yeah, we know its for parkour. but for some reason, when this shoe came out, it came in all sorts of colors, like black/grey, purple/teal, yellow/white, orange/black, green/white, white/silver, black/white.
my first pair was orange/blacks. it was a few years back. it was well made, and fit nicely like a climbing shoe over the foot. in which case, i had to get a half size down from my usual size, so that my toes could touch the tips of the shoes, so that i would have more "feel" of the surfaces that i scrambled, jumped, slide, and twisted around.
the cushioning on the heel wasnt so much forward like a running shoe, or sideways like a basketball shoe. the "tubes" ran at a diagonal, so that based on how your foot landed or torqued itself, there was better traction. the front of the shoe had this "sticky" rubber outsole that ran front to back. the treads were wider to help "grip" to surfaces better. this proved to be very helpful when landing on a rail balls of feet down.
now the shoe is very light, and the front has foam like padding material on the front that stablizes the landing better from a balls of feet, then heel down motion. now a more normal shoe with the same padding would feet uncomfortable right above the toes as it touches down.
i'm not so sure if this is the right shoe for everyone as the price and how durable it is makes a factor in owning this shoe. i'm out doing parkour maybe 4 days a week. the shoe not only loses its grip in a matter of months, but the cushioning also squishes down greatly. the foamy material makes it harder to clean as well.
i've worn the grey/blacks. the orange/blacks. now i've got a pair of the purple/teals. the ones i just got isnt the same as the original ones. the heel is bigger, and the sizing doesnt fit as snug. the grip is still the same.
there's actually a couple good shoes there on the market that seems better. the alien glow freerunner by fiveten is stickier, but not so good cushioning. toss in a misoul, and it works fine. they dont make it anymore, but the kswiss 18s is by far the best parkour shoe out there. plus its only 30 bucks.
please check my images for more in depth details explained visually.
PRO TIP!!
to prolong "stickiness" of k-swiss ariake, brush bottom of shoe after each day's use with an old toothbrush. also stay out of hiking trails. the brown dirt thats really dusty has trouble being cleaned off of these shoes whether its on the body or the bottom. try not to use chemicals such as alcohol or shoe cleaning products on the bottom of the shoes, as they tend to dry out the stickiness, and can sometimes take out the softness that is what makes the shoe "grip."
if after several months of use, and the shoe has somehow lost its stickiness, you can hold the two shoes sole to sole, and rub the two soles together, in a circular motion gently, but enough to bring back the stickiness of the soles. (notethis is only for the frontal section of the bottom of the shoe.)
stay safe, and flow hard.
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My son does Parkour and he LOVES these shoes. the work great and hold up well.
Best Deals on K-Swiss Ariake Stability Running Shoe Mens
Great shoes for parkour/free running. My son is so happy with them. They fit true to size, are comfortable, lightweight and have great grip.
Honest reviews on K-Swiss Ariake Stability Running Shoe Mens
this hoes grip is great on grass and asphalt and it is relatively lightweight and has great support and cushioning and they look really nice. these are the perfect shoes for parkour.
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I am more of a percion guy but like to do my fare share of wall runs and tic-tacs and cats etc. so these are great shoes. the only bad thing about them is they can get very dirty very quickly. the holes prvide GREAT cushion. (reviewed by S. Demers son)
