Hey Guys,

Just wanted soem advice on foot wear for lifting, I currently just wear my running trainers for the gym however I hear alot of people talk about, either barefoot, wrestling shoes or proper lifting shoes from addidas and I wondered if anyone had any advice?

I'm not sure how i feel about barefoot as I am really clumsy and would probaly end up dropping a weight on my foot! The wrestling shoes look cool and old school but they are hard to get hold of in the UK. The Addidas power lifters on th other hand can be bought easily but are so expensive!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated :-)

Thanks

If you have the money go for the adipowers. However, IMO as long as your shoe has a firm, rigid sole with slight arch support it should be fine. Running shoes are ill advised due to their capacity to often changes joint angles up the body which relates to injury.

It depends on what you're using them for.

If you're running, well, running shoes but I feel as though that isn't what the question is for

For lifting, if it's standard bodybuilding / machines / isolation style lifting then you're more or less fine with any type of shoe you feel comfortable it. However if you're involved in heavy compound movements or postior chain exercises then there will be a noticable chance in form and benefit to the correct attire. Barefoot / Vibrams (or vibram-like shoes) are typically the best as they allow the most engagement of the small stabilizing muscles of the foot and lower leg but they are typically costly. Other shoes that are good for major lifts include wrestling or weightlifting shoes that typically will have an elevated / flat and hardened sole - the idea being offering the flattest rigid support to generate stable force production.

Finally, Chuck Taylors are pretty common for all purpose lifting as they are affordable (I think, IDK lololol), and have a flat sole.

Hope that helps.

A lot of people will say to go for adipowers because of the elevated heel, which puts your body in a position to maintain thoracic extension and go ATG on squats. Personally I've found that I can get plenty of depth (at least parallel) with just flat shoes. Chucks are a good shoe for lifting although I've never used them myself. Nick Wright and Olympus Iron both are major advocates of a new company called "Ani." Their stuff seems pretty legit. I use Crossfit Nano 3 which are super light and comfortable and they have a hard flat sole. Great for deadlifting and other olympic lifts. I like them for squats too! On my non-leg days I just wear my running shoes. Hope that helps!

I just do my squats and deadlifts in bare feet with socks. Nothing beats the feel of your own feet against the floor on lower body compound exercises.

John

well, for deadlifting, I wear vibram 5 fingers because basically, you want to be as close to the ground as possible and barefoot if possible, but most places don't allow it, so these are the next best things. Also, I squat in the Crossfit Nanos. I don't actually do crossfit, but these shoes are wider than most and I have really wide feet, and they prop you up just a tiny bit like squat shoes would for less, they are also very versatile for things like running, jump roping, lifting in general, I love them and even professional strongman Nick Best wears them when he competes. They are nice.

For most compound exercises you are either going to want to have a flat sole or an elevated, stiff heel.

• For deadlifts, I recommend a flat shoe to prevent forward leaning.
• For squats, I recommend an elevated, stiff heel such as a powerlifting shoe- or even some crossfit ones.
• For benching and ohp, having an elevated heel will force you to keep your feet from dancing- so this may help.

The reason for the elevated, stiff heel is so you can focus on driving off the MIDDLE of your foot with heel SUPPORT

• This is a common misconception. As most people thing you are pushing through your heels, it is actually the middle of your foot.

The bigger brand shoes will obviously be more money. Look for older models and discounts. A friend of mine got some nice powerlifting shoes for $45. You have to look around.

HOPE THIS HELPS

I was looking into shoes earlier this week and once again I came across Reebok Crossfit Lite TRs. Despite the Crossfit label, it looks like a decent alternative for Chuck Taylors. Anyone here have experience with 'em?

Hey Nils,

I have just got myself a pair of Adipower weightlifting shoes, I used them for the first time on Friday for squats and I have to say my form improved 100%. I was able to drive much smoother on the way up. Defo worth the investment for sure.

With the lace and Velcro fastening you can get them on secure for heavy lifts.