ASICS Men's Matflex 5 Wrestling Shoe, Black/Silver, 7 M US Review

I normally wear a size 7.5/8 for everyday shoes such as vans/converses. Decided to get a size 8 and it was extremely tight and narrow and I could barely get my foot into it (Had to really loosen the laces and really jam my foot in). I went to return it and sized up to a size 9 instead of an 8.5 and they fit very nicely. There's a little extra room on the toes with the size 9s still but I'm using these to squat/bench/deadlift so it didn't need to be a very snug fit for something like wrestling. I'm sure the 8.5 would've been fine for me as well, although it would have probably taken a few sessions to really break them in. Used it for a few training sessions already and they feel very comfortable and stable. The grip on the soles is excellent for me since I deadlift in a sumo stance. It also feels amazingly stable when I externally rotate my hips for squatting. Yes, I prefer to squat in flat soles shoes vs shoes with a lifted heel. I opted to buy these pair of shoes instead of the Crossfit lite TRs because the price was alot cheaper. Perhaps when these are too worn down I'll give the other shoes a try, but for now, I'm really digging these matflexes.

First, these shoes definitely run small. I was expecting it from the reviews here and so ordered a size up from what I usually wear and they fit perfectly. I have been wearing these for about a year now and they are fantastic. I wear these approximately two or three times a week and they are holding up great. They really have no major wear and tear that I can see, which is amazing considering the price. I use them at the gym as a general purpose shoe, but I got them specifically for deadlifts. They provide good contact with the ground and almost feel like you are wearing nothing at all. I've tried deadlifting in bare feet and wearing these shoes is better. Deadlifting in them just feels great.One thing you should look out for is the smell. Since the shoes are thin, they get saturated in foot sweat pretty quickly and can get smelly if you don't clean them.

SIZING SUMMARY:These shoes run a half size smaller than other Asics wrestling shoes (I compared their measurements to the Asics Matflex 6).Size up a half size if you have narrow, flat feet. If you have average or slightly wide and/or slightly high arches, size up a full size (2 half sizes). If you have very wide feet, size up 1.5 size or more. Because of the narrow shoe design it is unlightly your foot will slide down into the extra length from sizing up to accommodate foot width. The correct size will feel SLIGHTLY tight in the toe-box. A size too large will fit like a street shoe in the toe-box.IN DEPTH SIZING EXPLANATION BELOW:For context I'm a 5ft3in tall adult woman. I wear a women's 8.5 and a men's 7 in most shoe brands and found the SIZE 8 (men's) in these shoes to be most comfortable. I purchased these shoes in a 7.5, 8, and 8.5 to test which size I would like best as I was unsure based on previous reviews. I have an average to wide toe box (9.5in width while standing at widest point) and an average to high arch.Based on length, these shoes (Matflex 5) run a half size smaller than other Asics wrestling shoes (I compared them to the Asics Matflex 6, in which I wear a men's 7.5). In terms of length, toe-box width, and arch height, the Matflex 5 SIZE 8 is equal to that of the Matflex 6 SIZE 7.5.This should mean that my true size is a size 7.5; however, this shoe was too small. The toe-box of the size 7.5 was more narrow than my foot while standing barefoot and there was hardly enough room for my arch (you could see my sock if the tongue was pushed to the side even slightly.I sized up to the size 8, but found it was still tight around my toe-box, so I tried the size 8.5. Unfortunately, in the 8.5 the extra room in the toe-box and arch area allowed my feet to slide around slightly while trying them on. This is how I prefer my street shoes to fit, but I purchased these shoes for tricking and freerunning, so I didn't want my feet to slide at all (an issue I have with Feiyue). I added my usual arch support inserts and this eliminated the sliding issue, but the arch supports prevented me from using my full range of pointing motion in these shoes. The loose sole that lets you fully point and push through your toes is a huge benefit of this style of shoe, so I chose to size back down and keep the size 8 shoes.REAL WORLD TEST:I wore the size 8s to work (I work in athletics) and for some tricking. My feet didn't slide around at all and I was never in danger of rolling my ankles because the shoes don't have a lip to their soles. The lack of true arch support and tight toe box will take some getting used to, but I've heard wrestling shoes can stretch out, so I'm going to wait for that to happen. The shoes aren't something I'd recommend wearing for longer than your wrestling competition/workout because the tight fit isn't the most comfortable, but they definitely get the job down while you're wearing them.The back of my right ankle had a lot of chaffing during my wear despite me wearing thick, crew socks, so be ready to experience some chaffing while you're breaking the shoes in.

I work as stage crew/roadie for a band. I needed lightweight, grippy, stable shoes for hot-weather gigs - something that allowed me to move fast and be mobile without straining my feet. This shoe was recommended by a friend, who said it stabilized his feet very well, and was comfy enough to wear in hot weather.As some other reviewers have noted, it does run small. I have narrow feet, and wear a Women's size 9 in most brands, 9.5 in others. I also have a bunion. I ordered a Men's 8, and while it technically did fit me, it was a bit snug, especially around my bunion, and didn't have quite the toe room I needed. I returned the 8 for an 8.5, and that works well for me.The insoles are very thin, and there's no arch support, but I knew that going in, so it's not a big deal. I may insert a lightweight arch support and/or a super-thin gel insole, but we'll see. I'll update my review and let you all know how that works out.

I used a pair of split second IV's back in the day when I used to wrestle and I loved those shoes to death. I bought an expensive pair of adidas wrestling shoes and they started falling apart pretty quickly. Since then I've sworn by Asics shoes (both running and wrestling). I use these shoes now for boxing. The fit is as expected. I typically wear a size 7 shoe but ordered up to a size 8 so my toes were flush. These shoes do expand after you get them so it's possible a 7.5 would have been fine for me. Anyways, the sole has no support its pretty flat, very flexible, and so far has been durable. The shoe also breathes extremely well. I was surprised since my Split second IVs always smelled awful. That is not the case with these. I've found the grip is pretty good on dry surfaces, if something is wet though you are out of luck. I go these so I could have a better feel of the ball of my toes. These would work well for lifting shoes as well I bet.I didn't have any problems with defects but I'm sure there is bound to be some out there.