Best Shoes for Weightlifting

No matter your shoe size, personal style, or training type, you would like to have best weightlifting shoes has the right pair for you. The list below features footwear designed specifically for weight training, with shoes from leading brands like Reebok, Nike, Adidas and Inov-8.

1. Powerlifts/All-around: Chuck Taylor All-Stars

Is there anything these shoes aren’t good for? With their hard rubber soles, durable canvas building and construction, and traditional design, the original All-Stars have taken pleasure in a cult-like commitment amongst weightlifters for years. Plus, unlike a lot of dedicated athletic shoes, they’re cheap and flexible.

” Go into any powerlifting gym and you’ll see Chuck Taylors all the method to the horizon,” Pelton states. “Shoes like Chucks with a thin, flat sole permit the lifter’s feet to be as close to the ground as possible, consequently minimizing the bar’s overall variety of movement. It’s just about a half an inch, but in top-level competitions, that could make all the distinction.” However don’t restrict them to deadlifts, he says: They’re likewise perfectly good for squats, bench presses, and spending time at the gym after your cooldown. (From $50, converse.com).

2. Powerlifts/All-around: Reebok CrossFit Lite 2.0.

“The CrossFit Lite TR was most likely developed with the Chuck Taylor All-Stars in mind, however as a new shoe for lifters,” states Pelton, who has used them in the past. “They feature a broader toe box and cushioned ankle for increased convenience, and have special gripper pads on the soles that evoke suction cups. This is indicated to permit the lifter to anchor to the ground with maximal traction.” Reebok’s site states the shoe has a 4mm heel-to-toe drop, but it’s probably closer to almost flat. They’re likewise understood for having a significantly larger toebox than Chucks, so if All-Stars feel narrow on your feet, think about these rather. (From $49.99, reebok.com).

3. Deadlift: Deadlifting slippers.

Look, we understand Arnold Schwarznegger loved to deadlift barefoot. However you’re not Arnold– and if you are, hi Arnold, thanks for reading– and doing anything barefoot in the gym is an excellent way to pick up all kinds of nasty gunk. So if you want a truly minimalist (and cheap!) foot covering for deadlifting, pick up a pair of deadlifting slippers, which are built with a tough rubber bottom, terry fabric top, and very little else.

“These slippers decrease your variety of movement as much as possible,” Collins states. They’re also popular among deadlifters with reasonably small feet, given that slippers optimize their foot’s contact location with the ground. ($ 12, strengthshopusa.com).

4. Powerlifts: Adidas Powerlift.3.

As their name indicates, the new Powerlifts are developed with powerlifters in mind. The sole is both additional wide and strong, providing plenty of stability for huge squats and benches. “The heel isn’t really as high as the Olympic lifting shoes” — 15mm, compared with the 19mm heels of the majority of Olympic shoes–” so you’re able to better utilize your hamstrings on powerlifting-style low-bar back crouches,” states Collins. ($ 90, adidas.com).

5. Olympic raises: Inov-8 Fastlift 370 BOA.

This is one seriously cool shoe. Rather of traditional laces, Inov-8’s Fastlift 370 Opens a New Window. loads a creative BOA ® dial system that makes it possible for the wearer to immediately make minute changes to the shoe’s tightness, without needing to continuously untie and re-tie the laces. With a 16.5 mm heel drop, they’re definitely developed for Olympic lifts– and they come in any color you like, as long as it’s red. ($ 160, roguefitness.com).

6. Olympic raises: Risto Olimpico.

If you’re searching for a thick-heeled lifting shoe that actually exhibits old-school, he-man moxie, then have a look at the Olimpico. Made from top-quality leather with a thick wood sole angled for Olympic lifts, the Olimpicos are prominent among hardcore weightlifters for their unexpected lightness and flexible forefoot (which is perfect for tidy and jerks). Keep in mind that they’re made to purchase, so they take 6– 8 weeks to show up– however when they do, expect to be the envy of the weight room. ($ 159.00, ristosports.com).

7. Olympic lifts: VS Athletics Weightlifting Shoe.

VS Athletics may not have the name recognition of some other sports brand names, however its weightlifting shoes are among the very best models around, with easy leather uppers, two hook-and-loop straps, and a huge, durable rubber sole created for Olympic lifting. And while they’re pretty plain-looking, at nearly $100 less than some of the competing designs, they’re a smart buy for the weightlifter on a budget. ($ 84.99, vsathletics.com).

8. Olympic raises: Nike Romaleos 2.

The Nike Romaleos debuted as the main weightlifting shoe of the vaunted Chinese Olympic weight-lifting group. The new iteration, the Romaleos 2, has actually made a major following as one of the premier Olympic lifting shoes on the market. With a rigid, plastic 19mm heel supported by a “Power Bridge” truss that cups the lifter’s foot, the Romaleos 2 are known for feeling roomier and more steady than other Olympic shoes. It’s a popular (albeit pricey) pick for the Olympic lifter with a little broader feet who rewards a solid base upon the platform and lots of colorway alternatives. (Fun reality: “Romaleos” is Greek (typically composed ρωμαλέος) for “robust” or “brawny.”) ($ 189, nike.com).

9. Olympic Lifts: Adidas Adipower.

The undoubted rival to the Romaleos, the Adidas Adipowers provide the very same heel drop (19mm) and a similar trussed plastic heel. But whereas the Romaleos 2 are renowned for feeling chunky and strong, the Adipower are slightly narrower, more versatile, and made with more breathable material, making them ideal for lifters who reward a shoe that feels snug or those with smaller feet. ($ 179, adidas.com).