OUTSTANDING VALUE: Responsive, True to Size and Affordable
⚝⚝⚝⚝⚝ Five stars for overall fit, function and affordability.First of all, the Ashion Men Wrestling Shoes Boxing Shoes aren't wrestling shoes- they're boxing shoes.I'm a freestyle martial artist, and I'm constantly boxing and wrestling. All you folks who do the same know that different arts require different ground contact and movement; boxers need shoes with more ankle support and pivoting ability, wrestlers need lower shoes that have better linear tracking, flexibility and mat adherence, and other arts require minimal flats or bare feet. Anyway, don't get boxing shoes and wrestling shoes mixed up- they can each do both, but neither will do both well. If you take your studies seriously, get shoes that are specifically designed for the demands of your art. The Ashions are too high for wrestling, because wrestling demands more ankle flexibility, and these will limit this. For boxing, however, the Ashions are pretty good in some regards, and excellent in others.✚PLUSES+Construction. The Ashions have a single sole that goes over the entire foot from toe box to calcaneus (your heel bone) as opposed to a flat sole that's glued on; the latter is more likely to come unglued. The stitching is tough, the lining is soft, and there's not a thread or bit of fabric that's out of place. The finish is very clean overall, and after several training and sparring sessions, there's not a mark on them, although I do train on a mat. Concrete will have its way with any shoes, and the rougher the ground, the faster you'll go through them. That's not the fault of the shoes, and in fact the better ones wear a little faster- it's like how racing tires don't last as long as the ones on the minivan.+Fit. We all know how awful it is to guess footwear size online, and triply so for something like boxing shoes, where every other review says they run larger or smaller than size. I have a square toe profile, with all four the same length as the big toe (I'll spare you pictures-you're welcome) and it's hell finding shoes that fit in the toes that aren't sloppy elsewhere. However, I find that the Ashions run fairly true to size. I'm a 9.5, and the 9.5 seems just right, with maybe a micron of extra room at the toes. They're slightly narrow, which provides a snugness that's right for boxing, although I had to make some modifications. More on that in a moment.+Function. They support you and pivot the way a boxing shoe should, with just the right amount of adhesion and abhesion (the opposite of sticking- you don't want to stick too much while you're trying to pivot or slide.)+Price. This is what bumped a four-star product into the five-star column. Value is relative to cost, and this is an excellent value. I returned a $100 pair of Venum Contenders (and I love Venum gear), and the Ashions fit better for half the price, with no detectable drop in materials or construction.➖MINUSES-Materials. Some of the materials are excellent- the vamp, quarter and collar are buff and colorful, and don't present any problems. However, the laces and insoles are unimpressive and uncomfortable. That's why I took the shoes into the lab. I'm a runner, and I use several alternate lacing patterns, depending on the shoes. Look some up- the heel cinch is my favorite, a gem that stops heel slop without having to over-tighten. Anyway, I played with laces and patterns for a couple of hours, and settled on this: get rid of the stock laces, and use elastic ones. I had a bunch lying around, and as soon as I tried them out, I realized a couple of things- they made the shoes far easier to get in and out of, but the laces were too short. Easily solved with the alternate pattern I used (check my pics and you'll see. This is a blend of a high-arch/wide mid-foot lacing.) I skipped the hole at the front crease of the ankle joint, where the shoes were too tight, and presto! The shoes not only fit better, they were more comfortable, more responsive, and they popped on and off with ease. This lacing worked better on the mat, too, with the shoes hugging, instead on squashing. Also, I swapped the insoles with a pair of denser foam ones, which cup my heels and support my arches better. These two mods made a world of difference, and I highly recommend you play with elastic laces, different patterns and insoles. I'm still trying different ideas and inserts, but the shoes are much more comfortable and responsive, regardless. I like a little flex and bounce in my shoes, and I save the flat minimal shoes for lifting.☞TAKEAWAYTime will tell how durable and effective the Ashions are, but at $50 or so, I'm not sweating about it. If they come unglued or wear out too quickly, I'll post an update. They're functional and comfortable, and with modifications they'll be better in both categories. They look cool, too. I'll admit it- that's a consideration. My pugilistic pals all approved, including our instructor. And red goes with our studio's motif...although you're probably wondering about those yellow laces. Sorry. I didn't have any red or black ones. I'll get some, though, promise. Not sure I want to look like Ronald McDonald when I'm in the ring- my nose already gets big and red enough as it is.Cheers, and keep your guard up, mates.Z