By Jeff Pape

We will review several aspects you need to know if you are buying new wrestling shoes. Perhaps you are a first-time buyer or it has been a while since you purchased shoes. In this release, you will find out more about youth vs. adult sizes, wide-width shoes, proper sizing, setting a budget, color selection, and split sole vs. uni-sole shoes.

Youth sizes versus adult sizes
Because the market for wrestling shoes is small for youth size shoes (under a men’s size five), the color selection and options are fairly limited. For example, adidas offers two colors and Asics offers four colors to choose from. Recently, adidas and Asics have made some of their top wrestling shoes at available starting at a size 4. Once your wrestler reaches a size five, you now have access to shoes in all sorts of colors and designs with prices ranging from about $45 to $130. We often get comments from customers that we do not offer a wide variety of youth wrestling shoes; we currently offer every youth wrestling shoe available from adidas, Asics, and Matman. That’s 90% of the market!

Wide-width shoes
“Do wrestling shoes come in wide widths?” This is our most common question regarding shoes. Just as the size of the market limits your selection in smaller youth wrestling shoes, no one offers wide-width wrestling shoes. This being said, we find adidas shoes are cut wider than other manufacturers. I have a wide foot with a high instep and find adidas works well for me. We make this recommendation based on feedback from our customers. Even though we find adidas works best with wide feet, conversely, several wrestlers swear Asics fit their wide foot better. Keep in mind every foot is different so it is best to shop with a company like WrestlingGear.Com that offers a sizing guarantee. We ship back and forth to you at our cost if you have a sizing issue. Try to find that service elsewhere!

Proper sizing
Each wrestler likes to have his or her shoes fit differently. A good rule of thumb is to add a half size to supplier’s adidas and Asics shoes to get the best fit. Some wrestlers like their shoes so tight that blood will have a hard time flowing to their feet. Generally, we like to see the width of a thumb at the toe to allow for both comfort and growth. If you have a wide foot, we recommend adding at least a half size or even a full size in some circumstances to your normal gym shoe size. Wrestling.Gear.com finds a common error when customers do not start with their wrestler’s normal gym-shoe size. They “think” it is a size 9 ½ and it really is a 10 ½. The key is to find your wrestlers most recent pair of gym shoes and use that to purchase your wrestling shoes per the above instruction. Another frequent mistake is using a wrestling shoe made by different manufacturers to size your shoes. For example, you shouldn’t use a pair of Asics to size a Matman shoe. Each manufacturer’s shoes fit differently. We even find differences within a given brand. WrestlingGear.Com makes sizing recommendations based on specific customer feedback. For example, each shoe has information on its manufacturer’s web page whether we recommend adding a half size or even a full size to the normal gym shoe size.

Setting a budget – youth and adult sizes
For youth sizes, your budget range will be much narrower than for an adult shoe. For example, a pair of youth wrestling shoes will run about $33 to $44 depending on the brand you choose. The adult price range is much wider, from $36 to $130. What do you get for the more expensive shoes? You get a little more stylish shoe, better and lighter material, usually more leather than nylon, better sole, and a better lace guard mechanism.

Color selection
Most often color is the second factor after budget for what specific shoes a customer purchases. Once you decide on your budget, you will be limited in your color options. For the most part, entry level and intermediate level shoes come in the standard freestyle colors: red, royal blue, and—of course—black. Most stores carry black. Often, you will have to shop with a catalog company to buy the red and the royal blue shoes. Sporting goods stores usually stop at the intermediate level shoe, so if you want an elite shoe you will almost certainly have to find a catalog or internet-based store.

Split sole or uni-sole?
Many wrestlers have strong feelings about split sole or uni-sole for the bottom of their shoe. Usually whatever type of shoes you have when you start wrestling is what type you tend to stay with. Asics shoes are all uni-sole and adidas shoes are all split soles; at least this is the case with the current year models. So if you have to have either one of these types of soles, the brand you shop with is already decided.

Summary
A quick review shows that the two most important factors in buying shoes are your budget and what color you wanted. After you decide this, your options will be significantly reduced and you can focus on the split sole vs. uni-sole decision, if you like the lace guard mechanism or not, and the size you need. Drop us a note via our contact form on our website at http://www.wrestlinggear.com to let us know what you thought of the article. We tried to write something that would help a new wrestler and parents figure out what wrestling shoes to purchase.

About Wrestlinggear.com
WrestlingGear.Com is one of the most visited websites in the United States, frequently ranking high on search engines such as Google and Yahoo. WrestlingGear.Com was started in 1998 and has grown significantly each year by helping wresters, coaches, and parents “Get Ready for The Mat!” All major vendors are sold at the website including adidas, Asics, Brute, Championship Productions, Cliff Keen, Human Kinetics, Matman, and Tanita.

Jeff Pape, CPA, MBA, owns WrestlingGear.Com. WrestlingGear.Com and can be contacted at their website – http://www.wrestlinggear.com or by:
WrestlingGear.Com, Ltd
9729 Grand AveFranklin Park, IL 60131
media@wrestlinggear.com
800-565-0995
847-455-9501 (Fax)