Mat Hog is a great name. It invokes, in me, both the idea that it’s your mat, and you’re hogging it to yourself, and that you are some sort of wild warthog, which are notorious for being one of the worlds most dangerous and fierce animals. Truth be told, if I came across a wrestling mat with a warthog on it, I’d just let him have that one. The more that I think about it, these shoes were 100% made for someone with the mentality of a ferocious beast, with no intention of giving up any real estate on the wrestling mat.

Let’s get into what sets these shoes apart from most. I traditionally begin with the height of the shoes on the ankle, and I’ll do the same here. This is a more shallow riding shoe than most. The laces on this go no higher than my ankle, which I prefer more often than not. I’ve always felt more confident in shoes where I feel little to no restriction around the ankle, and these shoes certainly provide that. Warthogs have short little legs, so maybe this was an unintended coincidence from the designers, or they are simply wise beyond my wildest dreams. The lace guards on these are durable and do a good job keeping the laces tied with out any additional taping or restriction. The soles of the shoes are the same variety as the HVC’s, where its the single rubber sole, that ends on the bottom of the shoe. It provides EXCELLENT traction, and immediately transitions into the suede part around the toes, which slides effortlessly across the mat when dragging your foot on a sweep single. These shoes don’t require much to break them in. They fit very easily on the first try, and with additional wear and tear, fit more tightly to the foot.

Overall, I really like this shoe. The most important part of any shoe , according to our friend Ed Ruth, is how it looks. Look good, feel good, wrestle good. These shoes come in some great color schemes, with your black and gray, navy and gray, red and black, and the super hot orange and black. These shoes look great, provide an excellent feel on your foot, and are virtually weightless, allowing you to focus on how you plan on hogging the mat from your opponent. The design is primarily a breathable and slick material, which makes it tough for your opponent to hold onto your foot, assuming you let him or her get there in the first place. The mesh parts of the shoe, near the toes and around the ankle, provide excellent mobility, and ventilation for your foot as well. This is important, because Hogs get really hot, and often need to cool down. Another relevant piece to consider, is price. This shoe is very affordable, and won’t have you breaking the bank just to break your opponents spirit. Don’t forget to use promo code Blood20 at adidaswrestling.com to get an additional 20% off what is already a very affordable shoe.

Top quality shoe here for the wrestler who wants a cool design, and a shoe that will provide foundational support and mobility. Adopt the mindset of the tremendously ferocious warthog, and establish dominance on any mat you step foot on.