United Barbell

The most common questions I get about CrossFit gear are about footwear. Is there one shoe I can use for any CrossFit WOD? The easiest answer I have heard is from Chuck Carswell (CrossFit HQ) in the CrossFit Journal: “The numbers don’t lie […] If they suggest that you run 400 meters faster in your Oly shoes and you snatch more in your running shoes, wear them.” You might be thinking, surely there is more science to it than that? Well, yes and no.

Before you decide what to go out to buy, you should know the philosophy behind the different popular CF shoes. Mainly, weightlifting shoes, powerlifting shoes, and "barefoot shoes" (aka, the running shoe). Today’s topic? Weightlifting shoes.

Now, I could tell you the history of the weightlifting shoe, and how it evolved into what it is today. But I'll skip to the point. Why weightlifting shoes?

Secure Fit & Incompressible Sole

Weightlifting shoes provide your foot with stability. The strap across the foot keeps your foot from moving around inside the shoe, but the key is in the sole. The cushy sole of your favorite cross trainers might feel comfortable, but when you are moving a lot of weight on a barbell, that cushion absorbs and disperses the power flow from your feet (the driving force) to the ground, giving you less power. Additionally, when you receive the bar, a cushioned heel is unstable. These videos demonstrate the difference in receiving a power clean with and without a stable sole:

With a running shoe

And with a weightlifting shoe

The Raised Heel

Why do weightlifting shoes have an elevated heel? It has to do with your position at the bottom of the squat when you are doing snatches, clean & jerks, high bar back squats, or front squats. In all of these lifts, it is important to keep your torso as upright as possible while maintaining a deep squat. In order to do this, you have to squat with your knees forward over your toes. Without a heel, most people cannot achieve this position and maintain full foot contact on the floor. This causes a forward weight shift up onto the toes, creating a much higher chance of lost balance and a missed lift.

Next week we'll talk powerlifting!