Review of Parkour shoes

Trully good article from ParkourHelper

One of the most commonly asked questions in the world of le parkour, and one of the hardest ones to answer. There isn’t a definitive shoe that will suit anyone, and there isn’t any single shoe that is best for parkour.

Parkour shoe diamonds can be found in expensive brands or in cheap discount bins; there isn’t any shoe that stands out as best. Obviously if you are here reading this, you don’t want necessarily want to hear that, you want me to do the work and find you some decent parkour shoes. So be it. I have scouted forums and communities looking through the reviews of hundreds and thousands of traceurs, compiling reviews to determine which shoes are most commonly used and reviewed; and the results are in.

Scoring system.To properly access the shoes, there has to be some grading system. After scouring many forums and communities, I have decided to use eight criteria for scoring.

Grip: How well does the shoe stick to surfaces? Shoes intended for parkour should have a considerable amount of grip in order to aid in wall runs, tic-tacs, precisions and the like. To score high in this category, the shoe must have a good grippy sole that will not wear thin too easily. 

Fit: How snug is the shoe? Some shoes such as skate shoes have loose fits, allowing for the foot to move around within the shoe a lot; in parkour, you want to shoe to fit nicely to your foot to minimize room for injury and increase control levels. The better the other reviewers’ fit descriptions and opinions are, the higher the score will be.

Comfort: This will vary from traceur to traceur, but you will want a general idea of how a shoe is going to feel. To grade this I looked at all the shoes reviews and looked at how traceurs thought the shoe felt as they wore it. Obviously the higher the comfort is, the higher the score will be.
  
Weight: In parkour, you want a nice light shoe; one that you could forget was there. Chunky and clunky shoes may hinder your performance and can be physically taxing. While durability shouldn’t be sacrificed for a light pair of shoes, you don’t want to get a heavy pair by any standards. The lighter the shoe, the higher the score.

Flexibility: Many maneuvers in parkour that require your feet will require some amount of flexibility (for instance, a wall run), and you want your shoe to be able to allow that. A shoe that scores highly under this category will be flexible enough to allow for freedom of movement, without sacrificing safety or durability.

Durability: You want your shoe to last. When researching shoes and their reviews from traceurs, I look at how long they have been worn and how they are holding up. While you should never spend much on a pair of parkour shoes, you don’t want to unnecessarily be buying more pairs of shoes because your others have worn through. A shoe ranking high here will last a little longer.

Cushioning: This is a little trickier to score. A shoe for parkour should provide some cushioning to help the lesser experienced handle drops and falls (shoes with substantially less cushioning demand near perfect technique), but should also allow the traceur to interact with their environment. A good score here will be a happy medium between the two extremes.

Other: This takes into consideration other miscellaneous details such as pricing (prices will not be listed as they vary too greatly), shape and make of the sole (flatter soles are better for precisions and control; one piece soles are more durable), traceurs’ personal remarks and brand reliability. 

As a final note, when viewing score cards for each shoe there will be two numbers for each category. The first number represents the impression and opinion that I have developed through examination of the shoe and various reviews; the number in brackets represents the average score as represented by the general reviewing community.


Reviews.
Asics Gel-Evolution IIGrip: 8(9) 
Fit: 8(8.5)  
Comfort: 9(9.5) 
Weight: 9(8.5)
Flexibility: 7.5(7.5) 
Durability: 6.5(8)
Cushioning: 7.5(8) 
Other: 7(8.5)
 
Score: 78(84)% 

While the shoe is light and is considerably comfortable, with a good grip and a nice fit, it seems to fall behind in some of the other categories. The mesh takes away from durability as it can easily tear during any extensive training. The multiple pieces that make up the sole seem to be begging to be torn off and it hasn’t been reviewed as too flexible. Asics also tend to be a little pricey.
 
UnderArmour Proto-Evade
Grip: 7.5(8) 
Fit: 8(8)
Comfort: 8(9)
Weight: 9(8)
Flexibility: 8(8.5)
Durability: 7.5(7.5)
Cushioning: 9(7.5)
Other: 8(9) 

Score: 80(82)%
 
Being rather new to the market still, these shoes are a little pricey, however they seem rather functional. The grip could be a little better, but the overall response from the few traceurs who have tried this shoe has been great. One of the reviewers has suggested that you use another pair of running shoes for running so that this one doesn't wear out too quickly, and with the current price being what it is that may be an idea to consider.

K-Swiss AriakeGrip: 8.5(8) 
Fit: 8(7.5)
Comfort: 8(7.5)
Weight: 8.5(8.5)
Flexibility: 9(8)
Durability: 8.5(8)
Cushioning: 7.5(8.5)
Other: 8(7.5)
 
Score: 83(80)%
 
The reviews on this shoe have been the most puzzling, with some people absolutely in love with it and some who want to shoot the creator. What I have heard from the sources is that it can be a little pricey, though it can also be cheap if you look in the right places; it has been incredibly durable and able to withstand great abuse, though sometimes there are little problems like eyelets breaking off. Some other questions of concern are aimed at the toe which is a little longer and to some, a little uncomfortable, but general reviews were rather pleasant to the shoe.

