this topic may sound silly but i know everyone has thought about it. could squatting in the shoes you train in f**k up your shoes? i train in nike air max and i just got the new $150 tl shox. i feel putting 300 pounds plus my weight will mess up my air bubbles and make my shoes feel flat? what does everyone think?
I’ve only been lifting “smart” for a couple of months and I can’t lift very heavy yet. If I went to my gym next session and lifted barefoot is it likely that I would
a.)lose a lot on my lifts
or
b.)hurt myself
This is really intrigueing to me (though I also might c.) get kicked out of the gym) because I’m not going to be able to do barefooted tempo runs for a bit and next year once fall hits I won’t be able to do them for about eight months.
i think waffles would work fine. i just don’t like running shoes because they elevate the heel. anything flat will work.
how about zoom waffles,those are like wrestling shoes.
mj,
Barefooted is interesting, but most gyms won’t allow you to lift without shoes on. However, I have lifted in wrestling shoes in the past and these are pretty close to being barefoot. Just a thin piece of rubber for the sole.
xlr8
yea… thanks guys.
i think i am just going to lift in cross trainers. there a happy meduim of lifting in running shoes lifting shoes and BAREFOOT" as MJ does it…
QUIKAZHELL,
i clean and squat bare footed. it saves my shoes, but more importantly it keeps my on my heels. any running shoe puts you on your toes! lifting bare footed works just like lifting shoes, but it’s FREE!!! cross trainers wouldn’t be bad either if you have them. i wouldn’t go buy shoes to lift in, use that money for supplements and therapy. you just don’t want to have that forward lean that running shoes will give.
Quik-- I think after two weeks (regardless of activity) any running shoes are going to feel a little softer as the ‘fresh’ Polyurethane in the midsole and the footbed begin to break down and conform to your feet.
For the air max running shoes, the air units are inflated at a low 5psi while the air unit itself is very large. Thus when you are channeling a lot of weight onto the unit through your heel you might really notice the unit deforming and it probably feels squishy. However, the gas cannot leak through the casing and the casing shape is very stable over time. So they may be bad lifting shoes but you are not ‘ruining’ them.
The shox runners will probalby feel more stable then the max’s and the heel cushioning should also maintain well over time. Despite what nike wants consumers to think about energy return, the primary reason for this kind of ‘mechanical’ cushioning system is stability and durability.
As to your question, you can find decent explanations of cushioning systems at www.kicksology.net and specifically the air structure at charlies sneaker page (sorry, I forget the URL).
P
its not important what type of footgearyou wear, but what is,is keep the
feet relaxed. feet hold you up, not the
weight. i use running shoes and squat
400-600 lbs to the basement.
ciao gente
i really dont see how your going to bust your ankle doing weight training unless your doing single leg stability ball squats. I can see if you were playing basketball…
i know my reebok dmx basketball shoes were destroyed after doing leg presses for a couple months when i was like 13. It wasnt even that heavy either. My Dad had the same shoes and the air bubble in the sole became flat after a few months.
Buy some Chuck Taylors for peanuts to lift in! - CJ
agreed- or just ask around for some OL shoes from OL lifters at your school. ebay?
go buy some chuck taylors to lift in 
i feel like id hurt my ankles in those. they have no support. am i right?
coolcolj,
lol. this topic is getting out of hand.
check it.
i do not buy $150 sport shoes to lift weights… i simply buy those to run in so my whole thing was why not use them for both instead of spending another $100 for olympic shoes.
I don’t see the logic - you buy a $150 sports shoe to lift weights, when a $100 Oly shoe is better suited and will last longer.
hell buy some Chuck Taylors for peanuts to lift in!
mj,
exactly what i was thinking. even when you first buy a new pair of air maxes within 2 weeks they feel softer so i would definatly think that squating would cause this to occur.
pettigr1,
can you please show me where you got your info from to post this reply…
“apparently nike designed the air units to withstand A LOT of force. The other way to think about it is that squatting will expose your shoes to 300 lbs plus your weight, say 500lbs. This is roughly comparable to normal impact forces for a 200lb athlete in regular jumping or landing, which the shoes are clearly designed for. I wouldnt worry about the shox or the airmax.”
When I was squatting I used olympic weightlifting shoes (and for power cleans too), they make a big difference when you start doing heavy squats.
i have ruined many pair of air maxes from squatting. i don’t think the air pockets can take it. they may not pop right away, but they defiantely become much softer which will take away from the support you want.
QUIKAZHELL: Once you try lifting shoes you’ll never go back. The stability and raised heal make a huge difference.
Originally posted by QUIKAZHELLwhy buy lifting shoes when i can just wear old crosstrainers or old running or basketball sneakiers that i got.
This is what i thought as well until my OL coach (well, he just drives me to workout with him and guys in a barn) gave me his pair of OL shoes from 20 years back. Even though they are really old, (they are basically chuck taylors with straps) they provide a lot of stability and balance that you dont get with running/ball shoes. It definitely helps with squatting and the bottom position of my snatch and cleans, as i am not falling forward anymore. I improved my front suat by 3kg after using these for one or two sessions.
When you get up in weight, the air-shoes tend to feel a bit mushy and not as stable as an olympic lifting shoe or even some good old Chuck Taylors (which I believe Louie Simmons recommends.)
xlr8