Some people ask me "Do I need weightlifting shoes?"
Ask yourself these questions and hopefully you will have your answer afterwards.
1. Do you like weightlifting? Some people get gear just to get gear. Don't buy it if you aren't going to use them.
2. Do you enjoy doing the Olympic lifts along with front, back, and overhead squats? If you like the lifts and like seeing your numbers go up then that's a good thing.
3. Is it your goal to get better at these lifts and do you take extra time to work on your mobility so that your body can get into these positions (without forcing it).
First of all lets look at some of the benefits to training in a weightlifting shoe
Having a higher heel (give or take 3/4") will give you added ankle mobility in the bottom of your squat (It's like buying ankle mobility and only costs the price of a pair of shoes). This doesn't mean that you should stop doing your ankle mobility work. Nothing takes the place of that. It will also help with keeping your hips forward and torso upright in that bottom position as well. Not a bad deal!
Having a solid sole of the shoe means that there is no power loss when you are driving your heels into the ground and the ground is driving back into you during a heavy lift. I see a lot of people squatting and they have great form, when their shoes come off... There is so much cushioning in shoes now that even with an empty barbell during a squat you can see the amount of play there is in the bottom of a shoe. I took a slow motion video of Randy's feet this morning during a workout and Randy has a great squat with his shoes off but with his super cushy shoes you can see them compress as he rocks back and forth fighting to regain balance. The video was with only a 45lb bar on his back.
Note: Sometimes we get people to squat with their shoes off so they don't have to fight with the cushioning of the shoe and they get a better feel for the ground and where the weight is at the bottom of your foot. Doing Olympic lifts in bare feet can lead to a bruised or stress fractures in the calcaneus (heel bone) so it is strongly recommended that you do not do the Olympic lifts in bare feet!
Video taken with iPhone5 and the App Ubersense click on the 1/4 speed button to see what the shoe does. Randy thinks his weight is through his heels but as you can see his foot is constantly rolling back and forth to find balance. Proper weightlifting shoes would stop this wave effect. Lifting heavy loads with this constant rilling front to back will force the body to compensate in ways that it shouldn't and can lead to issues in the feet, ankles, knees, hips, & back.
Keep in mind this is with an empty bar during warm up. ONLY 45lbs! That's not even a loaded bar with 100's of pounds. Think about how much more that would compress his shoes (or yours).
http://www.ubersense.com/video/view/J7wgx0BK?e=581099#
I have two pairs of lifting shoes and they serve two different purposes.
The first one is a Reebok lifting shoe. This was my 1st pair and I like them because they are a hybrid shoe. They have a solid heel and there is no rock going on with them. The front of the shoe has some flexibility to it so if I'm doing a workout with heavy thrusters and double unders or box jumps I have some flexibility with these shoes (I wouldn't run in them though because you'll tear them up). These were a little snug at 10.5 and I should have got them in an 11. I am typically a 10.5 across the board.
The next is a more recent purchase and I love them It's a ROGUE DoWin weightlifting shoe and all you do with it is lift and squat. No running, box jumps, or skipping. It's a solid shoe and definitely has some extra weight to it. I love these shoes for heavy days and the sound they make when those heels slam into the ground is beautiful. These have a 3/4" heel and fit well I'm a size 10.5 in most shoes and these worked great at 10.5. These seem to have a little more room in the toe box as compared to my Reebok. (Sorry for the pic it was e mailed to me ;-)
Here is the link to these
Hopefully that helped. If you want to get the most out of your training and you love the lifts and the heavy squats then I would recommend that you get a pair of lifters. They will last for years if you use them properly.
May your all your lifts feel light (but be heavy) and all of your squats low & slow
Happy Lifting
Posted by Paul Dyck
