Nike Romaleos 2 User Manual?

[Magma]

Hi, I have a couple of questions for any Nike Romaleos 2 owners...

since I started this lifting thing 10 months ago I've been doing it in a pair of cheap tired old Plimosles (sneakers). So I finally stumped up and bought myself a pair of Nike Romaleos 2 (yay!).

The decision - any decent alternative is still around the £100+ level, so I figured I'd just get (what seem to be) the best. And be nice to my 50 year old feet!

I couldn't find any in stores, here in London (UK), and they are less than retail price online, in any case, so I ordered them from a reputable website and paid £30 below rrp (yay!).

Size worried me a little, as I prefer to try things on before buying, but I ordered the size I would expect to need, if I was buying trainers, and ordered size 11.

They arrived today - I tried them on and they fit perfectly; although they feel a little hard on the soles of the feet. I read somewhere that they come with 2x extra pairs of inner soles, one thin and one thick. But mine came with just one additional pair of quite thick inner soles: and if I insert them the shoes are suddenly very tight - to the extent that I can see the 'knuckles' op f my toes pushing against the top surface of the shoe and, if I was in a store, I'd consider getting a half size larger shoe.

So, my questions are:
Are the inner soles necessary, or a 'luxury extra'?
Am I missing a pair of inner soles?
What is the purpose of supplying extra inner soles? Is it simply a comfort thing, or a way of adjusting the shoe size?
Do I wear the shoes without the extra inners, or put them in and let the shoes stretch out?

Any other user tips gratefully received! I've never owned a pair of lifting shoes before so I'm probably over analysing, but when you pay £170 for a pair of shoes you want to make sure you've got what you paid for!

[Magma]

Not owning a pair, i can't say for sure, but i think they are supposed to have two sets of insoles, so if one is already in the shoes then 1 spare sounds right; and if you put them in too, that would be both sets which would make them ultra tight i guess.

Tight is good for lifting shoes though, although outright painful is not. You want minimum possible movement of the foot during the lift, so the tighter the better (hence all the straps and graunched up laces pulling eyelets etc.)

If you got them from strengthshop (guessing by the price), then get in toucvh with them, they're pretty good with helping out their customers.

Hey, thanks!

Yes, they are from Strengthshop. I'm so used to getting no response from website numbers I hadn't tried them. I just did and, yes, the guy was very helpful.

And I was being dim! There are two insoles, but the thin one was already inside. Apparently, one is a training insole (thin one) and the other a competition insole (thicker one). The thick one has greater arch support, too. Anyway, that explains it. And they fit perfectly with either insole so I'm happy.

Apologies for the dumb post.

[Magma]

No worries, maybe someone will do the same and google it, read this and save some time.

With that in mind, I'll briefly outline my experience of them here.

Like I said earlier, I've spent the last 10 months lifting in 5 year old, well worn, £5 plimsolls. And I was very ambivalent about ever getting proper shoes. But my ankles have been feeling a little sore lately and I have very low arches on my feet. So, since I started this due to a snapped achilles, I figured I should be sensible and get some proper support. I didn't expect anything more than a sturdy shoe that supported my feet better. I was wrong.

I'm going to go as far as to say I'll bet these shoes are going to improve my lifts by a few kgs.

First, they are sturdy like... ski boots. They are stiffer than I expected. Heavier, too. And walking in them the first time is a bit like walking to the ski lift. But they aren't made for walking.

Squat improvement: massive! Right from the first warm up lift, I knew things were going to be easier today. The slightly raised heel, the solidity of my stance, my legs felt more solid than ever before. I hadn't realised how much more energy it had taken to lift in my cheap sneakers. But it must have because today I swept through my warm up lifts without hardly breaking a sweat or heavy breath - for the first time ever! And my stance must have widened by a good 6 inches - these things mean that whereever I place my feet, they feel solid and strong. In fact, I forgot my lifting belt at home today and I'd honestly say these shoes compensated for that, and added some. When I have a belt and shoes on, man, this is going to be effortless!

And as far as technique, today I was able to focus on straightening up my back on the upward movement when I always have difficulty because I have a tendency to lean forward onto my toes. Today, no such issue. I was on my heels throughout. No sense of going backwards, no over compensation by leaning forwards. Probably my best form ever. And it must have been because the squats felt (almost) effortless relatively speaking, I mean I was squatting 130kg).

And I read someone else say, with surprise, how these shoes had even improved their bench. And I'm going to say the same! I don't know how they do it, but these shoes take the effort out of locking into position for a bench and I felt solid, from the floor to my butt, to my back, to my arms - more solid than ever before.

And the deadlift. Again, solid footing and an immediate sense of improvement in posture and technique. Again, no leaning forwards. And able to concentrate the effort in the right areas. And no sign of knee wobble!

So, if you're anything like me - a novice lifter who is close to the end of LP and ignoring the advice on these boards to get a decent pair of shoes, or even a belt. Let me tell you, they are both worth it. Yes, £200 worth of shoes was worth it! The ongoing outlay for this 'hobby' is relatively modest by comparison with many others, and so I'd say a decent belt and pair of shoes is a worthwhile investment - not only for improving your technique and your lifting weights, but probably the longevity of some body parts too.

I'm a very happy man.

[clantz]

I bought mine from a local weightlifting coach and was told the extra thicker insole was intended to provide more arch support for people with flat feet.

[Magma]

I bought mine from a local weightlifting coach and was told the extra thicker insole was intended to provide more arch support for people with flat feet.

Yes, that sounds more like it. Although whether arch support is intended for people with flat feet, or those with higher arches, is unclear to me. The Strengthshop guy suggested the flat one was for training and the thick one for competitions, but he sounded like he was shrugging his shoulders at the time. I think he said that was what Nike marketing had said.

Either way, the thicker sole is definitely more supportive and, I think, more comfortable. Although reading around this forum I think read that Jordan uses both soles in his shoes. I guess it depends on how snug the fit is. Right now, both soles would make mine too tight but possibly in the future.

By the way, does anyone have any tips for keeping them clean and smell-free? These are gonna get sweaty quick!

[Walter Palmer]

I love these shoes and have had them for about 18 months. Great for SQ and PR, neutral for BP, but not good for me for DL. This is a really high heel and tends to put most lifters in a mechanically bad position. For me, with an already long torso, it pushes me too far forward of the bar and then I have to pull to the heels.

I don't use these for DL. Chucks work better for me.

[Dastardly]

Me having a short torso, I find it easier to pull in WL shoes, but do it in flat shoes to make it intentionally harder.

[Magma]

I love these shoes and have had them for about 18 months. Great for SQ and PR, neutral for BP, but not good for me for DL. This is a really high heel and tends to put most lifters in a mechanically bad position. For me, with an already long torso, it pushes me too far forward of the bar and then I have to pull to the heels.

I don't use these for DL. Chucks work better for me.

Strangely, they have the opposite effect on me, if I understand you correctly.

Previously, wearing flat thin soled Plimsolls, I frequently found my weight going forward on the front of my feet when rising out of my squat or dealing with a heavy DL. I worked hard to correct it but it would still happen. My first day with these shoes and I had no such problem. I thought I might have a problem adjusting to the heel, which I'm not atall used to, but it felt perfect.

Maybe, as you say, it has to do with varying limb length.

[Pendinas]

Can you buy the insoles anywhere to replace the old ones?

[Christopher Anderson]

Can you buy the insoles anywhere to replace the old ones?

Tried contacting Nike?