Oct. 19, 2011
Question sent in from Patricia
"They are beam shoes and some girls wear them for better grip or maybe a little extra padding." - Madison Merriam
"I'm not sure exactly why, but some people have sweaty feet or they just don't like their bare feet to touch the apparatus. I had a teammate back in club and she would wear them on beam because she would slip because her feet were so sweaty." - Alex Witt
"I know that some gymnasts wear what are called "beam shoes" on beam because they have excessively sweaty feet which causes them to slip. The "shoes" help prevent slipping." - Kassidy Stauder
"Some gymnasts like to wear "gymnastics shoes" because, they feel it helps to get a good grip on the balance beam and because it helps them to not slide on the beam. It also helps to not slide on the floor. I would not know from personal experience because I have never worn those type of shoes during a practice." - Kristin Blades
"Some gymnasts wear `beam shoes' to help with foot and ankle support if they have pain. Some gymnasts wear orthotics inside their beam shoes to help with the arch of their feet. It depends on the person, however, I personally do not like them when I do gymnastics." - Daryl Konsevick "That use to be a big thing back in the day so most people don't use them anymore. If they do use them though, usually it is because they have sweaty feet." - Krystal Welsh
"I think a while back many gymnasts wore shoes on beam because the beams were made of real wood with no covering and you could actually get splinters. Now, you don't see gymnasts wearing shoes as often, but if they do, I think it is just a personal preference." - Lindsay Musgrove
"Well it's usually just preference or the gym you grew up going to. Personally, I have no experience using beam shoes. Some girls say it helps them grip the beam better." - Alex Stine
"I personally do not wear shoes on beam or floor. My guess would be due to sweaty feet or preventing cuts on your feet." - Lexi Carroll
"There are many reasons people wear shoes on events. Some girls wear beam shoes because they do a lot of skills that pound their feet. It is easy to put extra cushions in beam shoes for extra protection to prevent bruises. On floor, some people wear shoes because it makes it easier for them to do turns. Also, some people wear shoes because they prefer them and think they are comfortable." - Whitney Bencsko
"I'm not completely sure as to why gymnasts prefer to wear shoes on events such as beam or floor. It is complete preference by the gymnast. But for me personally, I know that I like being able to feel the equipment and I think that the shoes would not be preferable for me." - Natalie Ettl