Fencing shoes are ideal, but often expensive. They characteristically have leather "skid pads" on the inside front of the shoe, and a sole that wraps back over the heel. Adidas makes low- and high-top models that are known for their quality, but can be quite expensive and hard to find in North America. Other brands include (but are not limited to) PBT (Hungarian), Estoc (French), Sport-Escrime (French), Dowin (Chinese), and Starfighter (?).

Lightweight indoor court shoes (such as for squash, badminton, racquetball, or volleyball) make excellent low-cost alternatives. Asics, Hi-Tec, Reebok, Etonic, and Adidas have all been recommended by rec.sport.fencing readers for manufacturing models that are useful for fencing.

Some fencers claim that wrestling shoes can be adapted for fencing, although they may not offer much support. Many outdoor athletic shoes and running shoes are too bulky or heavy for fencing, or provide poor lateral stability.