Shoes you wear to the gym normally reflect the sports you do! For powerlifters, strongman and bodybuilders, we do not see them wear yeezy to a day of compound movements. This makes the collection the number one tell-tale sign that the person is new to the gym, or at least not a “serious” gym-goer. This article is going to explore reasons why they might not be the best shoes to wear to the gym from a powerlifter’s perspective.
Reasons why powerlifters do not like to
Squats in Yeezy
For a movement like squats, you need a lot of balance and support from your shoes. The demand for a good heel structure in squat shoes show that powerlifters need something solid for a solid squat. This is something yeezy shoes cannot provide as they are too soft. Squatting in shoes with a soft bottom means it is easier to get off balance, hander to garner tension to push and a guaranteed overall increase rate of injuries.
Deadlift in Yeezy
Deadlifting is easily the top reason of injury for powerlifters. For strongman, we even see athletes pass away during deadlift training. So how does deadlifting in yeezy increase rate of injuries?
First, deadlifting requires the motions of wedging and pushing the bar off the floor. These two moves are complicated and needs a lot of attention to your balance. It is already difficult to perform or master this properly on a flat platform. It is even more bizarre to think about deadlifting in shoes with no support and uneven balance structure. With shoes like the 350 having the tip tilt upwards, it would be harder to grip and maintain the tension throughout the lift.
For those who do sumo deadlifts, as you push the bar off, there is a possibility of heels going off or twisting due to bad form. Wearing Yeezy would only amplify such chances. So lifters better deadlift with no shoes than with shoes with no flat surface.
Can I compete in a powerlifting meet with my Yeezy?
These are the official rules of USA Powerlifting:
Yeezy 350 and 700s are both shoes that do not exceed the 5cm rule as they approximately add 3 and 4 cm only. However, it is still a banned shoe as the shoe is not flat on the underside. You will not see people do SBD in them because they are banned in multiple federations like USAPL and IPF. This is likely to prevent injuries from happening and protect athletes from unnecessary risks during competition.
Cardio in Yeezy
Powerlifters are not known to have amazing cardio. However, the Boost collection does prove to be very comfortable for walking and light jogging! That might be the only acceptable reason to wear Yeezy at the gym. As a former triathlon athlete, I would not recommend them for longer distance running as they still do not provide the support one needs. This increases the chances of getting plantar fasciitis.
What Shoes Should I Wear Then?
Shoes such as notorious lift are great shoes for beginners as they provide extra grip, have thin soles and designed to mimic being barefoot. They are fairly light and small, making them easy to transport. However, do not wear them outside of the gym as that would ruin the grip of the shoes!
Final Thoughts
Shoes are very important to your gym journey as you need your feet for balance in almost all compound movements. Even for benching, a bad shoe may hamper your ability to use leg drive. As a powerlifter, a shoe that nerfs your all your SBD performance is simply too high a price to pay despite its aesthetics or other appeal!