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I started fencing after seeing the brief clips of Peter Westbrook winning the Olympic Bronze medal in 1984. Since then, I've been a compeitor, coach,... (more...)
Recently, fencing.net had the opportunity to talk with Sean McDowell, the Creative Director for Nike's Olympic Footwear, about the shoe, the Ballestra, that Nike has been developing for the last 18 months.
We showed the Nike Ballestra at the Atlanta NAC and it looks like these shoes will get a lot of interest once they launch in August.
A quick update on the Ballestra on the heels of Nike's Olympic Media Day: More on the Nike Ballestra at fencing.net.

Nike Ballestra - The US Olympic Fencing Team's color scheme
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Bigdawg's Review
A forum member shares their review of the Nike Ballestra Fencing Shoes
FWIW they have my vote for best fencing shoe on the market currently (outside of the most recent Viktorias which I haven't tried for comparison). UNC will be getting them as part of our Nike "Christmas" package for next season.They come in a variety of colors, one of which is exclusive to Granbassi(a pink and black with white accent color), one of which is exclusive to the Chinese team (exactly like the standard red/white scheme but with a red tongue as well), a standard white/tangerine/gray, a "USA" Obsidian/Carolina/white accents, a "Ukraine" which is basically blue/lemon accents, and a white/carolina/obsidian (dark navy).
The sole is kind of 2 pieces, the center is a black rubber with a sort of waffle-esque pattern while it's surrounded by same rubber material that they used to make the outsole and abrasion areas. That part is actually a nice touch b/c you don't have an edge where the protection layer stops or can get ripped off.
Like with any shoe that has rounded edges you might lose some traction around the edges if you're on a dirty/slippery floor but they have very good traction overall. Great fit, a little on the narrower/sleeker side and forms to foot pretty well. They're feather light, lighter than any other shoe on the market and the sole is thin so you get a pretty good feel of the floor. I didn't notice too many problems with lack of cushioning... but it was only one night. That being said, it has Nike Zoom cushioning in the heel area, which is probably worth noting.
The colored areas of the sole/outsole/rubber areas of the abrasion zone are NOT non-marking. There were definitely some red streaks on the floor tonight. The upper is a lot like a light weight running shoe on the "outside" half of the shoe and the inside half has this lightweight synthetic material that Nike claims is made to abuse. As such the shoe breathes ridiculously well in addition to being light and should have a good lifespan.

Nike Fencing Shoes - Red/White color combo.
Fencing Shoes Available via Amazon
Asics Men's Fencing LA
Amazon Price: (as of 05/15/2008)
Asics Women's Fencing LA
Amazon Price: (as of 05/15/2008)
Asics Women's Fencing LA
Amazon Price: (as of 05/15/2008)
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