PHOTO: COURTESY ADIDAS/I AM &CO
For weightlifting, specifically squats and deadlifts, shoes with extremely flat soles are your best options. This can be confusing looking at popular fitness Instagram accounts because a lot of accounts feature folks performing exercises in extremely fashionable wedge sneakers, running or basketball shoes.
It is my firm belief that those individuals do not wear those types of shoes regularly while lifting. In reality, followers tend to love fitness personalities with the snazziest shoe collections, therefore the culture moved in that direction. Fashion aside, when you focus on which types of shoes will improve your form and progression, flat-soled shoes are unsurpassed.
Flat soled shoes allow you to firmly plant your feet on the ground while lifting. This is particularly important for lower body exercises as you work to activate the appropriate muscles while driving all your force through your heels. Activating the proper muscles for each exercise will ensure your muscle progression without risk of injury.
It’s sort of a lot to take in, so we did the work for you and scoured the internet to find the best women’s weightlifting shoes.
The 12 Best Women's Weightlifting Shoes
Nike Weightlifting Shoes
Photo: courtesy NIKE
Nike Metcon 5
The Nike Metcon 4 is women’s specific weightlifting shoe, that I'd recommend as my overall favorite. The construction of the Metcon provides a sturdy, yet flexible support base that is made for durability. The shoe is composed of a textured print that reinforces the shoe from toe to heel. You'll immediately notice the firm heel which offers stability for powerlifting. This shoe has a softer forefront so you can incorporate short runs and sprints into your workout routine. Nike did an excellent job with the sizing on these as they run true to size with a perfect fit.
This women’s weightlifting shoe is available at nike.com.
PHOTO: COURTESY NIKE
Nike Metcon Flyknit 3
You can’t go wrong with a stellar squat shoe for women, but with extra breathability with Nike’s signature flyknit design.
These women’s weightlifting shoes are available at nike.com.
PHOTO: COURTESY NIKE
Nike Air Max Bella TR 2
$80 at time of publication
The perfect-versatile nike weightlifting shoes for training sessions that target multiple types of activities.
These nike weightlifting shoes are available at nike.com.
Best Shoes For Squats - The Nike Edition
PHOTO: COURTESY NIKE
Nike Romaleos 3 XD
$200 at time of publication
Powerlifting shoes for a serious powerlifter, Nike Romaelos are a staple among the fitness community. If your preferred fitness activity is powerlifting then these shoes make great investments. Romaelos are premium Nike weightlifting shoes due to their dedication to stability. Romaelo’s are ultra-flat and feature a velcro strap that secures the top of the foot. Once these shoes are on, they’re not going anywhere. And, that’s exactly what you need if you’re ambitious enough to powerlift.
These powerlifting shoes are available at Nike.com.
Converse Chuck Taylor
$50 at time of publication
If you’ve noticed a lot of seasoned weight lifters sporting chucks in the gym, you’re not crazy and there’s a reason why the shoe is often preferred. Chuck Taylors are a common flat-soled shoe, that is inexpensive, available in a wide array of colors and my personal favorite is the Chuck Taylor. They're stylish and can be easily worn in or outside of the gym. It's simply an all-around great shoe for lifting. You will find most bodybuilders will recommend and or wear chucks as an option for lifting if the cost is a concern or they’re simply not interested in making an investment in a powerlifting shoe.
These squat shoes for women are available at nike.com.
Adidas Weightlifting Shoes
Best Shoes For Squats - The Adidas Edition
Photo: Courtesy ZAPPOS
Adidas by Stella McCartneyPureboost Trainer
$180 at time of publication
Despite the different branding, these shoes are identical to the men’s version which is great because they are truly an excellent weight training shoe. In my opinion, are just as amazing as the Nike Metcon 4. Although, I know there is anecdotal evidence that Adidas run wide. Their construction is everything you need in a lifting shoe as the strap-in and sole provide maximum stability as you drive power through your heels.
Adidas hit all points that matter in the gym with comfort and durability. In a choice between these shoes or the Metcon 4 it often comes down to personal preference. Some people are staunch Adidas fans and others are "team Nike."
These adidas weightlifting shoes are available at zappos.com.
PHOTO: COURTESY ZAPPOS
Adidas Power Perfect 3
$98 at time of publication
The flat soled Adidas Power Perfect 3 shoes provide the right platform for perfecting your squat form.
These women’s weightlifting shoes are available at zappos.com.
