25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful shoe., January 28, 2006
This review is from: Wushu Shoes (Feiyue Brand) (Apparel)
I doubt these shoes because of friends in shaolin who swore by these shoes and I wanted shoes to use for capoeira. Well, the grooves on the bottom of the shoes make it very difficult to slide your feet backwards or spin on the ball of your foot because of an insanely large amount of friction so it does no good for me in capoeira but obviously they weren't made for that. There is an incrdibly large range for friction so if you need to keep your feet on the ground these shoes will definetly do that for you.
Also - these shoes are INSANELY comfortable. Since I've bought these, I wear them nearly every opportunity I have. They're light, the padding on the bottom is perfect for your feet from the first time you put them on to the last. And stylish.
Only drawback to them would be if you have any need to slide your feet backwards or rotate your feet it may be difficult - but, other than that its a wonderful shoe.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great shoes - Not really a barefoot alternative though., June 14, 2010
This review is from: Wushu Shoes (Feiyue Brand) (Apparel)
I purchased these shoes as a barefoot alternative/minimalist shoe as I am very much a believer in this movement. I have many barefoot shoes ranging from the vibram fivefingers to multiple vivobarefoots. I wear nothing but minimalist shoes and study the topic regularly (see the Harvard Barefoot Running website for a good overview).
These shoes are probably a step between a regular running shoe and a barefoot shoe. If you would like to switch to barefoot, but are afraid of moving directly to something like the fivefingers, these shoes would probably work very well for you. They do not have any arch support, which is excellent. They do have a fair amount of sole, however, which prevents you from truly feeling the ground and moving with the appropriate barefoot gait.
I do not want to seem like I do not like these shoes though, as they do have some desirable assets. For one, they do have a very minimal upper, which does not restrict movement. The sole is also very flexible, albeit slightly rounded. At first the rounded sole seems a bit strange, but it will work your gluteus medius/minimus more than a normal shoe and should help with balance and ankle strength. These shoes are also very light, and the sizing for me was the same as any other minimalist shoe.
Also, you cant beat the price. Although they are not true barefoot type shoes as some other reviewers mention, if you dont have 150 bucks to drop on vivobarefoot (best barefoot shoes on the market) or dont like the look of the fivefingers (they are amazingly comfortable however only losing points for not being appropriate for every occasion) these may be a good start for you.
Finally, these shoes are way better than the Nike Free shoes (any version of them) but I would put them in a similar class of minimalist shoe. If you are wondering what these will feel like, go try on some Nike Free 3.0 shoes. These have a similar feel outside of the rounded sole. These shoes also have a flat feel, where the Nike Free's have a slightly raised heel.
Enjoy getting rid of all of your back pain through ditching the foot cast that is today's running shoe.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent and Comfortable Shoe!, July 8, 2008
This review is from: Wushu Shoes (Feiyue Brand) (Apparel)
I do not study martial arts or wear the shoes as intended; however, I do wear these shoes nearly every day and have for about two years. I love these shoes. I have worn through six pairs so far (straight through the soles), yet I continue to buy them. The main reason is because they are incredibly comfortable. If worn indoors or rarely they would certainly be durable enough, but I wear them outside, every day, in the streets of New York, winter and summer. They really are a great shoe: comfortable, inexpensive, nice-looking and they have great traction.
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