Tag Archives: shoes

new toys part 1: archery shoes

13 May, 2013

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As recommended on my trip to Lilleshall, I have invested in a pair of AdiZero shot-put shoes by Adidas. They come in a few colours, with a smart ‘Adidas Track & Field’ label on the inside. As you might imagine, they are designed for shotputters, and the idea of using them for archery comes from Kisik Lee, who writes about the older AdiStar model in his ‘Inside The Archer’ book:

“The shoes are called Adidas adiStar Shot Put Throwing Shoes. They have a flat sole and thin hard inner sole and we feel that this shoe provides for a greater stability than the average joggers that archers generally wear, which have spongy inner soles.”

The inner sole also slopes slightly down from heel to toe, which assists in keeping your centre of gravity off your heels and slightly further forward to maintain stability. Also as recommended, I ordered them half a size bigger than my feet, and they are pretty tight. If you decide to go for a pair, a whole size too big won’t be a problem, especially considering how tight you can lace and/or strap them. Nose around on the internet, prices vary a lot (from UK websites at least).

I love them. They work. They are a bit bright and brash for me, and it’s yet another ‘thing’ in the kitbag, but there’s always pleasure in specialised bits of clothing. The suit of armour. I hope they will make me a better archer; that’s down to me and not the shoes, but every little bit of confidence helps. And these help.

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