PHOTO: COURTESY ADIDAS
Adipower Weightlifting 2 Shoes
$200 at time of publication
Serious lifters need serious shoes. The Adipower Weightlifting 2s provide full fidelity so that you can feel secure while lifting extremely heavy weight.
These powerlifitng shoes are available at zappos.com.
Reebok Weightlifting Shoes
Best Shoes For Squats - Reebok Edition
PHOTO: COURTESY REEBOK
Reebok Legacy Lifter
$200 at time of publication
The best shoes for squats feature a stacked heel for stability and perfect squat form. Not only are the Reebok Legacy Lifters built for performance, but their breathable upper will keep your feet cool while you workout.
These powerlifting shoes are available at Reebok.com.
PHOTO: COURTESY REEBOK
Reebok Nano 9
$130 at time of publication
The Reebok Nano 9s are built to move with you. The flexweave upper, midsole cushioning, and decoupled outer sole provide full comfort and functionality during your toughest workouts.
These women’s weightlifting shoes are available at reebok.com.
PHOTO: COURtESY REEBOK
Crossfit Nano 8 FlexWeave
$120 at time of publication
Crossfitters are absolutely in love with Reebok’s Crossfit Nano 8 FlexWeave. These shoes are craft to feel highly stable, breathable and durable while you break a sweat.
These women’s weightlifting shoes are available at Reebok.com.
Cross Trainers Make Good Beginner Weightlifting Shoes
Most of the weightlifting shoes on the market are cross trainers because serious strength training is a niche. Cross trainers are really good shoes if you’re not a heavy lifter. Perhaps you strength train, but it’s mostly weight below 50lbs or so and with dumbbells or EZ bars. In that case, it doesn’t make financial sense for you to invest in a powerlifting shoe and you’re likely doing some sort of HIIT training in addition to the strength training. What you need is an all around shoe, or a cross trainer. Cross trainers are perfect for light weights, treadmill running, and HIIT exercises because they have a flat enough sole for stability but are also lightweight and breathable for cardio.
PHOTO: COURTESY REEBOK
Reebok Reago Pulse
$60 at time of publication
Train hard and break a sweat in these all-purpose cross trainer shoes. The Reebok Reago Pulse’s rubber heel provides perfect traction for running, while its sandwich mesh upper will make you forget you’re even wearing a shoe.
These women’s weightlifting shoes are available at Reebok.com.
PHOTO: COURTESY NIKE
Nike Flex TR 9
The Nike Flex TR 9s are the perfect shoes for low impact workouts like HIIT, light-weight weightlifting and running. The shoe’s breathable mesh provides a lightweight-airy feel while the full traction sole will help you feel sure-footed during a jog.
These women’s weightlifting shoes are available at nike.com.
Cross trainers are constructed to support many different styles of training. They're lightweight, flexible, and have relatively flat soles. What that means is they're a great all-around shoe for your workout whether it be primarily running or weightlifting. This is because they're flat enough to keep your feet firm and planted while performing squats. Yet they have a flexible toe to allow you to run on the balls of your feet.
Avoid Weightlifting in Basketball Shoes
Athletic shoes fit into a few categories and are designed to provide the best performance in that category. For example, running, walking, and basketball shoes are all designed differently. Running shoes are flexible in the toe, to the allow a runner more ease in running on the balls of their feet thereby improving performance.
Basketball shoes are high tops so that when basketball players jump they do not roll their ankles when they meet the ground. When athletic shoes are consistently worn in ways they weren't designed for, they wear more quickly, and in ways not intended.
If you wear your snazzy Nike Air Maxes and attempt to perform a squat movement, your toes will roll forward. That is precisely what the shoe is designed to do because it is a running shoe. However, when your toe rolls forward while performing a squat movement it will cause loss of balance, undue activation of your quads, and stress on your shins. This is a real-life example of what I commonly see in the gym when gym-goers wear the wrong shoes. The simple solution, is a flat-soled shoe, as it's the key to a firm stance and even weight distribution.
Still, the goal is to maximize your performance and shoes specifically created for training do just that. Strength training lower body requires you to drive your force through your heels with greater torque. In doing this while wearing the proper shoes, you're safely activating the correct muscles and more muscle fibers.
If new shoes simply aren't in the budget, many female lifters will lift in ballet shoes, barefoot, or wear socks. Any of those options are better than wearing a shoe not made for what you're doing, and potentially injuring yourself.
