Fencing Shoes

Finally, some substantial updates on the Nike Ballestra, and really, fencing shoes in general. Things seem to have been somewhat slow due to the economy. Now, though, we have solid confirmation that the Nike Ballestra is finally back on the market. You can read our previous post about the Nike Ballestras here. Previously, there were many colors to choose from, but this time, there is only one -- a black/grey/white color scheme. This is likely due to the fact that this is a smaller, custom run that has been in the works for a long time. They are immediately available for preorder for $175 at Fencing.net and will ship mid-July. They will be available for direct purchase once pre-orders are shipped. They aren't directly purchasable currently because the shipment has yet to arrive. Further technical details, more reviews and pricing information can be found a the Fencing.net Shop.

The Nike Ballestra fencing shoes were developed by Nike specifically for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They were developed by working closely with high level fencers in order to try and properly capture the needs of modern fencers. By all measures, they have found success. The shoe is reported durable, lightweight, and very supportive in the appropriate places. I've yet to get my hands on any to really thoroughly test with, so I'm going to reserve personal judgment on them for now, but they come highly recommended by anyone I know who has owned a pair. And the reason why I'm reserving judgment is because they are essentially currently sold out. Nike is not selling any on their website (except for the occasional small handful that shows up). They are not planning on generating another run on their own. The current word on the street is that Fencing.net is working with Nike to produce another run, but due to the recent economic developments, Nike has undergone some internal shakeups which have lead to delays on the new run of the shoe. We will update this page as appropriate when new information comes in.