AED's StepManiaX Shoe Reviews

I have bought a lot of shoes to figure out what the "optimal" shoe is for StepManiaX for the way that I play. Shoes may vary on other dance pads due to metal center/brackets/corners, people putting down baby powder, etc.

When discussing each pair of shoes I have bought, there are 5 factors that I weigh. I weigh them 1 to 5 (strongly dislike to strongly like).

Weight - 1 is heavy, 5 is light

Grip - 1 is slippery, 5 is gorilla grip

Bounce - 1 is destroy your knees, 5 is moon shoes

Sound - 1 is not satisfying, 5 is crisp and satisfying

Fit - 1 is loose/uncomfy, 5 is tight/comfy

Add all scores up for an overall rating out of 25.




Crocs LiteRide Pacer

  • Info
    • 4/5    Weight (low 200g)
    • 1/5    Grip
    • 3/5    Bounce
    • 3/5    Sound
    • 5/5    Fit
    • 15/25  Overall

  • Critique
    • Weight is below standard.
    • Grip is absolutely atrocious. Any amount of dust/debris buildup and you are sliding like crazy.
    • Bounce & shock absorbency is serviceable.
    • Sound is nothing special to write home about-- it's not offensive & doesn't mislead timing, but it could have more oomph.
    • Fit is really nice and tight. Because the foam sole is one piece (similar to the Nike Free RN 2018, or the Asics Novablast 3), it has a really good fit and feel of the sole being glued to your foot and flexing with it.



Crocs Classic Clog

  • Info
    • 4/5    Weight (low 200g)
    • 4/5    Grip
    • 4/5    Bounce
    • 1/5    Sound
    • 1/5    Fit
    • 14/25  Overall

  • Critique
    • Weight is below standard.
    • Grip is really good for a lightweight shoe. Something about the rubbery foam material grips well, combined with the fact that the shoe is flat with a lot of contact points.
    • Bounce feels great for a meme shoe like this, I get why people like to play in crocs. 
    • Sound is nothing special, but has the unfortunate side effect of being decoupled from your feet by a handful of milliseconds because of the shoe being a clog. Easy to lose timing.
    • Fit is terrible because it's a clog and not something you can lace up.

  • Note
    • The Asics Novablast 3 comes really close to being "a pair of Crocs that you can lace up tight with a perfect fit". 



Merrell Hydro-Moc
 

  • Info
    • 4/5    Weight (low 200g)
    • 3/5    Grip
    • 3/5    Bounce
    • 1/5    Sound
    • 2/5    Fit
    • 13/25  Overall

  • Critique
    • Weight is below standard.
    • Less grippy than Crocs-- whatever recycled material foam these are made out of, doesn't have the rubbery grip that Crocs Classic Clogs do.
    • Less bounce than Crocs-- again the recycled foam material.
    • Same issue as Crocs clogs with the sound being decoupled from your actual foot striking sometimes due to the shoe not being a tight fit.
    • Shoe is a clog and is not designed to fit tightly-- slightly better than Crocs because it has a back part that sits behind your ankle.



Asics Gel-Venture 8

  • Info
    • 2/5    Weight (300g)
    • 5/5    Grip 
    • 3/5    Bounce
    • 5/5    Sound
    • 4/5    Fit
    • 19/25  Overall

  • Critique
    • Weight is above standard but is not a detriment with the right fit.
    • Incredibly grippy outsoles with a huge tread that allow you to use any part of your foot to push off of
    • There is some bounce in these shoes, but it's standard running shoe bounce-- nothing special to write home about.
    • The sound of these shoes are great. You get really crisp clacking noises. Something about the weight of these shoes & the material of the rubber tread produces a really satisfying sound.
    • When you lace these shoes up with a runners knot, they are glued to your feet. The stock laces suck though, so a point has been dinged as I replaced them with oval laces to get the perfect fit.



Vibram FiveFingers V-Run Retro

  • Info
    • 5/5    Weight (168g, Size 28cm)
    • 5/5    Grip
    • 1/5    Bounce
    • 1/5    Sound
    • 5/5    Fit
    • 17/25  Overall

  • Critique
    • Everything on this shoe was skilled into weight, grip, and fit. An absolutely min-maxed shoe.
    • Obviously no bounce, and no sound because it shouldn't be super audible if you are playing with the correct light-footed form suited for the fivefingers.
    • Secretly a 25/25 overall rating if you can master the form these shoes demand, and you do not care about being able to hear your steps.



