hi tec blade or nike ballestra?

[ouik]

i've heard good things about blade and ballestra.
so which choice would be better in terms of durability, 3 blades or 1 ballestra?
thank you.

[academe]

i've heard good things about blade and ballestra.
so which choice would be better in terms of durability, 3 blades or 1 ballestra?
thank you.

Well, if it's down to this, how about the Leon Paul's for training (they are very durable from what I've seen) and the Nike Zoom Air Fencer (Ballestra) for competition?

[catwood1]

Well, if it's down to this, how about the Leon Paul's for training (they are very durable from what I've seen) and the Nike Zoom Air Fencer (Ballestra) for competition?

Well theres an idea!

...

Not a particularly good one, but an idea none the less!!! PLEASE don't wear different shoes to train than you do in competition...

[academe]

Well theres an idea!

...

Not a particularly good one, but an idea none the less!!! PLEASE don't wear different shoes to train than you do in competition...

Hmmm, and your reasoning? Some athletes, runners to name one, train in one pair of shoes then put on a lighter version for competition. Usually it is a lighter version of their training shoe that gives them a boost (real or imagined) on race day. I've met some fencers that train in one kind of shoe and keep their good ones for competitions. But I'm interested in your reasoning, or to hear from others about their thoughts. The two shoes mentioned aren't so different, it's not like the OP is asking about a running shoe versus a fencing shoe, that they'd cause any significant issues. Both are reasonably well cushioned, are designed for the motions of fencing, and I could name a few other reasons I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss.

I don't see it as a problem, especially if you can rotate them in and out on a regular basis to get a feel for both. If it's a matter of cost (which it sounds like from the original question) I think this might be a decent compromise.

I find it much more questionable and problematic for people to wear a pair of shoes long past when they should, then spring for a new pair. That's asking for injury. So, if my choice is between having a pair of Ballestras (or any other expensive fencing shoe) that I wear into the ground, have to duct tape to keep them, or a pair of shoes I can beat up on in practice and put on a pair of shoes for competition, so that I have decent footwear for the year (or two), I'm not adverse to that. Having two pairs of shoes that provide support, cushioning, and are designed for fencing specific actions, I don't see as a big problem. Especially in that one pair might give you a lift on the day.

Now, full disclosure, I haven't fenced for a long long time. But I do observe fencing and am involved on the edges of the sport. So I'm fully prepared to be proven otherwise. However, using your logic, I might be tempted to think that having a weapon to train with and one or two I keep for competitions might not be acceptable. But I see that all the time, in fact, for many it seems to be quite acceptable. Do you think the two pairs of fencing shoes are so different they would lead to injury or to bad footwork?

Of course, the real answer depends on the level that the fencer is at in their fencing. It might be that the best shoe for this fencer is one of the many low cost shoes mentioned in all the other posts on shoes as they are somewhat new to the sport. I just wouldn't be too quick to dismiss having two pairs of shoes, one of which could provide you with a psychological (if nothing else) boost on competition day.

[ouik]

So does Nike last 3 times longer than blade?
thats all i need to know.

[erooMynohtnA]

No (...)

[catwood1]

This thread is confusing on a couple of levels. First off, why would they last 3 times as long? How is that related? Blades are roughly $110 or $120 last I checked, and Ballestras are 175. 3 seems like a pointless question. Do Ballestras last 50% longer would be a far more reasonable one.

Alrighty, heres why you shouldn't train in one kind of shoe, and compete in another. Would you train in combat boots and compete in Ballestras? Of course not. THEY'RE DIFFERENT SHOES! They behave differently. They will respond differently when you do things with them. If you're used to doing an advance lunge with boots on, putting on ballestras then doing it will feel weird and different. Same thing with any other shoe. Obviously, they're more similar that non-fencing shoes, but they're still different.

I would not recommend having "practice blades" and "competition blades." Same thing. They're different. You can sorta do it if they're identical, balanced the same, same grips, etc, but then whats the point? Train like you're going to compete. Use the same equipment.

[Superscribe]

... a post...

Academe, you seem to be interested in this topic. I hope i don't bore you.

There are many arguemnts for practice like you play and for seperate equipment. Consider running. A race shoe is faster than a training shoe. That's a good thing in running. That is not a good thing in fencing. I don't want to go slower. I don't want to go faster. I want to go at the right speed... the speed i've trained and timed my actions to.

that said, changes in footwear affect people differently. Some people can fence in anything. some people are so anal retentive about their shoes that if you laced the strings up to a different tension than they were used to they would retent reality onto itself and civilization would collapse into a black hole.

Let's get to the heart of the matter: why you would want to get an expensive shoe? For me, i get it because it helps me do footwork the way i'm supposed to do footwork (and given the option, because they look boss). So i got these shoes that are going to facilitate footwork... where do i do most of my footwork? PRACTICE. I do way more footwork in training/practice then i do in a tournament. I don't know what advantage you think ballestra's have over hi-tecs, but it's nothing compared to the advantage you will have when you compare practicing footwark properly to practicing footwork improperly for a month.

I would make the same case for the type of blades: buy blades that will help you do bladework the way you need to do it, practice with them, and compete with what you have practiced with.

