Where do y'all buy shoes for paintball?

[Cyberpyr8]

Alright, alright... I'll get the Salomon Speedcross'... ...chill.



Thank you all for the recommendations.

Yeah the Salomon's are great. I love that mine are waterproof considering I go through a building at our local field on the Nuketown field that is half full of mud and water. They grip well and are super comfortable. Better than cleats too because you won't break your neck if you go up/down stairs or walk across a wood or concrete floor.

[Jonnydread]

I'm surprised at how many people prefer shoes. Maybe it's the rocky ass New England terrain, but I would shatter my ankles if I tried to play in low-height anything.

[glaman5266]

I play mainly woodsball and generally feel the same way. But if I know I'm playing speedball then I go for my beat-up Columbia hiking shoes. Harder and less comfortable to keep myself small behind a bunker when I got boots on.

[glaman5266]

I use some old beat up Columbia hiking shoes for speedball. Similar to, but not exactly, like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Columbia-Redm...a-789849830051
Very lightweight shoe. Unfortunately, if you need inserts these aren't for you (not much space for them). I need inserts most of the time, so I only wear these when I'm able to sit down between games.

For 90% of my paintball outings I use a pair of Keen Detroit mid tops. Pricey, but worth it IMO. I wear these, along with a pair of Dr. Scholls Custom Fit inserts. With the inserts they keep tight to my feet and I can wear them all day. Probably the most comfortable work shoe/boot I've ever worn.
https://www.keenfootwear.com/p/1007009-10-D.html

[glaman5266]

MrBarraclough Eh, I feel like a lot of those designs are super similar across many brands. :shrug:

I'm not sure how comfy Merrells are, but the Columbias I own were good starting off, but now are pretty flat/not squishy. Not good if you need inserts/soles either, as there's not much space. For speedball or short games they work OK. Mine need replacing, but you're not paying a boatload for them. Horse a piece I'd say. Try some on at a store. They should be easy enough to find. I think most Columbia stuff is a pretty good bang for the buck if you're not using it all the time.

EDIT: I've been using mine for about 4 years or so for paintball and yard work. So if they're just for paintball they'll probably hold up for a good while.

[Siress]

I actually had a pair of the Merrell's like this many years ago; the mid/high-top variant. I liked them, but I wore them out rather quickly.

[MrBarraclough]

My Merrell Moab 2s are quite comfortable, even after 5 years of mostly weekend use. Did a little bit of hiking in them at Yellowstone when they were fairly new, and since then they've been more of weekend knockaround shoes. I've worn them playing paintball more often than not over the last year. They take aftermarket insoles pretty well. I often need insoles to get my shoes to fit properly. I wear a size 13, but mostly because I have long toes, as my feet are not especially large otherwise. Some brands I can't wear because they only offer wide widths above size 12. Getting shoes that are long enough but still sufficiently snug at the ankle and instep is a challenge. Thanks for the warning about it being difficult to fit insoles into Columbia shoes.

I like Columbia clothing in general. My primary casual pants are Columbia ROCs, several pairs of which I have been hoarding for years and years now because the original ROC pants are more generously cut in the thigh than the ROC IIs that replaced them. Recently found that they work great for woodsball because they are a heavy canvas and the thigh pocket is perfect for a folded barrel swab.

[MrBarraclough]

When the ground is fairly dry I usually wear my low-top Merrell hiking/trail running shoes (the Moab 2 Vent). I treat them with NeverWet occasionally to give them some degree of water resistance. They can be found wherever hiking shoes are sold.

When the ground is soggy, I generally prefer my boots. I have an old pair of Magnum tactical boots made by Hi-Tec back in the 90s, before Magnum was spun off as a separate company (no they aren't extraordinarily durable, they just sat in a closet for 20 years when I wasn't playing paintball). Due to their age, the soles recently separated from the uppers in the center where they were only glued, but the toe and heal stitching held. A bit of Gear Aid SR adhesive appears to have done the trick, as they held up fine this past weekend. But I think my Christmas list this year is going to include a pair of waterproof Merrell Moab boots in a 6" or 8" height to replace them.

[Chaos]

Cheap Brahma boots from Walmart or if the mood hits me my old Engineer boots

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[Chuck E Ducky]

I got a pair of trail runners from Walmart that really weren’t all that bad. Especially for the cost they held up well considering you could buy 3 pairs for the cost of one name
brand.

