What is the Best Footwear for Squats?

 

Who doesn’t love #squats? Did you know that the right footwear can help you perform them better? Read this article to learn more.

More and more people are embracing fitness these days. Walk into any gym today, and you’ll find a number of different shoes on the feet of the people’s feet. Some don running shoes, while others go barefoot while lifting or squatting! So, how does the choice of footwear affect the performance of the squat? Let’s understand.

Running shoes

The most common footwear is running shoes that are designed to absorb and dissipate forces that occur when you walk or run. This is great for running, but not ideal for squatting. The squishy soles of running shoes will absorb and dissipate a large amount of the force generated against the floor that should have been directed towards moving the weight. They can also reduce stability during the squats. 

Weightlifting shoes

The next comes weightlifting shoes. As the name suggests, these shoes were originally designed for weightlifting movements (snatch and clean & jerk) where squats are like just a part of the equation. These shoes are designed with hard, incompressible sole, and raised heel. 

When you squat down, the angle between the shins and feet reduces. This is called dorsiflexion. Now, a lot of people have limited ankle mobility due to which they can’t perform dorsiflexion for a greater range of motion which limits the depth they can go to during the squat. Squatting with a raised heel basically allows you to go lower within the same degree of ankle dorsiflexion [1].

However, if you are able to achieve an adequate range of motion without a raised heel, lifting shoes may not help you in any way.

Additionally, weightlifting shoes reduce the forward lean of the torso that reduces the shear stress on the lower back [2]. Therefore, individuals who have limited ankle mobility or a history of lower back injury may benefit from using weightlifting shoes. 

Barefoot

Another possible option is squatting barefoot. While barefoot squats drastically improve the stability during the squat, it can lead to forward lean of the torso during the squats [3]. Therefore, barefoot squats may not be recommended for people with a history of lower back pain or those who do high-bar or front squats. 

Flat-sole shoes

Finally, the last option is flat-sole shoes. Although they don’t provide any aid for the people with limited ankle mobility, the soles of these shoes are fairly incompressible and therefore, provide much more stability than the running shoes. 

Conclusion

Squats will be one exercise that will be included in your workout charts for weight loss / muscle gain, and wearing the right shoes will help. People can go for any non-squishy shoes while doing squats. If they have limited ankle mobility or are susceptible to lower back pain, weightlifting shoes may help in that case.

Author : Aditya Mahajan, INFS faculty, Standard Coach @ Fittr

References

Sato, K., Fortenbaugh, D., & Hydock, D. S. (2012). Kinematic changes using weightlifting shoes on barbell back squat. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 26(1), 28-33.
Garhammer, J. (1989). Weight lifting and training. Biomechanics of sport, 169-211.
Bruggemann, G. P., Potthast, W., Braunstein, B., & Niehoff, A. (2005, July). Effect of increased mechanical stimuli on foot muscles functional capacity. In Proceedings of the ISB XXth Congress-ASB 29th Annual Meeting: 31 July-5 August 2005; Cleveland (Vol. 553).