The 9 Finest Weightlifting Footwear of 2024, Examined
29 mins read

The 9 Finest Weightlifting Footwear of 2024, Examined

The perfect weightlifting footwear provide help nonetheless preserve your toes regular and grounded as you squat, deadlift, and further. When buying for a lifting shoe, seek for a sturdy, regular sole to take care of you grounded as you push and pull weight. You should additionally take note of heel-to-toe drop (the height distinction between the heel and toe of the shoe), type, and the provides the shoe is fabricated from, says Jordan Kunde-Wright, licensed conditioning coach and founder and head coach of Twin Cities Kettlebell Membership.

To go looking out the perfect weightlifting footwear, we first spoke to trainers about what key choices to seek for when buying and researched dozens of weightlifting footwear from excessive, trusted producers. We then examined the best 15 selections for one month, the place we strength-trained on the very least two to some situations per week. This culminated in an entire of 65 hours of testing, all through which we evaluated each shoe for match, comfort, stability, help, and value. We moreover had a certified non-public coach from our Overview Board overview this textual content to ensure it presents the perfect options for a method to purchase and check out weightlifting footwear.

The 9 Finest Weightlifting Footwear of 2024, Examined

PHOTO: Reebok
Execs

  • Good stability for lower physique exercises

  • Lightweight and breathable

  • Under no circumstances wanted to be adjusted all through our workout routines

Key Specs

Sizes: Women’s 5-16, males’s 4-14 | Closure: Laces | Greater Provides: Knit | Cushioning: Foam | Weight: 12 ounces | Heel-to-Toe Drop: 7 millimeters | Our Whole Rating: 4.9/5

Who They’re For

Biggest for people trying to find a shoe that provides great stability and help, significantly for lower physique exercises. 

Why We Love Them

Reebok’s Nano X4 Teaching Sneakers helped us hit a few squat PRs due to their stability, help, and lightweight, breathable design. The unisex shoe’s heel progressively will improve in high in direction of the once more from mid-foot, so it feels resembling you are standing on a very slight wedge—which helps you get lower in your squats, lunges, and deadlifts. The elevation isn’t too steep, so it’s good for lifting nonetheless gained’t actually really feel uncomfortable when strolling to and from the well being membership, says Umo Callins, CPT, a well being coach primarily based in Oklahoma Metropolis with 180Physique Food plan and Well being.

As soon as we examined these footwear, we significantly preferred their sturdy base and flat sole, which helped even out the stress we positioned on our toes with out putting further stress on specific areas, like our heel, ball, or toes. That’s important for actions like deadlifts and squats, the place you want your toes to actually really feel anchored to the bottom to push off and carry heavier.

Together with feeling significantly supportive all through lower physique exercises, we found this shoe to be very light and breathable due to the air vents throughout the toe discipline. 

Potential Flaws

  • The ankle tab is stiff and pressed into our ankles when our socks weren’t tall enough. We tried to flex it down, nonetheless it will not seem to soften—though it’s solely a minor nuisance relying in your actions.
  • We found that the footwear don’t excel for high-mobility movement patterns like sports activities actions or lateral actions.

Most Helpful Notion

“Weightlifting footwear are a tool, and ideally, while you start your weightlifting session, you would not have to think about them. I found these footwear to be precisely that—as quickly as I’m lifting, I don’t think about them. They help me, nonetheless don’t distract me from my lifts.” —Chase Mazur, Verywell Match product tester

adidas The Total Shoes Unisex Weightlifting Sneakers

PHOTO: Zappos
Execs

  • Flat sole retains you grounded

  • Closure strap makes for a higher match

  • No odor or moisture build-up

Key Specs

Sizes: Women’s 5-17, males’s 4-16 | Closure: Laces and Velcro strap | Greater Provides: Textile | Cushioning: None | Weight: 11 ounces | Heel-to-Toe Drop: 0 millimeters | Our Whole Rating: 4.9/5

Who They’re For

Biggest for avid weightlifters trying to find a specialised shoe with a flat sole that doesn’t must work for various sorts of workout routines. 

