In light of Mike's thread about shoes he has, I figured that I would take a break from studying and review shoes that I recently got.
FIT:
The shoe has a very good feel and fit to it that ensures it is very comfortable so long as you get the right size. I'm a size 11 or so and I have wide feet and flat feet, and the size 45 fits me perfectly. You can basically stick to Amazon's sizing charts to get the right fit, probably. They come without the laces on the shoes, so make sure you lace them up the right way or I imagine you'll have some problems with fit.
FLEXIBILITY:
Unparalleled. There's not much more to say here. The shoes are as flexible as your feet.
WEIGHT:
Very, very light. They're martial arts shoes, so they have to be fairly insubstantial or you're going to get injuries from swinging your legs around with weights tied to their ends, essentially. You can distinguish very little difference between wearing these shoes and going barefoot.
GRIP:
Incredible. The shoes stick to surfaces, even when there is dirt on the soles. They stick to everything like glue. They lose no traction whatsoever on metal or other slick surfaces. I haven't tried them in water yet, though. There is rubber coming up onto the toe of the shoe, so you get better grip on pop vaults. There's also no divider on the sole like in many running shoes, so you don't have to worry when doing precisions. The only thing is that the soles are quite thin and wear somewhat quickly. Just lay off the wall runs a bit, or at least try to not let your foot slip on them, and the sole will stay intact for plenty of time. I've heard that the grip isn't diminished by getting rubbed down, though.
EDIT: Tried them outside on the wet ground today. On metal or soaked wood, there's very little traction. On concrete or asphalt, grip is as awesome as ever.
BREATHABILITY:
They're made of thin fabric and thin rubber. They breath very, very well.
CUSHIONING:
Like I said, thin fabric and thin rubber. There is no cushioning whatsoever, but that's the point. You get the protection of a shoe and the lightness and lack of support of barefoot parkour. Be aware, though, that the shoe doesn't elevate the heel, in fact it very slightly elevates the ball of the foot, so it will feel awkward for wearers of conventional running shoes until they get used to it.
DURABILITY:
I can't really comment, because I haven't had the shoes for very long. The sole does seem to wear a bit quickly. The rest of the shoe looks exactly like it did the day I got it.
PRICE:
15$ on Amazon. You'd be hard pressed to find other quality shoes for the same price.
COMMENTS:[/b]
I love these shoes. They're much better suited for parkour than running shoes are, imo. Martial arts, too (of course). They have amazing grip, and have all the benefits of barefoot running but with the protection of shoes. They're very comfortable, you can feel the ground, and they're very light. They're also slightly rounded at the bottom which is awkward at first but awesome once you get used to it. They'll probably flatten out as they wear down.
I'd recommend these shoes to anyone who is moderately conditioned for jumping and landing without cushioning. They're so cheap, it's almost worth getting them just to try them, but if you do get them I think you'll use them every time you do pk, or even just for everyday use. They're nice if you also do martial arts, because you don't have to deal with big, clunky shoes if you ever want to do kicks and you don't want to take your shoes off or if you're outside. Aesthetically they're not the norm, but I like the look. Just make sure to wear ankle socks or it'll look like you're wearing a pair of loafers or house slippers, or you can just wear them without socks, as they're quite comfortable.