[Shaftski]

I wore Merrell boots for years, but the last pair I owned only survived for 2 years. Tried a pair of Keen boots and I'm loving them.

Might get a pair of these for paintball

https://www.keenfootwear.com/p/M-NEW...activity_water

[Chuck E Ducky]

Your going to use a shoe that’s open like that on the sides and play in the woods. I hate cutting the parts I walk on everyday. I would want a fully enclosed shoe for sure. I have a pair of boots that have that same sole from Keen. I would go that route if you want to go Keen. They are comfortable for sure (definitely my most comfortable boot I own) but they don’t get very good traction in the mud or on turf.

[spikeball]

Ebay here too. Or Big 5 sporting goods.

Cleats are what I'll look for on Ebay. I've found these rubber sole cleats from Nike that I've really come to like. No plastic on the bottom at all. Feels like a regular sneaker. Big 5 I use for the hiking style shoes. That way I don't feel guilty beating up a cheap pair. Last ones I got from there lasted me about 5 years actually. They just got trashed after ICC.

[Magmoormaster]

I just went to Ross and got some sort of Nike cleat. I think they're baseball cleats but I really couldn't tell you. They were cheap, and they work great. I've used them for woodsball and speedball, though I mostly play speedball on turf. Wouldn't recommend them for rugged terrain though.

[XEMON]

I use my old motorcycle boots for paintball ... Hold my ankle nice and can't beat the price ...

[Mr. Hick]

Northeast Mountain Footware, Swanzy NH. I don't care how long of a drive it is for you. I found they have a great assortment of size and types.

[Siress]

Saved. The "Wide Shoes" sign out front definitely speaks to me. Thanks for the rec.

[Cunha]

Cheapest comfortable soccer shoes.

Normal cleat for softer ground

Turf cleat (harder to find) for harder ground. Turf cleats are kinda perfect.

[kevin qmto]

I just use Nike baseball cleats most times. I have 2 pairs of the excellent JT cleats that I bring out on special occasions. In mid-top and high-tops.

[Cdn_Cuda]

My pair of JT high top cleats finally died this year. Might see if new laces and insoles can breath some new life into them.

[kevin qmto]

The outer cover on the synthetic leather on my high tops is stating to come off but they still look pretty good.

[Siress]

So, I ventured out to the nearest REI and found a huge selection of great choices. Just push mowed the yard in them so far, but really like these Speedcross 5's. How do y'all keep the laces from getting lop-sided on these things?

[Chuck E Ducky]

I ran the speedcross 5 and 6 for a few years or maybe it was the 4 and 5 I can’t remember. They worked and feel amazing but I did not find them very durable. I got about one and a half seasons out of a pair. Didn’t mater if I purchased the “knock off ones” directly from China or the ones processed and marked up in the US. Cleaned them or didn’t they just weren’t super durable. Great shoe but I wish they held up better.

The best footwear for paintball turf/woods/mud were the Adidas Turf Hogs that are now discontinued unfortunately. These things lasted me like 6 seasons I wish I could find a pair in 10.5 but there is nothing left. Even got my CC info stolen trying to order 3 pair directly from China in my size because the shady site said they had them in stock.

The closest I have found are the Under Armour Men's Yard Turf Baseball Cleats They are not as lightweight as the speed cross but have great grip and hold up really good. They are a lil more supportive and have wide options something I really appreciate coming from the speed cross that I found narrow. Also the toe has cleats that wrap over the front of the shoe. It’s great for pushing up the snake on your belly and digging in on steep grassy mounds. They are flexible enough that they don’t get slippery in woods on wet dead fall and mossy rocks. So it’s a great all round cleat. I got a season on them and so far they seem to be holding up well. I will definitely buy another set when these are shot. They run about $79 so around the same price as the speed cross. But they seem like they are built a lil better for what we use them for. You can get them in different colors to fit your flavor as well. Anyway these are my new go to and they can be found in stock most places that sell cleats. They also fit true to size I’m a 10.5 I got a 10.5 wide and they fit perfectly.

https://www.eastbay.com/product/~/23...3&gclsrc=3p.ds

[Nofxkid2005]

I found a pair of Walmart "gore-tex" hikers. I've been using for the past couple years, and they've held up surprisingly well. Comfortable enough for a whole day in the woods.. Plus, they were cheap enough, I don't care about destroying them.