Merrell Trail Glove 5

  • Info
    • 5/5    Weight (218g, US Men's Size 10)
    • 5/5    Grip
    • 2/5    Bounce
    • 2/5    Sound
    • 4/5    Fit
    • 18/25  Overall
  • Critiques
    • Below standard weight with a substantial upper that grips the top of your foot well.
    • Very grippy and flexible vibram sole
    • Not a lot of bounce, but has a serviceable amount of cushioning in the midsole. This cushioning the midsole can feel weird/hurt until you break the shoe in. It takes a while.
    • The sound is a muted clack. I like it, but it definitely not loud enough to hear in an arcade environment when you are playing in good form.
    • The fit is top tier. Toebox is super roomy, it grips your heel and midfoot really well and is stuck to you like glue. The laces are god-awful though, as they are strangely elastic/glossy + flat and are difficult to get tightly tied. I replaced the laces with standard oval laces. Dinged to 4/5 Fit because of that.




Xero Mesa Trail WP

  • Info
    • 3/5    Weight (280g, US Men's Size 10)
    • 3/5    Grip
    • 1/5    Bounce
    • 3/5    Sound
    • 5/5    Fit 
    • 17/25  Overall
  • Critique
    • Weight is standard
    • These have decent grip, but only under pressure. Kinda slide-y if you don't press hard. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. I feel like singles players appreciate this type of variable grip more.
    • No bounce as they are barefoot shoes like the fivefingers and trail glove, but do not feature any sort of significant foam like the trail glove.
    • Satisfying clacks, but because of the lack of shock absorbency you can't slam the shoes down to get the desired volume.
    • Fit is like a glove. The waterproof version of this shoe has a very solid-feeling and substantial upper, which I really like because it makes the shoe feel firmly attached and very light even though the shoe isn't light.




Xero Scrambler Low

  • Info
    • 3/5    Weight (281g, US Men's Size 10)
    • 5/5    Grip
    • 2/5    Bounce
    • 5/5    Sound
    • 3/5    Fit
    • 18/25  Overall

  • Critique
    • Weight is standard
    • Gorilla grip from the Michelin rubber sole. You can feel the difference compared to the outsole rubber on other Xero shoes. 
    • No bounce because these are barefoot shoes, but the rubber compound used in the outsole has more shock absorbency than other Xero barefoot shoes.
    • Sound is top tier. The rubber compound having some shock absorbency, but not a lot helps with being able to step heavier in these without hurting your feet. 
    • The upper feels way lighter than the sole, which gives an unbalanced fit and feel unless you lace the shoe up really tight (I use a runner's knot).



Asics Novablast 3 LE

  • Info
    • 4/5    Weight (267g, US Men's Size 10)
    • 3/5    Grip
    • 5/5    Bounce
    • 3/5    Sound
    • 5/5    Fit 
    • 20/25  Overall

  • Critique
    • Weight is below standard, very nice considering the shock absborption.
    • Grip is inconsistent. Sometimes these are the grippiest shoes on earth and the shoe ascends to a 22/25 rating for me, sometimes the grip is just eh. The rubber tread pattern oesn't cover the whole forefoot and heel, so dust buildup seems to have a big impact on the grippiness of these shoes. 
    • The bounce and shock absorption is top tier. This shoe feels like you have trampolines in your feet. It threw me off so hard when I got these that I had to re-learn how to time in them. 
    • The sound is there but muted, since the sole is all foam. The sound balance actually works out well since you can press harder in these shoes, so when you're going ham you're going to hear the vibrations of your steps rattling the stage. But the shoe itself does not produce that much sound.
    • The fit is perfect. The shoe feels glued to my foot when it's laced up with a runners knot, no complaints about the laces, doesn't constrict my toes but isn't overly roomy. Upper is firm and substantial and tightens nicely when lacing.



