Footwear

Que pasa, calabazas!

Another great topic I want to cover is footwear in the gym. Specifically for Squats and Deadlifts. Although, during Bench, you still need solid foot-to-ground contact, let alone, stability. Another day though.

Let’s continue.

When it comes to Squats/Deadlifts, ideally, you want a solid/firm and stable foundation in order to efficiently and properly move the weight. So, having squat shoes, minimum soled/flat/firm soled shoes, or even being barefoot, would be extremely beneficial. This allows maximum force to be applied through your legs/feet to the ground.

Wearing running shoes, or cushioned soled shoes when doing these lifts, you exert unnecessary force trying to counteract the softer “surface” when performing the lift. This leads to inefficient drive and excessive movement of your foot. This creates a ripple effect in your body mechanics.

How I like to explain this to my clients is like this: Imagine trying to build a house on a soft foundation. Sure initially, you may not see anything wrong, but overtime, and as you add more pieces, the structure of the house starts to weaken and become compromised.

Back to the bar. When you’re Squatting/Deadlifting, you may notice some deviation in your form and/or rocking of your foot. More so, as you continue to lift with cushioned shoes, even if you didn’t progressively add weight, you may start to experience aches and pains, starting with your ankle/s, working all the way up to your back/neck.

Another factor to keep in mind is your stance when it comes to Squats and your footwear selection. If you have a shoulder width/conventional stance, then the squat shoes (hard elevated heels) can be beneficial. The elevated heel helps with ankle mobility, allowing for a deeper squat and erect posture. However, if you had a wide Squat stance, then it would better serve to have flat/firmed soles. This is due to keeping a more natural position in a squat vs having elevated heels in a wide stance.

Lastly, the anatomy of your foot is another thing to keep in mind (wide, narrow, flat feet).

Personally, I lace Chucks. They’ve served me well thus far. Vans do have decent soles, but not as good as Chucks, when it comes to lifting. So, if you prefer Vans, then by all means 🤢. Kidding. They also do offer a wider toe base than Chucks, so if you’re a wide foot freak, then there you go.

That’s all I have for you guys. Please, if you took the time to read, leave some feedback or your experience with footwear in the gym. It would be appreciated.

Have the day you deserve 🐻🤘🏽💚