Best Parkour Shoes for Freerunning (Good Grip & Cheap) 2022

Parkour is a dangerous yet thrilling way to stay fit and test your body’s flexibility as it involves running, jumping, and climbing buildings in the surroundings. Since this is quite a dangerous activity and requires a lot of practice, you need the best parkour shoes for added safety and strength.

Regular running shoes don’t offer the durability required for parkour as it involves quick jumps and running over obstacles in complex, natural environments. As a result, you need shoes that won’t wear out quickly. Therefore, we have put together a list of some of the best parkour shoes to help you find the perfect match. But there are some for kids as well, in case you have a small boy.

10 Best Shoes for Parkour

1. Onitsuka Tiger Ultimate 81 – Best Shoe for Parkour

The Onitsuka Tiger Ultimate 81 is highly comfortable, durable, and uses high-quality materials for absorbing moisture to avoid blisters. This shoe has all the qualities which make it ideal for doing parkour due to its amazing grip and comfort. The firm and soft construction of the shoe makes it lightweight thus climbing walls is trouble-free.

The inner footbed of the shoe, including the tongue, is well padded for providing cushion support to the heel. To make the shoe breathable and allow air to flow through it, the shoe has a mesh upper, which reduces sweat. It is available in a wide range of colors for choosing the best match for yourself. The faux leather strips on the quarter heel add to its attractive aesthetics.

The Tiger Ultimate’s rubber sole is found to be highly durable, and you won’t observe any wear and tear after having a couple of parkour sessions. If you are consistent with your parkour sessions, it can last for more than six months. This shoe offers fantastic traction thanks to the beehive pattern present on the rubber sole.

It can easily grip any surface, whether it is wood, drywall, or metal, which is highly useful when doing parkour. Interestingly, this shoe has fully synthetic construction for people who find it important to use vegan footwear. These shoes are fairly flexible and easily stick to surfaces for achieving quick movements.

The midsole of the shoe is composed of two-tone EVA material, which improves the shock absorption to a greater degree. The foot feels highly cushioned when it makes a strong impact on a concrete surface. The Onitsuka Tiger Ultimate 81 is an attractive, comfortable, and high traction shoe offering improved shock and sweat absorption for safe parkour.

2. Take Flight Stealth Ultra – Free Running Shoes

The Take Flight Stealth Ultra shoe is specially designed for parkour and has all the qualities needed in a stable, durable and comfortable parkour shoe. The highlight of the shoe is probably the traction, which allows for a safe parkour experience, especially as a beginner. It is always better to have a shoe that will save you from fatal injuries.

The shoe has a neat yet stylish look, which makes it stand out from afar. The smooth overlays, together with the deep black color of the shoe, make it highly attractive. This allows you to use it casually when going for a walk or doing training. These shoes are meant to last longer without wearing out due to their premium construction.

Moreover, these are designed to withstand maximum pressure exerted on them on a strong ground or wall impact. Most running shoes have a thick upper that makes it impossible for air to flow through them. With a breathable and firm upper of the Stealth Ultra, you won’t have to worry about sweaty feet.

The outsole’s rubber has a tread pattern that makes the shoe stick smoothly to hard surfaces providing good traction. It keeps your feet steady when climbing walls and jumping over obstacles. The easy access to traction offered by the Stealth Ultra makes it one of the best parkour shoes available on the market.

The shoe’s midsole, together with the double sock liner, offers maximum cushioning needed for ground impact. Furthermore, it provides enormous arch support that makes your foot safely land on the surface when jumping from a high platform or obstacle. Along with this if you are interested in jumping rope for achieving fitness goals, here are the shoes you can try out. It gives you the confidence to experiment with parkour tricks and avoid injuries. The Take Flight Stealth Ultra offers comfort, stability, and a durable design making it worth buying.

3. ASICS Gel-Venture 6 – Best Shoes For Freerunning

The ASICS Gel-Venture 6, with its rugged construction and trail-specific pattern, is a highly stable shoe that won’t allow you to slip when clambering walls. This shoe offers a mix of comfort, stability, and flexibility during parkour due to its well-planned design. It has a brilliant Gel cushioning support at the rearfoot for reducing the shock absorption on impact.

The Gel-Venture 6 has a durable upper and offers a decent amount of airflow for avoiding too much sweat. The upper’s soft fabric allows for flexibility in movements. Furthermore, the heel collar and the tongue are adequately padded to provide a firm yet comfortable fit for keeping the foot in place.

