Lifting Shoes

Adidas Powerlift 2.0

Having the best lifting shoes is essential if you are serious about going to the gym and doing the big three lifts: Squat, deadlift, and do a lesser degree even bench. Having a solid foundation is essential, because if you can’t trust your shoe then you won’t be able to have proper form or lift as much weight.

If you don’t have proper form then you run the risk of injury, and almost guaranteed will not work your muscles comfortably or efficiently. A good weightlifting shoe will allow you to be more stable (safe, in other words) and move more weight. But why is that?

It mostly boils down to the sole of the shoe. Normal tennis shoes and running shoes have very compressible soles meant to absorb shock from moving around. What this means is if you are trying to squat, the shoe will actually shift down as it compresses and move around a little while you put weight on it. This leads to huge instability as well as not allowing you to push from your heels which is crucial for both safety and moving a lot of weight.

A weightlifting shoe will have an uncompressible sole or one that is very close to it to minimize any kind of excess movement. It will also have a raised heel that is usually made of a synthetic material or wood to further emphasize stability and driving from the heel instead of the forefoot. This is critical for achieving proper form and will keep you going to the gym for a long time instead of battling with injury and struggling with the weight. Weightlifting is fun, but only if yo do your research and use the proper gear (like shoes) to achieve your goals.

There are a lot of great shoes for squatting and deadlifts / bench out there. Brands like Pendlay, Adidas, Nike, New Balance, Asics etc. All make variations of cross-trainer shoes or pure weightlifting shoes. I highly recommend going with a pure weightlifting shoe for the gym because they are the best at what they do: weightlifting. However, if you are into CrossFit, you might want to look into a cross-training shoe as they are designed for more movement.

My personal favorite shoe for weightlifting is the Adidas Powerlift 2.0. I’ve used it for years and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to try out an affordable shoe for squatting. It’s almost identical to the highly popular Adidas Adipower model, which is used by weightlifters all over the world for it’s great reputation and capabilities as a lifting shoe. You don’t have to break the bank to get a great shoe, which I think is a common misconception that people sometimes have. There are plenty of great mid-range shoes like the Powerlift 2.0 that I think would suit your needs as a beginner or even intermediate lifter. Best Lifting Shoes is a great site that will help you find the right shoe for your needs.

A lot of people like Pendlay shoes for their strict weightlifting approach and great shoe quality. Kind of hard to go wrong with a brand dedicated to all things weightlifting, right? I suggest you pay attention to the materials used to construct shoes and their features. Almost all of them will be a synthetic material of some kind, but sometimes you will find shoes made with real leather, wooden soles etc. that really stand out from the pack and offer some real quality. Typically these are more expensive so I suggest waiting until you’ve tried at least one pair of lifting shoes and know what you want to go for afterwards.

You’ll find the best shoes for squats if you look hard enough! Pay attention to the heel size and materials used to find the best shoe for your price range and needs. There are a ton of great brands out there for weightlifting shoes if you are willing to look and do your research. I hope this article was informative and helpful!