From bear feet too commando boots and everything in-between

[Alan Armstrong]

Style dictates fashion even in martial arts.

Practicing karate in bear feet, it has its reasons for griping the floor adding stability to techniques.

Kung fu slippers, protective footwear but still thin enough to feel the ground.

Training shoes, light weight, comfortable with added traction.

Commando boots, great for added protection while on rocky sharp surfaces.

How are you coping with or without footwear indoors and outside?

There is a problem for many martial artists due to getting blisters on their feet while training, twisting ankles and breaking toes with or without footwear; how do you protect your feet in all aspects of your personal training?

There is another dimension to this issue of feet being protect by footwear and that is preventing footwear from wearing out too easily; especially everthing in the heel area, above and around it.

I've taken up repairing my training shoes as opposed to replacing them with elastic glue and stapling patches on areas that have worn down due to my stretching exercises on abrasive surfaces.

Are you replacing or fixing your training shoes?

[Spartacus Maximus]

It is usually a good idea to train regularly wearing the kind of footwear one wears most often. The reason is perfectly logical: if by misfortune a situation arises where self defense is necessary and inevitable, one will likely be wearing that type of footwear and said footwear must not be a handicap.

Except for rare cases, people usually wear some sort of shoes. Being able to move comfortably and quickly in them is important. Training barefoot is also important but for different reasons. Mostly because training the foot and strengthening the ankle to use as a striking weapon is more effective.

Modern society has made it a custom and rule to wear shoes and most people rarely if ever walk about barefoot. Weather and social situation permitting, going barefoot is a habit. I try to go barefoot as often as possible, which means anytime outside work. This has made my feet calloused enough that blisters are no longer painful, just a bit gnarly.

[singularity6]

I've been going to physical therapy for my hip for the past 3 weeks. When doing balancing exercises, I've been taking off my shoes, as my balance is superior when barefoot. This made me think that I should train in shoes from time to time.

[LLLEARNER]

I try to vary my footwear and practice surfaces for kata. Doing kata barefoot on the mats in the Dojo is much different than in my body armor and boots on carpet at work. Socks do not work at home on the Pergo (too slippery).

Edited June 21, 2018 by LLLEARNER

[bushido_man96]

In TKD classes, we don't wear any training shoes. When I train Krav Maga, I wear shoes or boots, depending on the outfit I have on.

Earlier this year (or late last, I tend to forget), our defensive tactics club hosted a two-day training session, in which day one was training in the mat room in short/t-shirts and no shoes, and day two was training the same techniques and concepts on a practice field in full uniform: gun belts, vests, work boots, the whole nine yards. It was a very valuable training experience, and I recommend everyone do it every so often.

[Alan Armstrong]

In TKD classes, we don't wear any training shoes. When I train Krav Maga, I wear shoes or boots, depending on the outfit I have on.

Earlier this year (or late last, I tend to forget), our defensive tactics club hosted a two-day training session, in which day one was training in the mat room in short/t-shirts and no shoes, and day two was training the same techniques and concepts on a practice field in full uniform: gun belts, vests, work boots, the whole nine yards. It was a very valuable training experience, and I recommend everyone do it every so often.

That is great, mixing up the training, opening up the mind to the different possibilities.

I'm all for the mixed terrain training, urban concrete, mats, sand, grass, rocks or gravel including ice and snow.

Footwear must match the environment, the only real way to know is to practice in as many aspects as possible, to get a feel for what works and what doesn't, in the most realistic ways available.