The outsole of this shoe is composed of ASICS high abrasion rubber known as the AHAR outsole. The hard rubber used in the sole allows you to cover more miles without wearing out the shoe. It has deep treads that improve traction and easily stick to concrete surfaces. As you move through obstacles doing parkour and land on hard surfaces, your feet remain steady.

For the midsole, ASICS has used FlyteFoam that has a lightweight composition. It efficiently cushions the foot against hard surface impact. The inner removable sock liner of the shoe is composed of moisture resistant fabric for keeping the shoe dry at all times. The shoe’s toe cap uses abrasive material that protects the toe from severe injuries when jumping between walls.

The solid build of the shoe is perfect for preventing injuries when learning the skill of parkour. It feels quite light, which can help you achieve maximum flexibility in your movements. The ASICS Gel-Venture 6 offers high abrasion rubber sole for added stability and durability along with excellent cushion support, making it ideal for parkour.

4. Nike Free Flyknit – Grippiest Shoes For Parkour

The Nike Free Flyknit has a lightweight construction and flexible upper for easy jumps when doing parkour. It possesses a minimalist design and is available in several bright colors. The soft foam midsole is there to offer a superior amount of cushion for comfortable running between obstacles.

This shoes upper uses stretchy fabric that can easily accommodate wider feet and offer the perfect fit. The use of Flyknit makes the upper breathable and comfortably wraps around the foot. With more room in the toe box, you can relax your toes, making it ideal for people with large feet.

For parkour, you need a shoe that is considerably light so you can smoothly lift your feet when jumping. And for this reason, the Nike Free Flyknit is an excellent choice for parkour performers as it only weighs 178g. This shoe has a dual-density midsole for providing a substantial amount of cushion.

The Flyknit’s sole has a foam composition with rubber located in certain areas of the heel and the forefoot. The rubber is added for achieving durability, while the use of foam allows for better flexibility. The rounded shape of the sole offers greater traction and maintains the natural stride. And that is why you can wear these shoes on different occasions, for a casual walk, running, or parkour.

The best thing about this shoe is that it is easy to put on and put off due to the stretchy Flyknit. Furthermore, the shoe’s Flywire cable fabric firmly secures the foot in a tight fit for providing stability. The Nike Free Flyknit is a flexible pair of shoes with a lightweight and minimalist build, which can let you smoothly climb walls for parkour or go on a morning jog.

5. Weweya Barefoot Shoe – Parkour Running Shoes

The Weweya Barefoot Shoes are well known for their simplistic design and comfortable build, offering maximum flexibility due to their bendable sole. These are zero drop shoes, meaning the forefoot and the heel have the same distance from the ground, which gives them the barefoot style. As a result, your feet are strengthened, and you have more control and balance over movements.

The shoe’s knit upper consists of a cozy stretchable fabric that feels lightweight and its elasticity secures the foot for providing the right fit. It supports a wider toe box designed to offer more room to your toes for good breathability. The deep treads in the rubber outsole of the shoe prevent slippage, which is an ideal quality for performing safe parkour.

For flexibly running between and jumping over natural obstacles, you need a balanced outsole that is neither too thick nor thin. And the Weweya Barefoot Shoe proves to be flexible and durable due to its moderately thick rubber sole. Thus, it is less likely to wear out so quickly with constant use making it one of the best parkour shoes.

The interesting thing about this shoe is its adequately padded tongue that offers a barefoot feeling when you walk in the shoes. Therefore, the shoes feel light for comfortably lifting your feet when performing parkour and achieving higher jumps. It does not add much weight to your feet, and you can be flexible in your stride.

Besides parkour, you can also wear these shoes when going for an early morning jog in the park or training due to their lightweight construction. The shoe’s soft and well-padded insole provides excellent arch support that can help prevent pain. The Weweya Barefoot Shoe is lightweight, prevents slippage, and offers high flexibility.

6. Merrell Vapor Glove 3 – Parkour Trainers

The Merrell Vapor Glove 3 is another barefoot or zero drop shoe that gives you the feeling of walking barefoot with less weight, which makes it perfect for parkour and running. In terms of design, it is quite minimalistic with a naturally round shape that perfectly fits the foot. The shoe’s Vibram rubber is quite durable and resistant to excessive abrasion.

The thin mesh upper of the Glove 3 has a lightweight design that allows for more breathability and offers an elastic fit. Despite having limited padding, the shoe is found to be quite comfortable as it uses a soft foam. The thin tongue and the moderately wide toe box of the shoe make it flexible for stretching the toes.

The shoe’s outsole is made of blown rubber that has a lighter composition making it more flexible. As a result, the shoe easily grips the surface you are walking or running on, thereby offering a decent amount of traction. The sole’s rubber can withstand the pressure of the hard concrete walls efficiently.

