Reasons to NOT Use Oly Shoes for Squats?

Training Powerlifting
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[quote]BigDawg6593 wrote:

[quote]@JC_Tree_Trunks wrote:

[quote]dalle wrote:
i prefer ballet slippers, five fingers og the best you get plain old barefeet or socks. I tried squatting in oly shoes and could not get used to it, i always feel most stable with totally flat feet. And i squat a mix between low bar and oly squat. [/quote]

Wow sounds like we are in the same boat as I squat high bar and narrow, but def use more hips and have more a powerlifting style squat than oly lifters. Have you tried squatting in wrestiling shoes? Because I think that will be my next purchase for deadlifting anyway.

And sorry but you could tell me they add 10 pounds to my squat, but there is no way in hell ima squat in damn ballet shoes! haha, just kidding but maybe not, I think looking like an athlete really helps with the overall mindset which is why im not gonna use my flat skateboarder shoes. They just dont look good with the singlet and socks, I wanna look like ima bout the do work on the platform![/quote]

Don’t discount skate shoes man, my black nikes i mentioned above are basically skate shoes and they work well for me[/quote]

I’ve worn skate shoes for almost all of my squatting for years. I think they are great, but as silly as it is, they just look bad with the whole singlet and socks and what not. I feel like chucks/skate shoes are super solid, which is why i bought the skate shoes, but I want something that makes me look more like an athlete when competing. Its just one of those mental things that i think helps, at least for me enough to adjust accordingly.

I was thinking about changing up the stance a bit just for competition sake. I do feel like I might be able to squeeze a couple extra lbs with a wider stance. I’ll play around with it during these next weeks. Last year i did do a low bar squat at nats and it felt good, I still wasnt real wide, it did feel really solid.

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I can’t say anything bad about O shoes other than the rather questionable look of them. I find they make me feel more stable. My walk out feels stronger and I don’t get any lateral movement of my foot. That may not sound like a big deal but you notice it when you don’t have fight it. Mind you, I have little, skinny feet and the shoes make me feel like I have a solid base.

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[quote]kididaho wrote:

[quote]panzerfaust wrote:
For someone not planning to compete, is there anything wrong with low bar squatting bare foot?[/quote]

Do so at your own risk. I know people that do, but I would stick with a firm, flat soled shoe, like a pair of Chuck Taylors. They are cheap, durable, and perfect for squatting in.

If you want to try barefoot squatting, there’s no law against it, but just keep in mind a few things:

Your bare feet have no protection against falling weights, and exposed toes have the ability to clip and get stubbed on the stupidest things.

If your feet start to sweat, make sure they’re dry, and the surface is dry before you do a set (you don’t want to slip with a lot of weight on your back).

Many people like the ankle support for a high top. Flat footed squats will incorporate way more calf than elevated heel squats, so extra stability isn’t a bad thing.

On the flip side, many people deadlift barefoot, in socks and in slippers. I’ve done all those, and stick with deadlift slippers or my Chucks.

Of course, at the end of the day it all comes down to what you prefer, so try it and see what you think.

[/quote]
Cheers for the extensive reply!

I switched from a 3/4 inch heel raise, to socks, to bare feet.
Bare feet feel the most natural and because I lift on a plywood platform, they actually provide the best grip and seem to help “spread the floor”.

I was mainly asking to get points of view from more experienced lifters than myself, who may have some particular reason why it’s not a good idea. Sounds like it’s simply down to personal preference, which is all good.

I may try Chucks out some time just for interest though… and yes I have had a few encounters with kicking metal objects!

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[quote]novaeer wrote:

Looking good, Tom.[/quote]

Thanks Brian. I’ll have to stop by next time we are up that way.

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Does anyone have the ability to compare oly shoes to some of the shoes made specifically for powerlifting like Crain’s squat shoe which has a 3/4 inch heel?

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I used to squat in chucks and now I have some lower heel shoes (rogue do-win). I really like them.

That being said, what LM said wayyy up about hip mobility is gold. Don’t be lazy with mobility. The reason I really like the squat shoes is because of stability! They just stick to the floor and make you feel locked into place and make walking out big weights much easier. Thats the most important thing IMO.

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[quote]S.Fisher_47 wrote:
Does anyone have the ability to compare oly shoes to some of the shoes made specifically for powerlifting like Crain’s squat shoe which has a 3/4 inch heel?[/quote]

I started competing 12 years ago in Oly shoes, switched to chucks and am now using the Safe shoes. The oly shoes were a little too much of a heel and while I liked the chucks for equipped squatting, they didn’t work so well for me raw – too much stress on my hips with the wide stance. The Safe shoes are just about perfect as they have less of a heel than the Oly shoes and even slightly less than the Crains.