ASICSMen's Split Second 9 Wrestling Shoe

I've been using a pair of these for 4 months to play indoor basketball 3 times a week. Although not what they were designed for, the shoes perform well and have held up great.I got into low-drop shoes for running and wanted to find something similar for basketball, but could not find a shoe designed for it. I have Vivobarefoot Ones that I love for wearing around, working out, running, and tennis; but they proved risky in basketball because ankle support is nice when you come down on someone's foot.Then I tried my son's old wresting shoes and was hooked, so picked up a pair of these. The toe box on this (and all wrestling shoes as far as I can tell) is intentionally narrow, so it is not the ultimate for barefoot basketball, but is the best balance of tradeoffs I've found. Wrestling shoes provide great feel, stability, and quickness while playing ball (and force you to avoid heel-toe running). I have bad ankles and always used to armor up with neoprene brace inside tightly laced hightops, but would still have a minor dislocation every 4-6 outings. With these I've reduced that to more like one in 20, due to the low and flexible sole (the high-top also helps if you step on someone else's foot).I'm not sure how long the soles will hold up if you play regularly outdoors. Although these shoes have helped my defense and cutting, they unfortunately have not improved my shot.My sons used them for wrestling when they misplaced their shoes, and said they worked great on the mat as well.

I purchased these shoes based on the recommendations I read here on Amazon. I recently got into boxing and needed something with added grip and ankle support. Long story short, these did the job. It was absolutely remarkable at how much of a difference the grip on these Asics made when maneuvering. I felt much more confident in my footing. As stated by other reviewers, make sure you get a full size bigger than what you normally wear. I normally wear 12 or 12.5 in running shoes; I purchased these in a size 13. Overall, these shoes are invaluable.Pros:-All the reasons I mentioned above.-Extremely lightweight.Cons:- For ppl with flat feet or wide feet, you will find it quite difficult to put these shoes on for the first time.-You have to be patient. Take time to break these shoes in properly.-I felt some discomfort in the bottom of my foot when running on the treadmill after going some rounds. However, I am not sure if that slight pain was because these shoes were not made for runing or if my wide feet were not accustomed to wearing such shoes.In sum, I chose not give these shoes less than a 5 star because the issues I mentioned above (i.e. difficulty putting them on and pain in the bottom of my foot when running) all arise from my odd feet. These shoes are truly great.

I'm a 9.5 US for sneakers, dress shoes, loafers, etc. and ordered 9.5 which turned out to be a great choice since the "wrestling shoes" fit perfectly. I should offer the caveat that the shoes seem a bit narrow but since my actual feet are also narrow, they seemed tailor made for me. If you have fairly wide feet you may want to order an entire size higher or possibly get a different style of shoe since these may not be suitable for you.I bought them to perform deadlifts (I pull mostly sumo but also some conventional) and they are awesome for that. These are not running shoes or dancing shoes or bowling shoes. They have a thin sole so you should make sure that they are relevant for your purposes. Overall, the specific pair I purchased are colorful, attractive and perfect for my purposes.

I bought these for Krav Maga training as an alternative to my beloved Vibram Five Fingers. I am a size 15 2E or 3E depending on the maker. On the advice of other reviewers, I purchased size 17, the next largest available (why no size 16?) to compensate for the undersizing and the non-availability of wider widths (apparently all wrestlers have narrow feet, or something). While there is extra room in the toe box, the width is just about perfect, which is an acceptable tradeoff so far. Keep in mind that if you go this route, you will basically be training with slightly longer feet than before (about an inch), so it might take some time to adjust to that. It is also critical that you lace them tightly to compensate for all that room in the toe, so that when you are pivoting for strikes and kicks, the shoe moves with your foot properly. Until the shoe breaks in, I find that I need to re-tighten a couple of times per session. Such is life for big guys...The shoe itself is very comfortable right out of the box, and I can get through 2 hours of continuous hard training with no discomfort. The split-sole design is very flexible and light.

Best pair of shoes I have ever worn !! I am a large man 6'10" 390 lbs and it is hard to find comfortable shoes for me at size 18. I have worn these for up to 18 hours and not even noticed I have shoes on my feet. I know that is not what these shoes are intended for so if they work half as well for wrestling then they are worth it !!!!! They are soft and weigh almost nothing, I was mad when I got them because when I picked up the box I thought there wasn't any shoes in it lol. They move and twist any way your foot moves. you can grasp them by the heel and toe and wring them like a wash cloth. I will buy another pair if these ever wear out. Oh and they were delivered in 2 days even though I chose the free 5-8 day shipping option.