My wife asked me about lifting shoes this morning. She finally recognized what I have been saying about her squatting in her running shoes. She has begun to realize that the shoes cause her to roll onto her toes. There are other reasons not to wear running shoes to lift in, and I will get to that.
Athletic shoes have gotten increasingly specialized—and expensive. With the tremendous markup in athletic shoes, it is no surprise that many try to get by with one shoe for most everything. This can be a mistake.
I am old enough to remember when our sneaker selection was essentially PF Flyers and Keds. I remember wrestling in middle school in my Puma Clyde’s. In early high school, my go-to “all-around” was the Nike Cortez. In college, we began to see the influx of what began to be called “cross-trainers”—somewhere between a court shoe, aerobics shoe (yeah, we started to see those along with puffy lifting pants), and running shoes. Overall, the trends haven’t been too bad, but the diversity of shoes is growing to a point where specialization needs to be considered.
For the recreational lifter—especially those who do mostly machines—a more general shoe is probably sufficient. Lifting weights, particularly when beginning to lift more appreciable amounts of weights and squatting and deadlifting, will require more appropriate shoes.
Let’s begin by underscoring that running shoes are for running. They are designed to be extremely lightweight and cushioning. The sole is designed to facilitate forward movement. Hence, they are a lousy shoe in which to squat or deadlift. Due to the soft sole, the forces produced by the muscles will first have to go into compressing the sole before the weight will move. This wastes contractile energy, as well as caused excessive wear on the shoes. Running shoes are already expensive and have limited life when used properly. Running shoes are usually made of soft, rather delicate, material that provides very little lateral support. Simply put, there are better uses for running shoes.
So, in what shoes should the average lifter exercise? There are two things to consider: purpose and cost. With regards to purpose there are really three applications: powerlifting, Olympic lifting, and all-around (e.g., general power/Olympic lifting and/or crossfit-style training). Olympic lifting shoes are highly specialized and should be considered a must if you are serious about the sport. These have a bit of a raised, solid sole and are designed to allow for a deeper squat and more vertical back for the snatch and cleans. They are not cheap. Powerlifting shoes are often a bit more specific to the lift. Deadlifts favor a flat sole, whereas squatting favors something a bit more in between a flat, thin sole and a raised Olympic lifting shoe. Again, the degree of seriousness about the sport might dictate one’s choices.
For most of us (who want to push some serious weight for only for the purposes of health and/or sport), we don’t have to go to extremes. We do, however, want a suitable shoe. If you are going to be doing squat and deadlift variations, you will want a rather flat-soled and rigid shoe. Many lifters opt for the “old-school” Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars or something similar (like the PF Flyers of my youth). I have also found soccer-style shoes or shoes like my old Puma Clydes to be good, as well. Overall, these styles are “cheap” (by comparison—I still find $55 for Chuck Taylors to be ridiculously over-priced). Another great option is a wrestling shoe. For the deadlift, these are especially close to the ground and allow for maximum force development (short of lifting barefoot or in deadlifting slippers). Personally, I favor wrestling shoes (maybe because it keeps me connected to the sport), but they can be a bit restrictive in dorsiflexion for the squat. Once sufficient ankle mobility is established, though, the ankle support may assist with ankle stability. Chuck Taylors or Dan Gables, anything but running shoes. You want a shoe that fits the budget and is going to last. Above all, though, you want a shoe that is going to suit its purpose: to grip the floor and facilitate bigger lifts to make your stronger and improve your physique.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!