Why We Love Them

Adidas’ The Entire Sneakers felt very supportive all through lifts, due to the added Velcro strap over the laces that ensures a protected match. Their zero heel-to-toe drop and lack of cushion helped us drive into the underside and actually really feel planted whereas doing squats and deadlifts, which moreover helped us protect greater kind. Whereas testing, we felt a lot much less wobbly, and every our toes and ankles felt supported.

These footwear moreover grip very properly and we felt very assured and regular in our footing. We moreover preferred that these unisex footwear held up properly all through widespread use and placed on, and we didn’t uncover an odor or sweat build-up. Whole, we found them very supportive and regular for standard weightlifting workout routines.

Potential Flaws

  • These footwear aren’t very versatile, and we’d actually really feel the stiff sole all through lunges.
  • They lack cushion, so they are not ideally fitted to cross-training or one thing other than weightlifting.

Most Helpful Notion

“I really liked the foot positioning these footwear type of drive you to have (no wiggling on an extreme quantity of cushion), considerably after I wore them for squats and RDLs. One of many easiest methods to elucidate it is the sensation of being very planted. It felt like I had considerably cleaner movement when it bought right here to the fluctuate I felt good with whereas performing weightlifting exercises.” —Cait Knoll, Verywell Match product tester

NOBULL Women's Canvas Lifter Shoe

PHOTO: NOBULL

Key Specs

Sizes: Women’s 5-11, males’s 7-16 | Closure: Laces and Velcro strap | Greater Provides: Canvas | Cushioning: Foam | Weight: 13.7 ounces | Heel-to-Toe Drop: 17.5 millimeters | Our Whole Rating: 4.7/5

Who They’re For

Biggest for further expert weightlifters searching for to reinforce their squat effectivity or these with restricted ankle mobility who would possibly use an elevated heel. 

Why We Love Them

NOBULL makes among the many most anatomical weightlifting footwear, and the Canvas Lifter is a superb choice for bettering your squat kind. Their elevated heel is sweet because of it retains your heels up, which allows your ankles to stretch a bit extra, supplying you with greater mobility so you can squat deeper. All through exams, we found these to be really good at serving to take care of our toes planted on the underside.

We moreover love that NOBULL’s Canvas Lifters are sturdy however comparatively versatile, and so they don’t really feel too restrictive. The canvas improvement could possibly be very sturdy, too—these footwear are proof in opposition to placed on and the material wouldn’t lend to scuffs the way in which wherein completely different footwear do. We noticed that they felt further comfortable over time as our toes obtained used to them, and they also even helped improve our kind all through lifts.

Moreover obtainable in males’s sizes at NOBULL.

Potential Flaws

  • Whereas we felt further fatigued initially, this decreased with use, so merely observe that these footwear may require some breaking in.
  • Beginner weightlifters might need time adjusting to the elevated heel design. 

Most Helpful Notion

“I really feel the heel was a improbable high. I obtained merely enough knee flexion with out it being an extreme quantity of or negatively affecting me in numerous areas of my physique all through lifts.” —Loren Brutsch, ISSA-CPT, licensed non-public coach, editor, and Verywell Match product tester

TYR Women's L-1 Lifter

PHOTO: TYR
Execs

  • Good stability for squats

  • Preserve toes grounded all through lifts

  • Help with stability and kind

Key Specs

Sizes: Women’s 6.5-15.5, males’s 4.5-14 | Closure: Laces and Velcro straps | Greater Provides: Polyester | Cushioning: Not listed | Weight: 17 ounces | Heel-to-Toe Drop: 21 millimeters | Our Whole Rating: 4.4/5

Who They’re For

Biggest for educated lifters trying to find a shoe with an elevated heel to squat in.

Why We Love Them

TYR’s L-1 Lifters have good grip and can allow you to make contact with the underside with every part of your foot, which is large important for sustaining right kind when squatting. Whereas these have an elevated heel very similar to that of NOBULL’s Canvas Lifters, we really felt these footwear helped us protect a higher grip on the underside all through lifts. We like that moreover they made us actually really feel regular and supported on a lot of surfaces throughout the well being membership. These footwear operate two adjustable Velcro straps on the midfoot, which really helped preserve our toes protected all through lifts.

