Hey there
I'm 14 and have been training for about 4 months now. Some of the people I train with recommended that I buy proper weight lifting shoes. They claimed this would help my form a lot as I tend to lift my heels up slightly when squatting. The thing is I have no idea where to start looking, or what to look for. I was wondering if anyone could give me any information on good makes or tell me what to look for?

Thanks xxx

Try this place

http://www.dynamic-eleiko.com/...ts/shoesFR.html

I've never heard of such a thing.

And you're 14? Don't worry about these guys. Your Nike or Adidas shoes are fine weight lifting shoes. I'd say you'd have to get on an extreme side of lifting to get anything like this. Weight lifting shoes, if there is such a thing, goes along the lines of bp shirts, x-vests, etc. You can certainly live without it now plus I'm sure you have better things to waste..er...spend your money on.

If you wanna invest your money in something worth while, get some lifting chalk and buy more vegetables to eat.
-T

If you have a tendency to raise onto your toes while lifting, you might have tight hamstrings. Work on increasing your flexibility, and your heels should stay on the ground.

If she's doing Olympic style lifting, it might be advantageous for here to get a pair--if she plans to stick with it. I mean if that is the case she might as well be training in a manner reflecting what will be expected of her.

If the above is the case, I guess I would equate it to not buying football cleats if you plan on playing football.

Just my two cents,
Collin

I strongly disagree that most shoes are okay to lift in. If you're lifting weights that are heavy (for you), why on earth would you want to wear squishy shoes? It just doesn't make any sense, and it's inviting bad form and injury.

In general, you want a very firm sole (it shouldn't give much if at all when you poke it with your finger), firm insole, and good support (for your foot) in the arch. It should also have reasonable ankle support (not so much that it stops movement, though).

If you're doing olympic lifting, buying a lower end pair of olympic lifting shoes would be a good idea. You can often get them used, too - if there's a club in the area, they may have some good choices.

If you're doing a more general lifting or powerlifting kind of deal, Chuck Taylors work well, as do police boots (army-surplus.com has good prices) or Ottomix trainers. The lowest I would be willing to go is a good set of hiking boots or cross-trainers that fit the above criteria.

Most of all, though, have fun lifting :)

-Dan

I wore my Nikes to the gym once on squat day. I definitely did not feel stable while squatting. There was just too much padding for me to feel like I had a solid base. I normally wear my old Airwalks. Their padding is completely obliterated which makes it feel almost like I'm squatting barefoot which I like.

I started lifting when I was 13. At the time I had nike cross-training sneakers (don't ask me why I remember that) they had a really hard bottom. They were great for lifting and for the training I was going through. Now I just wear regular nike running shoes. I'm comfortable enough that I don't even think about it.

I would just look for something wide for stability and with a solid bottom.

If your heels are lifting off the ground, that tells me that something is wrong with your form. You should work with your coach or a trainer to make sure learn to do it properly.

Practice doing squats by grabing hold of something, so that you can put all of your weight on your heels, as if you'd fall backward if you let go. Exaggerating like this should help.

Personally, the only thing on my feet when I squat or deadlift (usually) are my socks.

For olympic weightlifting I would definitely recommend weight lifting shoes. Otherwise, any shoes with decent support should be fine for a beginner lifter.

Hoss

Lifting your heels while squatting indicates you lack ankle flexibility. You need to work on some specific ankle flexibility work, including some calf work, calf stretches, achilles tendon stretches, all done after your body is warmed up. It can help for you to wear boots or use a wedge to help alleviate until you gain the flexibility to squat flat-footed.

Chuck T's all the way. The best sumo deadlift shoes in the world (or at least that I've tried).

If you can't squat without your heels raising, you lack flexibility. Since you are new to OL, I would stay with your regular sneakers and gain flexibility in the lifts, especially the overhead squat (use a broom to start). If you can't get the positions right, it will hold you back. Once you can get the positions right, get some OL shoes. Lifting with the solid heel make a big difference in your stability and strength. You don't want your sneakers compressing during a heavy snatch or jerk.

However, you don't have to buy the adidas model to get a good shoe.

Get these: I have been using them and am very happy.

http://www.vsathletics.com/...5574f216762f88e

Converse All Stars AKA Chucks.

Cheap and flat bottomed for squats/deads.

DD

Thanks for all the advice

I only started olympic lifting a few weeks ago so I think I'll try and improve my form before I buy the shoes. They seem quite expensive but will probabally be worth it in the long run. I have no balance at all so hopefully they will help.

Do you have a coach? What does he/she say?

beef

In the meantime, just get a pair of old school Chuck Taylor's! I just bought a few extra pair since my main pair for weightlifting are beginning to get worn down. :)