Lifting shoes

[Cale Pozderac]

Rip,

I was reading over Basic Barbell Training the other night and came across the section on shoes. I understand that weightlifting shoes provide better support than say, running shoes, but I was wondering where Chuck Taylor's fit into that argument. I've heard that a lot of "old school" guys use them because the sole isn't soft at all, and because the high tops provide ankle support. From what I read, you're a pretty adamant supporter of weighlifting shoes; I was just wondering if you'd be able to explain why weightlifting shoes are better than Chucks.

[Tucker Benjamin]

1. Arch support is better in WL shoes than chucks
2. Heel lift provided by WL shoes is ideal for most lifters
3. You won't need a lot of "ankle support" doing an LP
4. Do not buy Romaleo 3's the tongue tears (My experience/bias)

[tfranc]

This is discussed at length in the book, which you can get on amazon for next to nothing.

[cheesedips]

1. Arch support is better in WL shoes than chucks
2. Heel lift provided by WL shoes is ideal for most lifters
3. You won't need a lot of "ankle support" doing an LP
4. Do not buy Romaleo 3's the tongue tears (My experience/bias)

ok but many people arent able to pay 100$ plus for WL shoes. could someone suggest other choices without being glib?ty

[Adam Skillin]

ok but many people arent able to pay 100$ plus for WL shoes. could someone suggest other choices without being glib?ty

Do you have work boots? They're usually the best non-lifting shoe for lifting. But at the risk of being accused of being glib: $100 is a small investment. Think about what people pay for a set of golf clubs compared to an adequate pair of lifting shoes, a decent belt, a couple ounces of chalk, and a sandwich-sized tupperware to carry it in.

[Nockian]

ok but many people arent able to pay 100$ plus for WL shoes. could someone suggest other choices without being glib?ty

They are a lot less than that. If you buy one of the well known brands they will be expensive, I bought a cheap pair from Amazon which look like brand clones -they might well be just a rebrand of more expensive shoes for around £30, which is around $40. Worth getting them as they are far more stable and supportive and don't bleed power like trainers and give a bit of a heel which is helpful for squats/press.