Best Deadlift Shoes for Powerlifting

Introduction

If there is one exercise that tops and practically combines all the other exercises, it is deadlift. In gym lingo, Deadlifts are essentially known as ‘The King of all Exercises’.

Deadlifts simultaneously benefit your arms, back, core, hips, glutes, and legs. Deadlifts can help you build strong muscles along with burning a good amount of calories. Deadlifts also fix and improve your posture and make your body feel good.

Obviously, it is recommended to perform different exercises that help you build and target certain muscles in your body by doing a certain number of sets and repetitions, but if there was one exercise you could do in the gym to save time and still simultaneously target all your primary muscles, it is deadlift.

Now deadlifts are only as good as your posture. In order to actually benefit from deadlifts without injuring yourself, you need to maintain a proper posture and make sure you can handle the weight.

Your growth has to be gradual when it comes to weights. 

Now, it might not be popularly known, but what you wear on your feet impacts your deadlift sessions.

The shape and size of your shoes decide some important factors when it comes to deadlifts. In fact, powerlifters make sure they equip themselves with durable deadlift shoes. Deadlift shoes are built different from regular shoes to improve your stability, balance and your overall posture.

If you seem to have little to no knowledge about deadlift shoes, we will guide you by telling you why deadlift shoes are unique, and what to look for while purchasing deadlift shoes. 

Along with that, we will also list 5 Best Deadlift Shoes for Powerlifting available online so you can browse through different brands and models. You can review every product by yourself and choose the best deadlift shoe.

What are Deadlift Shoes and how are they different from regular shoes?

Deadlift shoes are quite different from your regular sports shoes. Every aspect of Deadlift shoes are manufactured to improve your deadlifts by increasing your stability, reducing your range of motion, providing you with apt foot support, and in general protecting you from any kind of injuries. 

If you seem to have little to no knowledge about deadlift shoes, we will guide you by telling you why deadlift shoes are unique, and what to look for while purchasing deadlift shoes. 

Along with that, we will also list 5 Best Deadlift Shoes for Powerlifting available online so you can browse through different brands and models. You can review every product by yourself and choose the best deadlift shoe.

What are Deadlift Shoes and how are they different from regular shoes?

Deadlift shoes are quite different from your regular sports shoes. Every aspect of Deadlift shoes are manufactured to improve your deadlifts by increasing your stability, reducing your range of motion, providing you with apt foot support, and in general protecting you from any kind of injuries. 

Deadlift shoes have a flat and hard sole. Flat soles help you to keep your whole feet on the ground. It creates a perfect alignment between your feet and the ground. Regular sports shoes have a higher heel and such a build might mess up your balance while performing deadlifts. Along with creating an imbalance, it unnecessarily increases your range of motion, which has to be avoided.

Hard Soles help you stay on the ground when your whole body is in motion. While performing deadlifts, you will be literally lifting heavy weights. It is necessary to have a great balance to avoid any sort of exterior or interior injuries.

Deadlift Shoes tend to have better friction. This specifically helps you to stand your ground even if the momentum tries to affect your balance. 

Since deadlifts impact all your major muscles, if performed incorrectly, it can harm you in multiple ways. As mentioned, deadlift shoes have thin, flat, and hard soles to improve your stability and balance. These factors help you to reduce your chances of injury. Along with that, it is primarily a good choice to have a hard layer of protection over your feet when dealing with weights. Most deadlift shoes have a hard upper cover to protect you from any external injuries.

Deadlift Shoes v/s Barefoot

Other than wearing regular or sports shoes, it is common that some people workout in their barefoot. 

Many athletes, especially marathon runners, prefer to workout barefoot. Working out barefoot has its own advantages. So we will compare and state which is better for proper deadlifts - deadlift shoes or barefoot.

Deadlifting barefoot gives you a raw workout session. By this we mean, you will have minimum assistance as you don’t have a deadlift shoe on your feet. You constantly have to keep your mind and body occupied and make sure you have a great posture and your balance is not impacted.  But simultaneously, it also builds your ankle and makes your stand very strong.

In order to perform without any aid from deadlift shoes, you manually have to apply some extra force and pressure to make sure your posture stays intact. This further improves and trains your glutes and hamstrings. 

Similarly, deadlifting barefoot will demand your back muscles to be more controlled. This improves and strengthens your back muscles more compared to wearing shoes.

Although working out barefoot has its own advantages, it is highly recommended that you wear a pair of deadlift shoes. The entire point of maintaining balance, stability and posture is to not only build muscles, but to also avoid any major injuries. 

It is always good to have a medium level of assistance when dealing with huge weights. Also since the barbell is directly above your feet, it is recommended that you have some sort of protection to minimize your injuries.

As for building stronger ankles, glutes, hamstrings and back muscles, we recommend that you remain consistent and keep on lifting as much as you can.

What to look for while buying Deadlift shoes?

