Often, people tend to spend their money in the wrong areas when it comes to fitness, blowing a fortune on fat burners when they really need a quality creatine supplement, or investing their hard earned cash on high fashion gym leggings when what they really need is a proper belt.
If you are getting serious with powerlifting, then you really want to invest in a pair of the best powerlifting shoes.
These shoes will make a marked difference in your squats, deadlifts, and in several important accessory lifts.
In this article we will highlight four of the best powerlifting shoes that are available right now, helping you to make an informed decision on which pair suits your specific needs the best.
Powerlifting Shoe #1 Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes
Nordic Lifting is a company that should not be confused with the Nordic Treadmills company, but both companies are excellent with consistent high-quality products.
The first thing that you notice when you purchase a pair of their weightlifting shoes is the awesome packaging that they come in.
A sturdy, tasteful box which keeps your shoes in ideal condition.
This is an example of things to come!
The shoes themselves have a very high heel, 1.4 inches to be exact. This will give you a lot of stability while deadlifting, and in exercises such as a front squat or high bar back squat.
If you tend to perform low-bar squats though, then these shoes may not suit you, as you’ll feel like you’re about to tip forward.
The high heel can also help you while bench pressing, particularly if you use a powerlifter’s arch.
Interestingly, Nordic Lifting have prioritised ventilation in the forefoot, this gives you a little less protection if you say drop a barbell on your foot but will help aerate the shoes and stop your feet getting too sweaty during a workout.
Sweaty feet can lead to you slipping inside the shoe, so it’s a good call from Nordic Lifting.
The vertical strap has reinforced stitching which means that you’ll have long-lasting stability across the foot, which is great if you tend to roll your feet out during heavy squatting.
Overall this is a very good pair of powerlifting shoes from Nordic Lifting.
Powerlifting Shoe #2 Adidas Powerlift 4
While just as much of a powerlifting shoe as the previous model, in some ways the Adidas Powerlift 4 could not be more different.
While the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting shoe has been designed for front squats, high-bar back squats, and Olympic lifting, the Adidas Powerlift is much more suited to low-bar squatting and deadlifts.
The reason?
The heel of the Adidas Powerlift 4 is much lower, this shoe has obviously been designed to mirror the always popular Chuck Taylors.
Obviously, there is a little more heel than those shoes, but the heel is only 28mm rather than 35.56mm (1.4 inches).
The difference may not sound like much, but when it comes to powerlifting shoes the difference is massive.
The Adidas shoes look absolutely gorgeous too. That’s one of the big things about Adidas products, no matter how good or bad the product is, it always looks stylish.
The Adidas Powerlift 4 comes in a variety of colours, with the black, white, and red versions in particular standing out.
The shoes are very narrow, which will suit most lifters, but if you have particularly wide feet then you may want to consider going up a half size.
The outsole is extremely durable, and these shoes should last you a long time. The instep strap will help to make the shoes even tighter, which will really help keep your feet locked down while you squat, deadlift, or bench.
Powerlifting Shoe #3 Nike Romaleos 3
Nike make a damn good shoe; nobody is debating this. It is very rare that a Nike shoe gets a bad review, as they are almost always high quality and durable.
This is the case here with the Nike Romaleos. The one downside that affects almost all Nike shoes is the price tag.
Which can sometimes put people off, if you have a tight budget then we’d suggest looking elsewhere, but if you’re prepared to pay more for a brand you like, know, and trust, then the Nike Romaleos 3 may be your ideal powerlifting shoe.
The Romaleos 3 is similar to the Nordic Lifting shoes in that it has a high heel.
The heel is fantastic, very rigid, durable, and ideal for front squatting, overhead pressing, high-bar back squats, and bench pressing.
The shoes look great, maybe not as nice as the Adidas models (but hey! That’s just our opinion) but you’ll definitely look and feel the part when you put them on.
They are very tight, which is often not a good thing in shoes, but is ideal for powerlifting shoes.
Again, if you have particularly wide feet you may want to consider going up a half size.
Powerlifting Shoe #4 Converse Chuck Taylor
We almost did a full review of the best powerlifting shoes without mentioning the king of deadlift shoes, the Converse Chuck Taylor.
These shoes have been used in powerlifting and weightlifting for decades. This is down to their very flat soles, durable design, the extra protection for your ankles (when wearing high-tops) and the relative in-expense.
It uses a timeless design, and if you want to look like an old school gym rat (but in a good way) then these are the shoes for you.
They are as close to barefoot training as you’re going to get. Considering many gyms don’t like people lifting without shoes on (for understandable reasons) Chuck Taylors are an ideal compromise.
The only downside is that they tend to wear quite quickly, the plus side? This wear and tear doesn’t tend to affect the integrity of the shoe, and worn down Chuck Taylors are more fashionable than fresh out the box ones!
An excellent powerlifting shoe that has been used and loved by powerlifters and weightlifters alike for decades.