Shoes

[BismarckC]

I am new to IPSC shooting and am at that stage of reading, analyzing and observing everything before I purchase. One item of gear is shoes. I read one of the threads for beginners that said do not be afraid of wearing cleats. Some people at my local club are wearing cleats some are wearing those "sport boots/cross country shoes." My question is-- Has anyone noticed one being better than the other as to slipping and falling, traction etc. I would thinks cleats would be better but what happens when you have a stage where you run up steps or on a hard surface. I tried using the search for past threads but could not find anything

Thanks for your comments.

[vluc]

Last season I wore cleats. This season, trail running shoes - Nike Trigo's with a very aggressive tread. i notice a tremendous difference.

[shred]

There's a thread around here somewhere about shoes. Bottom line for me is the Nike Trigo II "Light Hikers". Comfy and grippy.

A lot of it depends on what surfaces you have to play on, how you play on it and how long you have to stand around. Around here it's mostly a mix of hard-packed dirt, rocks, and sand. And you're out there all day. Light-Hiker and Trail-Runner shoes are designed for that sort of surface. Bonus is you can wear 'em to and from the range.

Cleats work well if the ground is soft, but can be lacking in all-day padding and can be slippery while trying to balance on the ubiquitous 2x4 fault lines stage designers love making you balance on these days.

Whatever you get, IPSC is about starting, stopping and changing directions. Get shoes that can handle that. There's little actual 'running' involved.

[Yar]

I have both cleats and light trail running shoes. The cleats are great if it's muddy, but terrible if you have to run on hard surfaces like plywood, or stairs.

The light trail running shoes are what I'm wearing, unless it's the day after a big rain.

[Loves2Shoot]

Nike all terrain shoes seem to work great all around, and no sore feet

[megaman]

i also use both, but i favor my nike acg trigo II mids , they are as light as my landsharks mids, and they have better lateral support for side to side movement. they are more comfortable on harder surfaces than my cleats and i have no hesitation going full speed on stairs or concrete . and if you plan to shoot idpa also, i beleive you can't wear cleats .

[AikiDale]

Just bought a pair of Football cleats. Rubber cleats have great support on hard surfaces and are hard enough for the mud and grass.

[ErikW]

When I wear my high-top athletic/hiking shoes on a practice day, I slide all over the place. It's got to be cleats for me.

[Chriss Grube]

You really need 3 pairs of shoes depending on the terrain. The Nike Landsharks are great cleats. A good running shoe for those dry days or plywood steps and wooden plank stages. A good pair of waterproof boots for the typical spring monsoon. Nothing sucks more than wet feet all day. Carry all three and change as needed.

[megaman]

what shooting socks does anyone suggest?

[ErikW]

Cabelas CoolMax liners really keep your feet dry and comfy. GoreTex when it's wet.

Sunscreen and good socks: the secret weapons of practical shooting.

[PhilTerry]

Watching the "Super Squad"most of them seem to wear Adidas GSG 9s - could this be significant?

[Ironman]

I just got some Nike’s low tops. They are blue with a very aggressive tread. I think they are called ECS or something like that. I am very happy with the weight and grip to the ground. They are much lighter then my Red Wing Irish Setters that I wore for the first year of competition.

Jim

[Philip Dedmon]

I wanted to try a little bit higher boot on the leg. I did allot of looking. I looked at the Adidas GSG 9s on line and several of the Bates boot on there web site. Found a place about 40 miles from my home town that stocked several of the Bates boot. I liked the looks of the Bates 8" Falcons but wanted to see a pair up close. I have not seen the Adidas GSG 9s in person but after seeing the Bates Falcons I was impressed. The only thing I did not like about them where the strings, so when I bought the boots I also got a pair of 72" black string. The ones that come in the Falcons are about 85" long. I purchased the 2145's that have the rubber toe guard. I think the Falcons a lite weight, my pair of 10.5's only weigh 3.7 lbs.

Here is a link to the Bates Falcons,

Bates Footwear

[BillL223]

I think spikes are especially required if running on wet grass ( I use Landsharks). On dry surfaces I use hiking or sport boots. I have a tendency toward slight ankle sprains and have noticed this is more likely to happen if a step on a rock with spikes then with sport boots.

[David Olhasso]

The best compromise is the Adidas GSG-9 or something similar.

Cleats are good when the ground is soft and wet, but stinks on hard dirt or wood. Also makes standing on fault like scarry.

Hiking boots or better on dirt or wood, but can slip & slide in wet grass.

Smooth soled shoes like tennis shoes are best for indoor ranges.

The GSG-9 has a sole similar to an indoor soccer cleat. They do well on dirt, grass, wet grass, concrete, and DRY wood. Wet wood is still quite scarry. The mid height boot gives good ankle support without the weight or stiffness of a true boot. They are acceptably water proof and most people feel they are durable enough.

[Kevin Kline]

Nothing beats the GSG9 in my opinion. I first tried several pairs of Nike's, other types of shoes, boots, etc. I then spoke with Frank Garcia, Phil Strader and Kert Gaskill and they used them and love'd them. I finally bought a pair and loved them. They feel like a shoe but wear like a boot, awesome ankle support, great traction. They wear and have the support of a boot, but are light like shoes. Even in wet grass, you can turn on a dime and not lose a step. I then bought a pair for work (I'm pretty hard on boots at work, LEO on the street) and again loved them. However, they're pretty expensive and the heel and soles in the back come off a little too quickly when beat around the wear and tear of the street and foot pursuits. I had to goo'em to keep them together in the back. I bought a pair of Bates Falcon boots for the street, they have the same tread, soles and seem to hold up a little longer than the GSG9. But, the Bates is heavier and definitely feels like your wearing a boot and clunkier, the GSG9 definitely feels like a shoe and is quick and light feeling. For the street, I'll stick with the Bates, but for shooting, GSG9's forever.

[steve223]

I use Ridge Air Tacs and really like them they are really lite(2lb 14oz) and have lots of ankle support with a pretty aggraesive tread.I do most of my shooting in NM.& Ariz so i dont have to worry much about mud or grass .

Steve

[Tman33_99]

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