The midsole of the Vapor 3 is composed of moisture-resistant material for preventing blisters from too much sweat. This shoe offers an amazing barefoot feeling as it has a skinny construction that allows you to bend the sole when climbing walls. The lacing pattern is simple and remains the same, which makes it easy to quickly put on the shoes.

Having a lightweight shoe is highly beneficial when doing parkour as you are free to test your feet’s flexibility without having to drag too much weight. The Merrell Vapor Glove 3 offers excellent flexibility in movements due to its skinny and low cushioned design and is ideal for having a barefoot experience when walking.

7. Onitsuka Tiger Serrano Sneakers – Parkour Sneakers

The Onitsuka Tiger Serrano is an amazing pair of sneakers with a sleek and stylish design that comes in an affordable price tag. It has suede overlays on the sides, which makes it look attractive, and you can also wear them for a casual walk. The sneaker’s lightweight build allows for enhanced flexibility that is highly needed for parkour.

This shoe consists of a nylon upper, which won’t wear out easily and can last for a long time. The upper is decently breathable and offers a good natural fit for the foot. The shoe’s toe box is quite wide for offering room to your toes to avoid blisters. And consequently, these sneakers can also be suitable for wide feet.

The midsole, together with the insole, offers an adequate amount of cushion support, but it may not be enough for people who like better heel support. Therefore, to make the sneakers more comfortable, especially for parkour, you can buy a separate insole for achieving better cushioning. The padded collar at the rear of the shoe offers stability and a snug fit.

The sneakers’ rubber sole has small circles on it, which offers a textured pattern for better traction when running. The outsole is found to be quite durable and provides reduced abrasion due to its quality rubber. Furthermore, with the suede overlays present on the toe cap, the toes are protected by a tough layer of fabric for improved safety.

The small yet well-padded tongue of the sneakers makes them quite comfortable for running and walking. The Onitsuka Tiger Serrano sneakers are best suited for people on a tight budget as they are highly affordable and offer excellent durability together with protective overlays for avoiding severe injuries.

8. PUMA Faas 500 V2 – Top Parkour Shoes

The PUMA Faas 500 V2 comes with improved flexibility, cushioning, and a highly durable outsole that makes it perfect for all sorts of running activities. It offers an attractive and sleek design that easily stands out from a distance. You can choose between two different colour combinations, and both look equally stylish.

The upper of the shoe is composed of high-quality mesh fabric that easily lets airflow through it and is quite comfortable. It uses EVERFIT technology that allows for a snug yet firm fit around the foot that is never too tight. The solid toe cap of the shoe protects the forefoot from injuries by having a form barrier.

The Faas 500 V2 has a foam midsole that is lightweight and soft on the heel. The thick insole of this shoe provides amazing cushion support for people who want more comfort for running on roads and jumping over barriers and hurdles. You do not feel restricted in your movements as it provides better wiggle room in the toe box.

With a thick and high collar of the shoe, it feels quite snug and comfortable, offering a secure fit. The hefty outsole of the Faas V2 makes it highly suitable for fast runs on the roads besides parkour. And it can last longer as it wears out slowly. Therefore, you can wear these shoes for any activity due to their durable construction.

The shoe’s outsole is composed of injected blown rubber located on specific areas of the forefoot and the heel. This is a softer rubber that enhances the flexibility of the foot and allows for better parkour performance. Furthermore, with the addition of flex grooves in the sole, you can expect a smoother ride making it one of the best parkour shoes.

9. Nike Free Run 2 – Parkour Shoes Nike

The Nike Free Run 2 is a highly flexible and lightweight barefoot shoe, which is an excellent choice for parkour enthusiasts. It stimulates the barefoot experience due to its lightweight construction and eliminates any restrictions, and offers a more natural stride. The shoe has reinforcement overlays that keep the foot in place.

The shoe’s mesh upper provides excellent breathability for avoiding blisters from excessive sweat. It wraps firmly around the foot and is easy to put on. With the presence of a wide toe box, the toes aren’t tightly packed, and you can easily spread them. The previous version was lacking a wider toe box. However, the Free Run 2 offers great comfort.

The midsole is composed of lightweight foam material that offers good cushion support. The collar and the tongue are well padded, which keeps the foot steady. The padding feels quite soft around the foot, which offers a smooth and comfortable running experience. Free Run 2 has an attractive design that is highly worth considering.

The shoe has a curved shape for improving your balance and control over movements for parkour. It offers a simple and straightforward lacing pattern for easily putting on the shoes. It is available in medium size for both men and women. Nike pays greater attention to aesthetics, and the Free Run 2 is no exception to that rule due to its attractive looks.

