"Weightlifting shoes are support for the foot under a load, and a tool for more effectively distributing the lifter's bodyweight and the weight of the barbell across the plantar surface in contact with the platform.
The surface of the shoe in contact with the platform can be of various materials."
Read article
Rip — I know that you had been working with White's Boots here in Spokane about weightlifting shoes. Another option here is Nicks Boots. Nick learned his craft at White's, then split off in 1964. The real difference between the two is that unlike White's, Nicks is American owned.
I have nothing to do with either company, but that last tidbit of info was what sent me to Nicks when I was looking at a pair of work boots made. Quality stuff.