Cheap Inov-8 Bare-XF 210 Shoe

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The shoes were worn for one day when the stitching came out. Fortunately a local shoe repair shop could repair for less than the cost to ship it back. They even reinforced the other shoe at the same seam. They have been fine since then. My son loves the way they feel and grip.

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I have actively practiced Baghua zhang, Wing Chun and Tai Chi for the past 10 years. Before that I practiced japanese jujitsu for six years. Baghua and Wing Chun require a lot of turning and rotating on the heel and ball of the foot, and sometimes the center. It is also incredibly important to feel the ground. Ankle and tendon strength come from leaving the foot as naturally close to the human design as possible, meaning that most modern running shoes are actually hurting people's feet by creating too much unnatural support and structure around the foot.

During formal Wing Chun classes, we train on hardwood so I go barefoot. However, all of my advanced training is outdoors and that's where foot protection is required. My Sifu (teacher) has been pushing me to buy Inov-8s for over a year. He raved about them. He said my running shoes were destroying my footwork and stability. I had a motorcycle accident last year which crushed my left ankle, and the deep tread on my New Balance running shoes were making things worse during martial arts training. So I finally bit the bullet and grabbed a pair off of Amazon.

These INOV-8 shoes have entirely changed my approach to training. I can comfortably do a full two hours of warm ups, baghua palm changes and circle walking, wing chun forms and fast-paced turning drills and footwork, then finish it off with tai chi for a cooldown. Because they weigh virtually nothing, I don't think about them. Instead, since I can feel the ground really well in the 3mm sole, and the traditional over-zealous running shoe support is no longer impeding my sensitivity, I can focus on correct balance and posture. The soles are thin enough to feel the ground (though if you need a thicker sole for your training for some reason, I think there's a 6mm model), yet thick enough to protect my feet on rough wood, tile, pavement and cement.

Where these shoes won't work well is on indoor hardwood. The sole is targeting the running community, so it is very sticky. The tread is light, which is a plus, but make no doubt that these things offer traction for your feet. But for martial arts application with a lot of twisting and rotation, this can actually have the opposite effect on ankles and knees. If INOV-8 could make a martial arts shoe with a sole that took into account a lot of twisting and rotation (heel and ball), which most martial arts involve, and slightly reduced the stickiness, indoor application would be much improved (but I realize these shoes weren't originally designed with this application in mind, they are a runner's shoe).

Anyway, I'm thinking of buying several pair and stocking up on them. My teacher has gone through 2 pairs in 2 years, so they tend to last as well. And on the plus side the sole will break in and wear down a bit so they are more comfortable on hardwood indoors if that is your training preference as a martial artist.

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I started wearing these on a daily basis so the shoes and feet would "break in" to each other. Now I wont wear anything else. Not only are they a great gym shoe, almost as good as being barefoot, but also a great everyday shoe. Too many shoes today have way too much padding and can weaken your feet. So wearing these at first maybe some what painful but once you are used to "bare foot" shoes you wont go back. Plus they're stylish.

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I love this shoe. I have worn Vibram's to run in for about 2 years now, and I wanted a casual shoe that would be minimalist as well. This shoe fit the bill. I love how it fits to my foot. If you have wider feet, I wouldn't purchase this shoe though, it is fairly narrow. If you like the minimalist idea, then this is the shoe for you. I feel the ground(in a good way) better in these shoes than I do in my Vibram's. Super Comfortable!

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Size runs according to normal shoe size. I wear 11 in vans and nikes and got 11s in these as well. I thought they were too big at first but that was only because the toe box is larger than what im accustomed to. After using them a few times they feel great and fit perfect! Great for all crossfit activites; super sticky to the floor, and double unders and box jumps didnt cause any pain either. Great shoe!!!