What size shoe does Mike Tyson wear and does it hamper his footwork?
The iconic image of Mike Tyson in black trunks and black shoes without socks walking into the boxing arena is imprinted in the minds of every combat sports fan.
Mike Tyson sports a US 15 shoe size and no footwear worn by him has reportedly hampered his footwork inside the ring. In fact, the legendary boxer is widely known for his swift and speedy footwork, which most of his opponents failed to keep up with.
Mike Tyson's movements on the canvas were near-perfect at all times, allowing him to shift positions before his opponent could even recover from the previous blow. His footwork is one of the top reasons behind the killer knockouts early on in his career, especially using the special 'Shift & Switch' technique, where Mike Tyson used his momentum to end up on the undefended side of the opponent and land one of his vicious hooks to the head.
Aiding his brilliant footwork was Mike Tyson's Peek-a-boo style of boxing, which he perfected to the point where no one has been able to replicate it quite as well.
Peek-a-boo boxing style of Mike Tyson
Peek-a-boo is actually the name of a children's game, where one child hides behind their own hands, or something like a wall or a tree, and peeks suddenly to surprise the other one. The Peek-a-boo boxing style follows a similar pattern, where the hands of the boxer are placed defensively in front of the face, leaving space for a line of sight.
Despite being a defensive manoeuvre, Mike Tyson successfully turned it into a way to ultilize his destructive offense.
The cover of the fists would keep the opponent guessing, as Mike Tyson would execute quick head movements and switch weight from one leg to the other. This allowed him to land punches from unexpected angles, with devastating force, and also deliver explosive counter-offense by rolling under or slipping punches.
Mike Tyson is the biggest name that comes to mind when it comes to a Peek-a-boo style of boxing. Two other names are Jose Torres and Floyd Patterson. All three boxers were trained by the legendary Cus D'Amato, who is widely credited as the master of the Peek-a-boo style.
Cus D'Amato was not just Mike Tyson's coach, but the much-needed father figure and mentor that a young Tyson needed. Later on, D'Amato ended up adopting Tyson as well, after the latter's mother passed away when he was only 16.