Opinions on these shoes...

[angrylemur]

hey guys,

I live in Canada and I'm looking for a cheap, decent fencing shoe. I was just wondering if anybody had had any experience with these shoes or had heard anything about them. thanks

http://www.fleche.ca/Uniforms/Clothing.html#

scroll down to shoes.

also, I have recently been using Adidas fencing shoes, and have noticed a slight ankle pain in my back leg. Would getting high top shoes likely help this problem, and are high tops at all awkward or difficult to fence in? (never used em before).

[downunder]

high tops will make it go away, but they will also weaken your ankle muscles, as they are not used as much... i'd try ankle muscle strengthening

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Yeah, wear the hightops for fencing, and at home do ankle strengthening exercises.

[Craig]

If it's your back leg, then I wouldn't get high tops. I would concentrate on doing some ankle strength exercises and stretching and stay w/low tops as they allow for more flexibility.

Wearing high tops acts as a crutch for your ankle and will actually prevent it from getting stronger. (I've got this equipment that stabilizes the leg, so why do I have to do it? is what the ankle thinks...)

If you are experiencing some pain/fatigue in the ankle, then wear a neoprene brace for a little while, but taper off the usage as your ankle gets stronger.

Here's a link for some rehab exercises:
http://www.aggressive.com/health/ankle_rehab.cfm

Cheers,
Craig

[angrylemur]

thanks guys,


I'll definetely look into ankle strengthening exercises. Thanks for the suggestion. Any thoughts on the shoes?

[KShan5[PrFC]]

first of all the size selection is horrible, 6.5-11.

Plus it seems as if the shoes you have and these ones are pretty much the same. But the BG are much cheaper.

[Bonehead]

I personally like spending the money for the adidas fencing shoe (the top end one where the left if is different from the right) The first pair I had lasted for over a year fencing 4 nights a week + competitions. (I still use that pair for training). When the leather on the trailing shoe got worn down, I took it to a shoe repair guy and for a few dollars he put a new piee of leather on it.

The only problems with this shoe is that its designed for gripping on the piste (which is great for competitions), so you will slip around a lot on a hardwood floor.

I also am partial to the adidas Dartanians (however you spell it), its a cheaper shoe, but still quite good for just over 100 canadian.

If you wanna get a shoe thats not specificly designed for fencing, I suggest getting one of Aasics court shoes, their very light, grip well on a wood floor, and have a fairly good shape for fencing.

If you want a dirt cheap fencing shoe, talk to some coaches from different clubs, Many of them have connections to bring in some good ol fashion soviet made shoes. Or Jujie in edmonton gets the people in her club shoes fresh from china.

They look like they fall apart pretty quick, but hey fencing shoes for cheap is good, and it might actually be cheaper to just keep replacing the communist ones.

[achilleus]

Having had foot problems, and having seen someone about them, I learned something that I think is worth passing on.

Always wear good quality, comfortable shoes, don't settle for cheap imitations, and replace them often.

Poor quality or ill fitting shoes can lead to a host of problems, most of which develop slowly over time, and can pass unnoticed for a while. And when you realize what the problem is, it can take a long time to reverse the damage.

Get good quality shoes to fence in. Personally I don't like fencing shoes at all, but if you are going to get a pair, try em on first.

[downunder]

Originally posted by D+F+P=Hadouken!
Yeah, wear the hightops for fencing, and at home do ankle strengthening exercises.

no don't

strengthen your muscles as well as staying with the normal shoes.... that should make the problem go away indefinately

[BISCUT1]

I purchased a pair of the shoes you asked about....they lasted maybe four months before the heel cup broke down. Take the advise and pay for a high grade shoe like addias, or esco. Your feet will thank you