footwear (or lack thereof) for lifting

[rubthebuddha]

ok folks, what sneaks do you usually wear when lifting, do any of you lift in your bare feet, and why for each?

[Serpent]

Bare feet would be bad. Even sneakers would give some protection against a dropped plate, plus extra grip.

I always tend to lift in my Converse All Star hi tops or Dunlop volleys. Then again, I do most things in those. Yes, even that! ;)

[Toby]

I wear some indoor sports shoes. Flat soles, fairly chunky upper. All-stars seem popular. Bare feet would be good in summer since I'm less than safety-conscious. Except I warm up and cool down by skipping and the rope might hurt my toeses.

[Ford Prefect]

I use the Aididas "Weightlifting 2k" lifting shoes. They have a wooden heel/sole and leather straps to make sure they're tight.

Check 'em out:

http://www.dynamic-eleiko.com/products/EQUIPMENT2K.html

They were great when I was trying to develop the felxabilty to do the full snatch with no problem.

I ocassionally (once every couple months or so) do static supports barefooted. That's it though.

[FooFighter]

1. Converse Sneakers.

2. Old school flat Puma.

3. Wrestling shoes.

4. UGS grappling shoes (The best in my opinion) at www.rmax.tv

5. Barefoot at home.

[Ford Prefect]

Foo,

I've used All Stars and Aisics Wrestling shoes, but these weigjlifting shoes are absolutely incredible. I love 'em.

[IronFist]

Converse Allstars!

Things you want to check for in a good lifting shoe:

1. Flat bottom (as close to flat as you can get. No obvious heel like some basketball shoes have). Note: This doesn't hold true for Olympic lifting.

2. None to minimal ankle support. Same principle here as not using a belt. You don't want to mess up the way your nervous system does stuff and develop bad habbits (it's early morning and I can't think of the technical terms for this stuff right now).

3. No cushioning!!! Some of the force that should be going into your lift is going toward compressing the cushioning instead. That takes away power from your lift.

4. Cool colors. Cool looking shoes make you look hardcore and can help the women notice you. You know chicks always notice a guy's shoes.

[Ford Prefect]

Iron,

I'd put an * on your #1 because it depends on what style you are lifting. If you look at the weightlifting shoes I posted and EVERY single olympic weightlifter in Athens this, the shoes have a pronounced heel. It is made out of wood, so there is no cushion. The heel helps with the pull and flexability in the bottom positions. (Just like that pick of Arnold squatting with a 2x4 under his heels)

I'd add to your list:

4) NO CUSHION AT ALL! Cushioning will not only absorb force that should be used to lift the weight, but it can also cause ankle instability leading to injury.

I know people who lift in aqua socks.

[FooFighter]

Ford,

I will check out your shoes. Thanks for the input.

Bao

[IronFist]

Originally posted by Ford Prefect
Iron,

I'd put an * on your #1 because it depends on what style you are lifting. If you look at the weightlifting shoes I posted and EVERY single olympic weightlifter in Athens this, the shoes have a pronounced heel. It is made out of wood, so there is no cushion. The heel helps with the pull and flexability in the bottom positions. (Just like that pick of Arnold squatting with a 2x4 under his heels)


You're right.

However, I always assumed that Arnold squatting with a 2x4 under his heels was because he lacked the flexibility to squat the normal way. When I see people with limited flexibility in their calves, they either don't go down all the way or they put 5lb plates under their heels.

I really don't know much about Olympic weight lifting or their shoes, so I probably should have specified that my list was for non-Olympic lifters. My bad.


I'd add to your list:

4) NO CUSHION AT ALL! Cushioning will not only absorb force that should be used to lift the weight, but it can also cause ankle instability leading to injury.

I was going to go back and add that, actually, but I forgot to.

[Chief Fox]

I lift in my indoor soccer shoes. Low tops with no arch and very little sole.

I've read that lifting in bare feet, aside from dropping plates on your piggies, is actually a good thing. Wearing shoes eliminates the use of your toes and other foot muscles during the lift. Not sure how much they can help but think of doing a handstand. Anyone that can do a handstand knows that keeping your balance is all about applying and releasing preassure with your fingers. Your toes play the same part when doing a standing lift.

I sounds like it makes sense.

[rubthebuddha]

coo -- thanks chaps.

[Serpent]

Originally posted by Chief Fox
Wearing shoes eliminates the use of your toes and other foot muscles during the lift.
If this were true, you wouldn't be able to lift. Try it - do you really think your toes and "other foot muscles" are eliminated by shoes?

[IronFist]

I can do calf raises in my workout shoes just fine, thanks.

[fa_jing]

I always wear sneakers in the gym, and never wear shoes at home (where I lift kettlebells )
have never come close to dropping a weight on my foot in any case. I'd be more concerned about dropping it on my head or chest.

It is cool though, to workout without shoes.

[Chief Fox]

Originally posted by Serpent
If this were true, you wouldn't be able to lift. Try it - do you really think your toes and "other foot muscles" are eliminated by shoes?

Ok, ok. The word eliminated was too much. But answer me this. Do you think that your grip strength is reduced while wearing mittens? Now imagine that they are leather mittens with a big piece of hard rubber attached to them. Do you think your grip strength would be reduced now? I think it would be. This is my reasoning behind the original comment.

I could be wrong though. :)

[Serpent]

Yeah, you're still wrong. ;)

Your analogy doesn't hold true, because you're not trying to wrap your feet around something to grip it - as you would with your hands.

Your feet perform the same gripping function on the flat sole of the shoe as they would on the flat floor. Except you have an extra layer of rubber grip against the floor and some level of protection from the material over the foot.

Unless you've got some really weird monkey feet and lift while clinging to a bar or something...

[Chief Fox]

I just might be right. :D

Consider this:

*A 1949 study by Samuel B. Shulman of rick-shaw operators in China who spent long hours running barefoot pulling passengers found that these men performed their jobs "without pain or pathology."

*Steele F. Stewart in a 1972 study reported that "Millions of Indians, both American and Asian, and Congoids wander their native savannas and rain forests without protection, inconvenience, or complaint. Footgear, therefore, would appear to be unnecessary."

Got the above from HERE (http://www.kudzumonthly.com/kudzu/may02/aching_feet.html)

Check it out.


Originally posted by Serpent
Yeah, you're still wrong. ;)

Your analogy doesn't hold true, because you're not trying to wrap your feet around something to grip it - as you would with your hands.

Your feet perform the same gripping function on the flat sole of the shoe as they would on the flat floor. Except you have an extra layer of rubber grip against the floor and some level of protection from the material over the foot.

Unless you've got some really weird monkey feet and lift while clinging to a bar or something...

[Serpent]

Non sequitur. You were saying that wearing shoes would adversely affect your grip and I explained how it wouldn't. Now you're talking about how people that have never worn shoes don't need them.

:confused:

[Chief Fox]

Originally posted by Serpent
Non sequitur. You were saying that wearing shoes would adversely affect your grip and I explained how it wouldn't. Now you're talking about how people that have never worn shoes don't need them.

:confused:

Actually my original post was about how lifting barefoot would better utilize and develop the muscles of your feet. But I did change the subject there just to get some backup and you caught me.

At least the article I supplied was interesting. :D

[Serpent]

LOL.

:D