Toe Safety Insert Thingies?

[Kody Tench]

The modern-day version of sabatons. Haven't tried them:

http://www.amazon.com/Ellwood-Foot-Guar ... 67&sr=8-12

DON'T!!! I have to wear these at work sometimes, they suck trust me on this they are horrible. These are the bad ones I spoke of except the ones I use are metal, they are seriously uncomfortable and they throw off your movement.

Plus they are ugly clownshoe monstrocities.

If you must try them go ahead but I'm confident you will grow to loathe them.

[Shay Roberts]

Good to know! Maybe one of these companies that is working on gloves will come out with a protective HEMA shoe. I'd sure buy a pair.

[Ben Floyd]

I'm confused by the need for foot protection. Having said that, I fight in Vibram Five-fingers. They give no protection at all. Now having said that, I've had my foot stomped hard enough above my toes but below the ankle to make 60% of the arch of my foot to turn black/bruised. It sucked, but I also think it was made worse by everyone else stomping on it afterwards out of spite. I was wearing sneakers at the time though.

I guess I just don't get hit in the feet that much. I get my feet stepped on a bit, but it's not usually that bad.

[Mike Ruhala]

It's not that I get hit in the feet much, it's that the possibility for injury is there and as you know I can't afford any down time. I'm mostly concerned about the ankle and toes, the former is protected by my shin guards but I don't have anything for the latter.

[Darijan R.]

http://www.grays-hockey.co.uk/product.a ... 31&PID=348
https://www.google.at/search?q=Hockey+K ... 4QTU2-zLCQ

http://www.prohockeylife.com/hockey-acc ... ors-p-5415
http://www.lssu.edu/whats_new/articles. ... cleid=2138

[Kody Tench]

Ok look I know that there's the chance to can get hurt and I know that I'm usually the last person to say this but maybe, JUST MAYBE there is such a thing as being too safety conscious . This is a dangerous thing we do but this is in my opinion not the way to go about working on foot protection.

The need for safety is important but if you go this path I can only see you ruining your technique and looking bad doing it. Maybe you really do need to practice more to avoid foot injuries (not to sound like another group of people) these safety toe things may be good if your doing harnesfechten but for blosfechten please please PLEASE don't. I only say this because I really think that of all things IN THIS INSTANCE this is going too far for safety.

If you are even moderately conscious of your footwork and how to protect yourself from getting stomped then its worth any ten of these footguards.

[Mike Ruhala]

Similar footguards are used in many Eastern martial arts but yeah, that's not the kind of thing I'm looking for. A safety toe insert made from that sole rubber stuff that fits inside my wrestling shoes would be fine.

[Mark T]

Mike, where'd you get up to with both your research and concerns about this?

Reason I ask is that I train with someone who is very fond of the foot-trap, and after some years, I finally invested in some composite-toed training shoes ... work like a charm, and just look like regular trainers. Brand I got are 'Mack', and found them at a safety gear / workwear shop. No-one can tell the difference from the outside, but they're really come into their own a couple of times in training!

Oh, and they also come in black (not that that would appeal to you ).