The Arctic Traceur

When choosing the right shoes for Parkour, there are several factors that should be taken into account when weighing your decision. The price, grip, sole thickness and weight are the most common attributes that will determine how good a shoe will be for Parkour. Besides considering these attributes, there are some absolute no-no’s that you should avoid at all costs.

Often it’s the cheapest shoes that have the best attributes, instead of those expensive Freerunning specific shoes. Those shoes are usually made by big companies that have more experience selling stuff than they actually have in Parkour and Freerunning. In this article I will explain the attributes that describe a good Parkour shoe, and show you some examples of shoes that have been used by a lot of experienced traceurs and traceuses.

The Sole Thickness

The sole of a good Parkour shoe should not be, contrary to what many people believe, thick. Having a thick shoe sole will remove that little sensitivity that you have between your feet and environment. This means that it will usually promote bad technique, because you won’t feel the shock from the landings the same way as you would with a thinner sole.

With a thin sole however, you will feel it every time you land incorrectly, and you will automatically try to correct this. This is because of the increased sensitivity between your feet and the ground. Besides encouraging a better technique, a thin sole will also follow the lines of your feet, and bend when you bend your feet. This is especially beneficial for precision landings as your feet, along with the soles of your shoes, will bend around the rail you are landing on. That way you are less likely to fall off, and it will help your balance. Just look at slack-liners, when they balance, they are always barefooted or just wearing socks. This is because of the sensitivity of not having shoes really helps their balance.

The grip of the sole really is a two-edged sword. What determines the amount of grip a sole has, is the softness of the rubber used to make the sole. This means that really soft compounds have really good grip. It is not that easy however, because the softer the compound, the less durable the sole will be. This is especially true if you practice a lot of arm-jumps or cat leaps. The best result will therefore be to find a good balance. A compound that is soft enough to provide just enough grip, and at the same time is reasonably durable so that you don’t have to buy a new pair of shoes every month.

When considering the grip attribute of a Parkour shoe, there is definitely room for personal preference. Some people really like to have grippy shoes because they have less chance of failing techniques, while others seem to think it is bad for your technique to rely solely on the grip and choose to go for harder compounds. Your best bet will be to find a fine balance between the two; focusing on getting just enough grip, but also that they will last a while and don’t promote bad technique. You might have to try out a few shoes to really find this balance.

The Sole Design

When looking at the design of the sole, do not choose soles that are made up of pieces of rubber glued together. These soles will start to tear away after only a few weeks, and are obviously not built for the stresses of Parkour. Try to find shoes with whole soles, as they will last much longer and provide better traction.

A lot of beginners tend to think that soles with uneven surfaces such as football- and climbing-shoes will be good for Parkour, obviously because of their grippy design. These are to be avoided, at least from my experience. The uneven surface makes the shoes less predictable when doing precisions, and will most likely mess up your landings. The only possible benefit I can see from these types of shoes are when doing wall-runs, where the added traction may come in handy. There are more downsides than ups however, and I would recommend just getting soles with softer compounds if you need the added grip.

Arch Or Flat Soled?

There are mainly two types of shoes: Flat-soled and those with arches. Both types can be really good Parkour Shoes, but there are things to watch out for.

Shoes With Arches

Shoes with arches are great for precision jumps, and other kinds of jumps. The arch works like a lock-in mechanism, so that when you land on a rail your shoes won’t slip forward and cause you to fall. This added “safety feature” will become very handy for your precision jumps and landings.

There is one thing that you must avoid at all cost however, when choosing shoes with arches. Always make sure that the arch is not made out of hard plastic. This will easily cause you to slip, especially when landing on rails. It completely removes what we above called the “safety feature” of arches, and will instead increase the risk of falling.

Flat Soled Shoes

Flat soled shoes can be really good for Parkour only when the sole is thin enough. Thin flat soled shoes like the Dunlop Volleys or Feivues, are extremely well suited as they have really thin soles. The reason why these are good, is that they let you use the natural arches of your feet, which will also work as a lock-in mechanism. You will also have an added sensitivity and really feel how your feet bend around the rail edge that you land on.

Flat soled shoes that you should avoid are skate shoes, as they have really thick soles and little flexibility. Thick soles in general will have little flexibility and should be avoided.

Popular/Recommended Shoes For Parkour:

Dunlop Volleys

A flat soled shoe, really thin and flexible and allows for much sensitivity. My personal favorite, and I use them all the time when training technically. When doing precisions they are amazingly flexible, and makes you feel really safe. The sole is made by a really soft compound, which makes them really grippy. wall-runs and cat leaps becomes easy with these shoes because of the traction. The drawback is that because of the soft compound and thin soles, they wear down really quickly. After two months with my first pair, I could easily wear them as wristbands! Now I use them only for technique training.

Feivues

The Feivues are famous for having been worn by the shaolin monks, and are really popular among martial artists. Flat soled, light and flexible just as the Volleys, but provide little support and padding. It is essential that you train carefully with these, as they can be a bit hard to adjust to.

Nike Darts

A favorite among a lot of traceurs including a lot of the folks over at Parkour Generations, and a really inexpensive alternative. These shoes have arched soles and medium grip. They provide good padding and support, but the soles are little bit thick. Apart from that, they are good shoes for Parkour.

Merrel Waterpros

Merrel Waterpros are quite a bit more expensive than the other alternatives, but offers incredible durability and quality. Soles have a little arch, that helps on the precisions. These shoes are long-lasting, and meet the requirements of a good Parkour shoe. They have a good balance between all the attributes explained above.

There are a lot of good shoes for Parkour out there that haven’t been mentioned in this article. You should feel free to experiment with different shoes, while applying the guidelines above. Many times, it’s all about finding that right balance that fits your personal style and technique. I will be doing reviews of different types of shoes in the future, and will be posting them under this category. So stay tuned and have fun searching for that perfect shoe!