ARE YOU WEARING THE RIGHT SHOE TO SQUAT?

[Geardepot]

The feet set the foundation for every single functional movement we perform. Think of the feet like the base to a ‘house of cards’. The feet set the groundwork for the stability of our entire structure. If we want to squat with good technique, we have to pay attention to what is going on at the feet.
Our foot is inherently very mobile. With over 25 bones spread across 4 different joints, the foot is capable of a lot of movement. However, when we squat, we need to instantly create stability at the foot. The neutral arched position is the most stable position we can create.
The feet set the foundation for every single functional movement we perform. Think of the feet like the base to a ‘house of cards’. The feet set the groundwork for the stability of our entire structure. If we want to squat with good technique, we have to pay attention to what is going on at the feet.
Shoes that are designed with a stiff, non-compressible sole with a distinguished raised heel (usually made of wood or a plastic composite with a rubber bottom to prevent sliding). Most weightlifting shoes will have a raised heel of approximately 2.5 cm (3). The first thing you’ll notice when you put on a pair of these shoes is the ability to squat deeper while maintaining a more upright chest position. This is due to the raised heel.
During the descent of the squat the knees need to eventually move forward toward the toes. This allows the hips to descend to the greatest depth possible. The further the knees can translate forward at the bottom of the squat the more upright the chest can remain while still staying balanced. This allows for better technique in lifts such as the front squat or overhead squat.
By keeping the torso more upright, less harmful forces are sustained at the low back. While a certain amount of forward trunk lean is necessary at times to stay balanced (especially with the low-bar back squat), you should attempt to keep the chest as upright as possible in order to minimize shear forces in the low back. Therefore, individuals who have a history of low back pain or want to reduce the stress to this area would benefit from wearing this type of shoe when squatting.
Weightlifting shoes can help keep the foot in a stable position during the squat. A raised heel actually keeps the foot in a neutral arched position (11). It also decreases tension in muscles that often become stiff in the lower leg (lateral gastrocnemius, soleus and peroneals) (12). For this reason, these shoes are great for anyone who has poor ankle mobility. Combined, these benefits limit the potential for technique errors such as the well-known valgus knee collapse.
The proper shoe have been shown to enhance squat technique, boost performance and reduce harmful joint stresses.
Bottom line...if you want to squat big, make sure you have the right shoe.
GD

 

[jeroendebleser]

I very much like my Under Armour Project Rock-shoes for all of my workouts :headbang:

 

[ill gotten gains]

Nike metcon 3's are pretty good

 

[Rogue]

I think Geardepot is talking about a specific squat shoe,
One that you would wear to perform the actaull SQAT then take off to finish your work out.
I have not tried them, but would like to hear from people who have as to how it improved their leg development.

 

[OutToLunch]

I always go with the most minimal sole sneaker possible so it mimics bare foot lifting.

 

[johnjuanb1]

Go old school and squat bare foot.

 

[socialdfan]

Barefoot Duffin and Thompson style. Heard it from Donnie years back at a tempering seminar and love it. Next closest are Vibrams.

 

[maldorf]

Of course avoid shoes with air in the soles, since that will compress and go down with all of the weight on it. I think you are better off with solid soles.

 

[1bigpapapump1]

I think Geardepot is talking about a specific squat shoe,
One that you would wear to perform the actaull SQAT then take off to finish your work out.
I have not tried them, but would like to hear from people who have as to how it improved their leg development.

I have these exact same shoes. My wife bought them for me last Xmas. I have reebok CF, vibram toe shoes as well, but nothing compares to these adidas squat shoes. You feel extremely stable, the slight heel elevation is great for me and puts a lil more emphasis onto quads, while allowing me to squat and or leg press into a more natural position. My mobility is not that great and the heel elevation seems to help with that.

 

[mk86]

I always go with the most minimal sole sneaker possible so it mimics bare foot lifting.

same here, sometimes even bare foot - gives a good feeling

 

[cm]

I think Geardepot is talking about a specific squat shoe,
One that you would wear to perform the actaull SQAT then take off to finish your work out.
I have not tried them, but would like to hear from people who have as to how it improved their leg development.

i have a pair of nike squat shoes. I wore them twice. not for me. they are extremely uncomfortable, and I was not willing to be uncomfortable every rep.
At the same time, I am not interested in working on my squats, just interested in working on my legs, so they are not part of my regiment

 

[Kid Dynamite]

I always wear my air Jordan 11s. Most comfortable shoe Ive ever own, and great for squats.

