Are Martial Arts Shoes Necessary?

Martial arts shoes are available in most martial arts stores these days, both online and offline. This raises the question, are they really necessary? Almost all traditional Japanese martial arts are practised barefoot, and indeed it is a matter of tradition for shoes to be removed on entering the dojo to train. It is a courtesy carried on over generations, but also serves to prevent dirt and grime from outside being dragged over the training area. There is also the practicality for throwing and grappling arts like judo, jujitsu and aikido – where often the training area has padded mats – to protect the training surface from damage by outside shoes.

The shadowy art of ninjutsu is different, and exponents wear boots called tabi – there are also tabi socks, worn with traditional Japanese zori, or rice straw sandals. Tabi boots and socks have the big toe separated from the others. The zori – a bit like flipflops – tend to be worn frequently in the Japanese martial arts because they can be conveniently slipped on and off, when entering and leaving the actual dojo or training area.

The Chinese martial arts are different, and practitioners generally wear martial arts shoes as a matter of course. The styles vary, from the thin cotton kung fu slippers popularized by Bruce Lee, to normal lace-up plimsoles or sneakers. In this respect, as with many other things in the martial arts, the Chinese systems tend to be more pragmatic and less ritualized than the Japanese ones.

Of course, it does depend where training is taking place. Sometimes, you may find yourself practising a Chinese art in a sports center, and assigned to the matted judo room or studio. As a sign of respect, and to prevent damage to the mats, shoes will be removed in these cases.

So apart from all the traditions, is there any advantage in training barefoot, or would martial arts shoes be a good idea instead? Well, there is always the question of hygiene. Students can be protected from each other in cases where any of them have skin or fungal problems, which would otherwise prevent the afflicted student from training, or spreading the infection.

If your class trains in an old hall with either bare concrete floors or damaged wooden boards, then martial arts shoes might be a great deal more comfortable during training. (I have seen some decidedly dodgy training rooms in my time, with raised nails and all sorts!)

Some martial arts shoes are light-weight but incorporate thin padding across the top of the foot, and offer some protection to students during semi-contact sparring. These types of shoes are light enough that proper sparring foot-padding can be used over the top as well.

Finally, and perhaps the most compelling reason in favor of at least some occasional training with martial arts shoes is simply that most (if not all) real self defense situations will take place when you’ve got your shoes on. So it pays to have some experience of sparring, training and fighting while wearing a pair!

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Tagged With chinese martial arts, japanese martial arts, judo mats, kung fu slippers, martial arts shoes, ninjutsu tabi, semi contact sparring, sparring pads

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