For working out and lifting weights, shoes are important, especially for exercises requiring a solid foundation such as squats and deadlifts. Choosing the right pair of shoes to wear in the gym can help you to progress more quickly towards your fitness goals by giving you the confidence to lift more weight.
The number one shoe related mistake people make when they starting to lift weights is using normal running/exercise trainers with a thick padded sole, this is kind of like trying to squat on a mattress. These shoes will limit your stability and strength and prevent you from performing exercises with correct technique. The less material there is between your foot and the floor, the more stability and control you will have whilst lifting weights.
The sole of your gym shoes should be incompressible for maximum power transfer through the floor. Shoes with a slight heel will make it easier to perform olympic lifts and deep squats, overhead squats and power cleans but may make deadlifts slightly more difficult. Since the majority of people will be focusing on back squats and deadlifts rather than olympic lifts, flat shoes should a better all round choice for the majority. Running and calf raises can also be difficult in olympic lifting shoes which is a major disadvantage if you can only own one pair of shoes for the gym.
As long as your shoes have a thin, incompressible sole without a gigantic heel, the rest is down to personal preference (as long as you’re not planning to wear flip flops!). Personally we both lift in barefoot running shoes (Vibram Fivefingers or New Balance Minimus) but there are plenty of other options available which might appeal to you more. Barefoot running shoes such as Nike Frees are a great compromise if you want a shoe which you can run and play sports in as well as lift weights. Our top recommendations are given below!
What shoes should you should wear to lift?
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1. Barefoot Running Shoes
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2. Flat Trainers
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3. No Shoes!
– The ultimate freedom for your feet! sadly most gym’s won’t let you do this…