I Put Top Fitness Shoes to the Test: Meet the 9 Best Weightlifting Boots
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The top weightlifting shoes offer exceptional comfort, a steady base to assist you in maintaining correct form and ensuring your safety, along with robust construction to withstand intense workouts. Both newcomers looking for added support and seasoned athletes needing a firm foundation for their heavy lifts can greatly benefit from owning a quality pair of these footwear options.
Following extensive testing, we crowned the Nike Savaleos as our top pick due to their outstanding overall performance and comfort. Although they excel, you might find an alternative more tailored to your individual requirements. Keeping this in consideration, below are our recommendations for the finest weightlifting shoes catering to various lifting objectives.
Top Weightlifting Shoes Summarized
- Best Overall Weightlifting Shoes: Nike Savaleos
- Best Budget Weightlifting Shoes: Adidas the Total
- Top Weightlifting Boots for Heavy Lifting: Reebok Legacy Lifter III
- Top Weightlifting Shoes for CrossFit: Nike Metcon 9
- Top Weightlifting Shoes Suitable for Running: Saucony Kinvara 15
- Top Weightlifting Boots for Olympic Lifts: Tyr L-1 Lifters
- Best Minimalist Weightlifting Shoes: Vivobarefoot Motus Strength
- Top Comprehensive Weightlifting Shoe Options: NOBULL Outwork
- Top Weightlifting Shoes for Experts: Tyr Tyrforce Elite Carbon Lifter
Related: As a Professional Gear Tester, Here Are My Picks for the Top CrossFit Shoes
The Top Weightlifting Shoes, Evaluated and Reviewed
The Top Choice for Weightlifting Shoes Overall: Nike Savaleos
The Nike Savaleos enhance the basic idea behind lifting shoes and create some of the most adaptable weightlifting footwear available. This feature makes them our top choice for most fitness enthusiasts. They offer excellent stability, grip, and support—key elements for such gear—but they're also notably lighter and more pliable compared to typical lifting shoes, offering greater versatility.
The sole possible drawback could be the relatively soft midsole. While this enhances comfort and steadiness, it might also deform excessively under extremely heavy loads. Nonetheless, for typical weightlifting needs, it performs exceptionally well.
Pros
- Outstanding stability
- Very comfortable
- Lightweight
Cons
- Soft cushioning compresses during intense lifting sessions.
Specs
- Weight: 14.8 ounces
- Drop: 15mm
Best Budget Weightlifting Shoes: Adidas the Total
Finding high-quality weightlifting shoes at an affordable price can be challenging, but the Total fits this bill quite well since they typically retail around $100. This model stands out with its flat sole design and exceptional grip, making it perfect for exercises such as deadlifts and squats. Despite being robust, these shoes remain light and versatile enough for some additional workout routines. There's ample space inside the toe area, ensuring comfort during use, and overall, the internal padding adds to the pleasant feel. Additionally, from a visual standpoint, I appreciate how the traditional Adidas style gives them a timeless appeal.
Pros
- Affordable cost for an excellent shoe
- Great stability
- Very comfortable
Cons
- A zero-drop heel design is not optimal for Olympic lifting.
Specs
- Weight: 11.5 ounces
- Drop: 0mm
Top Weightlifting Boots for Heavy Lifting: Reebok Legacy Lifter III
The Legacy Lifter III is an excellent choice for weightlifters, boasting a robust design often available at considerable savings, making it nearly impossible to resist. Its exceptionally steady platform makes it ideal for all types of lifts, particularly those involving extremely heavy weights due to its non-compressible foundation. The elevated heel enhances performance during exercises like squats and Olympic lifts. Additionally, the incorporation of the brand’s signature pumped-up tongue lets you customize the fit according to your preference. While these shoes might feel bulky and inflexible, thus not suitable for general cross-training activities, they excel when it comes to executing powerful lifts.
Pros
- Great value
- Exceptional platform
- Very durable
Cons
- Heavy and rigid
Specs
- Weight: 22.1 ounces
- Drop: 22mm
Top Weightlifting Shoes for CrossFit: Nike Metcon 9
We titled the Metcon 9 as such. best CrossFit shoe Overall, it shouldn’t be surprising that it excelled in this area too. Featuring outstanding stability along with ample flexibility and a fairly lightweight design, the shoe manages to perform admirably across various activities, though long-distance running isn't one of them. For high-intensity interval training (HIIT), jumping exercises, weightlifting, or sprinting, the Metcon 9 offers impressive agility. The grip on ropes is commendable, adding functionality. Additionally, these shoes prove nearly impervious to damage and provide exceptional comfort during wear.
Pros
- Stable yet flexible
- Very comfortable
- Rope climbing grips
Cons
- A lower heel drop compared to specialized weightlifting footwear.
Specs
- Weight: 13.3 ounces
- Drop: 5.5mm
Top Weightlifting Shoes Suitable for Running: Saucony Kinvara 15
Although we suggest having specific running and lifting shoes for each respective activity, we understand that many individuals prefer using just one versatile pair. For those looking into this option, consider trying the Kinvara 15 from Saucony. This shoe excels in providing agility, an ultra-light feel, and responsive performance suitable for short sprints up to moderate distance runs. While it has a lower heel-to-toe drop which lessens shock absorption, it remains quite steady during lighter strength training sessions. Whenever I travel, I always take these with me since they work well for both my workout routines and jogs, enabling me to carry only one type of footwear.
