Are you lifting in the right shoes?

A friend of mine recently scolded me about my lack of knowledge in the area of proper weightlifting footwear.

So, after recovering from the embarrassment of being a fitness expert with a gaping hole in my expertise (!), I immediately began to research information about weightlifting shoes, as well as all other types of athletic footwear.

Because - if there's something that the pursuit for two Masters degrees has taught me... it's the ability to research effectively. And to continually build upon the basis of knowledge that I do have.

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Okay, here's what I learned.

In the more extreme weightlifting sports of Powerlifting and Olympic Lifting, specialized shoes have evolved over the years. Especially as lifting technique has improved and has allowed more weight to be moved by athletes.

The weightlifting shoe needs to
1) help the lifter remain stable under heavy weights,
2) create a reproducible lifting surface each time a lift is attempted, and
3) allow unrestricted ankle movement.

Because of these requirements, the weightlifting shoe has:

• a noncompressible sole and a snug fit - to ensure the reproducible, sturdy lifting surface, and to keep the shoe from moving
  
• a slightly raised heel - to help keep the heel down during deep squats, which will provide balance and stability under heavy loads (even though I believe that ankle and hip mobility corrective exercises will be more effective at getting that heel down!)
  
• an unrestricted ankle joint - because ankle support has been shown to meddle with lifting ability
  

Now, not all of us are powerlifters or Olympic lifters. The majority of people - especially those who read this blog - are simply involved in some form of basic weightlifting. And weightlifting shoes are not really necessary for the basic lifter.

But that doesn't mean this information isn't helpful to any lifter...
Let me explain.

When moving more than just your body weight during exercise, you need to develop good lifting technique... in order to stay safe in the gym. We're in agreement with that, right?

Well, you cannot develop proper lifting technique if you are unsturdy and unstable in your own shoes. And that's exactly what happens with a lot of fancy athletic shoes these days.

Many athletic shoes have been designed to provide tons of cushion to the foot... for "shock absorption" during running, and for "comfort" and "protection" during walking and other activities.

First of all, this type of shoe is not the best choice for weightlifting. The compressible surface "creates a new experience with virtually every exercise" (courtesty of lifting expert Mark Rippetoe). It's very difficult to teach yourself proper technique during an upright exercise when you can't feel the ground you're standing on!

Therefore, to ensure good exercise technique, you should avoid weight training with cushy, gel-filled, fancy shoes. The more basic designs, with a solid surface, provide a better choice.

Secondly... unstable surfaces, like stability balls, BOSU balls, balance discs, Indo boards, etc. are definitely useful as training tools. They are great for rehabilitation and specified athlete training. But they can be added or subtracted to a workout. Your shoes tend to stay on during the duration of your workout. As a constant variable to your training, they should NOT provide that temporary instability. Instead, your shoes should typically be flat-soled, supportive, and non-squishy :)

Lastly, I've found tons of research claiming that these cushiony shoes really aren't the best environment during running either!

I'll give you more on that topic tomorrow...
Juicy stuff!