Our toes and ankles felt very regular and supported due to the flat, grippy sole—and we almost felt locked into the underside. We moreover found that the heel high helped with knee flexion, giving us greater mobility for deeper squats.

The elevated heel moreover helps with stability, which was apparent all through squats. Primarily based on Callins, the 21-millimeter heel-to-toe drop permits for higher freedom of movement, which can lead to further drive—and the additional grip you might have, the additional drive you can produce in lifting with out slipping.

Potential Flaws

  • Beginner weightlifters might need time adjusting to the elevated heel design. 
  • Strapping them on requires just a little little bit of effort. On our first attempt, we found that the cushioning alongside the ankle folded down after we tried to slip our foot in, and it crammed up between the ankle and shoe.

Most Helpful Notion

“The grip is implausible and I like how the underside of the shoe is completely flat. It appears like they’re magnets to the underside; they’re so regular.” —Loren Brutsch, ISSA-CPT, licensed non-public coach, editor, and Verywell Match product tester

Vivobarefoot Primus Lite III

PHOTO: Amazon
Execs

  • Very lightweight

  • Versatile

  • Puncture-resistant sole

Key Specs

Sizes: Women’s 4.5-15, males’s 7-15 | Closure: Laces | Greater Provides: Polyester, polyurethane | Cushioning: Foam | Weight: 6.4 ounces | Heel-to-Toe Drop: 0 millimeters | Our Whole Rating: 4.8/5

Who They’re For

Biggest for educated lifters trying to find a minimal-style shoe and a barely-there actually really feel. 

Why We Love Them

Barefoot-style weightlifting footwear are a robust choice for educated weightlifters who’ve right kind and carry heavy daily. We like Vivobarefoot’s Primus Lite III Sneakers because of they help us actually really feel grounded, regular, and warranted enough to progress the weights we supply week after week safely. The skinny midsole and durable outsole provide a close-to-ground actually really feel and grippy traction—which is especially helpful for exercises that require you to push off the bottom, like barbell squats.

We moreover love that these footwear operate lightweight foam cushioning that makes it easy for us to maneuver spherical between items. Plus, the puncture-resistant sole protects your toes from sharp objects and particles with out sacrificing the barefoot actually really feel.

Moreover obtainable in males’s sizes at Amazon and Vivobarefoot.

Potential Flaws

  • Since these are barefoot footwear, they have no cushioning and won’t provide enough help for learners.
  • We noticed that the laces generally tend to come back again undone when strolling spherical, nonetheless not all through workout routines.

Most Helpful Notion

“I like these footwear! They considerably helped improve my kind whereas weightlifting, significantly all through squats! They often help me actually really feel safer as I carry heavy weights.” —Isabella Broggini, NASM-CPT, licensed non-public coach, affiliate editorial director, and Verywell Match product tester

Under Armour SlipSpeed Training Shoes

PHOTO: Beneath Armour
Execs

  • Flat sole helps with kind

  • Versatile enough for cross-training

  • No odor or moisture build-up

Key Specs

Sizes: Women’s 5-14.5, males’s 3.5-13 | Closure: BOA Match System (a patented closure system that lets you alter the match of the footwear with the flip of a dial) | Greater Provides: Not listed | Cushioning: Foam | Weight: 10.8 ounces | Heel-to-Toe Drop: 2 millimeters | Our Whole Rating: 4.3/5

Who They’re For

Biggest for exercisers with sweaty toes who need a well-ventilated shoe. 

Why We Love Them

Beneath Armour’s Unisex UA SlipSpeed Teaching Sneakers are well-ventilated and saved our toes cool and cozy all by 15 lifting durations. We didn’t uncover any odor or moisture getting in the way in which wherein. We moreover appreciated the excellent traction on these, as a result of the footwear gripped the well being membership flooring very nicely, which made us actually really feel additional regular and warranted whereas lifting.

These Beneath Armour footwear are moreover very versatile. They’ve some cushioning that makes them further comfortable for cardio workout routines than completely different weightlifting footwear we examined. Callins recommends these UA footwear for cross-training workout routines that include sprinting and dealing. 

