Question for sword practitioners

This applies to people of any form of swordsmanship really. What sort of footwear do you prefer wearing while practice?

I prefer barefoot myself on most conditions. What kind of shoes/socks/sandals/et cetera do you folks like if applicable?

Shinryû.
 
P

PBPC

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Jan 31, 2001
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In European style fencing, generally people wear "FENCING" shoes. A fencing shoe basically provides support that cross training, basketball, running shoes will not. In European fencing or any sword fighting, your movements are often violent and your knees and feet can take a lot of punishment. Fencing shoes are supposed to provide extra side support to keep your foot from rolling when you land after a lunge or make quick movements. Fencing shoes are often very expensive costing $150 and up. Indoor soccer shoes are cheaper and will provide almost the same support that the more expensive fencing shoe will. Fencing shoes are hard to find, you have to go to a fencing salle or order them through a catalog. Indoor soccer shoes are more readily available at sporting goods and soccer stores. My training is primarily in European style fencing, so I have never trained barefoot. My friend does Kendo and Kenjitsu and will train barefoot, but he also trains in indoor soccer shoes. I would never recommend training in European fencing style with your barefeet, primarily because your feet can slip and roll if you are sword fighting on a traditional hardwood floor.
 
I practice 2 ways....traditionally and occasionally for practical use.
For practical use, meaning the use of a machete or other long blade for last-ditch defense, trail work, etc., I wear street shoes.
In iaido, kenjutsu, and other traditional arts, testing is done in traditional style, either barefoot or sometimes wearing tabi/sandals...so thats how I practice.
floor work in traditional iaido is precise enough that even the position of toes is regarded as important, so practicing in modern streetwear would pose a problem.
 
With the rapier, while in period dress I wear a very low leather heeled thigh high boot turned down at the knee. Usually with very large roweled spurs.
Surprisingly, they've never been a "problem" for me.
When practicing in street clothing, it's whatever pair of reeboks I happen to be wearing.


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Tráceme no sin la razón, envoltura mi no sin honor
 
I tend to prefer barefoot, though sometimes I'll wear my boots or something akin to mocassins. Every once in a while, when I feel I need more support--like broken ground sparring in the woods (not often I can talk people into that)--I'll wear work/hiking boots. If I'm desperate, I'll wear sneakers.
 
Fletcher, I see you're from Texas, are you by any chance going to be attending the Four Winds Renfest in Tyler Tx?
Our group will be performing there at least two weekends during late April and early May.


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Tráceme no sin la razón, envoltura mi no sin honor
 
I've never heard of Four Winds. How long has it been running? The only Ren faires I knew about here were Scarborough Faire and Hawkwood near DFW and The Texas Renaissance Festival near Houston. I'll see about getting the usual Ren roamers to go out there (maybe I can get them into costume this time
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I just checked, and their web page seems to be down at the moment, but I'll get the info for the faire and post it here asap.
It's going to be running every weekend from mid March to Mid April. (roughly)


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Tráceme no sin la razón, envoltura mi no sin honor
 
If you fence western, and you fence electric equipment, you need to wear some sort of fencing shoe. If you don't, the electrical strip, which has inlaid wires, will cut your feet.
 
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