Pros
- Great runner
- Stable lifter
- Exceptionally lightweight
Cons
- Not for heavy lifts
Specs
- Weight: 6.7 ounces
- Drop: 4mm
Top Weightlifting Boots for Olympic Lifts: Tyr L-1 Lifters
TYR's L-1 Lifters are exceptionally well-calibrated for squats and Olympic-style movements, making them less suitable for other activities. This is actually beneficial since there are no concessions made—for instance, a soft midsole isn’t included—to cater to high-intensity interval training or running. Instead, this shoe offers an unyielding base built specifically for lifting heavyweights. The nonskid bottom gives the impression of adhering firmly to the ground as you position yourself during exercises such as snatches and jerks.
One feature we adore is the spacious toe box, which promotes healthy toe splay and unrestricted foot movement, enhancing both balance and strength. Additionally, the raised heel design aids in increasing ankle flexibility, enabling more profound squatting and improved technique. Keep in mind that these shoes tend to fit smaller; thus, consider opting for a half-size larger than usual.
Pros
- The toe box enables natural foot movement.
- Grippy traction
Cons
- Runs slightly small
Specs
- Drop: 21mm
Best Minimalist Weightlifting Shoes: Vivobarefoot Motus Strength
Despite the abundance of minimalist footwear options available today, only a few provide the level of protection offered by the Vivobarefoot Motus Strength. Its flat and secure sole provides ample stability, grip, and sensory feedback with minimal weight due to its streamlined design—ideal characteristics for lifting activities. Additionally, enhanced safeguards at critical areas like the heels and toes boost overall security. The primary drawback remains the steep cost; however, this shoe boasts excellent longevity which makes it worth considering as an investment.
Pros
- Minimal but protective
- Excellent stability and grip
- Super comfortable interior
Cons
- High price
Specs
- Weight: 9.2 ounces
- Drop: 0mm
Best All-Purpose Gym Shoes: NoBull Outwork
The NoBull Outwork delivers outstanding versatility, allowing it to tackle pretty much any task in the gym, from lifting to using machines to cross training, and even moderate running. As far as lifting goes, the Outwork offers great stability with minimal compression. But it’s also surprisingly good for running, HIIT, or any other gym activity (once it gets broken in, which can take a while) thanks largely to its light weight, decent agility, and all-around comfort. The style is unusually snappy, making it a great shoe for simply wearing around town.
Pros
- Good for cross training
- Stable base for lifting
- Excellent traction
Cons
- Long break-in period
Specs
- Weight: 10.7 ounces
- Drop: 4mm
Best Weightlifting Shoes for Pros: Tyr Tyrforce Elite Carbon Lifter
If you’re an elite lifter seeking an elite performance shoe, look no further than the Tyrforce Elite Carbon. This is a very expensive shoe, but it feels more like a piece of advanced technology than mere footwear. The platform is outstandingly stable, and the company’s Carbon Fiber Powerplate delivers enhanced explosiveness to help propel your lifts. Double straps allow for greater fit adjustment and lockdown, and a wide toebox provides ample space for splaying toes or accommodating swollen feet. The premium leather also gives off pro vibes, which doesn’t hurt.
Pros
- Superior performance
- Carbon fiber plate
- Outstanding fit and lockdown
Cons
- Pricey
Specs
- Drop: 25mm
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Weightlifting Shoes
Stability
There is no factor more essential to a good weightlifting shoe than stability, but what that means can differ from person to person. Some people can benefit from a built-up, highly structural platform and heel with a high drop, which can help with squats or foot pronation. On the other hand, some lifters prefer a more trimmed-down or even minimalist shoe with no drop at all—especially if you live to deadlift. Whichever you go with, you need a shoe that helps you keep your feet planted.
An important factor for stability is a shoe's lockdown feature, indicating how effectively it secures itself through lacing or strapping onto your foot. If a shoe has inadequate lockdown, your foot can move excessively during lifts, thereby decreasing stability.
Flexibility
When planning to wear a specific pair of shoes solely for heavy lifting sessions, prioritize rigidity and stability over flexibility. However, should these shoes also be used across various workout zones at your gym—such as jumping, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), running, or different movements—you'll require footwear with enough adaptability to handle those activities effectively.
Durability
Resistance training footwear tends to be expensive and usually endures quite a bit of wear, hence you should choose a set known for their longevity. It might not always be apparent from merely examining the shoe itself; thus, check reviews to gauge how well various styles withstand extended use. (All recommendations provided have proven themselves durable over time.)
The Way I Evaluated the Top Weightlifting Boots
The evaluation of weightlifting shoes ultimately hinged on wearing them while performing lifts. Although I couldn’t try everything on the list, for those items I did test, I assessed their performance during movements such as deadlifts and squats based on several criteria—including stability, flexibility, and durability—which were crucial for effective exercise execution.
Why You Should Have Faith In Me
I have been weightlifting for almost 30 years, and my personal experience has shaped more than ten years of evaluating exercise equipment for various publications like Men’s Fitness, Runner’s World, and Men’s Journal For this list, I've put through numerous recent models from leading manufacturers, ensuring that you can confidently choose among these as the finest weightlifting footwear options for the year.
Related: The Top 11 Weightlifting Belts for Lifting Greater Loads Today
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