There are many people who go to the gym to lift weights, but don’t have the right pair of shoes to do the task. I have seen several weightlifters wearing sneakers or running shoes while lifting heavy weights. This can be very dangerous and significantly decrease performance.

Most people shopping for their first pair of “gym shoes” usually tend to look for things like looks and comfort, not knowing that there are proper weightlifting shoes available on the market. Weightlifting shoes are designed for one purpose and running shoes or any other type of footwear should not be used for lifting weights for a number of reasons.

First, weightlifting shoes have hard soles that are designed to improve stability and performance. The stability that hard-soled shoes provide is much better compared to running shoes. The reason behind this is that while lifting heavy weights, a lifter must bend the knees and ankles to their maximum limit in order to get as low as possible. There is a huge amount of force that is produced and all of that force can throw the lifter off balance if they don’t have a solid base to stand on, especially when leaning over a lot. Try lifting weights on a trampoline and you will see how difficult it is to stay stable. A hard base is crucial for lifting heavy weights without losing your balance.

Another important thing that a hard sole does is that it helps the lifter to use all the force produced to lift the weights. A running shoe, which always has a soft sole, will not only throw you off balance, but will also dissipate all the force towards the ground. This greatly reduces the amount of weights a weightlifter can lift, as much of the force generated to lift the weights is wasted.

Finally, the raised heel of the weightlifting shoe and its benefits should be discussed. While performing a squat (a technique used by powerlifters to lift heavy weights while standing under the bar), a weightlifter should bend the knees and ankles to their maximum capacity, as well as keep both feet flat. on the floor. But keeping both feet flat on the ground while bending that far is quite impossible and instead the feet automatically tend to rest only on the balls and toes. When lifting heavy weights, it’s common sense to have both feet flat on the ground. Weightlifting shoes can take care of this because of the raised heel. The raised heel fills the space between the heel of the foot and the ground and allows for maximum stability.

So the next time you’re out shopping for a pair of gym shoes, make sure you’re buying the right weightlifting shoe and not running shoes. You may think it’s a waste of money, but once you wear them, you’ll notice the difference immediately and you won’t regret spending on your new weightlifting shoes.