What Wrestling Shoes Should I Buy?

We get the question a lot, especially from beginners and those who last stepped on a mat ages ago: What shoes should I be wearing?

Well, I've got good news and bad news. The bad news first: I can't really answer that question for you. No two people will have the same experience in the same shoe, nor will they value the same priorities when it comes to deciding between pairs. I may find Asics super comfy and stylish, you may think they're hideous and narrow af.

Now the good news: you've got more options than ever before, and what I CAN do is provide some guidance on where to look, what to look for, and which brands and pairs I like best.

Your Entry Levels

When you're brand new to the sport, it's understandable you may want to avoid spending big bucks on any new gear until you're sure it's something you want to pursue. You can absolutely find a solid pair of wrestling shoes for under $75, but you can also find some clunkers.

At the entry level, your best bets are either Asics or Adidas. Both have been doing wrestling shoes forever, and are ubiquitous at every level of the sport. And while both brands have flashier signature shoes at the higher end of the price range, both make very solid entry level shoes too.

For Adidas, their Matcontrol and Combat Speed lines are both under $100, often well under $100 out of season or if you can find a previous generation. In fact, this pair of pretty fresh Matcontrol 3s are just $36 at Dicks Sporting Goods at the time I'm writing this, which is an absolute steal.

For Asics, their Matflex and Snapdown lines are both on the less expensive end of the spectrum, but the only thing cheap about them is the price. Walk into any open tournament and you'll clock a dozen pairs of these on the feet of top-level wrestlers across the country.

Are there other entry level options out there? For sure. A quick glance at Amazon will pull up several other candidates, many of which are sold under online-only brands like Sisttke or BKWHDAY. Most of these are cheap Chinese imports — which is not to say they are necessarily bad! For weekly practices like ours, you absolutely can get by with a pair of these if you want. Would I? No, but only because there is barely any difference in price compared to the aforementioned name brands that have stronger reputations.

Your Best Sellers

If you're ready to open up the wallet a bit more — or just want something with a bit more 🔥zest🔥 on your feet — here's the tier for you. Anyone who last wrestled in high school or college before, say, 2012 and hasn't paid attention to the sport since would be shocked to see the explosion of the shoe market in the past decade or so.

No company exemplifies this more than Rudis. They've been around for a while now, but only in the past five or so years have they made the leap from an upstart disruptor to legitimate goliath in the wrestling world. Not only do they have the high school market in a chokehold, they are now the official license partners of both USA Wrestling and United World Wrestling, the two biggest entities governing the sport in the U.S. and around the world.

Rudis' specialty is wrestling shoes, and they have a dizzying array of options. Whereas Adidas and Asics are known for their classic colorways and safe designs, Rudis swings for the fences. I personally love that they take risks with some of their designs, and I own about 6 different pairs of their shoes.

Rudis does come with a higher price tag though. Their cheapest, most basic shoes start at $85, and can go for as much as $180. As for reliability, they've improved greatly since I got my first pair back in 2018. If you've got wider feet like me, give their KS Infinity Edge a try.

Rudis' effect on the market has even trickled upward to the aforementioned Asics and Adidas, who have responded to Rudis' popularity by taking bigger swings themselves. Asics' Aggressor line is their "flagship" shoe, and they've gotten a bit bolder with their colors recently. I love my pair of Aggressor 5s, and Asics just released the latest gen this month (though expect more color options in coming weeks).

The other major player I haven't talked about yet is Nike. Wrestling is hardly the company's top priority but when you're as big as Nike, any new releases draw attention. Their three main lines are Tawas at the highest end (~$150) as well as Inflicts and Freeks around $120. I've never rocked Nikes on the mats, but they are beloved by many of the sport's top athletes. At the FinalX tournament earlier this month — a showcase of the best freestyle wrestlers in the US, which determines who makes the team for Worlds — Nike was the most popular brand, followed closely by Rudis. They do have a couple of entry-level shoes, but Nike's real strength is at the higher end of the market.

Your Wild Cards

There are several other brands out there that are trying to do what Rudis did a decade ago, and following their blueprint — be bold with the designs, partner with big names, and try to build a following.

In no particular order, those include Spartan Combat, Scrap Life, Funky Flickr Boys, Venum — I'm sure there are more out there I'm forgetting. You'll take a bit of a risk on these shoes in the reliability department, but all of them have been around for at least a few years now.

Other Considerations

Outside of the usual considerations like style and cost, here are some other things to consider.

Split sole vs. full sole: Some wrestling shoes — like the Adidas Combat Speed or Nike Tawas — have a two-piece sole, with a gap at the bridge of the foot. Others — like the Asics Aggressors or Rudis KS Infinitys — have the rubberized sole running the entire length of the shoe. This is purely a preference thing. Split soles generally allow for greater flexibility in the shoe itself, while full soles offer better traction.

Are there women's shoes? Women's wrestling is the fastest growing sport in the country, but the brands haven't quite caught up to it — yet. Rudis has announced plans to release the first-ever line of wrestling shoes specifically for women, giving Olympic gold medalist Sarah Hildebrandt her own line of shoes, but they aren't out yet.

Sizing: Wrestling shoes are designed to be form-fitting and snug without being overly tight. If your foot is moving inside the shoe, it's too big. If its uncomfortable to move around in, it's probably too small (though also: it could be that you've got them tied too tightly). As with running shoes and most other sneakers, sizing can vary by brand or even by style. In my experience, Asics tend to run a bit small so order a half size up, while Rudis and Adidas tend to be truer to size. My friend Erik is a Nike Tawas guy, and says he prefers them a bit snugger, so he orders 10.5s instead of his usual 11s.

Freestyle vs. folkstyle: Unlike singlets, there are no official requirements that would disqualify any pair of wrestling shoes to be worn at a freestyle tournament. But remember: freestyle events typically require a red or blue singlet, so if style is a priority — and we're a gay friendly club, I know some of you are here for the fashion — keep the color schemes in mind when shopping for shoes.