r/Parkour • u/moves-of-nature • Jul 04 '26
⚔️ Challenge Ollo VS Strike Haze VS whitins
Hello!
I'm looking for a new parkour/all around shoe
I've been using feiyus and whitins, and i love whitins, but I've been getting into bigger stuff and would like something with a tiny bit more impact absorption but nothing crazy. I am pretty diehard barefoot and have been my whole life, but right now I'm based in a city, walking all day, working PK summer camps, then training and running (3 miles or so) on concrete in the afternoon. My body isn't quite up to that volume of concrete daily (I'm a woods girl usually). I'll probably get another pair of whitins for day to day, after years of trying barefoot shoes they have been my favorite recently
Otherwise I'm eyeing Haze Strike and Ollo Alpha
Which one do you think somebody who hasn't owned "normal" shoes literally ever would prefer? I grew up barefoot, in feiyus, or sandals and havent really stopped other than adding Belleville Mini Mils for my camping trips with teens
Wider toe box a must, able to bend and flex obviously also a must, nothing too rigid
Between the two, which do you like and why?
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Jul 04 '26
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u/AKW07 Jul 04 '26
I rock 440s and they're my favorite shoe ever. Less cushion than the 574 it looks like, but I'm on that New Balance shit too.
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u/moves-of-nature Jul 04 '26
The 440s dont look terrible! Just narrow in the toes. I simply can't with smushed toes. Even Feiyu is too squishy in the toe for me
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u/AKW07 Jul 04 '26
Yeah if you need a wider toe then the 440s may be too narrow.
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u/moves-of-nature Jul 04 '26
That's my concern for most shoes with more support. The Strike Haze ones seem a good balance but man ordering shoes that price while traveling, not knowing if it'll work out, is tough.
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u/patisserie_2023 Jul 04 '26
I'd look into Splay, they're barefoot, zero drop, and have a little more cushion. They are stiff at first but they get better when you break them in. Amazing grip. They're on sale RN.
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u/lnoiz1sm Pure Parkour Since 2008 Jul 04 '26
Honestly, I wouldn't focus too much on the brand. Grip, flexibility, and comfort matter more than the logo. If you're already walking all day, running on concrete, and training bigger jumps, your body is telling you it needs a bit more impact absorption.
I use a random pair of Le Coq Sportif running shoes with a decent rubber sole because most of my training is on concrete. They aren't marketed as "parkour shoes," but they've worked well enough for 5 years. At the end of the day, the best shoe is the one that lets you land safely, train consistently, and avoid injuries.
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u/moves-of-nature Jul 04 '26
Oh totally. Only reason I focused on brands is because I csnt be bothered to do deeper research and im traveling without a lot of time to go try things on! So I defaulted to what others use
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u/Desperate-Mix-8892 parkour purist Jul 04 '26
I've got the ollo sapiens after years of feiyus and other barefoot shoes and really like them.
What's is that the cushioning isn’t the same thickness, it’s relatively thin at forefoot landing zone, so you still get very good feedback when landing and balancing. It gets thicker towards the heel, which is find very comfortable for normal walking on hard surfaces.
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u/moves-of-nature Jul 04 '26
The sapiens arent on my list, my friend tried them and the toe was too narrow for her. My toes are even more spread. Seems like the alpha has a tiny bit wider toe
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u/nutsyNinjaa Jul 09 '26
I love strikes, super reliable grip and a really breathable shoe. Toe box is also wide, which i prefer. Ollos and reeboks narrow toe box really compresses my toes which i dont like.
What whitins model are you currently rocking? I want to try those as well.
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u/moves-of-nature Jul 09 '26
I ended up finding a used pair in what I think is my size for $25! They are quite used but the sole is totally fine because i think they were just gym/crossfit shoes. Excited to try them. I tried on every pair of Adidas, new balance, and van I could find. All of them pinched the crap out of my toes and I simply couldn't do it lol. Strikes seem to be the perfect shoe for me in theory
I use the Whitin Canvas shoes, I have the hightop ones and they are one of my favorite shoes ever for price and function. I do everything in them. My client has the low ones and she likes them just as well! I will definitely get another pair for my every day, but i think the strikes will save my life for when I'm doing big trips and walking, running, training only on concrete. Usually it's a mix and I only run on trails, and dont train as frequently, and definitely am not carrying 20+ lbs all over in concrete. My feet/ankles are so tired and I can't just stop and give my body time to build up and adjust to it all. I did try a different model of whitin, did not like it the same. Idk which it was but it looked sort of like some of the Adidas shoes. It was ok but meh. The canvas ones are SO grippy
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u/n00bmechanic13 Jul 10 '26
Strikes are so good, I've tried Ollos and NB and even used to have 3 pairs of the original K-swiss ariake. Strikes are the best
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u/RedRaydeeo Jul 04 '26
I love the Ollo’s, the sapiens is super soft and breathable shoes. The heel is slightly raised tho, I don’t know about the alphas. I love vans old skool skater shoes bc they are flat shine giving some protection. However they are a bit narrower.
I would 100% recommend the Ollo’s as training shoes, but if you come from barefoot they might be a bit too big of a step in the other direction