Topic: What shoes should I wear for Parkour?

[alyssa summers]

it depends if its hot or cold outside, if its hot you can wear some shorts and a shirt. if its cold wear sweat pants and a hoodie. for shoes wear something flexible and that has a lot of traction. you can get some training gloves to if you would like. if you need to buy stuff, the best place to buy it is the apk store.

[upperkatt]

I think I'm gonna get the fiveten daescent, anyone against my choice?

[klaymen]

I think I'm gonna get the fiveten daescent, anyone against my choice?

I am. For political and religious reasons.

[WoodlandGhillie]

I think I'm gonna get the fiveten daescent, anyone against my choice?

They're your shoes bro...

I hear that Stealth rubber is picky, but I do want a pair of 5.10's.

[AaronSamples]

I've got a pair of 5.10s but i obviously got the wrong pair. I ordered mine off of the website because it said they were flexible, durable, had good grip, stealth rubber, and had good shock absorption.

They have great grip, shock absorption, and are really durable, but the are as stiff as skating shoes. The stealth rubber marked up my wall the first time I used them and haven't failed to mark up a wall I've done a flip off of yet. So they are horrible in those two aspects but the rest is overall pretty good.

I got the 5.10 Stealth.

I'm thinking about getting a pair of the KO Parkour Shoe that is advertised on the WFPF website.

[Nick Briseno]

I rock the 5.10 alien glow and i love them. Been using them since september, but im gonna need new soles soon as ive worn them down pretty good

[nuclearapplepie]

i got a pair of Adidas Samba, around $50, but very durable, light, and has really good grip. Didnt try on rails yet, but because of their light sole, hopefully their gonna do fine

[PARKOURSAGE]

WFPF KO'S perfect. Just the right amount of grip, super light, and the impact absorption protects you but lets you know when your landing sucked. Only problem is they aren't the most durable. But if they start coming apart on you just sew em up. Thats what I did. Plus they are only 40 dollars. Can't argue with that Also ayyawear spiral tabi are awesome. Barefoot experience but more protective than VFF'S. I own all three and train all three. The spiral tabi from ayyawear are a little heavy as it is actually a mid calf boot made totally of leather but they are custom fitted to your dimensions and fit like a second glove. the rubber is very grippy but the ones I have tend to mark walls. But from what I hear they have updated the soles so they might have fixed that. They are super durable and have lasted me easily two years of hard training and daily wear.

[Keifer]

I usually wear Chuck Taylor Converse High-Top All Stars that fit my feet almost perfectly with an insole. It takes a little bit to break them in to move with your foot and to get a really good grip. But they are the best things ever.

With an insole, they have decent cushioning that keep my feet comfortable without having so much sole between my foot and the surface that I can't feel when I'm making contact with a surface.

They are also lightweight enough to let my jumps reach near-full potential. The laces are tight enough that my feet never slip around inside the shoes so my landings are safe and I can sprint without worrying about my feet slipping around.

The High-Top style also keeps foot in the shoe unlike many shoes that have made me experience my heel lifting up inside the shoe when I run, making for unstable jumps and relatively dangerous running.

The canvas is also very durable and comes in many colors to fit your style. Plus, they look cool. That's always a pro, right? =)

So as long as you have an insole, get the correct size, and tie the laces firmly, and allow some time for the shoes to break-in and develop grip, they are excellent. I never practice parkour without them.

[mrinehart93]

I usually wear Chuck Taylor Converse High-Top All Stars that fit my feet almost perfectly with an insole. It takes a little bit to break them in to move with your foot and to get a really good grip. But they are the best things ever.

With an insole, they have decent cushioning that keep my feet comfortable without having so much sole between my foot and the surface that I can't feel when I'm making contact with a surface.

They are also lightweight enough to let my jumps reach near-full potential. The laces are tight enough that my feet never slip around inside the shoes so my landings are safe and I can sprint without worrying about my feet slipping around.

The High-Top style also keeps foot in the shoe unlike many shoes that have made me experience my heel lifting up inside the shoe when I run, making for unstable jumps and relatively dangerous running.

The canvas is also very durable and comes in many colors to fit your style. Plus, they look cool. That's always a pro, right? =)

So as long as you have an insole, get the correct size, and tie the laces firmly, and allow some time for the shoes to break-in and develop grip, they are excellent. I never practice parkour without them.

To prevent heel slippage, there are two things I'd recommend:

1. Tie and untie your shoes instead of slipping them on... the shoe retains it's structure longer that way.
2. Use "lock-lacing" when you lace your shoe... it really does work: http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/locklacing.htm

Anyway, I got a pair of Nike Free Run+ 2's (don't shoot me) yesterday for wearing around everday, NOT doing parkour. Being $90, I don't want to trash them For parkour though, I wear K-Swiss Kirov's... they're pretty nice.

[Ian Want]

WFPF KO'S perfect.

Only issue I have with KOs is that they have really raised heels and it throws me off on precisions like crazy.

I personally rock Asics, Onitsuka Tigers Ultimate 81s and the rest of my team wear Asic's Cordos which are the cheaper version of the Tigers basically. The only issue I see with THOSE shoes is they have no padded sole so you would need to spend 10 extra bucks to get an athletic sole. After that, I have NO issues with Asics...

and it would seem neither does Dylan Baker =P

[Sam Howells]

Just wondering where to go next...I've used Ariakes, feiyues, and some puma's Gustafsson uses.
-KO Generation 2's?
 OR
-Kalenji Ekiden 50's

They're both reasonably priced, and I've heard people say they're similar wondering whats good or bad about each.
Might go with some asics though. Lots of people around my area use them.

