What Your Training Shoes Do for You
We’re all guilty of this one! You walk into Nike and pick the loudest, most colorful shoes that are so light you kinda question if they’re both in the box when you pick it up. “These are totally gonna help you lift better,” you say to the cute cashier.
Now, what’s wrong here? You didn’t buy shoes that are gonna help you reach your training goals. I hate to be “that guy” but please don’t wear your YeezYs to the gym! Or do & stop reading this!
Are they gone? Perfect let’s get back to what your gym shoes can do for you & to do so I’m gonna tell you a story: I was at my chiropractor getting my orthopedics. Yes, I’m flat-footed (& if you are too I can already see your excitement because the hardest thing to find online is orthopedic shoes that aren’t built for Uncle Bill) He looked at my shoes and said: “that’s why your back hurts!” I was wearing my Stan Smiths.
He then showed me what to look for in a shoe, specifically a lifting shoe:
1. You need to make sure your lifting shoe has a firm heel cup (can’t be easily squeezed) because this locks your foot in place for stability.
2. You need to make sure you can’t fold the shoe in half! Probably not much support in something that can’t support itself.
3. You have to make sure you can’t twist the shoe. Again this one is pretty self-explanatory!
4. Your gym shoe must have a firm sole. Remember what we said about no YeezYs? This is exactly why. Save those for the walk back to the car!
These new (proper) shoes will take the pressure off your joints, especially your knees (thank me later) This is so important because It may actually help you increase your weights due to better form. A couple of really good shoes I’ve tried are New Balance 990s Made In USA (wear out fast) Asics Gel Kayanos, Asics Gel Cumulus, & surprisingly Nike Air Prestos (& yes I guess technically the off white pair counts you hypebeast just try not to jump around a lot I almost broke my ankle in mine!)
