Weightlifting Shoes Buying Guide 2020: When it comes to weightlifting, the stamina in your body is not everything you need. Yes, that is a big part of weight lifting but there is something else too that you need to take care off. The right pair of weightlifting shoes.
Do you have a problem while you lift the desired amount of weight? Do you think you are not able to lift the amount of weight you can actually lift? Well, the problem here is not your stamina, most probably, the problem here is with your shoes.
Shoes are a big part of a weightlifting, they provide you with the right kind of support, posture, grip and the top most important thing, comfort. These things are extremely important when you look forward to buying the right pair of weightlifting shoes for you.
Weightlifting Shoes Buying Guide 2020
There are so many companies in the market that have various options for weightlifting shoes but it is for you to decide which pair of shoes is the perfect one for you. There are multiple things to be taken care of while you are buying weightlifting shoes.
The one major problem athletes face while buying the right shoes is the numerous options available in the market. This can be a good thing but it also confuses the athletes and most of them end up buying the pair of shoes that is not right for them.
To help you with the same, here are our weightlifting shoes guide to help you understand what are the basic things you need to know and look to find the perfect shoes for you.
But before we get to the guide, here is a small history of weightlifting shoes.
History
Athletes practicing the sport of weightlifting are aware of how important the shoes are in the sport. The shoes are well known these days and each and every weightlifter use them but the case is not the same since the very start.
The proper weightlifting shoes are popular these days but the demand of the same arrived in 1929. In the year, International Weightlifting Federation started a competition with an intention to judge an athlete’s clean & jerk, press, and snatch.
With the same, athletes started to use and flaunt a different kind of shoes while practicing the sport. Some wore office boots, some wore boxing shoes and others wore normal sneakers. With this, the concern arose that what was the right kind of shoes needed for the sport.
As the sport developed further, so did styles. Different kind of weight lifting styles came out and the number of athletes in the sport increased too. This is when the athletes realized that the right kind of shoes for weightlifting sport are shoes with an elevated heel to give support to the athlete and allow them to practice different and innovative styles.
In 1960s split jerking came into popularity and more and more athletes started to practice the style. This method had never been used before and it was changing the game forever. The issue that the athletes faced while wearing their same old shoes was instability as they went lower with lifted weight. This instability affected the performance of athletes.
Then came in the USSR and they were the first athletes to actually use the raised heels shoes. Then the Soviet lifters used the same uplifted heels and nailed them into leather shoes. Soon after this, various companies who were into making sports gears and shoes started coming up with their own designs of weightlifting shoes.
In the late 60s and early 70s, Adidas made its way to the western world of weightlifters. But it wasn’t until the early 70s when legend Tommy Kono collaborated with the company and that is when the design improved.
After then, they also introduced a strap that allowed easy adjustment with the shoes. They also changed the high top models to lower cuts and since then the companies have been making slight innovations with the shoes.
So now that you know how long it took for weightlifting shoes to come into existence and how difficult it was to actually realize the aptness of them, it will not be fair if you don’t respect it and chose an ordinary pair of lifting shoes. So here is the guide that is going to help you pick just the right one for you. Read all the points and keep them in mind when you are out to buy your pair.
Flat Soles
Thinking of wearing your regular running shoes to the gym for weight lifting, well this is not the right thing to do. Running shoes are great for running and jogging but it does not serve the purpose when it comes to weight lifting.
Running shoes have cushioning that protects the athlete from directly having a thud in the joints when the feet hit the ground while the athlete is running. But the same cushioning can cause a problem while weightlifting as for weight lifting an athlete needs its feet locked and hard against the ground and that is something running shoes does not allow.
The best shoes for the purpose are flat sole shoes. Flat sole or a sole without any cushioning allows the athlete to set its feet solid into the ground which helps it to make a force and pressure while lifting the weight. This allows the athlete to lift more weight then the running shoes allowed.
Elevated Heel
The ideal weightlifting shoes have an elevated heel. If you have read the history part of the article then you must know why it is important and if you haven’t then here is why it is important.
For the starters, generally, most of the weightlifting shoes have the heel of an average height of .75 inches. Although, it can go as low as .3 inches to as high as 1 inch.
The heel at the ankle needs to help the athlete go as low as they can in a squat while lifting the weight. The heel is in level with the flat sole and this helps the athlete feel the ground through the sole and impose an equal amount of power and force.
This just not only provides great support to the athlete but it also gives great mobility to the ankle and increases the balance of the body. Ankle mobility is something that you may not be able to have in a flat pair of shoes. Ankle mobility will help you perform better and allow you to innovate and present different tricks that might be a little too much to do with flat shoes.
