I just posted a pretty extensive blogpost on my blogger site about shoes for lifting weights:
http://www.coachkeats.blogspot.com/
I thought it might make for good conversation since there is always debate about footwear for running/sprinting, but rarely about footwear for lifting.
What do any of you CF.com members use to lift weights in?
Keats Snideman
CC flats or normal trainers.
I use weightlifting shoes. The heels were too high (~1.25") when I got them, so I brought them down to ~0.75". They are perfect for me with that height heel.
The stiff heel and slight heel elevation are tremendously helpful for squatting and pulling.
Converse Chuck Taylors!
Old, cheap and very hard and stable trainers.
i just wear trainers!how much are the weightlifting shoes
I personally use tennis shoes (adidas barricade 2’s). Tennis shoes have the hardest soles of any traditional ‘trainer’ type shoe. They have a slight positive heel which helps my lack of flexibility at the ankle. The issue with weightlifting shoes for non weightlifters is that the excessive positive heel means that not only are there extra forces placed on the knee but the squat becomes slightly more quad dominant(although you could get rid of this as JMT did i suppose).
The other advantage of tennis shoes over a running type of trainer is that they don’t have a ‘crash pad’-these are seen on running shoes at the posterior lateral aspect of the shoe and are designed as a shock absorber for heel contact largely. These are not only soft but have a skive on them so are not on the ground when the shoe is in its normal position leading to instability(in an area you don’t want it when squatting-posterior lateral of the heel).
Another standard feature of running shoes is a slight ‘forefoot rocker’ which is designed so you can ‘roll’ onto your toes with little effort (if you look at most running shoes the toe is up in the air and the forefoot arches up towards it) this is mainly to facilitate a lack of range of motion at the first metatarsal phalangeal joint and was seen widely in the 80’s and 90’s in running shoes. Nowadays it a smaller version of the original idea and is mostly for added efficiency. This feature will again cause instability as the whole foot is not in contanct with the ground.
Tennis shoes(or at least the barricades) have quite a bit of ankle support also. This can be seen as an advantage to those sumo deadlifting but it can also be argued that this creates a weakness in the ankles as the stabilizers of the ankle don’t need to work as hard(often used as an arguement against high top basketball shoes).
In addition to the chuck taylor all star I have also seen some people use the ‘dunlop volley’ which is largely similar and slightly cheaper.
Weightlifting shoes can range from $60 all the way up to over $200. Since I’m not a weightlifter I purchased a pair of Chinese brand shoes called “Do-Win.” They costmbe around $90 if I can recall correctly; I bought them from a Weigtlifting coach here in Arizona.
VS Athletics makes a model for $71.95 (US Dollars). Here’s the link to there site to look: http://www.vsathletics.com/product.php?xProd=1301&xSec=9
I think the shoes make a major difference in squatting type of movements.
What kind of difference? High top Chucks are standard for most powerlifters.
Better depth on squats, more upright trunk. If you’re not blessed with good ankle mobility (and many speed/power athletes are clearly NOT), Chuck’s might now be as good of a choice as the O-lift shoes in my opinion.
I’ve used Addidas olympic lifting shoes for about 6 years and I really like them. I’m still using my original pair. They provide a very stable surface to push against when lifting and don’t wobble at all. Standing in them feels like you’re bolted to the floor. They also have the advantage of extending the life of my running flats, which I switch over about every 3 months as it is. Since I only wear the weightlifting shoes for a couple minutes a few times per week, there’s virtually no wear and tear on them even after 6 years.
Flash, I agree. O-lift shoes are a great investment since they’ll practically last forever due to the sturdy nature and the fact that you’ll really be using them less when compared to running shoes, spikes, flats, etc…