Hi-Tec Blades Fencing Shoe

I recently purchased these and chose them over the Scimitars after trying both on.  The Scimitars just had a strange, overly wide fit for me.  And, I have a wide foot!

The grip these have combined with how light they are make for fast and nimble footwork.  I am not overly fond of the look, a simple white would have been better IMO, but I cannot complain about the performance.

My first few times using them, I noted that the front toe of the shoe tends to bend in a spot that puts pressure on my large toenail.  This concerned me at first but then I realized it was only when I was jogging that this happened.  As a sabre fencer, I am not too worried about that when I can't crossover anyway.  Besides, as they broke-in the pressure subsided.

i went from adidas response trail running shoes, to the blades.



i can't compare these to any other fencing shoe b/c this is my first pair. however, i think they're great for me.



the soles i feel give me great traction no matter where i'm fencing. they're light, and fit my feet like a glove..., sock. i have wide feet so these were perfect.



the extra rubber on the insides of the shoe are great for pushing off. i really do feel like i have a grip on the ground i'm standing on.



on the other hand, i find these were made just for fencing, and not running. i don't feel they give you the support you need even for light indoor sprinting and running. i will actually change into running shoes when we do running drills.



overall they're great except for that running support thing, but i'm ok w/ that. they're fencing shoes, not running shoes.

I went from cross-trainers to these shoes, and they changed the way I fence. The first time I put them on, all I wanted to do was lunge. I love the roll of the heel, and the support for both back and front feet on lunges. I\'ve been fencing several hours a few times a week in them since last December, and they barely show any wear.



As kshan5 mentioned, the cheese grater strips are hell on the soles, but the wear pattern that develops will show you where you\'re landing wrong or dragging (so... you can work on it). I occasionally fence on wood or linoleum tile floors, and they are gummy enough to grip well. They do run wide, which is good for those of us who never *quite* recovered from pregnancy feet. They have support in all the right places, though I use orthotics in both shoes to deal with some lingering soft tissue damage (caused by the cross-trainers, not the Blades). The orthotics fit fine in there, unlike in other shoes I have.



I had some trouble early on breaking them in, specifically some chafing around the inner edge against my ankles, but after a few weeks of heavy use, that went away.

I really like these shoes, I\'ve had them for about 6 monthes and they\'ve held up nicely. They feel better than any shoe I\'ve had before. The only problem is that i fence on strips that are pretty much chese graters and there is a whole in the side of my shoe forming that I need to stop. Besides that though, they\'re priced right around other shoes and are a good deal.

I bought this pair for my son who\'s been using Adidas Adistar from day one. Compared to Adidas, this pair was too bulky on the outside making him less light on his feet; too much rubber on the sides and front soles. It\'s cut too wide and my son usually takes wide shoes. It was hard for him to go into a full lunge. And it\'s too heavy. So we are back to Adidas. Hopefully the NEW Scimitars will be better.

These shoes are great! The grip is awesome on metal and wood. The heel, arch, and toe of the shoe is well designed, making lunges and quick forward steps and retreats quite comfortable. The size is about a half an inch bigger than most. The shoe is also wide, which makes it very comfortable for people with wide feet, like myself. The only downside to the shoe is that if you have flat feet (like I do), there isn\'t much room for an arch support, but you can deal. Sometimes, I use one, sometimes I don\'t, so far I have not felt any cramping or pain while fencing in them without one. Aside from that, just a little more padding on the sides of the shoe (inside) would have been nice. Overall an excellent product. By the looks and feel of it, I am assuming that it is meant to be a long-lasting shoe. Yet another great product by LP.