The rubber outsole is resistant to abrasion despite being highly flexible. It allows for amazing bendability for climbing walls. The rubber’s medium thickness reduces the shock on the impact that keeps the foot safe from injuries. The Nike Free Run 2 offers impressive looks, long-lasting flexibility, and improved comfort due to the wider toe box. Therefore it is an ideal choice for parkour.

10. DOUBLESTAR MR Rubber Sole – Cheap Parkour Shoe

The DOUBLESTAR MR Rubber Sole is a comfortable and snug parkour shoe with mediumly thin construction that helps to improve your balance and control. These are lightweight canvas shoes that can be worn for training and jogging in the park. It comes in several colors and is quite affordable as compared to other parkour shoes.

The breathable woven mesh upper of the shoe makes it ideal for beginners who want to learn to do parkour. It uses soft fabric for the upper that comfortably locks down the foot in a secure fit and easily lets air pass through it. As a result, you always feel comfortable in these, whether running or walking.

The shoe’s outsole is made of highly flexible rubber, which can be folded to 90 degrees. And this demonstrates the amazing flexibility of the shoe to help you smoothly make jumps over hurdles. The sole has the right thickness, and it is quite durable to withstand greater abrasion caused when running on concrete surfaces.

With the zigzag grooves on the sole, the shoe produces good friction, which makes it anti-slip and keeps you stable. The well-padded collar of the shoe allows for better sweat absorption and provides amazing comfort to the ankle. The durable heel counter feels firm and offers a tighter fitting to the foot for enhanced stability.

The minimalistic design of the shoe makes it stand out, and you can wear it to any activity, whether running or walking. The DOUBLESTAR MR Rubber Sole is an affordable pair of canvas sneakers that feels extremely light and comfortable, ideal for young parkour enthusiasts. And if you want maximum flexibility with parkour tricks and jumps, then you should definitely consider getting these shoes.

How to Choose the Best Parkour Shoes?

Parkour is a hard training activity that requires your utmost passion, determination, and strength, and for this, you must have the right kind of shoes to aid in achieving the best performance. You need to be faster and flexible when jumping across barriers, obstacles in a natural environment. And a good pair of shoes which are durable and well-cushioned can provide that.

Shoes designed for parkour are minimalist, allowing you to feel the ground as if you were walking barefoot. However, there is also an adequate amount of padding to help reduce the shock when the foot lands on the ground. It is essential to know about the important aspects of parkour shoes and do thorough online research before wasting your money on a pair of shoes that may not be suitable for parkour to avoid possible injuries.

If you are interested in learning parkour, you need the right gear for checking off all the safety measures for practicing it safely. Therefore, we have explained the important factors below for getting you started on parkour.

Medium Thick Sole

The sole is the most important part of the shoe that determines how much flexibility you can achieve using it. As you will be required to make quick jumps and safely land on your feet, you need a durable sole that won’t wear out after the first couple of sessions.

The outsole is usually made of blown rubber or EVA foam. It is necessary to ensure that the sole has a medium thickness as an excessively thick rubber sole can take away your control and balance and won’t be as flexible. Furthermore, the sole should be one piece, meaning that it should have no separate sections and offers a flat surface with ridges on it. This is quite important if you don’t want the sole to start scraping away.

Most shoe outsoles are designed to have separate sections added on top of it for improving aesthetics or providing more frictions. However, it will make the outsole wear away more quickly and decrease its lifespan. In terms of the outsole pattern, there should be enough friction to make quick stopping movements, and if it consists of flex grooves, then that is even better.

Mesh Upper and Wide Toe box

The shoe upper is not there for aesthetics only; it protects your toes from sharp objects by offering a protective layer. It is always important to have a breathable mesh upper that is constructed of knit fabric. A mesh upper will easily let the air pass through the shoe and avoid causing blisters. And the less moisture you have inside the shoe, the better you can avoid odor developing in the shoe.

Most parkour shoes have a canvas or knit upper, which offers better stretch for achieving a comfortable fit around the foot. The upper should feel soft and comfortable for firmly securing the ankle so you don’t feel it starting to loosen up when running, which can be quite distracting.

The toe box of the shoe should be given special consideration as with a narrow box; the toes are tightly packed with no wiggle room. Therefore, try to go for a wider toe box, as it will offer better comfort, especially when doing dangerous parkour stunts.

