I fenced while in college, so got a pair of actual fencing sneakers. (Zin-Kin; they're relatively inexpensive at Triplette Competition Arms, http://www.triplette.com/, and I highly commend TCA's customer service.) The big difference between them and normal sneakers is they have the thicker bottoms of athletic sneakers, but don't have ridges where the sole sticks out to the side of the upper; when you lunge, you roll your back foot (typically your left foot) up on the side, so wearing regular sneakers both hurts your ankle and destroys the sneaker. The more common athletic shoes that were recommended were wrestling shoes; they offer ankle support, traction, and allow you to roll your foot.
I'm assuming you mean "fencing with weapons", not "building white picket fences", of course. In which case, I have one big piece of advice: ALWAYS keep your front knee directly over your ankle; I fenced with my knee offset for about a year, and it took about 5 years for my knee to recover. Fortunately, I was flexible enough that when my front leg gave out while fencing, falling into a split didn't injure me. (The reaction of my male opponents, however, was absolutely priceless.)
Hm. Must dig out and de-rust my blades. I have a really sweet, yet inexpensive, sabre somewhere...
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Date: 2006-10-23 06:47 pm (UTC)I'm assuming you mean "fencing with weapons", not "building white picket fences", of course. In which case, I have one big piece of advice: ALWAYS keep your front knee directly over your ankle; I fenced with my knee offset for about a year, and it took about 5 years for my knee to recover. Fortunately, I was flexible enough that when my front leg gave out while fencing, falling into a split didn't injure me. (The reaction of my male opponents, however, was absolutely priceless.)
Hm. Must dig out and de-rust my blades. I have a really sweet, yet inexpensive, sabre somewhere...