In functional training, not only sports equipment plays an important role, but also many other details. First of all, these should include sports equipment. Choosing the right shoes for training and performances is the key to technically correct and effective exercise.
Today's article will focus on athletic shoes designed for crossfit, powerlifting and weightlifting. In a professional environment, such shoes are called weightlifting shoes.
How to choose the right one?
First you need to figure out why you should even use weightlifting when playing sports. This type of sports shoe is a real “must have” for all lovers of heavy squats and any other strength exercises in which there is a squat phase: barbell snatch and jerk, thrusters, barbell pulls, etc.
Weightlifting shoes are also used in kettlebell lifting - it is much more convenient to perform any jerk movements if you use tight shoes with a hard heel. This makes it easier for the leg muscles to work as you put less effort into the squat phase.
When buying crossfit weights, you should pay attention to the following factors that determine the quality of the shoe and the potential effectiveness of its use:
- heel;
- material;
- sole;
- price.
Heel
A distinctive feature of weightlifting shoes from ordinary sports sneakers is the presence of a heel... Its height can vary from 0.7 to 4 cm. The taller the height and the longer the legs of the athlete, the higher the heel he will need. The presence of a heel allows:
- Reduce stress on the ankle, which reduces the potential risk of injury and increases the stability of your position.
- It is more comfortable to perform squats with a barbell and other exercises in which a serious load falls on the muscles of the legs. The presence of a heel makes it more comfortable to go into deep gray. The athlete's center of gravity changes slightly, the buttocks are pulled back, and it becomes easier for you to maintain a natural deflection in the lower back when working with heavy weights. It becomes easier to squat, as the heel “eats up” the lower 5-8 centimeters of amplitude, and when working with serious weights, this very interval is the most problematic for almost every athlete.
Material
The durability of barbells directly depends on the material. If you think that intense workouts in the gym won't wear down your shoes, then you're wrong. Squats, barbell lunges, leg presses - all these exercises can disable even the most reliable and expensive sneakers ahead of time. Therefore, it is better to opt for models made of natural rawhide leather - these weightlifting shoes will serve you for more than one year.
Sole
The sole issue is especially acute when choosing high-quality weightlifting shoes, so when buying, you should pay attention to the details:
- Material used... Models with polyurethane soles are not durable. In addition, this material is very soft and cannot provide full adhesion to the surface.
- The sole must be both stitched and glued... Only such a combination can indicate that the weightlifting shoes you have chosen will live really long.
Also, when choosing, be sure to listen to your feelings. The heel height should be comfortable for you, remember that in this shoe you will have to squat with record weights. Weightlifting shoes should firmly fix the foot, this will reduce the likelihood of ankle injury to almost zero and ensure comfortable and safe strength exercises. Similar criteria should be applied to any footwear chosen for sports.
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Price
This factor is often the reason for unsuccessful purchases. Of course, weightlifting shoes from Adidas, Reebok or Nike have proven themselves to be the preferred choice of most professional crossfit athletes. However, are they worth the money? Not always. Every manufacturer has had a slip, and often branded weightlifting shoes can be thrown away after months of intense training.
This does not mean that you are better off buying the cheapest model you can find. You just need not to base your choice solely on the name of a popular brand, but to carefully understand which shoes are best suited to your anatomical structure, how well they are made. Only then can you make the right choice.
Difference for men and women
Is there a difference when choosing men's weightlifting shoes and options for women? Of course there is, and quite substantial. It should be understood that the training style for men and women is fundamentally different. First of all, we are talking about working scales. Even if a man finds women's weightlifting shoes of his size, they are unlikely to withstand even several months of hard training with prohibitive working weights in squats, deadlifts, snatch and clean and jerk.
It should also be noted that CrossFit weightlifting shoes have less strength potential than special powerlifting weightlifting shoes. Functional training is more versatile, so the shoes must cope with all types of stress, for example, running. Crossfit weightlifting shoes have spiked soles similar to football boots. It is convenient to perform complexes in these shoes, which include sprint races, but performing competitive movements from powerlifting or weightlifting in them is not the best idea.
Top models
On the Internet, you can find rare weightlifting shoes, for example, the limited edition Reebok by Rich Fronning. Of course, fans would be pleased to have the same shoes as their idol, but there are no significant differences with more mainstream models in them. Therefore, we will make a small comparative analysis of the most popular weightlifting shoes for men and women at the moment:
| Model | Price | Assessment | A photo |
| Inov-8 Fastlift 370 Boa weightlifting shoes - men’s | 175$ | 8 out of 10 |  © inov-8.com |
| Weightlifting shoes Inov-8 Fastlift 370 Boa - women’s | 175$ | 8 out of 10 | © inov-8.com |
| Weightlifting shoes Nike Romaleos 3 - men’s | 237$ | 9 out of 10 |  © nike.com |
| Weightlifting shoes Adidas Adipower Weightlifting 2 Shoes - men’s | 200$ | 9 out of 10 |  © adidas.com |
| Weightlifting shoes Adidas Adipower Weightlifting 2 Shoes - women’s | 200$ | 9 out of 10 |  © adidas.com |
| Weightlifting shoes Adidas Leistung 16 II Boa Shoes | 225$ | 7 out of 10 |  © adidas.com |
| Weightlifting Do-Win Weightlifting | 105$ | 8 out of 10 |  © roguefitness.com |
| Weightlifting shoes Reebok Legacy Lifter | 190$ | 9 out of 10 |  © reebok.com |
Prices are based on the market average for these models.
Selection errors
The story about weightlifting would be incomplete if we did not give a list of mistakes that buyers most often make. Perhaps you will recognize yourself in one of these points and next time you can make a better choice.
- Brand orientation... Yes, Reebok is an Official Crossfit Games Partner, but that doesn't guarantee that their weightlifting shoes will fit you better than others.
- Beautiful appearance... Remember that in these shoes you will go to the gym, and not to meet with friends. The most important thing for you is convenience, durability, reliability and functionality, external parameters fade into the background.
- Wrong selection... Weightlifting shoes are not universal shoes. Buy them based on what sport you are doing: crossfit, powerlifting or weightlifting. It is a big mistake to think that they are interchangeable.
- Chinese low quality goods... Ordering CrossFit weightlifting shoes from AliExpress is a frankly bad idea.
- Online shopping... Such shoes must be tried on before buying. The only possible option with online ordering is if the option of delivering several sizes and models with subsequent selection is available.
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Outcome
So let's summarize, what is CrossFit weightlifting? In fact, these are sneakers with a very stiff sole and platform instep.
Some modern models not only help lift heavier weights in basic exercises, but also run sprints faster in functional complexes. This is the hallmark of CrossFit weightlifting. They will allow you to feel confident in training without worrying about the possibility of an unpleasant injury.
