In my previous article “Different Training Floors and How to Adjust to Each One” https://urbanmartialartists.com/?s=training+on+different, I talked about how one can adjust to different training surfaces such as wood, asphalt, and so on. In this article, I would like to discuss what the different kinds of footwear are and how they can affect your training.
Barefoot – the obvious footwear (or lack of one), this is the most prevalent and common to see in most dojangs. It offers the superior grip-to-slip ratio, and having the immediate feedback gives one the ability to react to uneven terrain and rough surfaces. One should take care on hard surfaces such as concrete and even some wooden surfaces by either taping or applying some protection so that blisters and cuts do not occur. One should also take care when training outside or in public areas as they can not only be dirty/muddy but also unsanitary, and one should regularly check your feet for cuts/bruises that can happen during training. One can easily build up calluses but only if you train on a hard surface; training on mats can be tricky as different mats can provide a different texture and thus pivoting/shuffling may require some adjustment.
Athletic/Tennis Shoes – often used when training outdoors but sometimes indoors as well, tennis shoes provide a layer of protection from the elements but as a consequence removes that immediate feedback we get from direct contact. Depending on the grip of the shoes, pivoting and stabilizing can be challenging to adjust to if you’re used to training barefoot. Toe orientation is completely pointless as most shoes don’t offer the range of motion required, so take care when executing front kicks and round kicks on targets. Make sure to air out shoes after training as the build-up of sweat can lead to odors. Finally, wearing shoes may provide a false sense of security and may not alert us to cuts/bruises that may have occurred during training and not discovered until after the shoes are removed.
Crocs – Please, just don’t.
Business shoes/loafers – not necessarily a common or regular training footwear, but there are occasions during official events where one may want to demonstrate while wearing a nice pair of shoes. Just take care that the grip of the shoe won’t be the same as a tennis shoe; in fact most business shoes have a very smooth surface on the underside and one can easily slip. Also some shoes may not have shoestring or tying option (such as slip-ons) and the shoe may inadvertently fly off when demonstrating, so be mindful when executing kicks. When kicking a target or partner, be careful as some business shoes may have a metal insert that can cause cuts and/or bruises on impact.
Vibram (or similar) five-finger shoes – These combine the protection offered by regular shoes but with the versatility of being thin/flexible enough to offer the benefits of being barefoot. Vibram is the most well-known brand but there are others that have followed in their wake in providing footwear that provides protection while allowing the wearer to “feel” their environment. This footwear often has a rubbery underside that helps with gripping when outdoors, but may prove slippery indoors. Similar to tennis shoes, make sure to air them out after training and check your feet to ensure there were no cuts/bruises that occurred. Five-finger shoes provide full range of motion for your toes, so front kicks and round kicks shouldn’t pose a problem.
There are many other footwear I can go over in this article, but these are the most common that people would wear, so I hope this was a helpful overview for you. If you wear or have seen someone wear a certain shoe or footwear that is unique or novel, please put it in the comments below!
