Let’s face it: what makes Parkour awesome is that you don’t need any equipment to do it. No balls, no hoops, no goals – you don’t even need other people to train! But there is one thing every Traceur needs – a fantastic pair of shoes.
With that in mind there is one Parkour shoe we felt compelled to write an article about. Not only is the shoe itself amazing, but the company behind it is world class. And in full disclosure we authentically LOVE this shoe, but the company also donates a portion of their shoe sales to us (when you use our affiliate links). It allows us to keep our website running, bring you great Parkour articles, and keep content flowing on our social media too. Suffice it to say, we love this shoe a ton and the company behind it!
The shoe is the Stealth Ultra, and it’s made by Take Flight. It’s their third shoe, making Take Flight one of the most, if not THE most, experienced shoe designer and producer in the Parkour world. And boy does it show.
The shoe, shown below , is full of features that make it perfect for Parkour & Freerunning.
Cushioning. One difficult part about choosing a Parkour shoe is the cushioning. If you have too much cushioning, then you can’t feel the ground. But if you have too little cushioning, then you don’t have any cushioning! The Stealth Ultras strike an amazing balance – it has the cushion Traceurs need while for big movement while still maintaining a minimalist feel that allows for precision jumps, bar maneuvers, and other technical elements. However, worth noting, in our opinion, we do NOT think the Stealth Ultras are the best for big drops. If that’s your main focus and training style then we recommend something with a little more cushion, like the Take Flight 1.0s shown below.
Grip. The grip on the Stealth Ultras is phenomenal. You’ll feel it straight out of the box! And unlike other shoes who’s grip wears down with time, we’ve found that with the Stealth Ultras the traction actually gets better over time! They’ve found a rubber compound that apparently keeps on giving.
Lightweight. The shoes are lightweight! We’re not actually sure what they weigh, and surely there are lighter shoes if that’s you’re #1 focus (Vibrams, Feiyeus, and perhaps some Flyknit or training shoes from Nike will come in lighted on the scales). But those are also much more minimalist shoes. Let’s put it this way – the weight of the Stealth Ultras is so light that you won’t notice them. Trust us as our insight is coming from decades of combined experience – the Stealth Ultras are that ideal weight.
Details. Take Flight really focused on the detail of this shoe. In fact, the rumor goes that they delayed release almost 6 months because they kept changing things to make the shoe better. Well it shows. The upper materials, the laces, and even the box itself are clearly worldclass. You’ll see them yourself, and say, “Wow, these guys really put their soul into this shoe.” One thing we noticed… the laces are a liiiiiitle long. And by a little we mean it’s not a problem, but we noticed it. We’re being picky here but we want to be fair. And to be fair, many Parkour shoes out there have laces that are really long. It seems to be a problem for Parkour shoe for some reasons. But some Parkour brands have laces that are so long that you have to triple tie them and tuck them in or they drag on the ground. The laces are the Stealth Ultras? They are just slightly too long, so it’s not a big deal. If Take Flight ever updates these shoes, in our opinion they could take maybe 1 or 2 inches off the lace length.
Style. The Stealth Ultras are, in our opinion, THE most stylish shoes in the Parkour world. It’s the look! There are some other shoes out there from Parkour brands that look good in photos, but nothing looks as good in person as the Stealth Ultras. Plus they are all black which we LOVE (although frankly that’s subjective because maybe you don’t like an all black training shoe). We can say this much – in the Parkour world it’s unique. Virtually all other Parkour brands have a black/white combo of their shoes – a black upper, and white outsole. But Take Flight went all in to embody the “Stealth” ideal. The actual name of the color of their materials is “Moonless Night.” Let that one sink in.
Price. All in all, we think the Stealth Ultras are fairly priced and very reasonable given the Parkour market. The Stealth Ultras are currently $97 on the Take Flight site, which is below what other Parkour brands are charging for their shoes. Plus Take Flight has a youth version of the Stealth Ultras (sizes 5 to 7) for $83. They ALSO have some 99% versions of the for $69. And last but not least, they back the shoe with a 100% Traceur Satisfaction Guarantee, so you can’t go wrong! Given the price and the guarantee, AND the quality, we think they are the best value of a shoe in the Parkour world.
In summary, from everything we’ve seen, Take Flight is making what we consider to be the world’s #1 Parkour shoe, and they are backing it with a guarantee that can’t be beat. What’s not to love?!
We really believe this shoe will help you take your training to the next level. So if you’re looking for a great Parkour & Freerunning shoe, CLICK HERE head on over to Take Flight and give the Stealth Ultras a try!
Did you make it to the bottom? Then leave us a comment! We love input and feedback! Agree with us? Disagree? Let us know! And of course if you have any thoughts on the Stealth Ultras or if you’d like like to suggest we review a product from another company then let us know!