If you’ve moved beyond the machines on your strength training journey and are standing under a heavy bar to do squats, cleans or presses, you may have wondered if you should get yourself a pair of weightlifting shoes.
If you’ve started working out with significant weight, you really should.
Here’s why weightlifting shoes matter and what they do.
Weightlifting shoes do three jobs
A weightlifting shoe does three things, and all three can greatly improve your lifting experience:
It supports your foot. “Lifters” surround your feet in a tight casing so nothing moves when you’re moving heavy loads. Everything is nice and secure, which is a good feeling when you’re lowering into a squat with 400 pounds on your back.
The sole does not compress. At all. There is no squish. This is important! If any part of the sole compresses as you drive up from the bottom of a squat, some of your force is absorbed into the squat. It’s like trying to squat on a mattress. All that effort you generate from your legs, hips and back disappears into the foam beneath your feet. You don’t want this. No power leakage! This is why you don’t want to lift in running shoes or cross-trainers. They have too much to give.
The raised heel changes your mechanics. Most weightlifting shoes have a heel that is raised somewhere between 0.5 and 1 inch. This heel lift allows your knees to travel further forward over your toes at the bottom of the squat, which does a few things. First, it allows you to squat deeper more easily, especially if you have limited ankle mobility. Without the heel, many men compensate for tight ankles by leaning their torso forward, which turns the squat into more of a good morning. I like good mornings, but you don’t want to say good morning when you’re squatting. Knees over toes with heel assistance also shifts more of the workload to your quads, keeping your torso more upright (helping you with those quad goals).
What to look for in a weightlifting shoe
A good weightlifting shoe will have 1) a tough, non-compressible sole (often made of stacked leather, wood, or hard plastic), 2) a snug fit that locks your foot in place with straps or laces (or both), and 3) a slightly raised heel.
Several companies make solid lifting shoes. I’ve tried many of these lifters over the years:
Adidas Adipower. This was my first lifting shoe. It checks all the signs for a good lifter: plastic non-compressible sole, comfortable fit and raised heel. What I didn’t like about it is that the shoe is too narrow. My wide Fred Flintstone feet would start hurting about halfway through my workout.
Do-Win Classic. The Do-Win was the second pair of lifting shoes I tried. I bought them mainly for looks. They have a beautiful, vintage design. It looks like something Vince Anello would have worn back in the day. Instead of a plastic sole, it uses stacked leather. The shoe has a nice high heel and plenty of support. It’s a bit roomier than the Adidas Adipower.
TYR L-1 lifter. This is my shoe of the day. I’ve been using it for a few years now and I love it. Here’s what I love about the TYR L-1 Lifter: The anatomical toe box is a game-changer for those of us with wider feet — you no longer feel like your toes are caught in the vise while trying to maintain stability in a heavy squat. The 21mm heel-to-toe drop puts it in that sweet spot for Olympic lifts and squats. This is the lift I recommend kids take.
In addition to the above brands, Nike has the Romaleo series. I haven’t used them, but I’ve heard good things about them.
Whatever you choose, you want support, no clutter, and a raised heel. These are your three non-negotiables.
Why drop $200 on sneakers?
Fair question. A good pair of weightlifting shoes will run you upwards of $200, which seems like a lot for something you only wear a few hours a week.
But here’s the case for them:
For starters, they’ll improve your barbell training. Unlike most gear purchases, you’ll really feel the difference the first time you pick up a pair of weightlifting shoes. Do that first squat with a solid, uncompressed base under your feet and your knees moving forward over your toes the way they’re supposed to, and you’ll wonder why you spent all those years cramming into running shoes.
Second, your lifters will last a long time because you only wear them for your workouts. You don’t run in them or walk the dog. You stand on a rubber gym floor, squat, and push and pull for an hour, then take them off. With this kind of limited use, a quality pair of lifting shoes can easily last a decade or more. That pair of Adidas Adipower I stopped wearing? I disinfected them, cleaned them well and gave them to a guy who was just starting his iron journey. He still uses them. He is 13 years old. Spread $200 over 15 years of education and you figure about $13 a year. That’s a pretty solid return on your investment for a piece of equipment that you use every single session that will improve your lifting.
Get yourself a pair. Your squat will thank you.