Deadlift shoes also belong to the category where you wear something on you. In other words, it is an accessory you wear on yourself.  And just like any other gear or garment you wear, comfort is always something to look for. 

Your deadlifts shoes should make you feel comfortable.There should be enough room for your feet to breath and the manufacturing material should be durable. Make sure you determine your shoe size before blindly purchasing any shoe.

It is recommended to have thicker outer sole and thinner inner sole. Thicker outer soles will protect you from any external injuries. Similarly, thinner inner sole will keep your feet close to the ground, reducing your range of motion. 

Deadlift shoes are available in different colors and styles. They have a minimal design to make sure they are built with all the proper specifications.. Make sure the shoes that you purchase have all the requirements of a deadlift shoe.  

5 Best Deadlift Shoes for Powerlifting

Now that you are aware of deadlift shoes, its importance and other important points like factors to look for while buying deadlift shoes, we would like to list out some of the best deadlift shoes for powerlifting that are available. 

As much as deadlift shoes are very helpful, unfortunately not all manufacturers manufacture it. Only a few brands produce deadlifts shoes. Adidas is one of the few companies that has invested special interest in Deadlift shoes. By far it has received good reviews and the brand name still stands among sports gear. 

These products are pretty affordable and they are manufactured out of good, durable materials for maximum longevity.

We have filtered the following list based on customer ratings and reviews and some brands have earned a good name for manufacturing reliable, durable, high-quality deadlift shoes. 

Adidas Men’s HVC Wrestling Shoe

Adidas is known for making amazing sports products with style. Adidas Men’s HVC Wrestling Show is an example of that. It has a simple, yet stylish design. 

It has a rubber sole that helps you to keep your feet on the ground as much as possible.

It has a very comfortable foam inside that prevents any sort of muscle soreness.

It has a lace closure and a velcro strap to make sure it fits properly.

The dimensions of the product are 11” x 4” x 7” inches.

Adidas Men’s Powerlift 4 Weightlifting Shoe

The Adidas Men’s Powerlift 4 Weightlifting shoe looks similar to a normal shoe and has a very simple design.

The Adidas Men’s Powerlift 4 Weightlifting shoe has a narrow fit, a midsole wedge and a wide instep strap for a complete lockdown. They increase stability and balance.

It has a rubber outsole and it firmly stays on the ground even when you are affected by the momentum of the weight. 

It has a lightweight upper body and is made of durable canvas.

It is made of a high quality fabric and is very durable.

The dimensions of the product are 12.1” x 8.2” x 4.8” inches.

Adidas Unisex - Adult Combat Speed.5

Unlike most Deadlift shoes, the Combat Speed.5 has a leather and rubber sole. 

It has enough space within so there is space for your feet to breathe and stay comfortable. 

It has a split-suede leather outsole overlays that allows the right amount of grip.

It also has a support strap so your shoes perfectly fit your feet.

This model comes in different colors like Black, Silver Metallic, Red etc, and it is also available in different sizes. 

The dimensions of the product are 11.18” x 4.21” x 7.4” inches.

Adidas Women’s Powerlift 3 1W Cross Trainer Shoes

This brand and model has an extra-wide design, allowing the foot to spread. This is extremely helpful and comfortable when performing sumo deadlifts.

It has a synthetic upper area which is very light-weight and provides durability and support. 

It is 100% synthetic and has a rubber sole for better flexibility. 

Another highlight of the Women’s Powerlift 3 1 W Cross Trainer is, unlike most sport shoes, it does not only have a lace closure but also a strap for tight fit. This ensures your shoe stays fit on your feet.

The dimensions of the product are 5” x 0.7” x 5” inches.

Adidas Men's Mat Wizard 4 Wrestling Shoe

Just like most Adidas products, this deadlift shoe is stylish, durable and comfortable. 

The rubber outsole delivers aggressive traction and better flexibility. 

This model is available in multiple colors and different sizes.

The dimensions of the product are 11.1” x 7.4” x 4.3” inches.

Conclusion

Your fitness journey not only consists of your exercises or diet. Other factors like workout equipment, gears, tools pave the road for you.

When it comes to deadlifting, it is very important that you have a great posture and maintain your stability and balance. These are the exact reasons why these shoes are preferred by powerlifters, wrestlers and other athletes. Irrespective of your difficulty and experience level, it is highly recommended that you wear proper gear every time you workout for multiple reasons like medium assistance, comfort, etc.

Remember to wear a pair of socks to avoid any blisters, as your feet might be close to the ground. In doing so, you will have less injury and you can primarily focus on your form. 

It is also recommended to try your news shows for a while as they might seem tight and stiff initially. Gradually it will loosen itself up and it will become more comfortable as you intended. 

Remember, as much as you are protecting your feet, wear a set of gloves in your hand to prevent any injury in your palm, because if you lose your grip and the barbell falls down, it might injure your legs and other primary muscles.