Potential Flaws

  • All through exams, the shoe’s heel felt free, and we noticed some slippage throughout the heel when leaping and lunging.
  • The BOA click-and-turn lace system (which replaces standard laces) took us a few tries to get comfortable with. Attributable to this, we moreover struggled to get the footwear tight enough.

Most Helpful Notion

“The breathability may be the perfect selling degree of this shoe. My toes in no way felt scorching and sweaty the least bit! Granted, I wasn’t doing intense cardio in these footwear, nonetheless I nonetheless assume the breathability challenge is more healthy than any shoe I’ve owned prior.” —Nick Frasher, Verywell Match product tester

Zappos Under Armour Women's UA Commit 4 Training Shoes

PHOTO: Zappos

Key Specs

Sizes: Women’s 5.5-12, males’s 7-15 | Closure: Laces | Greater Provides: Polyester | Cushioning: Not listed | Weight: 9.66 ounces | Heel-to-Toe Drop: 8 millimeters | Our Whole Rating: 4.8/5

Who They’re For

Biggest for beginner to intermediate lifters who want a gradual, grippy shoe at a relatively moderately priced value.

Why We Love Them

Beneath Armour’s UA Commit 4 Teaching Sneakers are noticeably stiff all through, nonetheless the mesh fabric all through the forefoot offers enough flexibility for us to do lunges, squats, and jumps with none issue or discomfort. All through testing, the shoe excelled in all areas the place we would have liked to depend upon foot placement and stability to protect our kind all by the strikes. We felt assured rising our weights all through lunges, squats, deadlifts, and cleans because of the footwear would preserve our toes and kind in place.

We found these footwear to be considerably good for deadlifts as they saved our toes flat on the underside, and the design of the shoe helped us take care of our mind-muscle connection. The grip is excellent, and the soundness of the shoe moreover allowed us in order so as to add additional plates to our squats with out fear of shedding stability. 

Moreover obtainable in males’s sizes at Amazon and Beneath Armour.

Potential Flaws

  • They’ve a slender improvement, so that they may not be applicable for people with enormous toes.
  • Expert lifters may favor a shoe with further effectivity choices, like an elevated heel.

Most Helpful Notion

“These footwear gave me the feeling of being associated to the bottom. The traction is so grippy that my toes wouldn’t budge besides I wanted them to. The shoe itself may be stiff, so combined with the traction it helped me take care of sustaining my kind all by my squats, deadlifts, and cleans.” —Janice Desenberg, Verywell Match product tester

Nike Women's Metcon 9

PHOTO: Nike

Key Specs

Sizes: Women’s 5-15, males’s 4.5-13.5 | Closure: Laces with hook-and-loop tab | Greater Provides: Mesh | Cushioning: Foam | Weight: 12.4 ounces | Heel-to-Toe Drop: 4 millimeters | Our Whole Rating: 4.9/5

Who They’re For

Biggest for exercisers who need one shoe for a variety of workout routines, from lifting to cardio.

Why We Love Them

In case your practice routine is completely different, you could possibly take note of looking for one shoe to cowl all of it—and Nike’s Metcon 9 Teaching Shoe is a robust choice. The shoe choices delicate foam cushioning that delivers lightweight responsiveness for quick cardio bursts, along with a big and flat heel (with a much bigger, built-in plate) for stability all through power teaching. We moreover love the rubber overlay that wraps all of the shoe in order so as to add sturdiness.

On the upper, you’ll uncover a hook-and-loop tab that retains laces protected, which we noticed helps in order so as to add lateral stability and cease tripping. We moreover admire that the breathable mesh greater is lightweight, hugging our toes and offering a locked-in actually really feel. Plus, the medium-thick midsole provides good arch help.

Moreover obtainable in males’s sizes at Amazon, Nike, and Dick’s Sporting Objects.

Potential Flaws

  • We found that these run a bit temporary, length-wise. So must you’re in between sizes, take note of going a half dimension up and tightening the laces considerably additional. 

