Do I need real fencing shoes? My heels and ankles hurt after lunging in running shoes.
You do not need fencing-branded shoes, but you do need to get out of running shoes. Running shoes are built to move in one direction on a thick, soft, raised heel. Fencing asks the opposite: a front foot that lands hard on its heel in every lunge and a back foot that pushes and drags sideways. That tall, squishy sole lets your ankle roll and your foot slide around inside the shoe, a very common source of the heel, arch and ankle soreness you are describing. A flat, grippy indoor court shoe fixes most of it on its own.
What to look for: a low, flat sole of non-marking rubber that grips a gym floor, firm lateral support so the shoe does not fold when you push off sideways, real cushioning under the heel of the front foot, and a tough toe and inner edge where the back foot drags. Volleyball, badminton, squash, handball and indoor tennis shoes all fit, and you can try them on in a store. Skip most basketball shoes, whose thick soles raise the ankle-roll risk, and fashion sneakers that only look sporty. Dedicated fencing shoes add drag reinforcement and a lower profile, which matters more once you train several days a week.
Sizing trouble is normal. Fencing-specific shoes are often cut narrow and come in a limited size range, so wide, very small and very large feet usually do better in court shoes, where one model comes in many widths and sizes. Small feet can also look at junior sizes of fencing shoes. Whatever you buy, give it a few practices to break in, wear it indoors only so the sole stays grippy, and try a gel heel cup in the front shoe if your lunge heel is sore. Replace shoes when the sole feels flat and dead or the back shoe has worn through at the side.
Shoes are not the whole story. Slapping the front foot down or overreaching in the lunge hammers the heel whatever you wear, so ask your coach to watch how your lunge lands. Some soreness while you ramp up training is common. Heel pain that is sharp, worst with your first steps in the morning, or still there after a week or two of easier practice, and any pain along the Achilles tendon, deserves a visit to a doctor or physical therapist rather than just a new pair of shoes.