Adidas D`Artagnan Fencing Shoe

I can't give less than 5* to these shoes... I've bought mines two years ago, and now they give all the same comfort and support and still look almost new.

They were a bit wide for me on the first week, but as I always tie the shoelaces really tight, they got to my shape very soon. Now they feel like a second skin for me, I don't even feel I wear shoes!

In my club I fence on plastic floor: there and on the competitions' metallic pistes they perform great, I have never slipped on these floors. On wooden floor, however, it can be really slippery. At least when I have to use such halls we always have a wet rag... The wet soles are good, but this affect goes away quite fast.

All in all, I think they worth their price... And look really cool with my Adidas socks :p

I just bought my second pair.



My first pair lasted for a little over a year. Realistically, I should have replaced them a little sooner, but they held up well so I waited. After over a year of heavy use, the only reason that I'm replacing them is because the grip on the bottom of the shoe is becoming slick in places. Also, the inside sole is becoming worn, and a hole is developing under my non-weapon foot's big toe. I doubt many shoes could withstand the abuse these have taken; I tried for years with non-fencing sneakers. They would do well to last 6 months.



The first thing that I noticed about these shoes was the laces. It may seem like a minor detail, but they impressed me (still do too). Instead of the normal flat thin shoe laces seen on shoes, the D'arts featured thick round/rope-like shoe laces. These laces will hold a knot MUCH more effectively. I like my shoes to stay tied, especially when I'm about to make my winning attack. I use a special knot to keep the shoes tied better and longer. My knot did begin to fray the laces, but they never broke. I now carry an extra pair of shoe laces just in case.



After useing these shoes for right at a year, I forgot to bring them to practice one day. I found I could hardly fence with normal street shoes. The rounded heel on the D'arts not only made my lunges faster but it prevented me from landing on a non protected part of the heel (which in turn prevented MANY heel bruises). The shoes are light. The lightness of them helped me speed up my game. They fit GREAT. I've never worn a shoe that fit as well; it's almost like a thick pair of socks.



I do have a few complaints. I wish there was more padding in the insole. My feet take enough of a pounding as it is. If these shoes could absorb more of the impact, it would have been a big help. I tried adding insoles, but it made the shoe too tight. My only other complaint is that they aren't more street friendly. Not only are these shoes uncomfortable to walk in for long distances (not enough impact asorbance), but they also look too much like balerina slippers. It would be nice if they were a little more style, friendly.



At about $100, it's a little more expensive than I would like. But I DO think it is a resonable price. I have after all bought my second pair. If you're looking for your first pair of fencing shoes, I'd recommend them.

I've been using the D'Artagnans for several months now and have no complaints so far. They fit well, snug, in a positive way with no "hotspots" or pressure points...



Don't initially freak out when you put these shoes on the first time because the shoe's opening appears to have been made intentionally more "close fitting" than even other fencing shoes (probably for stability) I know that I struggled at first to get my foot in the first time and during those first moments I was thinking to myself "Damn! too small, now I have to go thru the hassle of returning them!" but in the next instant "pop!" and your foot settles all the way in and the the shoe feels great!



They are very light, as is to be expected, and yet after a few months of abuse show almost no signs of distress (separating joints, etc) Grip is excellent, and they transmit good feeling thru the soles while still doing an excellent job of deadening the harder shocks...



One thing that I might mention is that, for me, they could use just a tiny bit more arch support (for me only on the rear foot), but I can address that issue in several inexpensive ways. My feet are of average width so the "narrow" issues don;t effect me at all... This might be of great concern to those with wide feet though.



All in all I am very happy with these shoes!

I just got my new shoes and opted for the D'Artagnans over the asymmetrics, mainly due to cost.



My favorite adidas shoes have been the old "blue" striped shoes in the late 80s/early 90s, but those aren't made anymore. The D'Artagnans fit the mold of Adidas shoes - good quality and a good fit. They provide what you expect.



The glue between the sole and the inside "leather" piece are good. Many of the cheaper brand shoes have uppers that pull away from the sole after a couple of weeks of hard training, but I've never seen that with the Adidas.



I'm very happy with the fit and feel of these shoes - they fit my foot well and are just tight enough that I have a good feel for the strip through the shoe.



Craig

These shoes were a disaster I wore them twice, each time I wore them, I lost the nail of my big toe on my front foot! The shoe is far too short and too wide. I know of at least two other people who have had the same problem!

They are however made very well and the materials used are of a very high quality.

This is an overall great shoe. have not had any problems with it, except the fact that the sole gets worn quite a bit on the cheese grater strips. Great fit, light weight, and good traction.

These boots are very slim in the foot. My feet are wide and I need some extra room in them, but these are very tight on my toes. Even being that tight I find that my feet shift in them enough to get friction blisters on the bottom of my lunge foot.



I tend to drag the toe my back foot at times during a lunge and so I have to say that the inside of the back foot is wearing down rather quickly. Of course that could just be my own poor lunge and so I won't fault the durability as harshly as I might have.

The are the best alternative to the Asymetrics. When my old blue stripes finally died I looked at a lot of different shoes. I've tried court shoes, indoor soccer shoes and even cheaper type fencing shoes. I have to say that no one makes fencing shoes better than Adidas. I have used them for 8 months now. The insole is still supportive and the sole has provided excellent traction on all types of floors. They perform well on the copper strips.



The fault I find with them is the width of the shoe. They are wider than the old blue stripes. People with narrow feet like mine should consider wearing thick or an extra pair of socks.