What are Martial Arts Shoes?
Martial arts shoes are a relatively new invention. The television images of the barefoot Kung Fu fighter is hardly realistic; although martial artists by definition have strong and often callused feet, they are just as susceptible to injury as anyone else who wanders the streets with no shoes. Older Asian movies depict a much more accurate view of martial artists. Samurai warriors of Japan didn’t walk around barefooted. Instead, they wore martial arts shoes which could be more likened to a cloth for the foot than a legitimate foot protector. Fighting with these shoes on was dangerous whether a punch was thrown or not. Made of cheap material, the shoes could tear easily or cause the foot to slide inside the shoe after a kick. They also became unstable when they got wet.
