Boxing Shoes

Early Boxing

Boxing has roots dating back to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Depictions of persons engaging in fisticuffs are often found preserved in ancient art scenes. It probably originated from hand to hand combat, and fighters engaged in competition completely in the nude. Lack of protective equipment meant bloodier fights with more serious injuries. Without protection for the contenders, boxing was sometimes so gruesome in its early stages that it wasn’t always open to public viewing. Rules and regulations eventually came about that drove fighters to use more equipment, like gloves and shoes.

Early Shoes In Boxing

As time went on, boxing competitors started using leather straps around their hands and sometimes wore shoes with spikes or studs in them. Early fighters were allowed to kick and stomp their opponents, and these shoes gave them an advantage. Documented first in 1681, bare-knuckle boxing was very popular in England. As a result of serious injuries and fatalities, rules were developed for the sport, and England emerged as a pioneer for boxing as a professional activity. Eventually, use of the feet was not in accordance with boxing rules, and then shoes were tailored to meet the strategic demands of the sport.

Modern Boxing Shoes

Boxers engage their legs during their entire match; they are often known to be “light on their feet”. They stand with their feet spread wide to maintain balance and push off to yield a more forceful blow. The necessity for moving about quickly means that they need to wear light but supportive footwear. Wearing a shoe that is too heavy may cause an athlete to grow fatigued faster. Boxing shoes are made of leather and provide excellent support to the ankles. Since side to side movements are made, boxers are prone to ankle injuries. Typical shoes have long laces that extend up to the lower calf for superior ankle support. Sporting goods companies such as Everlast, Nike, and Adidas produce boxing shoes for a range of customers, from amateurs to professional. A boxer can expect to pay from $30 for a basic beginner model to several hundred dollars for a high quality pair of boxing shoes. Boxers that engage in various cross training exercises such as rope jumping or running prefer not to do these activities in their boxing shoes. The sole of a typical boxing shoe is not very thick and does not provide much support for impact activities like jumping.