The 6 Best Shoes for Tai Chi: All You Need & More

Let’s take a deep breath, and brace ourselves for some Tai Chi therapy.

If you are looking at a quick pick for the Best Shoes for Tai Chi, look no further. Below are quick suggestions for you.

OVERALL PERFORMANCE” is ICNBUY Tai Chi Shoes

“BEST VALUE FOR MONEY” is DoGeek Tai Chi Shoes

“MOST COMFORTABLE” is YunPeng TaiChi Shoes

Now let’s take a look at Tai Chi and what it really is?

Tai Chi is an ancient traditional form of the martial art of the Chinese people. Tai Chi has been known to be used for meditational and health benefits. It is also used as a form of self-defense training.

Tai Chi comes from the word “Tàijí quán.” Tàijí is a cosmological perception of the flow between the Ying-Yang. The meaning of Quán is a fist.

Tai Chi uses typically deep and slow breathing, coupled with elegant, rhythmic body movements. It allows you to decide your movements’ pace and ensure it leaves the body in a state of continuous rhythmic harmony.

Tai Chi is a low-impact form of exercise, which comes with loads of essential benefits. Some of these being, enhanced balance, better flexibility of the body, and strengthen muscles. Along with all these, Tai Chi also adds on some of the main benefits which are known to be taken from cardio exercises.

This form of exercise is typically practiced early morning and mostly outdoors. It is said that the values and benefits that nature has to offer typically enhance the value of this ancient Chinese form of exercise. 

As Tai Chi has moved into the mainstream exercise bucket, many people have gotten to love this form of exercise. Being a low-impact workout, more and more people tend to find it very enjoyable and beneficial.

However, the truth be told, it’s still a form of martial arts, which means it needs a good pair of shoes during your practice sessions.   

 

Let’s look at what could be the aptest shoes to be wearing while practicing Tai Chi? And Why are they essential?

 A lot of people tend to ask me which are the best shoes for Tai Chi? Can I not wear my regular gym shoes? Can I just wear flat canvas shoes? Etc. I tend to get a lot of questions regarding the same. Hence, I decided to write this article to help all of you out. 

Since Tai Chi is usually practiced outdoors, where the chances of the terrain being uneven are very high. I can’t emphasize more the importance of having the best shoes for Tai Chi practice.

Tai Chi is a form of exercise that focuses on a few things. These are the natural body movements, the naturally perfect posture, and the body’s naturally impeccable balance. Knowing this fact about the exercise, I’m sure, changes your outlook towards the role your feet play during practice.

Running, walking, and training shoes are generally designed to help your feet for a specific kind of activity. This is usually related to that particular sport. That being said, these shoes surely won’t be able to meet the needs of your feet during Tai Chi practice.

During Tai Chi, one must be able to feel the ground that you are practicing on. It is required to ensure the natural positioning of the foot during the exercise. This means you will indeed need shoes that are supportive and light-weight yet have a thin sole.

Along with a brilliant sole, one must also ensure your feet can breadth well. This is typically achieved by using a breathable canvas for the uppers.

They say that the sole of a shoes is what gives the shoe its true value. This means that one of the main aspects that distinguish Tai Chi shoe from each other is mostly the sole.

Tai Chi shoes usually come with three different kinds of soles. All of these three have their own importance to stand out and prove their value.

  • Rope/Cotton solesIf you are looking for an all-natural pair of Tai Chi shoes, then these are the ones for you. They usually work best on carpeted areas, wood flooring, and stone floors. However, try and avoid these when it comes to smooth and well-polished slippery floors.
  • Hard and durable plastic solesPlastic sole Tai Chi shoes are best suited for an outdoor session. Due to the various kinds of outdoor terrains, you will need durable shoes. These hard-sole plastic shoes do the trick. They will prevent any slippages and also ensure your feet are well-protected.
  • Soft rubber solesThese rubber sole shoes are normally used in locations with polished floors made of stone. They can also be used on wood or laminated floors. These rubber soles are perfect on these surfaces because of their brilliant grip.

Many people feel that because Tai Chi is a low-impact exercise, it may not need specialized shoes. However, I must repeat this for your own benefit. “YES,” they need specialized shoes like any other form of exercise does.

Shoes used for Tai Chi are customarily called “Martial Art Shoes/Slippers.”  These Slippers/shoes are specially curated originally by the traditional Chinese people. They are made with cloth and usually are slip-on. Very famously worn during various forms of martial art.

Happy Practicing, Happy Reading! Happy Shopping!

