Your First Pair of Weightlifting Shoes Are a Watershed Event

Your first pair of weightlifting shoes are a watershed event. Once you have trained in them, your training life will be divided into before and after.

If you look around most gyms, you'll see that most people are wearing running shoes. A running shoe is defined by its suitability for running; a soft, compressive sole is designed to absorb the shock a runner experiences coming back up their legs. This is great for running; it means less impact and better performance. It's all bad news for anyone wanting to lift weights, however.

A weightlifting shoe is defined by its suitability for lifting weights. The shoe has arrived at its modern incarnation in parallel to the development of weightlifting as a sport. Modern Olympic lifting, namely the snatch and the clean and press, were defined as the official Olympic lifts by the International Weightlifting Federation in 1929. At that time, lifters from around the world were generally lifting in boxing boots or sneakers. Boxing boots had flat soles and provided ankle support, which suited a style of lifting which didn't require a great deal of lower body engagement.

One of the most significant technical developments in the evolution of lifting styles was the descent under the barbell. The logic was that the further the lifter dropped under the barbell, the shorter the distance the weight had to be lifted. For this reason, much greater involvement of knee, hip and ankle joints was required to get the trunk as low as possible. Lifters would employ the ‘split’ – a long, lunge-style position from which to get under the bar.

Above: The Nike Romaleos 2. See Iron Edge's full range of weightlifting shoes here.

The raised heel of the weightlifting shoe – the feature that sets it apart from all other athletic footwear – came into use because it allows a flat-footed bending of the ankle joint. This bend at the ankle meant the shins remained vertical, while also allowing greater activation of the muscles of the lower body.

Finally, in the late forties and early fifties, American lifters bought the squat style of lifting into use. Rather than the long lunge position of the split, the squat meant that the lifter would drop down to receive the bar at the chest and then drive upward powerfully out of the legs. A shoe with a solid raised heel meant that the weightlifter could squat down and maintain a relatively vertical torso, with the shins remaining close to vertical and the feet resting flat on the floor.

The present weightlifting shoe has evolved to facilitate the best lifting under the techniques which have evolved to get the weight overhead during the clean and jerk or snatch in the most effective way possible. Any style of lifting in the standing position – whether it be powerlifting or kettlebell lifting – will also benefit significantly from a pair of weightlifting shoes.

Lifting shoes prepare you from the ground up. A solid raised heel, whether made from wood or plastic, provides a firm, non-compressible support to make sure you’re pushing off a rock-solid foundation. The gradient of the sole means you can keep your shins as close to vertical as possible, ensuring maximum flexion at hip, knee and ankle without interfering with a basically vertical torso. Laces ensure that the foot is kept snug and stable, with a tarsal (toe) strap for greater lateral stability. Finally, effective grip maintains your stance on the platform or gym floor.

The correct pair of shoes is essential to dressing properly for any event; casual, formal, or sporting. Those in the know apply this to weightlifting, also.