Look for Lightweight Shoe

For parkour, it is necessary that the weight of the shoe does not hold you back from quickly climbing walls, and so you need much lighter shoes. The lighter the shoe, the more efficiently you can make high jumps. If you want to run fast and make well-balanced movements when going from one point to another crossing obstacles, then look for a skinny and light shoe.

You can be freer in your movements with lightweight shoes and achieve a natural stride by having perfect balance. Moreover, you can wear such shoes to jogging or having a stroll around the park as they have a simple and casual design. When you are not dragging too much weight with you, you are more in control of the movements you are making.

Cushion, Arch Support, And Traction

The midsole of the shoe is responsible for providing cushion support so that when your feet land on the ground, the shock impact is reduced. It is usually composed of plastic EVA or foam materials and acts as a protective layer between the ground and the foot. You should be able to feel maximum comfort in the shoe from toes to the heel.

To avoid pain and injuries, the shoe must offer arch support as you will be running a lot between obstacles. Swing dancing is great fun these days, do try with these best swing dance shoes. With arch support, you can land steadily when jumping from large heights and balance your movements. The grip of the shoe determines how much traction you can achieve from it, and therefore, the rubber sole should stick firmly to the ground to avoid skidding on it.

The greater the traction provided by the outsole, the fewer chances there will be of slipping. With a better grip on the ground, more friction will be produced. As a result, you gain more control over sudden stopping and running movements. You can avoid severe injuries if the shoe has a good grip on the concrete surface you are running or jumping on it.

Durability and Build Quality

As parkour shoes are lightweight and minimalist, they tend to wear out quickly. Consequently, you should try to look for shoes that have a high-quality outsole made of durable rubber. And it should at least give you a lifespan of 6 months. If you are not that consistent with parkour, then the shoes can last longer than six months, provided they are constructed using top-quality materials.

When doing parkour in a natural environment, you may end up landing your feet in a puddle, and your shoes can get wet unless the upper is made of quality fabric that does not absorb water. The shoes must remain dry at all times for practicing uninterrupted parkour. Along with a firm fit, the shoe must be soft on the heel and the ankle to provide a comfortable running experience.

Flexibility

Flexibility holds great significance when buying parkour shoes as it allows you to bend the shoe whenever needed. The material of the shoe should neither be too rigid nor too soft so that it does not wear out quickly. If you want to run faster, look for higher flexibility in a shoe by paying close attention to the materials used in the construction of the shoe. Adding to that, if you play tennis regularly, check out these fantastic waterproof tennis shoes.

If the shoe feels too stiff, then it is definitely not designed for parkour. For being good at parkour, you must be in control of your movements constantly when moving over hurdles and obstacles. Therefore, having greater flexibility should be your top priority in the shoe.

Well Padded Heel Collar and Tongue

Since parkour shoes have a minimalist design, you are not going to find a greater amount of padding on them to reduce the overall weight. However, make sure that the tongue and the heel collar have enough padding to offer support and comfort to the ankle. Falling at awkward angles is quite common in parkour, and with a well-padded shoe, you can avoid putting too much pressure on the ankle.

Useful Tips

• Most quality parkour shoes have a lifespan of 4 or 6 months, but the moment you start to notice worn outsole, you should start thinking about replacing the shoes.
• Always try to go for a tighter and firm fit as you definitely don’t want to lose the shoe when jumping high.
• Go for darker color schemes when selecting a parkour shoe as it won’t fade quickly.
• The shoes should have a simple lacing system, so it takes less time to tie up.
• Avoid thick outsole shoes as they have low flexibility, and you won’t be able to move faster in them.
• Look for a shoe that offers a snug fit and has a tough toe cap to keep the foot safe from sharp objects.

Wrap Up

Parkour is an exciting activity that requires alertness and the right gear for the safe execution of stunts when jumping, walking, running, or climbing walls. There is no doubt that it is quite dangerous, so you must be careful in selecting the right shoes for protecting your ankle from injuries. We have reviewed some of the top quality parkour shoes by the best brands in the industry, and our recommended picks are given below.

• Onitsuka Tiger Ultimate 81 is popular for its long-lasting durability and moisture-absorbing quality for offering greater comfort.
• Take Flight Stealth Ultra is another excellent parkour shoe that is well known for its enhanced traction and stability.
• ASICS Gel-Venture 6 is an outstanding pair of shoes with a highly durable rubber sole and amazing flexibility.

If you go for a lightweight, flexible, and durable outsole shoe, you are good to go, and all you need is to focus on your balance and control. You can check out the above-mentioned shoes and do your own research to be absolutely sure about their qualities. That is all for the best parkour shoes, and we hope you have enough information now to buy the right pair of shoes.