[shlepzig]

The Blades and the Ballestras feel very different from each other. So you need to buy a shoe that gives you what you want, since you didn't say what that is, it's hard to advise you what you should get. Both are excellent shoes, but feel very different. You should buy what feels best for you.

To me, the Blades feel a little heavier, have a larger toe-box and have a stiffer sole than the Ballestras. The Blades felt less "grippy" on smooth floors. I thought the arch support was a little more pronounced in the Blades as well. The Ballestras were more cushiony than the Blades. These are all qualities you may desire in a shoe one way or the other.

As far as practice and play in the same shoes. Meh, I don't get to practice and play on the same surface for each bout, and that makes considerably more difference than what shoes I wear. Sometimes I am on metal strips (ala FC), some "cheese-graters" (NJFA), some sectional floors (Medeo) some rolled strips (NJ Div events) and a collection of wood or gym floors.

There is a valid school of thought that you should minimize the variables you have to deal with in a bout, there is another valid premise you should practice dealing with change.

[ouik]

why would they last 3 times as long?

http://leonpaul.com/acatalog/Fencing_Footwear.html

Thanks. I'll get blades.

Anyway, how do you get coupon codes?

[RedDinosaur]

I noticed that Blades aren't available on LP USA site. Any particular reason for that?

[Beloit Fencer of Old]

One of my clubmates is currently ranked #1 in Men's Vet 70 Sabre in the U.S. (I know...not a large field, but he HAS been fencing for about sixty years...). He cracks me up, because his club uniform consists of a leather-topped mask, old jacket, short-shorts and sandals...wait for it...WITH socks. Yeah. He doesn't wear the sandals at competitions.

[BenTheEMOP]

I recently got a pair of Nike Free TR's and so far they have been pretty good for fencing. They aren't fencing shoes, but they are light, the sole is flexible, and it has raised portions on the outside to help deal with lateral movement, which is more important on the back foot.

I realize that is not exactly what the OP was asking about, but I thought I would add it to the shoes discussion in case anyone was considering other options.

[ouik]

this isnt about shoes but which knickers are worth the $ in terms of durability, spartan or phoenix?
thanks.

[hippo]

If you lunge with proper technique, and do not drag your foot, then I would recommend the Nike Ballestras. They are also available on Nike.com in the Carolina blue colors, but in limited sizes. Not only will they be more durable, but your overall performance as a fencer will be better too.

[erooMynohtnA]

Not only will they be more durable, but your overall performance as a fencer will be better too.

Going to have to disagree on both points. I think the Blades are just as durable, and while shoes are an important tool in injury prevention, I don't think they give you a noticeable boost in performance.

[hippo]

Going to have to disagree on both points. I think the Blades are just as durable, and while shoes are an important tool in injury prevention, I don't think they give you a noticeable boost in performance.

You may be correct, for I only know one fencer with the Hi-Tec Blades, and he has a big hole in them and complains about them frequently; it could just be due to the fact that that fencer is a whiner (which is a likely case lol). But, I have tried on both pairs and I honestly feel that I perform better with the Nike Ballestras - they are lighter to me and I feel like I move better with them/ I have the colors from Fencing.Net's shop, which look cooler than the Hi-Tec Blades, and when you look better you feel more confident about yourself and you perform better lol

[Zilverzmurfen]

...and when you look better you feel more confident about yourself and you perform better lol

Hippo, now you've revealed women's secret to shoe fetisch. Boo hiss!

[hippo]

I, being a hippopotamus, am very sensitive about how I look, especially in fencing whites .

It's tough being a hippo that fences . Small children are afraid to fence me. I cannot even feel it when I get touched because I have extremely thick and flubbery skin, so I just keep bulldozing at the opponent and it becomes very wild :O

[Belegur]

You may be correct, for I only know one fencer with the Hi-Tec Blades, and he has a big hole in them and complains about them frequently; it could just be due to the fact that that fencer is a whiner (which is a likely case lol). But, I have tried on both pairs and I honestly feel that I perform better with the Nike Ballestras - they are lighter to me and I feel like I move better with them/ I have the colors from Fencing.Net's shop, which look cooler than the Hi-Tec Blades, and when you look better you feel more confident about yourself and you perform better lol

Personal anecdotes don't count for much, but I've had the same pair of Scimitars for the last 3-4 years, and apart from a thinning sole, there's been very little wear. I imagine Blades would be slightly less in terms of durability, but not drastically less than the Scimitars. One area that might be a problem, though, is traction. On anything other than a perfectly clean floor, my shoes tend to be rather slippy, and that's a problem for someone with osteoarthritis in the leading ankle. The Blades may well have the same problem eventually.

Going to have to disagree on both points. I think the Blades are just as durable, and while shoes are an important tool in injury prevention, I don't think they give you a noticeable boost in performance.

This may only be my opinion, but I find that the added confidence about a shoe's level of grip can enable more dynamic movements. If I was presented with a grippier surface, whether due to shoes or to the piste itself (say a rubber conductive one over a standard aluminium strip), I'd be inclined to more agressive actions, knowing the chance of injury is less.