Without flexibility, there’s no running. As you can probably guess, there’s no free-running without the “–running” part.

We looked for parkour shoes that flex as naturally as possible. A true flexible shoe should bend at least 40 degrees on the tip. Keep in mind that the only flexibility you need should be on the toebox. At the end of the day, that’s where the anatomic shape of the foot bends when running. A decent parkour shoe has to flex without becoming an obstacle to other parts of the shoe.

Just like the grip, flexibility also plays a role in both jumping and climbing. Think of flexibility as swinging a bat. If you hit a baseball with a bat and stop the swing right after hitting, you’re not making good use of your impulse. Instead, continuing to swing completely will build more impulse, and the ball will go further. This is exactly what happens when jumping.

To get the most out of each jump, the shoe must allow you to make good use of your momentum by flexing the toe box. The jump is very similar to the running gait; all the power comes from the flex on the final gait.

No one likes having to throw away a pair of hard-earned money in a short time. However, shoes must be selected carefully when you’re a parkour practitioner. The durability topic takes a twist when we’re talking about freerunning. This is not an average aerobic activity.

Parkour shoes have to endure landings, jumps, falls, and even some scratches. Don’t get us wrong; no shoe is meant to be damaged. However, certain materials are much more likely to tear or degrade with the slightest contact. This is the case of casual walking shoes. Because of this, parkour shoes are often related to other rough disciplines such as trekking and trail running.

The selection of materials is tricky, as it not only depends on their durability. Thick, heavy materials sure are more resistant, but good luck doing any parkour on those. A free-running shoe requires the right combination of durable and light materials. If the shoe sacrifices performance for durability, it’s defeating the purpose of a parkour shoe.

We searched for the best parkour shoes that can pull through almost anything. Keep in mind that no matter how good the shoe is, there’s no guarantee they’ll live longer. When it comes to parkour, there’s always a chance you’ll snap them open at any point. Don’t worry though; it’s not common. Plus, we looked for parkour shoes made of the materials which are less likely to rip apart.

When choosing parkour shoes, look for those which include impact-absorbing properties. Most features associated with shock absorption are found in the midsole and around the heel. This is because the heel is the part of the foot to first enter in contact with the ground.

But shock absorption techniques don’t only protect our heels. They also protect our knees. We’ve seen some information on the internet about how shock-absorbing shoes are bad for knees. We’d like to clarify that impact-absorbing shoes will never be the original cause of knee issues. Any pain or harm on the knees or foot is because of a previous injury or an already existing plantar condition. Cushioning does not harm your body either, at all.

A shoe’s sole would have to be abnormally elevated to cause any biomechanical irregularities in the ankle or knee. Running will never be the original reason for any bone or joint condition either unless the form is terribly wrong.

That being said, shock absorption stops a considerable amount of energy from reaching the heel. Performing parkour stunts without an absorbing shoe will bring a list of next-day consequences. These go from heel soreness to shin pain and knee discomfort.

Newer innovations have allowed shoes to use the impact absorbed to energize the next motion. However, this only happens when the motions are consecutive, like running.

It’s a simple fact that you can’t perform any athletic discipline properly if the shoe is uncomfortable. Shoes are no exception. Comfort is a must when you’re considering running, jumping, landing, and climbing around.

Many factors determine how comfortable a shoe is. The major part goes to the materials, fit size, cushioning, and insole. Though, the materials have another sub-factor that also affects comfort: breathability. Materials that allow air to flow through the shoe build make a huge difference. It might not look important at first sight. However, you’ll reconsider it once you feel like your feet are in a microwave.

Accumulation of heat is not only uncomfortable but also bad for your feet. It makes you much more susceptible to irritation and excessive sweating; which leads to humidity and bad odors. Shoes with an upper mesh structure, on the other hand, keep you fresh at all times. It does feel like feet are “breathing”.

Protection is just as important as anything else on this list. Typically, the most protective shoes are those used for rough activities. It’s another factor that makes trail running/trekking shoes good for parkour as well. When freerunning, you can’t afford to lose balance because there was something on the floor and you stepped on it. This is where protection comes in.

The best parkour shoes have to maintain balance and a firm grip at all times. Trail running shoes that are made to endure rocks, dirt, and surface irregularities, are ideal for this. Users just can’t run confidently knowing that they’ll fall as soon as they step on something odd.

The factor that is mostly responsible for protection is unquestionably the shoe sole. Though there are other influencing elements, a firm sole is a must. At the same time, multiple factors affect the quality of a sole; we’ll explain that below.

We’d like to say it’s the most important, but there’s much more behind a quality parkour shoe than a sole. It has an impact on a lot of other factors in parkour shoes. Long story short, a cheap sole will ruin even the greatest parkour upper design.

The sole is responsible for the quality of factors such as grip, flexibility, traction, protection, durability, and shock absorption. It doesn’t determine them, but it does have a considerable impact. At the same time, many factors are responsible for the quality of a sole as we mentioned previously.

The first one is the sole thickness. The thicker the sole, the taller you’ll be off the ground, and it determines the heel-to-toe drop. It’s the height of the sole in comparison to the forefoot. With the trend of minimalist running shoes, sole thickness has decreased; but this doesn’t mean that they’re less efficient. In fact, we looked for those shoes that deliver greater performance with lower sole thickness.

The synthesis of new compounds allows manufacturers to increase efficiency while reducing the size, like AHAR. We recommend these compounds over traditional rubber.

The second factor is the outsole patterns. Many customers are unaware of the real purpose of outsole patterns. While they might seem like a fancy thing, at first sight, their goal is functional. Those patterns are designed to prevent slipping and improve grip, and they improve the contact with (and against) surfaces.

Trail running, trekking and climbing have sole patterns that stand slightly out from the sole. This is so they can engage in off-road and rocky surfaces. These soles come in handy for off-road parkour experiences. They also improve climbing (rope, walls, etc.).

All shoes have adopted a minimalist and lightweight approach, and parkour was no less. To make each motion smoother and lighter, parkour shoes should be as lightweight as possible. While still maintaining a steady structure, that is.

Materials compose the weight of a shoe altogether; there aren’t any other contributing factors. For this list, we selected shoes that provide a lightweight approach while still meeting other standards. Fortunately for athletes, advancement has created new materials that are more efficient than the traditional ones while being lighter.

There’s a race between manufacturers to see whose shoes weigh one or two fewer ounces. Don’t struggle to get the lightest ones on the market; as long as they’re light, they’re fine. Keep in mind that the materials need to meet other factors besides lightweight-ness. For instance, breathability is a standard feature amongst lightweight materials. There’s no point in a lightweight shoe if it blocks any air from flowing through.