American Parkour

Cool! Let me know when you do and we'll set things up.

Possibly, but we're having a family reunion Saturday, and my folks will probably want me to hang around to help get things ready. Would Thursday or Friday work this week? If those don't, I can always Metro up next weekend if you don't mind coming down to Shady Grove.

That's true too, it's hard to believe that any serious operation would be carried through without significant intelligence firsthand. For the family who lost their daughter, even a simple perusal through the police files should have brought up something to that effect-- you can't just expect a family to take that kind of abuse and not take some precautions in the future.

I'd agree with Elet on that topic. Education and information is a lot more important than slap-banning everything society deems unwanting. If somebody wants something enough, they WILL find it eventually. However, if they understand exactly what they're getting into, I would argue that they're less likely to pursue that avenue. But the matter changes the second you take those problems out of your private life-- if someone were to try and sell things to my younger siblings, for instance, I would be furious. If someone is driving drunk or providing illegal substances to minors who generally don't fully understand the repercussions, then the police force is certifiably obliged to get involved.

Please read the article before commenting.

http://reason.com/archives/2009/07/13/swat-gone-wild-in-maryland/print

This puts to question the involvement of paramilitary tactics in domestic, non-violent cases. Is it appropriate? Personally, while I understand that in a large-scale drug-bust there may well be a significant threat--the cases listed here seemed low profile... Was SWAT involvement necessary? And that's not to rule out editorial bias, the Noel home (where a woman was shot and killed) did possess marijuana, which is downplayed in the article. Still, I feel she had the right to defend herself-- if SWAT didn't announce themselves, she was well within her rights as a homeowner to defend herself against intruders.

Note: I may redo this slightly to accommodate the standard criteria listed on this board sometime within the next day or so. And I'll have a review for the Daescents and La Sportiva Fireblades.

"Ninja" Tabi Boots

Vendor



You've seen them in movies, you've seen them on the web--- have you ever seen them on a traceur's feet? I bought these for a costume around Halloween, and have gotten plenty of use out of them since then, and been pleasantly surprised, to say the least.

Flexibility[10/10]:

By far standing out to be the single most flexible piece of footwear I've ever owned. The split toe allows your foot greater freedom of movement-- making landings and rolls easier in general. There are claims that this split is used for rope-climbing, but I doubt that using these specifically for that purpose is ever likely to end well. You're better off clamping your feet around the rope for support, than going through the effort of sliding the rope between your toes.

Comfort:[8/10]:

Again, I was surprised. After some initial discomfort (the 'split' is partially hardened rubber) I broke these in and found them comfortable for walking, running, and they maintained a reasonably consistent temperature. The fabric is cotton, and is easily soaked when walking in wet environments (which I do not recommend) and the rubber sole is adhered solely to the bottom of the boot, offering no protection from the elements beyond the ground itself. Nonetheless, I found them easy to walk in and plausible for daily non-rainy use. Their sizing is true (I would recommend buying them in the same size you usually wear) but be prepared for a slight shifting, which is easily remedied by wearing thicker socks. =P

Grip:[7/10]:

To give a frame of reference, I've been using 5.10 Daescents for quite awhile and I would easily give Stealth/Mystique/Phantom a 10/10 rating. These tabi adhere to a wide variety of substances easily, while being especially effective on none. They will grip wood, laminate, concrete, stone, grass, etc. safely and effectively but have little traction in muddy environments (which is not unexpected, or a detractor from the score). Their first day of use was for the Halloween parkour event in DC, and performed well on the damp, slick walls and concrete.

Style:[5/10]:

+5 for awesome ninja-ness for a total of 10/10. However, don't expect to be picking up too many dates wearing these, as they aren't exactly typical streetwear. At the same time, depending on your circle of friends, you might be hailed as the all-conquering hero. Still, they don't stand out too much at first glance-- so many people will gloss over your eccentricities.

Durability:[7/10]:

I don't have or foresee any particular issues with durability. The fabric is cotton, and has few significant stress points that I feel are likely to ever rip or tear. The rubber sole is fairly tough, and is likely to withstand quite a beating without wearing down.

Conclusion: [37/50] 74%

The tabi are simply designed and effective in both day-to-day and training use. However, their most significant detractor is modern taste. I would easily recommend these for training, as they are inexpensive and surprisingly useful.

General scale, for reference:

10%-30%: Clearly something is wrong, and you're trying a wallrun with ice-skates or something.

31%-50%: Is that a badger tied to your foot?

51%-69%: Good enough for day to day wear.

70%-90%: Effective for parkour, easy to recommend.

91%-100%: Practically designed for parkour/climbing, comfortable, and snazzy enough for daily wear.

Heh, no kidding man! just wait until the list is some 10+ pages long. =D

Meet Fred, the parkour badger!

Dude...make them let you keep them, since they fcked up your order. Then, make a video training in them.

Haha, now THAT would be priceless! Except then they would never give me my Fireblades... 

I'm sure I'd be warm and comfortable, aside from the whole slipping-and-dying thing in the slush/ice outside. Man, now I kind of want a live badger. He could be the first ever Parkour badger!

I don't know first hand, but everyone that has them says that they are, indeed, "dang comfortable and warm." Despite that fact I, as a girl, would not be caught dead wearing them.

That's what I've heard too, but strangely enough, I have no interest in EVER testing them out. EVER.

I don't bear them any particular ill-will, but SERIOUSLY? Ugg boots? I mean, I could understand maybe hiking shoes or even a live badger, but Ugg boots!?