Any opinions on newer weightlifting shoes, both for beginners and intermediate lifters?
The general consensus on various weightlifting forums seems to be that older shoes were generally better, before shoes starting aiming towards the Crossfit crowd. As such – at least in Canada – it seems difficult to get a hold of most of the previous recommendations. Adipower 2, Romaelo 2, etc are generally unavailable, and the opinions on newer models (Romaleo 4, Adipower 3, Legacy Lifter 3, Savaleos, Powerlift 5, etc) seem to be mixed compared to older shoes. I’ve tried the Powerlift 5s and they feel rather “soft” compared to LL 2’s (which were unfortunately far too big).
-Any opinions on newer shoes? Better idea to try and find lightly used older models?
-Does the midfoot generally expand in a lifting shoe, or is it better to find something snug but comfortable from the outset?
-Is there a “better height” to start with when new to training shoes? Powerlift 5’s are less sturdy and run at 0.60" (15.1mm), whereas Legacy Lifters are closer to 0.82" (20.5mm) (I think Rom 4’s are advertised at 0.78"/20mm). Jordan recommends 0.75" in the video from a few years ago, but I’m not sure whether or not heel height makes any difference in “acclimation” vs exposure time.
There’s also Tyr and other models Rogue carries, but they tend to be quite pricey.
(If this is better suited to Unmoderated forums I’d be happy to post there instead).
I would not agree that older shoes were generally better, in fact, I’d argue the opposite from a sizing, availability, materials, and different options standpoint. I say this having a ton of different lifting shoes over the years.
I don’t think these shoes expand significantly, particularly if there’s a large amount of plastic or leather in the upper. The old suede uppers changed a lot over a lifetime. I would not buy used older shoes for any particular reason.
There is no single heel height that will be preferred universally more by everyone. Some people will like flat shoes, some a little bit of heel, and others with a higher heel. This may change over a career as well.
I think somewhere around a 0.75" effective heel height is a great place to start. A few hundredths one way or another isn’t likely to matter, but a full 1" effective heel hight vs 0.5" would be noticeable.
If I was buying new shoes, I’d be looking at a pair of the legacy lifter II’s or romaelos 4’s.
Any opinion on Legacy Lifter IIIs? IIs seem to be very limited in stock even from Reebok directly. I have an annoyingly wide foot, if that narrows things down.
I’ll see if I can find the Romaleos on sale then. Will try the Legacy IIIs, but yeah, I haven’t even owned a lifting shoe before and I thought the pump was gimmicky nonsense. Thanks!
I’ve been trying to squat in almost flat shoes and it makes me feel like a stiff old wreck (not too far from the truth). I think I would benefit from some heel. I have long legs in relation to the upper body. I tried air squats with books under my heels at home and that seems to go in the right direction.
I was thinking to get an entry level shoe with moderate drop (powerlift 5 or so) but I see I can get the Rom 4 on sale for virtually the same price. Obviously a much better deal but would that still be a beginner friendly model in terms of drop?
Or should crunchy noises in the knees hold me off squatting altogether? It’s a bit scary.
I’m currently squatting in the Nike Romaleos 4’s. They’re pretty good so far and a much better option than the Adidas Powerlift lineup. I would not predict any issues with the effective heel height in any of these shoes.
