Best Men’s Wrestling Shoes

The best wrestling shoes to give you a winning edge over your adversaries and protect your feet.

Best Wrestling Shoes for Men

When it comes to wrestling as a sport, one of the most important purchases for you is a good pair of wrestling shoes. You need to get the best wrestling shoes for your needs — ones that fit you like a glove and give you access to a complete range of motion while also providing stability.

 Wrestling shoes generally fit the wearer tightly and conform to the natural curvature of your feet. This is necessary to give you a natural connection to the ground so you can make complex maneuvers easily. Wrestling shoes should also come with high arches that allow the athlete to stand tall and on their toes without fear of spraining their ankles.

 In addition to giving you an edge during competitions, wrestling shoes are also necessary because they protect you. They come with the proper levels of padding and cushioning necessary to protect the soles of your feet. They have strong ankle support so you can move around the ring quickly without tripping or hurting your ankles. Furthermore, wrestling shoes also protect you from injuries like athlete’s feet and they protect your feet during impact.

But not all wrestling shoes are made alike. A wrestling shoe that may be right for someone else may not be right for you. When looking for the best wrestling shoes, you need to consider if it fits you well, how durable it is, how strong its grip is, its flexibility, whether it facilitates airflow and breathability, and if it looks good.

In this article, we have taken all of the aforementioned factors into consideration. Please continue reading for a comprehensive overview of some of the best wrestling shoes on the market.

Best Wrestling Shoes

1. ASICS Split Second 9

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ASICS Split Second 9

ASICS Split Second 9 is one of the best wrestling shoes on the market because it provides the greatest speed and stability, which is the best combination of features you need on the ring. When you’re in the ring, you need to move really fast while still maintaining stability so you don’t hurt yourself. This wrestling shoe is the best way to achieve that balance. These are high-performance premium wrestling shoes that can sustain immense wear so they can take you through the longest training sessions.

The upper of these shoes are made of synthetic material and mesh. This allows brilliant airflow and breathability so your feet remain cool and dry even during long training sessions. This allows you to avoid common issues like bacterial infections, fungus growth, and athlete’s feet. This wrestling shoe also comes equipped with brilliant ankle support so you can zip around the ring without spraining your ankles.

ASICS Split Second 9 is also extremely comfortable. It can fit snugly around your feet and wrap it for optimal comfort. At only 2 pounds, these wrestling shoes are also lightweight enough to allow you to move fast and perform at your optimal state. In addition to the lightness, this wrestling shoe is also equipped with a split-sole design that further adds to the flexibility and mobility. But the sole doesn’t just facilitate flexibility. It has a tread pattern that’s specifically designed to facilitate traction while pivoting. This ensures that you don’t lose your foot or balance while handling the most complex maneuvers possible.

All things considered, ASICS Split Second 9 is one of the best wrestling shoes for a number of reasons. It’s extremely lightweight, has a unique synthetic and mesh upper, features a split-sole design, has brilliant traction, and it also looks attractive. It’s available in two color combinations — Red/Silver/Black and Black/White/Silver.

2. Adidas Combat Speed 5

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Adidas Combat Speed 5

Adidas Combat Speed 5 is one of the best wrestling shoes out there because it brings the perfect combination of functionality, aesthetics, and comfort. Adidas is one of the world’s leading producers of athletic footwear and they live up to that reputation with these wrestling shoes. Adidas has released a whole line of wrestling shoes called Combat Speed. The first Combat Speed came out all the way back in the 1970s. It was simple, minimal, and old-school, but it was still highly functional.

Adidas Combat Speed 5 follows on its predecessors’ footsteps with some great additions and improvements. The name of the shoe — Combat Speed — comes from its primary feature. This wrestling shoe allows the wearer to zip around the ring with complete comfort and stability. This wrestling shoe has a rubber sole, split-suede leather outsole, and a die-cut Eva midsole. All of these features come together to offer the wearer complete control over their feet while also giving them access to a wide range of motion. This allows you to make quick pivot maneuvers without losing your footing.

One of the biggest injuries people sustain while wrestling is a sprained ankle. This is natural considering you have to make quick maneuvers and sharp turns so it’s easy to lose your footing. This wrestling shoe, however, is equipped with brilliant ankle support. This ensures that you don’t lose your footing, and even if you do, you don’t hurt or twist your ankles.

Adidas Combat Speed 5 comes in a wide range of sizes. Depending on your specific requirements, the cost may be either moderate or extremely expensive. All things considered, this is the perfect wrestling shoe for advanced wrestlers and professionals. It’s available in 13 color combinations and styles such as Black/Silver Metallic/Black, Core Red/White/Core Red, Aqua, Royal/Dark Royal, and many more.

3. ASICS Aggressor 4

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ASICS Aggressor 4

ASICS Aggressor 4 is the ideal choice for professional wrestlers or those who are at an advanced stage. The Aggressor series has been around since 2009 but the Aggressor 4 is one of the latest and most impressive offerings in this series.

These shoes are made of an upper that’s a combination of fabric, suede, and seamless Ecsaine. This ensures breathability and comfort. However, before you’re comfortable in these shoes, you’ll need to break them in. These wrestling shoes take about three days to completely break-in and they’re perfectly comfortable after that. This wrestling shoe also comes with straps that can hold the laces together so they don’t come undone while wrestling. You can, however, choose to remove the straps if you don’t like them. These wrestling shoes are also incredibly durable. They’re hardy and they can take immense abuse without tearing or wearing. These wrestling shoes are also breathable so they don’t develop fungus due to sweat and they remain relatively dry.

