What Are The Best Boxing Shoes?
There are many styles of boxing and martial arts, and like many workouts, there is a certain kind of footwear that works best. For example, professional boxers wear boot-like boxing shoes, but mixed martial arts fighters go barefoot. What's best for your at-home boxing workout? Keep reading to find out!
What Are The Best Shoes For Boxing?
In order to "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee," your boxing footwear needs to be lightweight and flexible--made of materials like breathable nylon mesh. In boxing, you move your feet a lot, so staying light on your feet means having a shoe that doesn't weigh a lot.
Your boxing shoes should also be snug and fit like socks. The soles should be rubber to prevent you from slipping on a mat or your floor. And in order to best support your ankles while you "dance" around the ring, they should lace up past your ankles. Some boxing shoes even feature a strap, securing your ankle and giving more support.
Many sneaker brands have a great reputation for making high-quality boxing shoes, like Adidas and Nike, but boxing brands like Ringside and Title also make footwear to go along with their boxing equipment.
What Is The Point of Boxing Shoes?
While some styles of boxing forego shoes and fighters fight barefoot, boxing shoes still serve many important purposes. They provide support, grip, and protection while in the ring and during a fight, giving you a steadier, more precise stance and better movement. Boxing shoes can prevent twisted ankles, jammed toes, and slipping on sweat--all things that can distract you during a fight or derail you during a workout.
During training or a regular workout, boxing shoes can help you keep your focus on your boxing technique, especially your footwork.
Boxing shoes are often overlooked as boxing equipment, but the support, comfort, and benefits will help you develop your skills even faster!
Are Boxing Shoes Flat?
Balance is an important benefit of boxing shoes, so the soles of them are specially designed with that in mind. The soles of boxing shoes are generally flat -- a slight wedge will focus your weight at the toes rather than back on your heels. Boxing shoes also feature either thick or thin soles, and both have their benefits and drawbacks. It's a matter of your comfort level, so make sure to try them on and see how they feel in a boxer shuffle.
How Are Boxing Shoes Different?
Every sport and workout has specific needs and boxing is no different. Boxing shoes serve the individual needs of an athlete who is constantly moving around a ring, staying light on their feet and shifting their balance. The light weight of boxing shoes as well as the high-top design protect the feet and ankles during training and fighting.
You might start out with regular sneakers, like running shoes, but your whole body uses different muscles and positions during boxing. That's why it pays to invest in boxing shoes.
Boxing shoes are part of suiting up for your boxing workout and are just as important as wrapping your wrists and putting on gloves.
When you're ready to hit the mat, boxing shoes will provide you extra protection and support for the moves you'll be doing during your boxing workout. Whether you're doing traditional boxing or incorporating kicks, boxing shoes will serve as an important part of your boxing sessions. While the FightCamp app watches your numbers, your boxing shoes will keep you moving--and get those numbers even higher!
Want to learn more about the pros and cons of boxing shoes? FightCamp Trainer Coach PJ gives you all the details (link to video).
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The Author: Tommy Duquette is the Co-Founder and Head of Content at FightCamp. He is a former US Boxing Team member with 136 fights under his belt and qualified for the 2012 Olympic trials as the #2 seed. He has 18 years experience training clients in boxing and fitness. Tommy is also USA Boxing Coach certified.