Most Helpful Notion

“The Nike Metcons have great stability and saved my flat toes in place all through deadlifts, barbell hip thrusts, and squats. These footwear get lots hype for being good cross-trainers, so I wanted to place them to the check out and follow-up my lifting session with a quick cardio finisher—actually, they felt comfortable and responsive all by.” —April Benshosan, Verywell Match creator and product tester

Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Sneakers

PHOTO: Amazon

Key Specs

Sizes: Women’s 5-18, males’s 3-16 | Closure: Laces | Greater Provides: Canvas | Cushioning: Foam | Weight: 13 ounces | Heel-to-Toe Drop: 0 millimeters | Our Whole Rating: 4.8/5

Who They’re For

Biggest for beginner to superior lifters who don’t need lots arch help.

Why We Love Them

Converse’s Chuck Taylor All Star Sneakers are a fundamental for a motive. Whereas this iconic sneaker is a classy vogue staple, additionally it is a improbable risk for power teaching as a consequence of its stability, versatility, and luxurious. The reliable shoe is made out of a thick canvas greater that’s machine-washable. When testing, we found that the flat, company midsole provides ample stability, whereas the high-top match and strong laces provide distinctive ankle help.

We moreover love how the sturdy rubber outsole helps us actually really feel like we’re gripping the bottom all through workout routines, which allows for greater administration when dealing with heavy weights. The two eyelets alongside both aspect of the shoe enhance air circulation, which we admire all through sweaty durations. And with dozens of colors to pick from and unisex sizing, you could possibly even want a few pair.

Potential Flaws

  • These footwear have minimal arch help, so that they may not be a improbable choice for these with plantar fasciitis who need further help.
  • The high-top style may take some effort to lace on and off.

What We’ve Updated

  • Since publishing our preliminary roundup of the perfect weightlifting footwear, we’ve examined six additional best-in-class pairs. A number of of those footwear included newer fashions of beforehand examined pairs. Based totally on tester insights from this new check out, we decided to rework a number of of our superlatives. 
  • We added six new footwear to this roundup and eradicated 5 that not meet our rigorous necessities.
  • Reebok’s Nano X4 Teaching Shoe impressed us lots all through testing that we chosen to award it our best common slot over our earlier best common shoe, Converse’s Chuck Taylor All Stars. We nonetheless saved Converse’s pair on the itemizing as best for learners.

What to Seek for When On the lookout for Weightlifting Sneakers

  • Heel Peak and Drop: A extreme heel on a weightlifting shoe helps get hold of greater knee and ankle mobility. The drop is the excellence in high between the heel and forefoot. These choices can present you a mechanical profit, considerably for Olympic-style lifts like cleans, snatches, and jerks, Kunde-Wright says.
  • Closure and Straps: You would must go for footwear with a roomy toe discipline and an added excessive strap for further stability and help. Weightlifting footwear must match snugly, nonetheless not too tightly, and footwear with an added strap could show you how to customise the match. 
  • Stability: In order to hold heavy weights, you need a shoe that retains your toes in place. Sneakers with a company outsole will do precisely that. Reinforcements throughout the heel and midfoot could show you how to preserve in your toes—no shifting spherical in your footwear. They are going to moreover help you push via your legs with precision, no matter how heavy the burden you’re lifting.
  • Help: Supportive footwear are important for any bodily train, and that options weightlifting. When buying, seek for footwear with grippy traction on the outsoles. And must you need additional arch or ankle help, take note of footwear with ample cushioning and lateral stability.
  • Provides: Standard-style weightlifting footwear are made out of leather-based, which tends to final extra. Newer weightlifting footwear are made with synthetics and plastic, which can usually be cheap. If you end up more likely to sweat slightly lots, go for footwear made with a mesh greater for optimum breathability. In another case, the material you choose is as a lot as your non-public style selection.

How We Examined the Weightlifting Sneakers

To go looking out the perfect weightlifting footwear, we first spoke to specialists to greater understand what key choices to seek for in footwear for such a train. Then, we examined 15 pairs from excessive producers in The Verywell Testing Lab and at dwelling or at our gyms. As soon as we check out weightlifting footwear, we think about them based mostly totally on the subsequent key requirements.

