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Weightlifting shoes or ‘lifters’ are specially designed to assist with Olympic lifting or Powerlifting, i.e.snatch, clean and jerk, squats, bench press and deadlift.
Weightlifting shoes differ from regular training shoes or running shoes, as they have a very stiff heel elevated heel, and often straps for added stability.
This stiff elevated heel means when lifting heavy weights, the foot remains still, and you can feel the ground underneath, giving more power to move the weight. A lifter often has a wider toe box than a running shoe to give room for the toes to splay.
The heels are made from either dense EVA foam, TPU plastic, stacked leather or wood, so very much depend on what you are looking for.
EVA and TPU will be lighter, but a more traditional looking leather or wood heel may give you preferable platform feedback and enhanced confidence when lifting. The ideal height of the heel will depend on your height, mobility and lifting style.
If you are regularly doing Olympic lifting or Powerlifting, and the focus of your training is to improve your skills with a barbell then weightlifting shoes can help this.
If this makes up some of your training, but you also want to do other activities in the gym, such as HIIT, or you’re doing Crossfit, a training shoe, or Crossfit shoe would be more advisable due to its versatility.
No. They are very solid under heel and heavy.
If you want to run a short distance in a Crossfit training shoe, such as the Reebok Nano or Nike Metcon this is possible, e.g. as part of a workout.
For specific running training, or any runs over 1km we’d recommend a specialist running shoe.
No, unless you want to do yourself an injury.
They are designed for completely different purposes. Running shoes are designed to cushion the heel, and absorb the impact from the foot strike.
Weightlifting shoes are designed to remain solid under the heel to provide stability for the ankle and transfer power into your lifts. Your center of gravity in a running shoe vs a weightlifting shoe is completely different, so step away from the bar if you’re wearing a running shoe.
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