La Sportive SlingshotGrip: 8(8.5) 
Fit: 9(9)
Comfort: 9(9) 
Weight: 9.5(9.5)
Flexibility: 9.5(9.5)
Durability: 8(7.5)
Cushioning: 7(8.5)
Other: 8(8.5)
 
Score: 85(87)%
 
The Slingshot is a force to be reckoned with according to the sparse reviews I have seen from traceurs. With grip almost comparable to the patented 'Stealth Rubber' of 5.10 and a great fit, comfort and flexibility it seems like the shoe would be a great success for any traceur looking for a parkour shoe. There are a few downfalls though: for newer traceurs, it isn't the best choice as it is a little thin on cushioning and good technique is required, though it isn't sparse on its padding; they last for a year and a half on average if you expect maximum functionality, though they can be used for longer; finally, they are no longer being produced. That's right, the slingshots are now only available through resales; however La Sportiva has two other near identical shoes title the Fire Blade and the Race Blade which come highly recommended by the same traceurs who reviewed this shoe.

FiveTen SavantGrip: 9.5(9.5)
Fit: 9(9)
Comfort: 9.5(9)
Weight: 8.5(9) 
Flexibility: 7.5(8.5) 
Durability: 9.5(9)
Cushioning: 9(9.5)
Other: 9(9)
 
Score: 89(91)%
 
Almost every reviewer of this shoe was ecstatic. Made by FiveTen, this shoe features the patented "Stealth Rubber" - an extremely grippy non-streaking rubber. The shoe is light, though there are lighter; it is moderately flexible though some reviews have lead me to believe that there is something more to be desired here; it seems to endure well and fit nicely. One source suggested a downfall is that it is perhaps overly cushioned and suggests that their Daescent model is lighter and more flexible, with FiveTen's Freerunner fitting somewhere in between.
 
Puma California
Grip: 8(8)
Fit: 9(9)
Comfort: 8.5(9) 
Weight: 8(7)
Flexibility: 7.5(7)
Durability: 8(9)
Cushioning: 7.5(8.5)
Other: 8(8)
 
Score: 79(82)%
 
There were only two reviews for this shoe by traceurs and both seemed to like it a lot, thus I reviewed it. It seems to be a cross between a skate shoe and a functional runner. The fit is stated to be rather snug with the shoe itself is apparently quite light. Another bonus is that it is apparently quite cheap, widely available and there are many colour options. The only thing I would question about the shoe is the actual durability, as I can't see it lasting much more than a year.

Vibram FiveFingers K.S.O.

Grip: 9(9.5)
Fit: 9(7.5)
Comfort: 9(8.5)
Weight: 10(9.5)
Flexibility: 10(9.5)
Durability: 9(8.5)
Cushioning: 8.5(8.5)
Other: 9.5(8)

Score: 92(86)%

I was surprised to see a FiveFingers shoe listed under a couple shoe review threads in parkour communities. The KSO (Keep Stuff Out) version of the FiveFingers is an improvement on the FiveFingers Sprint as it, well, keeps stuff out. Since my first review of these shoes, I have actually managed to purchase a pair, as well as the "Sprint" model. The shoe fits like a sock and while it takes some time to get used to (it took maybe five minutes to get used to having fabric between my toes), they can improve form, work muscles never used, improve balance and foot sensitivity and get you closer to your natural roots. While I was informed that the sizes currently do not come in 'halves' and sometimes this misfitting can cause ankle chaffing, I found that the degree of adjustablilty in the shoes allows you to overcome this with great ease; furthermore the steps on the sizing chart are very compact, which is to say that there is a shoe for your foot size. Finally, this is not for those who are not used to barefoot training or walking. While they can certainly work towards using it, it is not smart (and you will feel it) to jump right into barefoot training if you have lived a sheltered life of shoes. This is not to discourage use, but to have you note that it takes some time to work into them.

Feiyue Los

NOTE: There are various Feiyue shoe types; being asked to review the Feiyues was rather general, so I have chosen to review the Feiyue Lo shoes because they were the most prominent in parkour communities..

Grip: 6.5(7)

Fit: 8(8)
Comfort: 8(7.5)
Weight: 9(9)
Flexibility: 8(9)
Durability: 6.5(7)
Cushioning: 8.5(7)
Other: 8(9)

Score: 78(80)%

The shoe has been identified as comfortable once you got used to them: like many barefoot shoes, there is little cushioning which I find productive (adjusting your joints properly and strengthening your calves) but which those with sloppy technique will find painful. A very concerning point is the durability - the tread has been said to "disintegrate" (a direct quote), an extreme response to the sole shredding by dragging feet and cat grabs. This puts the durability in severe question, though it has been said that the grip once the tread has worn off is excellent (if they last). The shoes are light however and the fit seems just fine. I wonder if the shoes which originally seemed meant for martial arts should stay away from our concrete jungles.