The fencing shoes launched by Nike for the 2008 Games are now available for sale online on a limited basis.

The Nike Ballestra fencing shoe released for 2010

Go here to order the Nike Ballestras.

About the Nike Ballestra Fencing Shoe:

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 because 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. These shoes are 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.

It has Nike Zoom cushioning in the heel area, which is probably worth noting.

Fencing is the game of the single touch. The more touches a fencer scores in a competition, the better the fencer’s indicators (touches scored minus touches received) will be, and the more probable it is that the fencer will win more bouts. At the simplest level of analysis fencers and coaches have to look at indicators. If bout indicators (the percentage of bouts won) are increasing and touch indicators are also increasing, or if they are stable when the fencer competes in more difficult tournaments, overall performance is increasing.

The tendency is to look at victory percentages and indicators in the pools, but not in the direct elimination. This is a mistake. Although the tactics of the direct elimination may be different than those of the pool, the victory percentage reveals how good a job the fencer does in fighting through the direct elimination table, and allows comparison of results between differing size events. This is particularly important for Youth 10 and Youth 12 fencer who fight best of three bouts. Overall touch indicators are important in reflecting how efficient the fencer is in controlling the bouts.

This performance has to be evaluated in context for two very specific factors. First, the widespread use of mixed tournaments at the Division level means that women are fencing predominantly against men. Regardless of the benefits or disadvantages of this policy, it means that female fencers do not get an obvious picture of their performance versus the opponents they will fence in national level events and in qualifiers for those events – other women. To a certain degree this also applies to men. Therefore, any analysis of tournament performance must to look at where the fencer places by gender.

The second significant context issue is placement by classification. In an A2 event an unclassified fencer is most probably the easy bout in the pool for the classified fencers. But how that unclassified fencer places is a good indication of how ready he or she is to move up to an E classification. Highest U of 8 fencers is a positive sign; middle of the unclassified pack indicates work to still be done. And the same applies to analysis within the E, D, C, and B classifications.

For the purposes of comparison and tracking progress it is useful to convert overall placement, and placement within classification and gender, to a percentile measurement. This show the fencer’s place within the field. There are a number of ways to calculate percentiles, but a simple formula works well: fencer location = 1 – ((place in the field – 1) divided by the number of fencers).

A final key measurement is the number of bouts that could have been won or lost. Identify the number of bouts won 5-4 or 15-13 or closer; this is an approximation of how many bouts the fencer could have lost by bad luck, the other fencer waking up and make a critical adjustment in their game, etc. The measurement of bouts that could have been won uses the same point criterion. Neither of these are exact measurements, but the presence of a number of could-have-losts indicates either that the fencer has made a significant jump from losing those same bouts or that the fencer has work to do to keep from sliding. Similarly, a number of could-have-wons may indicate that the fencer is poised for a significant improvement in results and that training needs to focus on how to convert the last touch to one for rather than one against.

Are there other measurements and comparisons that you can do based on the data – certainly. The ready availability of spreadsheet programs as part of standard software packages provide an easy tool for both recording raw numbers and performing calculations. FRED makes a large amount of data available, depending, of course of the good will of the tournament organizers. Make a point of spending time recording and crunching the numbers; both fencers and coaches will find it to be time well spent.

Walter Green is a Maitre d’Armes (Fencing Master) certified by the Academie d’Armes Internationale. He teaches modern competitive and classical fencing, historical swordplay, bayonet fencing, and Asian martial arts swords at Salle Green (http://www.sallegreen.com), the fencing school he operates in Glen Allen, Virginia. Maitre Green also trains fencing coaches through the Pan American Fencing Academy (http://panamfencing.com). He serves as a Head Examiner for the certification of professional fencing coaches for the United States Fencing Coaches Association, and chairs the USFCA’s Club Committee.

Legnano semifinal KELSEY Weston USA 12 vs LUCENAY Jean-Michel FRA 13 part 2/2

Video of used fencing shoes – the Nike Ballestra

The sport of fencing requires athletes to perform a constant series of advance, retreat and lunging moves during the course of a competitive match. Each move creates an impact on the athlete’s body. However, the impact of a lunge on a fencer’s lead foot is one of the most powerful in all of sport, reaching up to seven times the athlete’s body weight. Such force requires footwear that can withstand this type of impact.  Nike designers worked closely with world champion fencers to develop the Nike Ballestra. It is not only more comfortable and lighter than anything currently available, but it also meets the demands of the sport.

To soften the notoriously heavy blow of fencing lunges (up to 7 times body weight!), the heel of the Nike Ballestra’s outsole is rounded to absorb impact. Designers also updated the traditional vertical cushioning system of most fencing footwear in the Nike Ballestra by adding an additional 10mm of foam in the back of the heel to accommodate the rolling motion of a fencer’s footwork. Along with a Zoom Air unit, one of Nike’s best cushioning technologies, Poron foam is stacked in the heel to act as a dampening agent that slows down the foot as it moves through heel impact.

Fencers stressed the need for sure footing during competition. The Nike Ballestra is built on a very flat outsole, incorporating a traction pattern that delivers unmatched stability on the metal competition surface during advancing, retreating, and lunging moves. On the medial forefoot of the Nike Ballestra, notched TPU wraps up from the sole to resist abrasion as the back foot is dragged during advances. Breathable mesh on the upper makes the shoe more comfortable for the athlete while reducing the overall weight, making this shoe lighter than others available for sale.

The sport of fencing athletes required to perform an uninterrupted series of advances, setbacks and attacks during the competitions. Each movement has an impact on the athlete’s body . The impact of an attack forward on athlete’s foot is one of the strongest, because it can correspond to up to seven times the body weight of the athlete. When such force is necessary to exercise a shoe that can withstand it. In close cooperation with the world fencing champion , Nike designers developed the Nike Ballestra . According to Nike , “the new Ballestra is not only more comfortable and lighter than any other shoe available today, but of satisfying the requirements of this discipline. ”

Team Colors in the 2008 Models

For the 2008 Olympics, special colorways of the Nike Ballestra were designed for the Chinese, US, and Ukrainian teams for this summer events. Team China will wear a version with a White/Metallic Silver upper that incorporates a Comet Red stripe on the tongue and laces, an extension of the red stripe that runs down the front of the Chinese fencing uniform’s socks. Sockliner graphics specific to the Chinese team are inside the footwear and are designed to inspire athletes every time they lace up.

The exclusive Nike Ballestra for Team USA is a mixture of Obsidian and Photo Blue, Sport Red, and White. When worn during a match, red outsoles create a bright, flashing effect as the athlete elevates the toe of the front foot during a lunge. USA graphics on the sockliners complete the package and personalize the team experience. The Team Ukraine fencing footwear is Royal Blue with white accents and a Yellow Zest Swoosh. These have special sockliners as well, inspired by tribal art.

Look for Italian gold-medalist Margherita Granbassi to be wearing a pink and black version of the Nike Ballestra.

(Here she is in the 2008 Olympic Semi-Finals)

Key Features
-Breathable upper with seamless lining offers secure and comfortable fit with no peeling sockliner
-New flexible, abrasion-resistant materials in high-wear areas of the shoe
-Highly flexible forefoot and rounded heel promote nimble advance and retreat
-Zoom Air unit and Poron foam add cushioning in high impact areas
-Stable base of support in forefoot
-Outsole designed to maximize traction on competition surfaces
-Weight = 275 grams