# Need help with getting footwear.



## Martynb (Feb 7, 2017)

Hi,

I'm new here and studying/practicing MMA and JKD. I need help in choosing some footwear. The kind I want is somewhere between a trainer and a wrestling trainer. This link shows you the kind I need:

http://www.mckali.com/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/Erik Oct 2006/erik5.jpg

What kind of trainer is that on the guy on his back? It is shorter than a boxing or wrestling trainer.

Any help?


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## drop bear (Feb 8, 2017)

No idea.  I just went through shopping for wrestling shoes.  And there are thousands of different designs.

I settled on the asics matflex.  Which seem to work ok.


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## Danny T (Feb 8, 2017)

Don't know what style but it is an Adidas shoe.


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## Tez3 (Feb 8, 2017)

Wearing shoes for MMA isn't a good idea, much harder to get out of techniques such as ankle locks etc. You can't 'slide' out of things the way you can without them. We recommend people don't wear footgear of any type not even wrestling boots/shoes.


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## drop bear (Feb 8, 2017)

Tez3 said:


> Wearing shoes for MMA isn't a good idea, much harder to get out of techniques such as ankle locks etc. You can't 'slide' out of things the way you can without them. We recommend people don't wear footgear of any type not even wrestling boots/shoes.



Less matty toe injuries though. Better ankle support and less chance of slipping.

Personally tapping more often to heel hooks is a decent trade off.

(Honestly I pretty much tap to heel hooks anyway. I like my knees functional.)


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## drop bear (Feb 8, 2017)

Danny T said:


> Don't know what style but it is an Adidas shoe.



I did half a hunt  and couldnt find that exact one. There are just so many options.


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## JR 137 (Feb 8, 2017)

drop bear said:


> No idea.  I just went through shopping for wrestling shoes.  And there are thousands of different designs.
> 
> I settled on the asics matflex.  Which seem to work ok. View attachment 20377



The Matflex are good and cheap.  They've been my choice for a long time.

They're not all that supportive in the foot/arch.  If you need more support, the Asics Aggressor are great.  I had several wrestlers with foot issues use them over the years.  They'll run you about $130 though...

Aggressor 3

The guy in the photo in the original post isn't wearing anything special.  Just a run of the mill wrestling shoe.  I've seen them many times.


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## Danny T (Feb 8, 2017)

drop bear said:


> I did half a hunt  and couldnt find that exact one. There are just so many options.


The photo is from 2006 so finding the particular shoe is going to be tough. Probably discontinued several ago.


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## KangTsai (Feb 9, 2017)

Unless your instructor specifically told you to get a pair, I see no reason to get them in an MMA context, considering the price of most decent wrestling shoes. They'd become glorified ankle braces that will protect you from the odd mat burn.


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## JR 137 (Feb 9, 2017)

To the people who say there's no reason to wear them...

Perhaps the OP has foot problems.  Needs arch support, plantar fasciitis, etc.

Perhaps he's looking to avoid problems such as athlete's foot, plantar warts, etc.?

He said he was looked for something that's a cross between a regular sneaker and a wrestling sneaker.  That tells me he needs some sort of support.


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## Gerry Seymour (Feb 9, 2017)

In a mild hijacking of the thread...

Has anyone tried minimalist running shoes (like these) for MA use? I use these for some of my running (when my knees will let me), and have wondered if they would be reasonable when visiting someplace where they wear shoes while training (if I cleaned them first, of course). I know I could use nearly any athletic shoe - these just seem pretty close to the idea of a wrestling shoe, except the lack of ankle support (which I prefer not to have).


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## Tez3 (Feb 9, 2017)

JR 137 said:


> To the people who say there's no reason to wear them...
> 
> Perhaps the OP has foot problems.  Needs arch support, plantar fasciitis, etc.
> 
> ...



I didn't say he had no reason to wear them, I was giving reasons NOT to wear them. The OP may well have problems that mean having to wear shoes but he *will *have problems in MMA wearing them as has mentioned.


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## drop bear (Feb 9, 2017)

gpseymour said:


> In a mild hijacking of the thread...
> 
> Has anyone tried minimalist running shoes (like these) for MA use? I use these for some of my running (when my knees will let me), and have wondered if they would be reasonable when visiting someplace where they wear shoes while training (if I cleaned them first, of course). I know I could use nearly any athletic shoe - these just seem pretty close to the idea of a wrestling shoe, except the lack of ankle support (which I prefer not to have).



you need a non marking and a non mat shredding sole. They may not mark/shred the mats. But if they do it is the shoe owners fault. And the only way you would find out for sure is training on mats in those shoes.


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