Star Fighter Low Tops

I just wrote a review of the D'Art II's complaining about how minimalist they are... moving on to thinking about my experience with my old Blade Star Fighters I have to say these really compare pretty well versus the D'Art II's. Like those shoes, the Star Fighters are very basic traditional fencing shoes, and if that's specifically what you're in the market for, you should be happy with these, and will be getting a decent value. (I may have been more fortunate than others, since reportedly the quality varies per pair).



Fit:



Fits snugly, runs neither wide nor narrow. Laces up nice and tight.



Support:



Virtually none. Not much padding for the lunging heel.



Stability:



Pretty good. Felt solid on footwork and the lunge, at least until they wore out, which took a long while.



Durability:



My Star Fighters lasted me for nearly two years of hard (3+ times weekly) use before seams started giving and the upper started stretching to the point that they didn't feel stable anymore. The soles were still in good shape at that point, although the rear edge of the rear shoe's sole was parting company slightly from the upper.



Overall:



If you're looking for bare-bones basic fencing shoes you might as well get these. At least you won't be getting ripped off, since the price is fair for what's being offered. However, if you're looking for something more and are willing to spend more, then look elsewhere.

My frien has tried them, and he said they fit like the old Hungarian TISZA shoes (they were sold by the PBT, but they aren't produced any more...). I had a pair of TISZA, and I wanted to have a new one (I loved my shoes, but they got too small for me...). I wanted to buy them. Fortunately I didn't have time for it in two weeks. After a week, my friend asked me for a piece of insulating tape - for his shoes. They fell apart, but he had to use them for a little while. I think you shouldn't buy something what is more expensive than its real value...

These shoes seem to suffer from hugely variable quality! The ones I had were ok and lasted about year fencing about twice a week, but other that I have seen have fallen apart within a few months of moderate fencing. They are cheap, but seem to be a bit of a risky purchase. The grip is not as good as other soles either.

These shoes looked decent when I bought them. They seemed a bargain for the money as well. Then after 4 months the front shoe upper separated from the sole of the shoe during a lunge and my foot came sliding out the front.



It had alright traction for a while, but the traction apparently overcame the desire for the upper to stay together with the sole.



Not a good shoe if you rely on footwork and do a lot of hard stopping and starting.