No matter if you are a martial arts beginner or already an advanced practitioner, you tend to think about your uniform as a jacket and pants. However, you are forgetting an important part – your feet. The truth is that when most people think about martial arts training, they don’t even think about their feet.
It’s normal to see people practicing without any kind of footwear, both for tournaments and regular class training. However, this doesn’t mean that martial arts practitioners shouldn’t wear footwear or protective shoes. But why?
4 Main Reasons Why You Should Wear Martial Arts Shoes
1: Hygiene:
One of the main reasons why all martial arts practitioners should wear footwear or protective shoes is related to hygiene.
The truth is that skin and fungal infections can be easily spread in places where a lot of people walk around barefoot. While in most sports this is a problem that can be found only in locker rooms and changing rooms, in martial art training it can be found in all areas, from the change room to the mats if your style uses them to the entrance and hallway. After all, most martial arts practitioners train with no footwear and some even arrive and go home barefoot.
If you consider the fact that it only takes one student with a skin health condition to spread the bacteria around the entire gym, you can see how footwear can be an effective preventive measure against foot infections.
2: Self-Protection:
While not all martial arts gyms are located in temporary facilities, some are. So, in this case, this means that your martial arts class may not be the ideal location to train barefoot. After all, the room may include damaged or uneven floorboards or you may need to train on a cold concrete floor. And this isn’t comfortable at all. So, when you need to practice under this kind of condition, you should definitely opt for wearing protective shoes or footwear if permitted.
3: Sparring Protection:
In case you are a martial arts beginner, you probably already noticed that a lot of your training includes a lot of sparring time. This is a very important part of your martial arts training. However, when you keep repeating the same actions, you want to ensure that your feet are not only comfortable but are protected as well.
In case you are considering buying protective shoes for your martial arts training, you will notice that most shoes include a certain degree of padding especially across the top and in the instep area. So, with this in mind, you should consider looking for shoes that are lightweight and thin.
4: Real Self-Defense Situations:
The truth is that when you are training wearing footwear or protective shoes, it will add more authenticity to your own training. After all, in case you need to deal with a real-life self-defense situation, it will be easier for you to react.
So, as you can see, there are many reasons why you should always wear protective shoes in your martial arts classes. Ultimately, you should make sure that you choose the best protective shoes for your martial arts training. They should be light and offer a good level of padding.
Discover the different types and styles of taekwondo shoes or Karate Shoes for a wide range of activities.