For those who love sports, not only appearance but also functionality are important considerations in the design of athletic shoes. This is a study done on 12 subjects on a college fencing team and other sports teams. The subjects wear experimental specialized athletic shoes, including fencing shoes and other similar athletic shoes. Five kinds of shoes, fencing shoes plus four other similar types of athletic shoes, were examined for their shock absorption and rebound capacities. No significant difference between was found among them in the lunge test. However, there were significant differences between the two types of shoes in the 15 cm and 35 cm jump-down tests and extra heel support silicone gaskets in the fencing-like shoes tests. The fencing shoes proved to be the worst in terms of rebound ability in the 35 cm jump-down test. The fencing shoes had the best shock absorption but the worst rebound ability. In terms of overall performance, fencing shoes had the best shock absorption capacity. It is advisable for fencing shoes to be required during fencing training and at tournaments, but the severity of bounces, jumps, and squats should be lowered to avoid damage to the heel.

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