Lifting Shoes: What and Why
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(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 12/31/21)
What are lifting shoes, and why should you use them? We’re going to cover the 3 features of a lifting shoe, why lifting shoes are beneficial, and we’ll also touch on what not to buy.
Feature #1: Sole
The first and most important feature of a lifting shoe is its rigid, non-compressible sole. This helps with force transfer, which is rather important when lifting heavy weights.
If you're going to squat, press, or clean-and-jerk in running shoes, you’ll find that doing so is similar to trying to do those while standing on a pillow - comfy on the feet, of course, but also rather silly. We would like to have a very rigid surface on which to lift so that we have efficient force transfer between us and the floor. A lifting shoe provides this. A regular shoe does not.
Feature #2: Metatarsal Strap(s)
The second feature of a lifting shoe is either one or two metatarsal straps. These straps provide lateral support as well as arch support, and the presence of both types of support provide yet another reason why a regular shoe is not as good of an option as an actual lifting shoe.
To a certain extent, the metatarsal strap(s) will also prevent the foot from sliding forward, which is a nice feature to have when performing something like a split jerk.
Feature #3: Heel
The third feature you’ll notice on a lifting shoe is the slightly raised heel. Typically, a heel height somewhere between ½ inch and ¾ inch will work nicely. Some Olympic lifters may prefer a slightly taller heel, but this range serves most people quite well. The heel gets a little more quad involvement in the lift and also makes depth in the squat easier to achieve.
These 3 features will give you an idea of what to look for when you’re shopping for lifting shoes. A number of manufacturers make quality lifting shoes - Nike, Do-Win, Inov-8, and Adidas are just a few of the more well-known brands. Below are some of the shoe recommendations and links we usually send to new members as a starting point for shopping:
If you’re going to lift, wear lifting shoes. Runners wear running shoes, basketball players wear basketball shoes, and lifters wear lifting shoes. Once you’ve trained in lifting shoes, trying to lift in regular shoes (tennis shoes, running shoes, etc.) will feel like lifting while standing on a pillow.
Finally, a note on lifting in Chuck Taylors. Just . . . don’t. Chucks are the lifting shoe for people who started to think about lifting shoes but never completed the thought. They don’t have a rigid sole, they don’t provide any arch or lateral support, and they don’t have an elevated heel, so they fail all of the criteria listed above. For those who prefer to lift in a non-heeled shoe, there are options out there that provide a far more rigid sole, and for those who want to deadlift in an extremely low-profile (i.e., close to the ground) shoe, there are options out there that are far more low-profile.
Can you lift in Chucks? Of course you can. If LeBron James wore running shoes, he could still play basketball, and he would certainly still beat me in a game of 1-on-1 . . . but he chooses to play in basketball shoes. I recommend that you choose to lift in lifting shoes.
As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.
-Phil
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