Although no special equipment is needed for parkour, there are some things to consider while you get dressed for your next parkour training session. It should be noted that parkour has no predefined style of clothing. People come from all different groups and dress in many different styles!
Headwear – No headwear is needed but some traceurs prefer to wear a beanie which provides a little extra protective padding for your head just in case you hit it. Some traceurs also like to wear a baseball cap. Baseball caps are good for sun protection on those hot sunny days.
Upper Body – Again, there are no requirements for upper body wear, but it should be something comfortable and flexible. Any athletic wear usually does the job. Also some traceurs like to wear hoodies or multiple layers for extra padding when performing a roll.
Arms and Hands – One particular part of the body that suffers a lot of abuse no matter what skill the traceur is, are the wrists. Nobody likes going through their every day routine looking like a suicidal cutter, so you can either ignore it or wear wristbands to help protect them from getting scraped up. Some beginners feel the need to wear gloves to protect their hands. This is generally frowned upon by most experienced traceurs. It is better to allow your hands to toughen up from all the use. Also, parkour is about interacting with your surroundings. Your hands, being the strongest sense of touch, should be fully exposed in order to get a better feel for your environment.
Legs – Any comfortable and flexible pants or shorts are the best for parkour. Would you run a hurdles race in big baggy jeans? No. Parkour is no different from any other sport in a clothing sense. In order to fulfill your potential, you will want to wear comfortable and flexible cargo pants, gym shorts, sweats, track bottoms, or any other athletic pants or shorts.
Feet – Perhaps the only true equipment requirement for parkour is a good pair of shoes. There are many different kinds of shoes that people use for parkour, but cross trainers are generally regarded as the best. You will want to find a light weight shoe with good cushioning, grip, and durability. If the shoes are lacking in good cushioning, many traceurs prefer to buy some gel insoles to provide that extra shock absorption. Expensive shoes are not a good idea for parkour because they will usually get worn out in a few months of hardcore training.
Miscellaneous – Another thing to consider bringing for parkour is a small backpack to carry things in. At large jams with a lot of moving from spot to spot, some people like to carry their stuff in a backpack. However, many people don’t like this and instead prefer to freeload off the people who do bring backpacks.
Users' Comments
Display 12 of 12 comments
1.
01-02-2008 14:43
do puma skateboard shoes work? what about converse?
2.
01-02-2008 14:44
What about skateboard shoes in general?
3.
01-30-2008 11:04
I wouldn' think they would only because skateboard shoes are meant to stick th grip tape and converse (I love 'em)but they realllly dont have any support
4.
02-19-2008 13:14
Nike and Adidas running/cross trainers are really what you're looking for. I use my Adidas Stabil 7's with gel sport insoles and it feels like landing on air. Just like he said, light and comfortable, but able to hold on to various surfaces.
5.
04-05-2008 17:24
my vans have great grip for my skateboard, but not for the walls i try to climb, also uncomfortable to run in, im gonna get some adidas though as i hear adidas brand has the best kind of shoes for parkour
6.
05-23-2008 21:28
A friend of mine and I actually use converse in parkour, and they're good for grip, but you'd have to roll a LOT and learn to land properly, otherwise the impact would be way too hard and you'd injure yourself.
7.
07-03-2008 19:08
definately no skateboard shoes. they kill your feet. i use some nike runners, they are prob the best. super light weight, and didnt cost too much money.
8.
07-18-2008 22:31
filas?
9.
07-20-2008 11:08
a lot of people like the k-swiss shoes, because they have a special line just for free runners, rogans shoes doesnt have them, ill tell you that, but k-swiss altogether has good cushioning, lightweight, and have good rubber soles
10.
08-14-2008 14:44
i use converse i have to say that for parkour they suck mainly becuz they fall apart easily and they have no padding underneath and the after like 2 months the bottom wears out bigtime and then the traction sucks....any suggestions on a cheap good pare that i could get?
11.
09-19-2008 11:24
If your looking for shoes,I like the 5.10 freerunners.You can buy them at MountianGear.com for $90 and freeshipping!There exspensive but there the stickiest on the planet and you can get a resoling kit for $20.
12.
10-06-2008 12:28
i have a pair of the k-swiss parkour shoes, they are ballin', i fell from about 19-20 feet while hanging trying to shimmy across a wall and i slid down this huge wall, i hit and it was all cool. no bruising on the heel or anything
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I wouldn' think they would only because skateboard shoes are meant to stick th grip tape and converse (I love 'em)but they realllly dont have any support 