 

[LK3]

I always wear my air Jordan 11s. Most comfortable shoe Ive ever own, and great for squats.

one thing with basketball style shoes or even running shoes they squish.

if you have any sort of wieght on your back and push hard from the bottom the soles squish out.

idk if that makes any sort of real world difference.
i stopped squating in nikes because of the squishy thing and after time the air bubbly got too soft.

i like a shoe with more ballenced flat bottom but not flat flat like all stars or something. like heel planted ball of foot planted and some arch support.

 

[danieltx]

one thing with basketball style shoes or even running shoes they squish.

if you have any sort of wieght on your back and push hard from the bottom the soles squish out.

idk if that makes any sort of real world difference.
i stopped squating in nikes because of the squishy thing and after time the air bubbly got too soft.

i like a shoe with more ballenced flat bottom but not flat flat like all stars or something. like heel planted ball of foot planted and some arch support.

I wear high top Air Force 1 Special Field boots - basically combat boots with an AF1 logo. The sole is thick and flat so you get no squishing.

My main reason for getting them was more ankle support - you wrap the laces around the shaft. Occasionally I would get ankle pain on my heaviest sets of leg press and these got rid of it.

 

[Brickshthouse79]

Rogue do-wins! Ive had a pair for 9 years and they are as good as new. I only wear them indoors while lifting - not during cardio.

 

[Brickshthouse79]

one thing with basketball style shoes or even running shoes they squish.

if you have any sort of wieght on your back and push hard from the bottom the soles squish out.

idk if that makes any sort of real world difference.
i stopped squating in nikes because of the squishy thing and after time the air bubbly got too soft.

i like a shoe with more ballenced flat bottom but not flat flat like all stars or something. like heel planted ball of foot planted and some arch support.

Agreed, you want a solid sole. Weightlifting shoes are worth the investment.

 

[Fa Seeshus]

I tried dedicated squat shoes for a while and they actually bothered my hips and low back much more than flats. Made me crank into L4/L5.

I think everyone is different. I'm totally flat footed and am flexible, so the squat shoes just feel weird.

 

[Kid Dynamite]

one thing with basketball style shoes or even running shoes they squish.

if you have any sort of wieght on your back and push hard from the bottom the soles squish out.

idk if that makes any sort of real world difference.
i stopped squating in nikes because of the squishy thing and after time the air bubbly got too soft.

i like a shoe with more ballenced flat bottom but not flat flat like all stars or something. like heel planted ball of foot planted and some arch support.

Ive never noticed that before, then again, Im not squatting 500lbs with the shoes either. I cant wear regular nikes, they don't fit me. They are either way too tight and not wide enough. The only other shoe that fits me is Asics, but I like the feel and comfort of the 11s way better.

 

[Pericles]

I tried dedicated squat shoes for a while and they actually bothered my hips and low back much more than flats. Made me crank into L4/L5.

I think everyone is different. I'm totally flat footed and am flexible, so the squat shoes just feel weird.

If you think you're flat footed you just havent strengthened the arch in your foot.

 

[lookslikesausage]

I think Geardepot is talking about a specific squat shoe,
One that you would wear to perform the actaull SQAT then take off to finish your work out.
I have not tried them, but would like to hear from people who have as to how it improved their leg development.

wearing a heeled olympic weightlifting will improve one's quads faster than anything i have ever tried. i really wish i had known about them when i was much younger. i was busting my ass squatting till i was blue in the face only to have overdeveloped glutes and very strong lower back. Could never feel them in my quads. Yes, i tried squatting with plates under my heels but i didn't like it and it did not feel stable when working with heavier weights. It's not the same thing as wearing a heeled shoe.

if i was training a bodybuilder who poor leg development, the first thing i'd have them do i get a pair of OLY shoes and do their workout in them. Lunges, Squats, Hacks; they all feel much much better in an OLY shoe. So for me, my quad development improved dramatically. The other thing i left out is this: the shoes will allow you to hit a much lower depth in any squatting movement and so if you don't take advantage of that you probably won't see as a great a result. This means that if you use the shoes, use them properly and squat down nice and low as this is what they're designed for. Many people are not able to hit a full depth optimally (tall long-femured folks) on a squat because of ankle mobility and the OLY shoes take care of this.