My friend Markos from PTC gym has observed that nearly all specialised sports have corresponding specialised footwear. In powerlifting circles, what you put on your feet is certainly a marker of how serious you are. When I competed at my first ever world champs in 2007 I rocked up to squat, bench and deadlift in a pair of Chuck Taylors. One think struck me: of the 165 men that lined up to lift, all but 3 wore weightlifting shoes. That’s when the penny dropped.

What is he wearing on his feet?
The lifting was televised on Euro-sports and the commentators remarked “what is he wearing on his feet? Chuck Taylors? Very strange- these Aussies are funny guys.” An experienced lifter came up to me after squats and told me to get some weightlifting shoes. If you want to be serious about moving weight, then you need to give some thought to what you put on your feet. Chuck Taylors might ok for those that just rock up and pump the guns. But if you want to move as much weight as possible you need to consider a few things. Firstly, the sole of your shoe provides the platform for your power in squat. If it’s spongy or unstable this is probably going to impact on your lifting. The heel will also change the mechanics of the lift, changing the centre of gravity and shifting the load distribution. Playing around in the gym to get buff for summer is all about muscles. If you want to move maximal loads, then leverages will play a large part in determining how much you can lift. The stability of the shoe and how it affects leverages are therefore important considerations.

Another consideration is mobility. An elevated heel is likely to enable you to squat deeper, primarily due to the way it changes the angles at the ankle, knees and hips. Again, this relates to the way a raised heel changes the mechanics of lifts.

I am not saying you must wear a weightlifting shoe. Plenty of excellent lifters wear flat soled shoes. However, if you are serious about lifting more, particularly in the squat, choose good footwear and choose what you wear based on what works for your lifting. It’s clear to me, as it was in 2007 when I noted that 162 of 165 world championship lifters lined up in weightlifting shoes, that sport specific shoes are extremely important if you want to perform your best.

Even if you are not a powerlifter, weightlifting shoes are worth trying. They not only provide a solid platform for lifting, but, as mentioned above, change the mechanics of lifting. Ever wonder why weightlifters have massive quads? The raised heel loads the quad more effectively.

Shoes that set a new standard
Moving on to 2012 and I’m now one of those obsessive powerlifters that has to try on every type of weightlifting shoe in existence to make sure I have the best on my feet when I lift. I’m not exaggerating here. I have worn Do-wins, Adidas Iron-work IIs and Power perfect IIs, Russian ‘M’ weightlifting shoes, Polish weightlifting shoes, metals and now just recently Nike Romaleo IIs. I was actually blown away when I put the Nike’s on. For me, there are a few things I look for: stability, including a wide and solid sole; grip and sole flatness from front to back and side to side. Previously, in this regard the Do-wins have been the best. I found the Adidas shoes too narrow and unstable and the Russian and Polish shoes lacked grip. The Nikes really take each of these attributes to a new level. They are very well made. The sole is solid as a rock and provides tonnes of stability. I still can’t get my head around the way the heel is locked into the shoe; like it’s in a suction-cup. These shoes set a new standard.

About the author
I am a powerlifter who competes with Powerlifting Australia, which is affiliated with the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). I have lifted for decades, but started competing at the end of 2004. I hold Australian, Oceania and Commonwealth records in raw and equipped powerlifting and I am the current number one ranked raw IPF powerlifter in Australia. I am currently training for the Oceania raw powerlifting champs and the Arnold Classic Raw Challenge.

My achievements include:
Australian raw powerlifting champion 2012. Best lifter- Australian raw powerlifting champs 2012.

Australian equipped powerlifting champion 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011. Best lifter- Australian equipped powerlifting champs 2010, 2011.

Australian equipped bench press champion 2005, 2006, 2007. Best lifter- Australian bench champs 2007.

Oceania bench press champion 2006, 2010. Best lifter- Oceania bench champs- 2010.

Commonwealth powerlifting champion 2007.

IPF World Bench Champs- 6th place. 2010.

IPF Classic World Cup- 3rd place (3rd Squat, 3rd Bench, 3rd Overall). 2012

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