# Footwear ..



## Pervaz (Oct 16, 2003)

Whats the general thinking on footwear - I have recently been training barefoot (I went through a lazy period of not packing my trainers) which i found uncomfortable.  Otherwise its a normal pair of gym trainers.  

Anyone notice performance enhancment (or degretation ?) with different footwear ??


P


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## jellyman (Oct 16, 2003)

I like to wear wrestling shoes. Going barefoot when others wear shoes can lead to broken toenails, as I've found the hard way.

I remember this guy who used to wear hiking boots who used to work out with us. He had a Muy Thai background too. This made me a lot less eager to stop a kick with force...


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## TAZ (Oct 16, 2003)

on the mat I tend to train barefoot..or in addidas wrestling boots...off the mat in whatever I would normally wear.

I find the wrestling boots great..add a little to the foot stomps, felxiable enough to not restrict movement but still with enough of an edge to the sole to be useful..

just my 2c


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## Kwan Lee (Oct 16, 2003)

Well, you'd definitely want to wear more than socks when working with the Spets Shovel and live blades, as these can easily fall to the floor or onto your feet at pretty high velocities.

Kwan Lee


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## NYCRonin (Oct 16, 2003)

My group and I train in a number of venues, mostly outdoors.
So, at seminars where the school has some form of mat = barefoot/socks (which is how I train at home),
Outdoors summer/hardwood floor = sneakers. Outdoors winter = more of a workboot. I have also made it a point to train with every kind of shoe I own. A sneaker or a dress shoe lead to different movement.

One should also learn to work against the different kinds of footgear one may face. As Jellyman said - the guy kicking in Timberlands is not the guy you want to 'stop kick' BUT you also learn that a stiff sole workboot aids you in certain types of take downs (or can work against the balance of the guy wearing them).

Overall, I would recommend a soft sole training shoe (or barefoot) for those who train indoors all the time. The movement - the feel - of the foot on the training  surface is an important aid in developing sensitivity and power generation.


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## pknox (Oct 16, 2003)

I love my wrestling shoes, and pretty much live in them.  Aren't there Russian sambo-specific shoes out there, that are similar to wrestling shoes, but all-leather with a bit of a different sole?  I think they're called _sambofki_, but as I don't know Russian I may be incorrect.  I thought I saw them for sale on Oleg's site, among other places.  I would think they would be ideal for training in the Russian arts.


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## jkdwarrior2 (Oct 16, 2003)

I have a lot of videos and things from Scott Sonnon who is an excellent instructor and articulate orator of Russian Martial Art.

He also has some interesting training gear including some footwear that are called "Ugs." Here is the link to check them out:

www.rmax.tv/ugs.html

I do not have a pair, but have been thinking about trying them.  

Hope this helps.  Tim


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## NYCRonin (Oct 16, 2003)

I looked at the ad - they seem to be a good shoe for training, although I honestly feel some of the statements made in the ad are rather outlandish and exagerrated.


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## ABN (Oct 17, 2003)

Lately I've been doing almost everything in a pair of Altama's. they are a combat boot with a softer upper constructed of a nylon/goretex outer and polypropylene inner. The thing that makes them especially comfortable is the ripple sole. This sole improves consistent contact with the ground on most surfaces (even sand) and distributes weight nicely. I'm just trying to figure out how to get these soles on my other shoes, even my wrestling shoes.

andy


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## jellyman (Oct 17, 2003)

That UGS advert makes an interesting point about wrasslin' shoes - the sole is sticky, and if you do a throw wrong, you can mess up your knee. Although one might argue the problem lies in the throw rather than the shoe...

I was considering buying a pair but since they're for mat use only and in fact I've been encouraged to work away from the mat, I figure they aren't for me.


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## Jackal (Oct 17, 2003)

Although I try to train in every kind of footwear I own, ideally, I prefer wearing anything with flexible soles like sambo shoes or moccasins because they provide the greatest amount of freedom, they dont restrict ankle movement (which can lead to ankle or knee injuries) and they help me to conform to whatever surface Im working on (improving tactile sensitivity). I have a pair of UGS for mat/indoor work and I think theyre great. When training outside I usually wear moccasins or hiking boots. Wearing stiff and heavy boots is sometimes equivalent to wearing stiff and heavy gloves but you never know what youll have on you when you need to move.


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## pknox (Oct 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by jkdwarrior2 _
> *I have a lot of videos and things from Scott Sonnon who is an excellent instructor and articulate orator of Russian Martial Art.
> 
> He also has some interesting training gear including some footwear that are called "Ugs." Here is the link to check them out:
> ...



They look very much like the sambofki I was talking about.


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## Jackal (Oct 17, 2003)

UGS essentially _are_ sambofki.


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## Clive (Oct 17, 2003)

I guess it depends on the rules of the school you re training at, I would say it is good to do both, maybe try normal walking shoes, wellington boots, who knows when you are going to be attacked.


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