[Krazy8]

My son has Vibram 5 fingers and has used them for paintball. But truthfully they offer so very little in the way of traction....their concept is that you should not need traction with balance. I navigate some pretty nasty crap when I play and at a high rate of speed so traction is my friend.

I fyou are going to go the Vibram 5 Finger route then I would suggest the Komodo Sport or the Bikila models since they offer a bit more tread to protect the feet.

As for rolling or twisting your ankle...most folks have worn boot and super support shoes for so long that their natual ability to react to those situations is shot. simply by slowly moving into a minimalistic adventure running shoe a little at a time will help rebuild the muscle centers in the lower leg that have been neglected. Unfortunately, if you have damaged your ankle already it takes quite a bit longer to rehab out of another injury.

I did not just climb into low top shoes and go. I worked my way out of boots. I was simply looking for more traction and the boots were not offering me what I needed. Not to mention, the amount I play and the intesity I put into the game I was tearing through two pair of tactical boots a year. Magnums never lasted at all for me. The best Tac boot I found was the 5.11 Storm boot.
I went from tac boots to mid top football cleats. Nike Land Sharks. Good cleat at a good price for rec woodsballers who want more grip to go!
From there I went into the Under Armor Hammer II low cleat. I will say that if I was not able to use Inov8...the UA Hammer has my not for best all around paintball cleat. Tough, flexable and killer grip.
But my Inov8s weight less...both my Xtalons and Bare Grips added together weigh in under one of the UA hammer cleats! And after a long weekend scenario game...I notice the lack of foot and leg fatigue lossing all the weight has given me.

Inov8 makes a large variety of shoes from adventure running to road racing. There is a shoe in their line up for every type of player.
The Mudrok and Mud Claw are also great for paintball.

[Eskimo]

I wear my vibrames but only at the outdoor field, Using them in a slippery indoor would be aweful.

And yes you will get VERY odd looks for wearing em, but hey, can't complain right? They work. and i love em.

[Eskimo]

Eagle Eye, on 27 July 2011 - 01:51 PM, said:

I've a boot fan. I LOVE Magnum boots (http://www.magnumboots.com/us/). They offer high top and low top options (no "stripper length" sorry),

[Kurrent]

I run vibrams the KSO trek model... great traction and comfort!

[Shipwreck!]

Boots for the win. That is all.

[The Stuntman]

Eskimo, on 28 July 2011 - 08:44 AM, said:

I wear my vibrames but only at the outdoor field, Using them in a slippery indoor would be aweful.

And yes you will get VERY odd looks for wearing em, but hey, can't complain right? They work. and i love em.

One of my team mates plays in them all the time & they seem to work for him most of the time...but he's a weird little freak, so Im not sure if that counts as much of an endorsement.

Personally I prefer "tactical" boots most of the time, like SWAT Trainers or something similar. A good overall blend of weight, support & traction.

[IrishMack]

You know who was wearing Vibrams....Mike from Top Shot...it was odd.

[Steel Tiger]

If you're going to go for a pair of boots, I recommend Oakleys. They are the most comfortable boots i have ever worn, and I love em.

[Rathje]

Know this is an old thread, but honestly, commenting on ANY thread on this forum would be necro-posting. And since this is a safety issue for whatever random reader finds this thread, I'll say it anyway.

Depending how you play - hiking/hunting/army boots can be absolutely the worst choice for playing paintball. Depending on how you play.

1. If you move slowly in the woods with heavy paint loads, or you're overweight and not going to run - high top boots are good. Because they're designed for slow deliberate movement over tough terrain.

However -

2. If you like to sprint ahead over rough terrain through the trees and stuff and you aren't too heavy - high top heavy boots are a terrible choice and will probably get you injured.

Full leather hiking/hunting/combat boots are meant for guys carrying heavy loads that can cause one careless step to turn into a sprained ankle. Backpackers with 60 lb packs are good candidates. So are fat guys who aren't going to be running around much anyway. But when you try to play "dagger" or light rifle, or fast sprinter who seizes objectives first and carries a light rig for combat, then those heavy leather boots basically turn into a pair of immovable blocks that will give you serious ankle injuries. The thick soles prevent you from feeling the ground underneath you - which prevents your feet from making needed small adjustments to keep you stable. It's like strapping two blocks of wood to your feet. And when that boot rolls off a rock or a tree root, it's going to role and snap your entire ankle - HARD. You can seriously injure yourself this way.

Worst sprain of my life was playing paintball at a scenario field and I tried to sprint wearing my heavy Asolo full-leather hiking boots. Took me out of the rest of the season and took four months to fully recover.

So don't listen to some random guy who says "boots are the best" unless he can demonstrate why they are the best for him - find out how he plays and make observant and smart decisions.

I'm a fast sprinter. I sprint off the starting horn and run full speed into the woods jumping logs and and that sort of stuff. Then I hide in the far flanks and try to sneak around people. I usually run a crappy little Trracer pump gun with a 50 round hopper, smaller CO2 tank, and maybe one small pod of refill ammo. I wear low top trail running shoes with good traction and flexibility. Rubber cleats could work good here too.

But a big 200+ pound dude with a Tippman on remote line and six pods of paint is not going to want my shoe setup. He'll want to protect his ankles more for slow movement.

I'm sure no one is reading this forum anymore. But on the off chance someone stumbles in here on a google search, I wanted to get out the safety announcement.

[The Stuntman]

Quote

commenting on ANY thread on this forum would be necro-posting.

Necro-posting is positively encouraged these days...

Footware is one of the personal choices a player can make.....go with what works best for YOU.