Talk:Main Page

Meta stuff

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Article structure

I would like to propose that we have a structure in mind when we create pages, so there is some logic in how we can index the pages so people can skip or hide information not relevant to them.

Or perhaps in each article, we split the article into beginner/non-fencer info, experienced fencer info, surplus info (perhaps containing various personal opinions without external citations)

Example:

What shoes should I wear?

beginner

Something you can move around confidently and safely in.

experienced fencer

Beware of different foot shapes and always try on shoe first instead of ordering online without trying.

Any indoor court sports shoe for badminton, volleyball, squash, that you can try on in person, with a bit of fencing footwork, is better than ordering any fencing shoe without trying.

Major and popular fencing-specific shoe manufacturers include Nike and Adidas. Others also exist.

Popular court shoe brands used by fencers include Yonex, Mizuno, Asics.

More information about shoe durability and fit can be found below:

(links or copy-paste).

surplus info

What to check when trying new potential fencing shoes on:

The rear foot takes a beating on the outsole and upper, where the rear foot is dragged when lunging. Usually, more experienced fencers fence with a quick acceleration, and lunges provide this, so shoes which are reinforced somewhat near the medial (inner) side of the rear foot upper will make your shoes last longer.

The front foot usually hits the ground heel-first so usually look for something with enough shock-absorption and a rigid heel cup (you can feel this by trying to bend the upper).

The outsole should have good traction especially on slippery metal pistes - try making quick direction changes. These are when you can find an opening in time to score on an opponent.

Shoes with a bit too much cushioning can slightly delay direction changes, but those with not enough can cause you joint pain depending on your form, weight, physical conditioning etc.

Shoes with thinner midsoles and outsoles do give nice feeling of the ground (proprioception) and might be able to cue better snappier direction changes perhaps, at the cost of less cushioning.

Shoes wear out usually in two ways: outsole tread wearing out so lack of traction, or the midsole foam collapses (front foot heel) and no longer cushions well.

In epee, shoes can also wear out by foot touches; particularly the new Nike fencing shoes. Can be fixed with glue but still, Adidas fencing shoes don't have this problem.

Somewhere there was an article suggesting that due to midsole foam collapsing, Nike expects athletes to buy new shoes every 6 months, which seems a bit too often for most people.

--- I think we can expect each person writing an article to be able to figure out the best format on their own, and if not, handle it on a case-by-case basis. -RR