Shopping for Martial Arts Shoes: 4 Tips to Get It Right

Practicing martial arts isn’t a fad, it’s a lifestyle. If you’re interested in training for one, though, whether you want to boost up your self-defense moves or just want to learn the art, one of the first things you’ll have to invest in are a good pair of Martial Arts shoes. Here are some things to help make your first shoe shopping trip worthwhile:

Determine their use

Do you intend to use them regularly, for the occasional demo and yearly seminars? Or do you plan on wearing them a lot, for your indoor and outdoor training, which you do three to five times a week? This is going to influence the kind of shoes you’ll get. So make sure you know how often you’ll use them. Longer use means you should go for sturdy ones.

Go for the basics

Make sure you go for something light and comfortable. You’re going to need to be light on your feet. Lightweight Martial Arts shoes will help a lot while heavy ones will only compromise your performance and can possibly lead to accidents and injuries. Keep that from happening by going for the right shoes from the get-go.

Get the right size

This sounds like a given but some people assume size stays the same over the years. It doesn't. So take the time to get your foot measured properly. Go to a professional if you have to. Know your size, then check out if the numbers match with the shoes you plan to buy. That's one way to ensure you get the right size before you spend money on a new pair.

Opt for little to no shock absorption

Your shoes should be lightweight and come with little self-absorption properties. So don’t grab those running shoes when you go shopping. If you think you could buy running shoes instead and use that for your taekwondo and jogging sessions, you’re going to be in for a bit of disappointment. They aren’t the same and using your taekwondo shoes for running will wear them out much, much faster. Always match your shoes to the activity you have in mind. That way, you can keep your shoes from going bad for a great deal longer.

With the right pair, you can enjoy your sessions to the fullest. So before you get into the sport, turn to these tips for a handy bit of advice and make sure you swing by Otomix for an array of top-of-the line shoes that hit the mark.