The other benefit of an elevated heel is that it helps in maintaining a fine posture for the body. It will help you keep your torso straight and strong which is going to help you impose more power and energy while lifting the weight.
Keep in mind that the heel of the shoe should be in sync with the length of your legs. The longer the legs the higher the heel you should buy. This will improve the squats by giving better support and space.
Straps
This might not sound important to you at first but do you have any idea that a strap in your shoe can make or break your entire workout session. Well, yes it can.
It is very important for weightlifting shoes to stay intact at their place. Not just on the outer side but the inner side too. Without the right grip from inside, you might not be able to perform as good as you might think.
Most of the weightlifting shoes come with good laces to give an overall coverage and so that your feet can stay in place. You should never consider slip-on shoes for weightlifting because the slip on shoes does not give great grip from inside and as the name suggest, they can slip. Slip on shoes can easily slide out from your foot while you are in the practice. This can even cause a major accident.
Most shoes come with straps even if the shoes have laces. These straps are in the middle of the shoe to give the right amount of padding and lock to the feet to protect from slipping out from its place.
It is very important to look for the quality and material of the strap because only good quality strap will be able to lock the feet in its place. Good quality of the strap is also necessary for the better and longer performance of the shoe. It ensures that the strap is serving its purpose just right.
The lock of the strap is generally velcro. Velcro is a great option but so are the other ones available. Loop locks and key locks are the other forms of locking available in the shoes and they all are perfect.
This locking the foot in the right place brings our attention to the next most important thing which is the comfort.
The Perfect Fit
One important thing to notice about the same is that most of the companies do not make the shoes in the size of women and because of that it becomes very important for women to take special care while buying a pair for themselves.
Without the right and perfect fit, the shoe won’t be able to help you the way it should rather, it might cause problem and un-comfort to yours.
Smaller size shoe may cause extreme discomfort and it can also cause in lack of focus which is one thing you will never want to have while lifting the weight.
Slightest of distraction can cause major accidents in the sport and that is why it is always important to take extra safety measure. The smaller shoe will also give you sore feet and will cause an ache in your tiny toes. This pain is something no one wishes to have.
Smaller shoe size is a problem and so is oversized shoes. Oversized shoes will not be able to lock the feet in the right place. Your feet will keep slipping inside the shoemaking you lose control and you can also lose your balance in the situation.
Thus it is very important to judge your size, try the shoe on, take a test walk and then buy the shoe if stands up on your satisfaction.
Durability and Material
The one thing that makes the shoes great is how durable they are. Of course, this is one thing you won’t be able to know while you are buying the shoe but one thing you can be certain with it the quality of she. If the quality is good enough then the shoe will definitely be durable.
Shoes are not cheap, they demand a good amount of investment and therefore it is important to take the right care while choosing your shoes. You can check reviews of the shoes you have your eyes on any online store that has the same shoes.
Comfort
No matter how great the shoes are at performance, you should never forget your priority. The utmost priority you should have is the comfort. Comfort is the most important thing when it comes to buying shoes.
The brand, quality, material, heel everything matters but it will be of no great use until the shoe is comfortable enough for usage. The comfort is one of the top things that is going to influence your workout.
While buying the shoe, make it a special not by wearing the shoe that if it is something that you think is perfect to your size and if it feels like you have always been wearing this shoe. Even if your toes are pressing very slightly or there is just a very tiny pinchy feel in the shoe then we would suggest you not to buy she because this will not be able to give you the right amount of comfort level.
These are the things that you must keep in mind while you go to choose the right shoes for you. Also, keep in mind that you use your weightlifting shoes only when you are lifting weight and not when you go for running or to walk around. (Weightlifting Shoes Buying Guide)
I bought these a couple months ago so after using them for some time I felt it would be the right time for a review.
They are part of the best quality products that Adidas can offer. The materials used are extremely durable and worth the price.
The economical “Powerlift” seems like a quality product as well, but the life depends on how well you maintain them. The Adipower will last you a long time! And if you use them only on certain days then you will age along with them. The price says it all.
They are extremely flat (as should be) so they match and perform the main objective. Many lifters struggle to perform an exercise such as the squat properly due to their shoes. And their form may not be necessarily wrong. These definitely get rid of that burden and allow you to focus on other areas of the movements.
I highly recommend to any lifter interested in raising their performance.
I switched from the Romaleo 2s to the Weightlifting Shoes, and holy smokes… best decision I have ever made. lightweight, flexible, and durable… have done everything in training in 2 days with them, except for heavy jerks… 10/10 would recommend and definitely buy again.