This wrestling shoe also comes with an impressive grip. It has a Duosole outsole that minimizes the weight of the shoes and enhances flexibility and range of motion so you can handle complex and quick pivots. There’s a side grip as well so you can be in different positions on the mat without losing your footing. The sole also flexes really well, which is necessary while pivoting. The biggest issue, however, is that this wrestling shoe tends to slip when the mat has some moisture. If you train in an area that’s frequented by other wrestlers, all of whom are likely to leave some sweat behind, it’s possible that these shoes will skid a little. This can throw you off balance.

This wrestling shoe also has brilliant ankle support. The ankles go high enough to support your entire ankles and prevent you from tripping or spraining your ankles. All things considered, ASICS Aggressor 4 is a great wrestling shoe, but it suffers from one major drawback — lack of grip in wet mats. It’s available in eight color combinations such as Black, Burgundy, White, and others.

4. ASICS Matflex 5

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ASICS Matflex 5

Wrestling requires both technical prowess and control over one’s body. It requires speed but also control. As such, you need to strike the right balance in order to excel at wrestling. That’s precisely what ASICS Matflex 5 seeks to help you with. This wrestling shoe is equipped with the best combination of features to provide a well-balanced wrestling shoe that you can use on the mat or the ring.

This wrestling shoe is made of 1005 textile and synthetic materials. This serves a two-fold purpose. The upper is extremely breathable so it remains relatively dry and your feet remain cool. This allows you to train for longer durations without fatigue and you can also avoid the dreaded athlete’s feet. Furthermore, the synthetic material also makes it easy to clean and maintain.

This wrestling shoe is also equipped with a well-balanced rubber sole that perfectly adheres to the curvatures of your feet. It is designed so as to provide perfect bounce so you can dexterously move around the ring. It enables enough range of motion so that you can perform complex pivots. This sole is also made of gum, which provides ideal traction on the mat so you can move around without losing your footing.

The lacing or garage on this wrestling shoe is fairly traditional but it’s easy to tie up. There are no straps to hold the laces together, but the laces don’t generally come off anyway, as long as you tie them properly, so that’s not really an issue. This wrestling shoe weighs only 8.3 ounces so it’s extremely lightweight and flexible.

All things considered, ASICS Matflex 5 is a great wrestling shoe for beginners and intermediate wrestlers, but it’s not the perfect shoe for professionals. It’s also fairly reasonable so you can get it if you’re on a budget. You get this shoe in two color combinations — Black/Silver and White/White.

5. Otomix Stingray Escape

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Otomix Stingray Escape

Otomix Stingray Escape is an MMA-style wrestling shoe that’s meant for a wide range of combat sports that include grappling movements. While it’s not specifically designed for wrestling shoes, it’s still used by professional and advanced wrestlers from across the globe. These wrestling shoes strike the perfect combination of durability, functionality, and style.

These wrestling shoes have an extremely thin outsole, which makes them extremely comfortable and lightweight. This feature enhances the shoe’s flexibility so you can zip around the ring fast and furious in order to throw your adversary off. These wrestling shoes also provide great ankle support so that you don’t twist or sprain your ankle during your complex maneuvers.

Otomix Stingray Escape has a highly-breathable suede upper that enhances airflow and keeps your feet cool and dry during long training sessions. This also increases the safety provided the shoe and you can rest assured you won’t end up with athlete’s foot.

As mentioned earlier, the outsole on this shoe is extremely thin. This means your foot will be in close contact with the mat and you may even feel like you can feel the mat. This is done because some people like the feel of the mat under their foot and it enables more confident footwork. But this feature also means you might fatigue faster. That’s why this wrestling shoe is recommended for advanced or professional wrestlers rather than beginners.

All things considered, Otomix Stingray Escape is a brilliant wrestling shoe for advanced wrestlers. It’s available in 11 different color combinations such as Royal Blue, Grey/Camo, Red/Camo, and many others.

6. Adidas Pretereo III

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Adidas Pretereo III

This is yet another pair of wrestling shoes that comes from one of the heavy hitters of athletic footwear. Adidas Pretereo III is uniquely designed, looks cool, and is highly functional. This is one of the most lightweight wrestling shoes and it’s completely comfortable right from the start so there’s no break-in period.

These wrestling shoes are equipped with a London Olympics rubber outsole that offers brilliant grip on even wet mats and surfaces. The rubber outsole comes with an anti-slip lining that ensures you have perfect grip all the time. It also comes with a supportive heel structure and a reinforced ankle zone — both of which ensure that you don’t hurt your ankles or sprain them.

This wrestling shoe is equipped with a single-layer mesh upper that’s extremely breathable and lightweight. It also features a strong lacework that remains intact and doesn’t come undone even during intense training sessions.  All things considered, Adidas Pretereo III is an affordable and strong option for a wide range of wrestlers. It’s available in four colors combinations — Grey/Gold/White, Black/Silver/White, Royal/Silver/White, and Red/Silver/White.

Last update on 2023-06-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Rohan is a Freelance Writer and Digital Nomad who loves all things related to technology, sports, MMA and BJJ. When not hunkered down over his laptop in some co-working space, he can often be found hiking through unchartered territories and exploring new cities across the globe.