[Keifer]

I have weirdly shaped feet so even the "lock-lacing" on skate shoes or even running shoes don't do much for me. Since I have tall but small feet, Hi-tops with the lock-lacing are my best bet.

The Chucks will eventually reach some wear and tear. Like 6 months or so, but I wear mine almost all the time. So take that with a grain of salt. The wear and tear isn't on the sole though, Just on the canvas about where your toes articulate with the metatarsals in your foot. Really not a biggie, unless you want your feet to look pretty as you run on walls.

Shock absorption is decent enough to prevent foot fractures, but still leaves you to feel pain from a bad landing, which promotes good technique. That's what matters, right?

So many people overlook the classics... =/

[Chase]

I'll throw yet another hat into the ring of the age old "which shoes should I use" debate.  The problem with the information age... conflicting information.  I find myself more perplexed now than before I began the research.  One person says "X shoe is fantastic for PK", the next... "they're garbage, fall apart easily, ect..."

I saw Volleys recommended, but I think much of it fell around the fact that they're so cheap, while being decent.  Err... used to be cheap.  From what I see they're $60+, not $20.  Enter the Feiyue's:  I hear the one's you get in the US aren't put together as well.  They blister your feet, ect...  I saw lots of 5 year old posts touting the Merrell's, but not so much anymore.  Don't think they have the shock absorption I'm looking for.

Anyhow, I'm willing to pay the $ for a good pair of kicks.  My criteria:  I of course don't want the soles very thick, but do want some padding.  I understand the wisdom that padding can thwart you from learning proper technique from falls, but I think that can be gathered without killing my feet in the process as I inevitably learn the hard way.  Traction & durability... yeah, of course.  I find myself looking at the bottoms of so many shoe designs, wondering to myself if they'd really provide good grip in real world situations (Ariakes, for example).  A simple tire tread design is ideal for regular, straight line running, but not sure about PK & gripping, particularly wall climbs.  Seems like you could slip easily in that application, especially if there's moisture, and that horizontal (not vertical) treads would be more ideal.

I saw some love for Asics Gels, and I echo it.  They've always been my favorite walking/all purpose shoes.  So comfy.  I have a pair lying around, so to hear they're good for PK was encouraging.  Seems they'd have pretty good shock absorption, while still being flexible & not too thick a sole.  But, I prefer mine just a tad thinner, still, and my feet to be closer to/hugging the ground more.

Then I heard these recommended by someone (Adidas Fluid), and after looking myself I like what I see:

http://www.amazon.com/adidas-Fluid-Trainer-Light-Training/dp/B004JXVM24/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325797679&sr=8-1

May be a tad thick on the back end, but it's about the closest I've come so far to finding THEE shoe to fit my criteria.  At this point I'm leaning toward either going with these, or the good ol' reliable Asics Gels.

I'd love any feedback. 

[pk1993]

Im wearing imported Feivyues. Been training in them for a year. I have training the Ekiden 50's, KO's, volleys, and now these. These are by far my favourite.

[Chase]

Well it was gorgeous today, so I went out.  Almost 60, which this time of year where I live... it doesn't get better than that.  It was pretty much just a long walk where I decided to tackle a few obstacles than a real PK session.  It became evident very quickly that my old pair of Asics Gels are not up to the task.  It's not the shoe, it's the fact that I've worn so much of the tread off them.  I think with a good pair of inserts they could work great.  I've been meaning to buy a new pair soon anyway.  I love the shoes for general use, so even if I don't like them for PK, no wasted $.  And I'm going to try the Adidas Fluids as well.  I'll check back in and give the skinny on my experiences with them.  Though, it may be awhile until I get more ideal days to go out and put them to the test.

[Chase]

I just got my Adidas Fluid Trainer Light II's the other day, and my initial reaction is that they're going to be really good PK shoes.  I posted a preliminary review in the "Consumer Whores" section.  When I get the opportunity to really put them to the test, which may not be till spring, I'll make an official review.  But I have little doubt that they're going to be fantastic, and not just for PK.

These Asics here (Gel-Rhythmic) caught my eye too.  Look like they could be good for PK.  Nice and thin for that "as close as you can get to barefoot with some shock absorption" feel.  Wonder if anyone's tried these out?

[Jake]

So im new to pk, just throwin that out there, and well im not goin out to by a pk shoe right away due to no experience. So i just want to know if i can just wear a good pair of nikes. What are the 3 main things im lookin for when buying a shoe that will be used for pk. Mind you again im not buying specifically for pk. Please Be straight foward and help me. I've been doing research and just lazy to read all that i have to. Thank you for future help!!

[Cody]

I'm really loving my 5.10 Freerunner. 5.10's stealth rubber provides excellent grip, and the shoe as a whole is durable and supportive, without being too heavy. And they are super affordable. You can get them here for only $65.
http://shopfiveten.com/Item_Detail.aspx?ItemCode=4305070010041

[Austin Morrow]

I'm having trouble deciding between the Nike Freerun and the Nike Air Relentless 2+. One is $100 and one is only $60 at Athletes Corner. Anyone have any experience with this?