Anyone who has used foot gear knows it’s not exactly comfortable. The straps on the bottom interfere with grip on the floor, they bunch and pinch, not to mention (eventually) rip. In my search for better fitting, more comfortable foot gear, I ran across Whistlekick. Jeremy Lesniak was kind enough to supply me with a pair to try out and review.
At the Atlantic Pacific Tang Soo Do TAC tour in Lubbock, TX, I had the opportunity to put these kicks through the paces during a Black Belt sparring session at West Texas Karate.
First Impressions
Upon opening the box in which the gear had been shipped, I was greeted by a nice, black, mesh style, drawstring bag with the Whistlekick logo on it. I felt like I was the recipient of something better than “normal” foot gear. The bag is large enough to easily accommodate the foot gear and sanitary wipes if desired. Even better, the breathable fabric means no additional effort required before storing your kicks! If you decided not to use the bag for your foot gear, it’s large enough to hold other sundry martial arts items (hand wraps, mouth guard, water bottle etc.). It’s a nice bonus piece of swag, no matter how you use it. 😉
Performance
My feedback on the gear was similar to three of the four other people I had in my sample group: Chad (3rd Dan, West Texas Karate, Lubbock, TX)Peter (3rd Dan, Tang Soo Do Ho Sin Sul – Abiline), Tom (2nd Dan, Thunderbird Martial Arts Academy of Albuquerque, NM ) and Alicia (2nd Dan, West Texas Karate – North, Lubbock, TX).
Getting used to no bottom straps holding the kicks in place required some mental adjustment; however, we all agreed, once the gear was “broken in” and less stiff, any feelings of an awkward fit would be forgotten.
**One note on fit: the feet seem to run a tad small. Chad, Tom, Peter and I, had (USA) shoe sizes of 10 or 10.5, while Alicia wore a (USA) women size 10 (equivalent to USA men size 9). Unanimously, the men agreed the kicks didn’t quite cover the toes enough, while Alicia felt the fit was perfect for her feet.
In terms of use, everyone agreed the gear was very comfortable, light and had excellent air flow. Alicia actually commented:
“My feet usually sweat in my foot gear, but the ventilation on these kicks is great. My feet didn’t sweat at all!”
Final Thoughts
The overall quality of the gear, in comparison to other industry leaders like Century stacks up well. The price point for the kicks (39.99) is comparable to Century P2 Kicks, with better ventilation, comfort and decent protection (not to mention, more foot to floor ratio for increased traction). These kicks will definitely make it into regular rotation for me and become recommended gear for my students.
If you’re interested in purchasing a pair of these kicks for yourself, click here to be taken to the Whistlekick store page. Jeremy can also be found on Facebook, at his Whistlekick page. I’m sure he will be as helpful to you as he was to me.
Jesse Bernal
Owner/Instructor
Colorado Tang Soo Do – SE Aurora