I have always been a fan of cotton-sole kung fu slippers. They are very cheap, and very comfortable. With their soft and smooth bottoms, they don’t scuff hardwood floors, and they don’t tear vinyl or canvas mats.
Cotton shoes do have some weaknesses, though. They absorb water and dirt, so you can’t really wear them outside. And unfortunately, they tend to slip a bit during kicking, jumping, and tumbling exercises. It was for these reasons that I recently decided to upgrade my footwear.
Feiyue (a.k.a. Feivue) sneakers are my new studio shoes. Feiyues are an iconic wushu brand, and a very popular choice among Chinese martial artists. Feiyues are made of canvas and rubber, lightweight with a thin and flexible sole. They are available in white and black, low-cut and high-top styles, for as little as $15.
After wearing the Tiger Claw version for a few months, I have mixed feelings about these Feiyue shoes. They are cut a little too narrow for me personally–unlike cotton slippers, they do not stretch to fit the shape of the foot. Also, for reasons I cannot fathom, Feiyues have round bottoms! When you place a slightly concave foot into the slightly convex bed provided by these sneakers, the natural result is instability. Depending on your perspective, you may interpret this as an additional training challenge, or a needless nuisance.
Outside the studio, I prefer my pair of Replay Arnolds. Their design is a cross between Feiyues and Adidas Samba Classics. Anyway, if you need a second pair of sneakers for martial arts training, and don’t want to spend fifty or one hundred dollars, give Feiyue a try.
What is your favorite martial arts footwear, if any?
any indoor soccer shoe
I’ve bought the Adidas Kundo in April and they’re just perfect for my kyng fu. http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/6237/1000104515640011yl3.jpg
Perfect foot fitting, thin (but not too thin) sole, amazing grip. Non that great for tatami, but otherwise they’re just perfect and long-lasting.
I just ordered a pair of black Feiyues from Amazon after reading this blog. I think they look cool and hope they will fit me well =o)
Has anyone tried the ultralight KO Parkour Shoe?
I like the cotton-sole kung fu slippers as well and would wear them around the dojo while working. I would usually slip them off while training though. I liked them because they kept my feet warm, kept dirt off my bare feet, didn’t damage the mats, and allowed full movement of my foot and didn’t hurt other people if I decided to train in them. We did a lot of JKD foot trapping and if you step on someones foot with a traditional sneaker, it hurts. Not to mention kicking someone in the shen. One student had their toe broken, probably due to the fact that their partner had shoes on and stepped on her foot by accident.
For training outside, or even day to day wear, I like the steel-toed Brahma walker/sneaker from Wal-Mart. They are fairly comfortable and give good movement of the foot while adding a little weight and excellent toe protection. Great for when your training partner is purposely stepping on your feet or you are kicking someone for real!
Those Feiyues seem really great for the price. Good find!