FAQ

Our founder Azza Besbes is a former professional fencer. She fenced on professional circuit for 15+
years and had used 50+ different pairs including specific fencing shoes but also regular athletic
footwear. Azza confirms that specific fencing shoes are necessary to maintain good grip on the
track and ensure stability while changing direction.

Using fencing footwear during training or bouts is necessary to feel confident on the strip and
execute movements correctly and stress free. The most import for beginner or professional fencers
is to choose the right fencing shoes in which they feel comfortable and balanced.

Fencing shoes are engineered for the strip, not the street. Azza's 15/14 line is built around a few specific systems: an A-NYLTECH shank for torsional stability through fast lateral movement, a circular-contour outsole tuned for start/stop/brake grip on wooden and synthetic pistes, a TPU toe cap for lunge-toe protection, reinforced sidewalls that stop the foot rolling outward, and a CM EVA midsole that absorbs the impact of repeated lunges. At roughly 380 g with a 10 mm drop, they stay light without giving up protection — a balance a normal sneaker isn't designed for.

We think shoes are engineered to provide the right combination of traction, support, cushioning,
and durability for the movements and demands of each sport. But we can tell that fencing has
common features with badminton and squash with lateral footwork, high jumps and lunges.

Just as fencing shoes, badminton footwear is lightweight and flexible, emphasizing maneuverability
to aid in swift court coverage and dynamic movements. They also provide good ankle support to
prevent injuries during the frequent lateral movements and jumps required in the sport. The sole
pattern is crafted to provide grip and enable rapid lateral movements on badminton court’s
wooden or synthetic surface.

Azza 15/14 fencing shoes use unisex EU sizing from EU 36 to EU 47 (the Master extends to EU 48) and generally run true to size. For a precise fit, check our size chart — it maps EU to US Men's, US Women's, UK and CM. If you're between sizes or have a wide foot, size up. Browse all adult fencing shoes.

All Azza fencing shoes are unisex — the same models fit men and women using one EU size scale. For convenience we group them as women's fencing shoes and men's fencing shoes, but the shoe is identical; only the suggested size range differs.

Yes. The Rookie is our kids' fencing shoe in EU 33–38, built with the same grip and support as the adult range, scaled for younger fencers. See kids' fencing shoes.

You can train in them, but dedicated fencing shoes give materially better grip and lateral stability on the strip and protect the ankle during direction changes. Azza shoes are athlete-designed by founder Azza Besbes — a 3× Olympian and 3× World medalist with 20+ years on the piste — around the real biomechanics of the sport: the A-NYLTECH shank and circular-contour brake outsole give you control into the lunge and on the recovery that street shoes can't. See the full adult fencing shoes range.

Azza outsoles are tuned for the standard fencing piste (metallic and synthetic strips). The grooved pattern gives traction without grabbing, so you can slide into lunges and recover cleanly. For wooden or mixed-surface training, the same sole performs well thanks to its lateral-movement pattern.

Azza fencing socks are knitted for long bouts across several lines: a Breathability & Cushioning knit keeps feet cool, a Compression & Anti-Slip line adds graduated compression with silicone grip to lock the foot in the shoe during quick direction changes, and a Recovery line supports the legs after intense sessions — reducing blisters and in-shoe slip. Shop fencing socks.

Performance & Protection and Breathability & Cushioning socks are everyday training and competition options with ventilated knit; the Compression & Anti-Slip line uses graduated compression and silicone grip for lock-in during fast footwork; the Recovery line uses a soft cotton-and-natural-latex blend to support circulation after training; and the crew sock is an everyday option. All come in XS–XL. See the fencing socks range.

Socks come in XS–XL mapped to EU and US shoe sizes — check the socks size chart to match your shoe size.

Use the Azza shoe cleaning kit — a two-bottle, dual-brush system (a dedicated upper cleaner and a rubber/outsole cleaner) plus deodorant capsules and a microfibre towel. Apply to the brush, work gently over the upper and outsole, then wipe clean. It lifts piste residue without soaking the materials — avoid machine washing, which breaks down the midsole and grip.

No — it's formulated to be safe on the mesh uppers and recycled-EVA midsole. Regular cleaning actually preserves the outsole grip and extends the life of the shoe. See the shoe cleaner.

The Azza Cool Towel is a reusable microfibre towel: just wet it to activate, wring it out, and it delivers instant evaporative cooling during breaks and between bouts. It's fast-drying and needs no chemicals or refrigeration. Shop fencing towels.

Yes — it's fully reusable and lightweight. Rinse, re-wet and reactivate as often as you like; no chemicals or refrigeration needed. See fencing towels.

Yes, we ship worldwide. Shipping is free on orders over €200 worldwide (over $240 in the USA); orders below that ship at standard rates calculated at checkout by destination and weight.

Returns are accepted up to 14 days after you receive your order — see our return policy for full details. Once your order ships you'll receive a tracking link by email, or you can track your order any time.

Both are built for the same explosive footwork, but the Master is our flagship, elite-level shoe with a lower, more grounded profile for forefoot control and precision. The headline difference is the Adaptive Heel System — three interchangeable heel pads (Soft, Medium, Hard) that let you tune heel rebound to your style and weapon. It also runs an X-CARB carbon-fibre shank for torsion control at near-zero added weight, a CCubed strobel (3D recyclable-PET insole with 360° airflow and zero compression set) and a NeoHeel+ reactive-rebound midsole — about 375 g with an 8 mm drop, lower than the 15/14's 10 mm. The 15/14 line remains the ideal club-to-advanced workhorse; the Master is for competitive-to-elite fencers who want to fine-tune feel. Explore adult fencing shoes.

It's a feature unique to the Azza Master: three swappable heel pads — Soft, Medium and Hard — that change how the heel rebounds. Choose Soft for comfort and stability, Hard for an explosive, reactive feel, or Medium in between, so the same shoe adapts to your fencing style and the demands of a given session. See adult fencing shoes.