I'm training in russian sambo right now and these shoes are great for tumbling\throwing exercises. My feet got pretty beat up the first few times, but now I have no mat-rash or bruises at all. My only criticism is that the Velcro strap around the ankle comes undone sometimes, but I'll probably just use tape later anyway. They're really light, too. I don't lose any ankle flexibility during ground work, either. For my novice experience in sambo and martial arts in general, these are an excellent buy.