Maddie Having proper footwear in the weight room is SO important for both your success and safety, so in this post we will be discussing the best shoes for lifting weights in.
Below you’ll find the best general shoes for lifting weights in, as well as the best powerlifting-specific shoes: squat shoes, bench press shoes, and deadlift shoes.
This post is all about the best shoes for lifting weights.
*Note: This post includes several Amazon affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link (at no extra cost to you). Please read full disclosure here. Also, I am not a doctor or dietician. I am a personal trainer and powerlifting coach. It’s always best to speak with your doctor before making any changes to your diet and/or lifestyle.
The best shoes for lifting weights:
Best Overall: Chuck Taylor Converse
“I’m a big fan of converse and I love these shoes. Simple, affordable, and they look great with nearly anything.”
Best Value: Chuck Taylor Converse (low top)
“They are so cute I love them. They fit perfect. Just enough room for thicker socks in the winter and thin socks in the summer.”
Best Squat Shoe: Reebok Legacy Lifters
“These are wonderful–great for stability and as others have mentioned, really helpful for squats.”
Best Deadlift Shoe: Lara Star Deadlift Shoes
“With these, I have no sliding even on the wood floors and felt stable. Great price and great quality!”
Most Popular: Nike Blazers
“Easy to break in, super comfortable for the gym and lifting, goes with almost every outfit besides obviously formal, and to be frank these were worth every penny.”
What we’ll cover…
- Why proper footwear is crucial
- What to look for in good footwear
- The best shoes for weightlifting women…
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Why proper footwear is SO important for strength training
Having good footwear in the gym (especially if you’re lifting heavy) is important for several reasons: it allows you to increase your power output and overall stability, and having the right shoes can also decrease your chances of injury.
Running shoes ARE NOT good for lifting weights. They are soft and cushioned, so they do not make a stable base for you to perform your lifts effectively. You ultimately increase your chances of injury by wearing such shoes, and you also significantly decrease your power output potential.
What to look for in good footwear
In general, flat shoes for lifting are best in terms of weightlifting shoes. You can squat, bench press, and deadlift in flat shoes, so they work great all around. HOWEVER, you may have some mobility issues to get deep enough at the bottom of a squat. If this is the case, you can invest in a heeled shoe.
I squat in heeled shoes, and the heel helps me reach depth easier. In addition, you can get super fancy and buy a nice pair of deadlift slippers/shoes. The point of a deadlift shoe is to get you as close to the ground as possible–therefore reducing your total range of motion.
I will insert a photo of my squat and deadlift shoes below.
The best weightlifting shoes for beginners
1. Chuck Taylor Converse
Powerlifters have been wearing Converse lifting shoes for decades. The flat sole and high ankle support make them ideal for the sport. You can wear Converse for any movement, they’re pretty inexpensive, they’re in style, and they protect your feet! All around they’re a great (and timeless) general lifting shoe.
2. Nike Blazers
You can’t go wrong with Nike weightlifting shoes! Nike Blazer Mid 77’s are similar to Converse in the fact that they have a hard and flat sole, and they also have high ankle support.
I’ve seen lots of powerlifters wear Nike Blazers, and the vintage style has definitely made its comeback. These shoes come in many unique color combinations, and they offer quality foot and ankle support.
3. Low-Top Converse All Stars
Maybe you’re just not a fan of the high-top look and that’s OKAY. You don’t have to lift in high tops; you just won’t have any additional ankle support from the shoe.
Low-Top Converse have a hard, flat sole, and they are definitely trendy. Low-Top’s are still a great option if you want a good shoe to lift heavy in.
The best shoes for squats & deadlifts
This list includes the best shoes for squats and deadlifts which includes heeled squat shoes. They may or may not be ideal shoes for certain women in powerlifting. With adequate mobility, you can squat in any of the shoes I just mentioned above. You can also deadlift in any of the shoes mentioned above.
1. Adidas Powerlift 4 (squats)
This shoe is very similar to the pair I started squatting in. Eventually, I upgraded to a shoe with a larger heel, but I don’t believe a tall heel is totally necessary when you’re just starting out.
I like Adidas Powerlifts because the heel isn’t too crazy, and these shoes also come in unique colors that are perfect for powerlifting women.
Keep in mind that many factors play a role in your ideal heel size.
High-bar squatters and anyone with long femurs relative to their height may benefit from a taller heel.
And it seems like, in general, taller lifters commonly wear heeled shoes. And of course, anyone with limited ankle mobility can benefit from a high heel as well.
2. Adidas Adipower Weightlifting Shoes (squats)
Adipowers are similar to the Adidas Powerlifts, except they offer an even higher heel.
Technically Adipowers are (Olympic) weightlifting shoes, but they work for powerlifting as well. This shoe has very high ratings and is recommended by many lifters across the sport.
3. Reebok Legacy Lifters (squats)
My squat shoes (shown in the What To Look for In Good Footwear section) are Reebok Legacy Lifters. I’ve been using them for well over a year now, and they have worked extremely well for me.
Legacy lifters offer two straps in addition to laces which offer a ton of foot support. The Adidas squat shoes only have one strap.
Legacy Lifters are very high quality, and you can tell just by feeling how heavy the shoe is. The heel height (0.75 inches) is the same for both Adipowers and Legacy Lifters.
4. Lifting Large Slippers (deadlifts)
Lifting Large slippers are great because they are affordable, and they are approved by many powerlifting federations (IPF, USPA, IPL).
According to the description, these slippers work well for both conventional and sumo pullers.
5. LARA STAR Deadlift Shoes (deadlifts)
LARA STAR Deadlift Shoes are very similar in style to the Notorious Lift deadlift shoes, which are the shoes I deadlift in. These shoes appear to be more supportive than the Lifting Large Slippers.
According to reviews, the grip is great as well as the comfort. Many lifters say they are great quality considering the inexpensive price!
6. Vans (or anything flat!)
I deadlifted in Vans for the longest time, and they really did work great. I switched to actual deadlift shoes because I’m competitive with powerlifting and wanted to take advantage of the shortest range of motion possible, but really, any flat shoe will do the job.
I personally prefer Vans over Converse because they feel flatter and more stable to me, but many people swear by Converse.
For most people, it will come down to whichever style they like better.
What about bench press shoes?
Generally, any flat shoe is fine for the bench press; you don’t need to buy a specific shoe for the lift. Although, many lifters are starting to bench press in their heeled squat shoes.
This is because the heel lets you get your foot further back while also “keeping your foot flat on the floor.” This allows for greater full body tightness and potentially for more leg drive.
USA Powerlifting requires the lifter to keep his or her foot flat on the ground while benching, so wearing a heeled shoe is cheating the system a bit, but technically it is within the rules (as of me writing this–rules are subject to change).
Wear whatever feels best or works best for you.
The takeaway
DO NOT lift in sneakers; flat, hard-soled shoes are very versatile and are great general powerlifting shoes for women. Squat shoes have a heel that allows us to reach squat depth easier, and some heels are higher than others.
You can bench in either flat or heeled shoes.
Flat shoes are great for deadlifts, but you can also deadlift in specific deadlift shoes/slippers which are meant to decrease the range of motion.
