A review of Feiyue Martial Arts shoe when used for Parkour.

Feiyue
Feiyue started in the 1920's in Shanghai, China. The name is pronounce Fay-Wee. Like a girls name, and then the thing you say when you go down a slide. They have been popular in the martial arts community for years due to their comfort and almost imperceptible weight. Recently Feiyue has started to court the Parkour community, claiming it's lightweight, flexible shoe would be perfect for training. They come in a huge amount of colors variations (each of which has it's own name), though many retailers only carry white or black only. Considering their popularity in martial arts, and their extremely affordable price, I decided to give them a try.

Where I found them
I went searching on Amazon to try and find a competitive price and discovered that they almost exclusively sell for $14.99. With shipping, it cost me 23 bucks. Not too shabby for a pair of shoes.

First impressions
My first impressions as I pulled them out of the box, was that they were 15 dollar shoes. The came in a clear plastic sleeve, and when I opened it up, it stank of that new rubber smell. They basically look like Chuck Taylors designed for running. Thin canvas body, with a thick rubber sole, and a strip of rubber around the whole thing. I put them on, and found they felt somewhat odd on my feet. The sole of the shoes seems to stick out more towards the middle of the foot, so it's almost feels like your feet are wider than the shoe. It's not an uncomfortable feeling, it's just very different from any shoes I've worn. It gives the impression that you're balancing on something. More on that later.

Initial use
They feel very cushy under the balls of the feet, while the padding under the heels feels much thinner. The first time you run in them heel-to-toe, you'll find out very quickly that the padding on the heel is nearly non-existent. This may seem like a deal breaker for some, but learning to run on the balls of my feet has made this a non-issue. Not to mention the strengthening on my calves and shins.

I got mine two days before the '07 Jam of the Century, so I knew they'd get a good bit of use right out of the gate. Overall I found that they gripped well, however the tread itself wears out quickly when scraping along pavement a lot. It feels like a session of training cat grabs would probably destroy them. On the other hand, rail work is like a dream. When wearing running shoes, I have a hard time staying well balanced on most railing. When in my Feiyues, I can hop back and forth and run along them with ease. The thinness of the sole really helps you feel the railing, and so you can adjust your balance easily. They really make you feel like you're training barefoot, but without all the rocks stabbing you.

Performance Over Time



So I've had mine for nearly a month now, and I wear them pretty much daily. I find them very comfortable in that bare foot sort of way. Also, with the thin heels encouraging me to stand on the balls of my feet I find myself always wanting to bounce around. These shoes literally make me want to train more than other shoes. Sounds weird I know, but it's the God's honest truth. The lightness of them, and the way you can feel the ground, it makes you hyper aware of your feet, which just makes me want to run and jump.

I will say that after only 4 or so days, one of the shoestring eyes came out of it's hole.



I thought this may limit the life of the shoe drastically, but it hasn't seemed to really effect it.



Final Thoughts
Overall I think these shoes are great. They may not be for everyone though. I have a feeling it's probably either a love them or hate them type deal. I think guys who work more on flow would like these, as they are so light and make you feel light on your feet, while guys who are going more for big stunts might want something with a little more protection. I should also mention that I don't get a lot of time to train, so I haven't put them through the tremendous workout many people might. They did survive the Jam of the Century, but not much else other than daily wear and a few small training sessions after that. For 15 bucks, if you can find them in stores, I'd say they're really worth it. If you have to pay 8 dollars in shipping every time, they may not be. Perhaps going in with a few friends to cut down on shipping costs would help. All said and done, I would like to buy another pair when these die out.