I wear court shoes during competition though.

You might want to get those anti-blister socks and buy new shoes (and maybe good insoles too). The socks are about $15 per pair when I bought it but it was worth every penny. It sounds uncomfortable having blisters/calluses and may distract you from your fencing. If you feel your lunges/footwork are not correct, you should talk to your coach to fix this.