The Best Shoes for Tai Chi Reviews

So, Let’s not hold back; let’s practice Tai Chi and keep ourselves healthy and fit!!!

UNOW Chinese Traditional Cloth Shoes Review

4.4/5

UNOW is a spirited brand with a soul. It stands for a spiritual change. They are committed to helping provide comfortable and price-friendly products to a wide range of customers. The Brand UNOW stands for literally “You, Now.” 

They make some of the best Kung-Fu, Tai Chi, and other martial arts shoes on the market. They are known to provide flexibility, durability, comfort, and simplicity in all their products. 

If you are looking for a pair of Tai Chi Shoes for both indoor and outdoor practice classes, then these are the shoes for you.

The UNOW heritage Chinese cloth shoes are known to have come from the old Beijing footwear. These shoes have close to 3000 years of long heritage and history packed together.

These UNOW cloth shoes come with an upper made from Chinese or other breathable cloth. A rubber sole helps ensure an excellent grip, especially on slippery or polished surfaces. Lastly, it comes with a comfortable cotton lining, which helps ensure happy feet throughout the practice.

These shoes are quite the representation of deep history and rich Chinese Culture. They come with years and years of backing about the value they add. It states that they are one of the best possible shoes for the human body to adorn for health purposes.

In current times these shoes are made using modern standard technology, but not forgetting the traditional craftmanship.

 Pros:

  • Significant cultural and heritage backing
  • Provide perfect breathability & Sweat absorption
  • Provide just the right stability
  • A very light-weight pair of shoes
  • Great for summer workouts
  • Very soft and comfortable sole
  • Great on slippery surfaces

 Cons:

  • Sometime tend to be a little too big for slim feet
 
 
 
 
 
 

ICNBUY Tai Chi Shoes Review

Gentlemen

Ladies

4.4/5
4.4/5

ICNBUY are known to offer their products in leather generally compared to other Tai Chi brands that do canvas.

These Tai Chi Shoes from ICNBUY come with leather uppers. This tends to make them sturdier and more durable for tough workout sessions. When compared to canvas, these are a winner in the department of endurance. 

What makes them very comfortable is its inner sole. The inner sole is made from premium linen fabric. Linen is well known for its breathability and comfort. Thus, helping to prevent foul odor and keep your feet happy and fresh throughout your sessions.

Tiny holes in the shoe also help push its breathability and ventilation to the next level.

They come with a tough outsole, making them very purposeful on rough or rocky terrain. This durable rubber outsole helps keep your feet safe, comfortable, and well-protected.

When it comes to style, these beauties are a winner. Apart from its classy white leather uppers, it also has the Ying-Yang to emphasize ancient Chinese culture.

 Pros:

  • Made of premium quality cow leather
  • Excellent breathability and odor control
  • Very traditional authentic Chinese design
  • Keep the feet well balanced and secure
  • Linen inner for additional comfort

 Cons:

  • Since they are white leather, they aren’t very easy to maintain
 
 
 
 
 

DoGeek Tai Chi Shoes Review

4.2/5

DoGeek Tai Chi Shoes come with loads of great benefits. A lot of people absolutely love them, and they are amazingly well priced.

They come with a soft rubber outsole. The outsole helps ensure the foot is well planted on the floor to provide stability and balance. The cloth outer provides the breathability and comfort which one looks for in the best shoes for Tai Chi.

The DoGeek Tai Chi shoes are well designed to ensure maximum space usage, especially for your toes. This allows you to workout without having to stress about cramped-toed or strained feet. The soft soles provide just the right amount of comfort needed to prevent any sort of chafing. 

These shoes provide you with the needed flexibility and comfort, which are required during Tai Chi.

They also come with a rubber sole, which provides excellent traction on various surfaces.

 Pros:

  • Very well-priced and customer friendly shoes
  • Great toe-box space
  • Great for a variety of martial art forms
  • Made from very comfortable yet durable materials
  • Has a stable and protective outsole made from rubber

 Cons:

  • Not suitable during the rains or in wet weather conditions
  • It comes with elastic, which tends to wear out with excessive exercise
 
 
 

YunPeng TaiChi Shoes Review

4.1/5

YunPeng Tai Chi Shoes are differently shaped from most regular Tai Chi Shoes. This shoe is very well known for the comfort it provides. Its easy slip-on and easy slip-off make it even better. The early Chinese ancestors’ shoes have inspired their style and cut.

These YunPeng shoes come with a rubber sole, which provides an apt amount of stability and traction. It comes with a natural cotton lining. This lining helps ensure the perfect connection between your feet and the floor. It also provides ideal protection and comfort.

