Originally Posted by
Matt James
After a few workouts with our new shoes, some thoughts.
Fit:
Power Perfect 3: I ordered these in my usual size (10.5) and they fit pretty well. At first it seemed like they were too short but I realized that there isn't much vertical space in the toe box. However the material stretched a little and they're fine. But if you need more room for your toes normally, I'd say think about a half size larger than your usual. Width: my feet are probably a D and they fit okay, but I doubt anyone with a wider foot would be able to wear them.
Powerlift 4 (my wife's shoes): She bought these in a 9 and typically wears an 8 or 8.5 womens, and they fit well. They are narrower than the Power Perfect for sure.
Heel rise: I haven't actually measured them but the Power Perfect is pretty close to 3/4" and the Powerlift is less than that. Maybe 5/8". My wife adjusted quickly to the heel-- only notices it if her bar path is out of center. I like the heel on mine fine too, although it took some getting used to as it's slightly higher than what I was wearing before.
Overall thoughts: my wife says, "I like these shoes. Makes it easier to hit depth and are really stable." I'd say the same, with the caveat that they are pretty unforgiving in two ways: lateral movement and bar path. You have to have your feet where you want them at the start of the rep (duh) because there's no compensating for that later with any lateral roll. And if your bar path gets out of line, it's easy to get out on your toes. I've had this happen on both the squat and the press. A good reminder to think about the master cue.
I also deadlift in these and it doesn't seem to bother me. I know a lot of folks like to DL in flats and I've done both. But I like the locked down stability these provide.