Nike Vomero 16

  • Info
    • 2/5    Weight (300g, US Men's Size 10)
    • 4/5    Grip
    • 2/5    Bounce
    • 2/5    Sound
    • 5/5    Fit 
    • 15/25  Overall

  • Critique
    • Above average weight but isn't a big deal because the shoe has a really great fit
    • Grip is good because it has a thin rubber outsole covering the entirety of the foam sole. It's not gorilla grip tier though, but it's definitely above average.
    • Bounce feels very unnatural because of the Nike Air Zoom pockets in the shoe. Throws off my timing like crazy and takes a lot of getting used to.
    • Clack sound that the rubber outsole makes feels strangely out of sync with the game, I blame the Air Zoom pockets.
    • Fit is incredibly solid and when laced up with a runner's knot, the shoe feels absolutely glued to your foot in every area. Shoe is very flexible.




Nike Pegasus 38 Shield


  • Info
    • 1/5    Weight (325g, US Men's Size 10.5)
    • 5/5    Grip
    • 3/5    Bounce
    • 5/5    Sound
    • 4/5    Fit
    • 18/25  Overall
  • Critique
    • Heavy shoe, but upper fit is really good so it doesn't feel like a huge detriment
    • Insane gorilla grip because of the weatherized rubber outsole. No matter where you touch down with the outsole, you get really good grip. Also seems pretty dust resistant when it comes to gripping, you don't need hit it with a damp towel often.
    • Nike Air Zoom unit in the forefoot of this shoe feels natural compared to the Vomero 16, but I am not a fan of the feel of Air Zoom stuff in the forefoot compared to just some nice foam in the forefoot.
    • The fit of this shoe is really good, as the weatherized upper has a lot of substance and laces up tightly nicely. The reason I took off a point is because this, like many other Nike shoes, requires me to size half a size up because the toebox feels way too cramped on my actual size. This results in a shoe that feels "correct" in the forefoot, but loose everywhere else with extra weight keeping me down. It might be fine for singles but is really annoying for me playing doubles when I need to do push-offs with my toes.



Nike Free Run 2018 FlyKnit

  • Info
    • 5/5    Weight (210g, US Men's Size 10.5)
    • 3/5    Grip
    • 3/5    Bounce
    • 3/5    Sound
    • 5/5    Fit
    • 19/25  Overall

  • Critique
    • Weight is insanely light.
    • Grip is middle of the road. It's slippy, but you get more grip the harder you press down on the shoe. So if you are particularly forceful with your steps, these shoes have great grip. But if you need grip to push off of just your toe/forefoot, and you're doing a movement where you can't press with the full force of your foot, it's easy to slip. 
    • The bounce is really good for a minimalist training shoe. There's not any sort of significant bounce, but the foam sole is very shock-absorbent and you won't hurt yourself. It's basically like playing with shock-absorbers strapped to your bare feet.
    • The sound is good because you can be forceful with your steps without hurting your feet/knees, and the shoe WANTS you to be forceful with your steps to get grip. It's not satisfying, but it feels good.
    • The fit is top tier on the Flyknit specifically. It grips your foot so hard when laced up, that it feels like there's nothing there at all. You don't even really need to lace up the flyknit, the laces are really just there for show and for those who want 0 circulation in their feet. I also don't have any of the sizing issues I have with other Nike shoes in the frees (standard or flyknit) because of the flexible material the upper is made out of. The Frees are pretty much the only Nike shoe I'd actually reccomend for dance gamers.



Asics Gel-Excite 10


  • Info
    • 3/5 Weight (277g, US Men's Size 10)
    • 4/5 Grip
    • 4/5 Bounce
    • 5/5 Sound
    • 4/5 Fit
    • 20/25 Overall
  • Critique
    • Weight is standard
    • Grip is some top tier gorilla grip on these when the bottoms are clean. The thin rubber outsole is inset into the foam midsole, so the lugs do not stick out which means more surface contact with the stage panels. Loses grip from dust/debris so the shoes need to be wiped with a damp towel, but will stay gorilla grip until the moment you step off the stages and dirty them.
    • Bounce is standard, but shoe is really shock absorbent because of the gel insole and foam combo. I feel like I can go hard in these even though they don't have a crazy amount of bounce.
    • Sound is a top tier satisfying clack.
    • The fit is comfy because of the flexible material used in the upper. I wouldn't say it feels as solid as the Gel-Venture 8's in terms of upper lace-up tightness, but lacing up tighter compensates for the extra flex in the upper. I feel like a pair of bungee laces would feel the best with this shoe's upper. Taking a point off because I think replacing the laces with a bungee lace is needed to make these as perfect as they can be.


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