This uniquely shaped pair of shoes from YunPeng allows various workout forms. These shoes hug your feet while ensuring you have sufficient space to move inside. 

It is a very light-weight and super soft pair of shoes. Its durable rubber outers allow it to be used both outdoors as well as indoor settings.

 Pros:

  • Come with a comfortable Soft rubber outsole
  • A light-weight pair of shoes
  • Easy to wear slip-on and slip-off style
  • Known for its durability
  • Allows for easy of movement of the feet during training

 Cons: 

  • No fun when it comes to color options, only available in black
  • Isn’t suitable for rocky and rougher terrains
 
 
 

SNLMY Leather Tai Chi Shoes Review

4/5

SNLMY leather Tai Chi shoes are one of the most fashion-forward Tai Chi shoes on our list. They come in options for both men and women.

These shoes come with uppers made from Chinese characteristic high-quality cowhide, making them very durable and comfortable. This upper is very soft and thus provides additional comfort for your feet during the sessions.

SNLMY Tai Chi shoes have a very durable, unique rubber outsole. This specially designed outsole has power-pivots which provide greater traction and better stability. These shoes will allow you to put forth your ultimate performance when it comes to your martial art skills.

These shoes help ensure you are well protected and taken care of when it comes to your workout sessions. It is specially designed to provide maximum protection with different movements.

When it comes to the looks, it’s a good 10/10. A classy yet fashion-forward pair of shoes that also appeal to the youth.

Its Sleek, sophisticated look comes from the fact that it is in classic black color and shiny leather finish. Its smooth and perfect shape provides the needed protection yet allows you to have sufficient wiggle space.

If you are looking for a more durable pair of shoes for high-intensity sessions, I suggest you opt for this style since it’s made of leather.

 Pros:

  • Can be used for high-performance Tai Chi Training
  • Very enduring and durable
  • Comes with a high-quality leather outer
  • A Very fashion-forward pair of Tai Chi Shoes
  • A great outsole which provides ample traction on various surfaces
  • They are breathable, but not as much as the cloth options

 Cons:

  • Being leather, it’s not made for wet weather conditions or rains
  • Its solid outsole may not be great for low impact sessions of Tai Chi
  • Not suitable for wide feet
 
 
 
 
 

Lees Cotton Sole Tai Chi Shoes Review

4.2/5

Lees Cotton sole Tai Chi shoes are made from all-natural materials. These shoes are known to be well accepted as Tai Chi and Kung-Fu shoes.

They come with the upper, which are made from Canvas. This makes them exceptionally breathable and comfortable for the feet. Especially during summers, these are a big favorite.

The lining of these shoes is also made from natural cotton, adding to the breathability and comfort fact.

Lastly, it comes with an inbuilt inner sole and outsole, which is made from cotton and well stitched on.

This makes the shoes great for carpet and wood floors, also for smoother stone floors.

However, keep in mind since these are made from all-natural fabrics, their durability will be basis how well you maintain them.

Try and avoid using these cotton sole Tai Chi shoes on slippery and highly-polished surfaces.

 Pros:

  • Come as an all-natural pair of Tai Chi shoes
  • A light-weight pair of shoes
  • Comfortable to wear slip-on and slip-off style
  • Known for being great on carpeted and wood floors
  • Allows for easy of movement of the feet during training

 Cons:

  • No fun when it comes to color options, only available in black
  • Aren’t good on well-polished and slippery surfaces 
 
 
 

Conclusion:

According to my research and understanding, let’s look at the best features in each of these shoes and what they are best known for,

Lastly, let’s look at how to ensure you find yourself the Best Shoes for Tai Chi?

The Best Shoes for Tai Chi always ensure that they protect your knees during the entire practice. They also ensure that they are best suited for the terrain you are practicing on. Lastly, they should be suited for the pace at which you practice.  

So, ensure that you pick yourself the Best Shoes for Tai Chi, keeping in mind the above. Don’t forget to find yourself a strong yet comfortable sole. This will ensure you are well supported during your workouts.

Since Tai Chi is all about movements and balance, one of the most important aspects is connecting with the ground. Tai Chi shoes are traditionally and currently designed to ensure it helps directly connect your feet with the ground you practice on.

I hope you are content with all the information we have shared. I am wishing that you could find yourself The Best Shoes for Tai Chi using the same. Since you are into the fitness game, its a great idea to check out our article on The Best Shoes for Mud Run.

Happy Feet, Happy Practicing, Happy Us…

 

*** Please note all of the above is written using data, research, and reviews. We don’t intentionally want to recommend one product over another.

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