  • Match: Right match is important for any well being membership shoe, so we think about match first. To take motion, we attempt on each shoe and observe whether or not or not or not it runs true to dimension. We take note of the shoe’s common comfort stage and whether or not or not or not it causes pinching, chafing, or blisters. We moreover observe if our heel feels supported and regular or if it slides spherical.
  • Comfort: A comfy greater feels comfy and supportive, with out being too tight. In testing, we be aware of how stiff or versatile the upper feels. We moreover pay attention to whether or not or not the footwear have cushioning and help take stress off of various areas of our physique.
  • Breathability: Weightlifting footwear mustn’t preserve on to moisture or odor. We think about whether or not or not the footwear allow air to movement into spherical our toes all through workout routines and if our toes actually really feel scorching or sweaty after sporting the footwear for an extended interval.
  • Help: weightlifting shoe ought to actually really feel regular and protected. We check out how the footwear actually really feel whereas performing squats, deadlifts, and completely different exercises. We moreover be aware of whether or not or not heel high provides the correct stability between stability and mobility for our lifting style.
  • Traction: Good traction means you’ll actually really feel further regular and warranted all through lifts. We take note of the shoe’s grip on the bottom and if there are any surfaces or circumstances the place the footwear perform greater or worse by the use of traction.
  • Flexibility: We check out how properly the footwear perform all through a number of varieties of weightlifting exercises, paying homage to squats, deadlifts, snatches, and cleans. Do the footwear allow for pure foot movement whereas nonetheless providing sufficient help and stability? Are there any restrictions or limitations in movement because of stiffness of the footwear?
  • Sturdiness: Weightlifting can take a toll on footwear, so we think about how properly they preserve as a lot as widespread use and placed on, if there are indicators of premature placed on or harm to the provides, and whether or not or not they protect their structural integrity and help over time.
  • Price: To seek out out a value score, we take a look on the value of each shoe after testing and take note of if the footwear are fairly priced for the usual and choices they supply. We prioritize weightlifting footwear that we would pay full value for, or way more, based mostly totally on their choices.

Our Specialists

We spoke to 2 athletic coaches for advice on what to seek for in weightlifting footwear and the way in which a top quality shoe can affect your weightlifting effectivity.

  • Jordan Kunde-Wright, Bioforce licensed conditioning coach, kettlebell instructor, and founder and head coach of Twin Cities Kettlebell Membership
  • Umo Callins, CPT, well being coach primarily based in Oklahoma Metropolis with 180Physique Food plan and Well being.

Usually Requested Questions 

How important are your footwear whilst you’re weightlifting?

Weightlifting-specific footwear are important must you perform extraordinarily technical and heavy compound exercises paying homage to barbell squats, clear and jerks, or deadlifts. Your foot positioning and expertise to stabilize and brace appropriately are necessary for making sure proper kind and stopping accidents.

What are the benefits of footwear specific to weightlifting?

Some great benefits of weightlifting footwear are further help and better kind, significantly in case your anatomy prevents you from squatting as deep as you prefer. Heel lifts could show you how to protect a further upright posture and cease butt wink attributable to greater knee and hip flexion. A raised heel can also significantly defend lifters in direction of once more harm if their anatomy limits their mobility.

How are you going to make certain that your weightlifting footwear match correct?

Once you’re looking for weightlifting footwear on-line with out attempting them on first, check the web page’s dimension info for measurements and measure your toes fastidiously, checking every your correct and left as toes might be completely completely different sizes—make certain you seek for a width that matches your toes. Your shoe ought to actually really feel comfy with out squeezing your toes too tight, significantly since it’s common for toes to swell all through practice.

Why Perception Verywell Match

April Benshosan is a Verywell Match creator and expert weight lifter (really, her favorite pastime is hitting PRs). April will depend on Nike Metcon 9s and Metcon 6s to get her via leg days and temporary cardio durations after greater physique workout routines. April has been overlaying well being and nicely being merchandise for nearly a decade, given that start of her journalism occupation. Her work highlights her passion for arming people with the information they need to make educated picks about their nicely being.

Additional reporting by Mallory Creveling, CPT

Mallory Creveling, CPT, is a certified non-public coach and Verywell Match creator who has been overlaying train gear for over a decade. Together with testing footwear on her private, she has moreover scoured critiques to go looking out the perfect sneakers for her consumers’ power teaching workout routines. 

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