Powerlift Equipment Part 1
Squat Shoes
You might be asking what is the best footwear for squat performance in powerlifting?
When Addressing this question the first thing I will say is hard soled! I see all the time and have been guilty of this myself of squatting in a running shoe or a shoe that has a cushioned sole. This is very unideal and possibly even dangerous if your goal is to squat as much weight as possible because when you begin driving your foot into the ground before the force transfer may begin lifting the weight up against gravity you heel will push into the sole of the shoe and this is a waste of energy that could instead go towards moving that heavy ass weight! Also worth note when walking back the weight you won't feel very sturdy to get into position because your heels will be sinking in unracking and every step you take back. Which again is a waste of energy as well as won't exactly make you feel confident to hit that big PR when you're off balance on the walk out unless you're on a monolift i guess!
So this Brings up the next question when if comes to squat shoes; Elevated heel or flat shoes?
So I would like to start by saying I don't think there is anything necessarily wrong with a flat shoe especially if you have the ankle mobility to squat how you would like to squat and you feel good in them go for it! However, I prefer to have a lifted heel shoe and here's why. As a low bar Squatter I find myself already fairly hinged over to being my squat and that my squat is very hip dominant, I find that quite frequently I get out of position and end up folding over more than I already am when I'm wearing a flat shoe. When I'm wearing a shoe with a heel I find it easier to maintain my position and not fold over more when i'm coming out of the hole in squats. I also found when I squatted in a flat soled shoe I had pretty bad hip pain which Im assuming came from this issue but im not completely sure thanks to @movement.matters.yyc this is no longer an issue but I do think switching to a heeled squat shoe helped as well. Now squat shoes can be kinda pricey and I get that but I would say if you get a chance to try them out before purchasing them definitely do that because I think most people will find it advantageous to wear a squat shoe while squatting and will have better positioning! However if you like squatting in a flat shoe, you have good positioning and the shoe has a hard sole go for it some of the best squatters in the world prefer a flat shoe so all the best to you! Happy squatting and hopefully this helps you have a better idea for footwear to hit some big PRs!
Powerlifting Equipment PT2.) Bench Shoes
Well squat shoes the footwear is literally called “Squat Shoes” but how come there's no shoes called “Bench Shoes” it is the coolest lift after all I mean that's how you establish dominance on the play ground “my dad benches more than your dad” so what type of shoes are best for benching?
When benching to get as much leg drive as possible you want your hips to be in what’s known as anterior pelvic tilt which can only be achieved in bench when your heels are as far back as possible.
No if you compete in a federation of powerlifting that doesn’t require you keep your heels on the ground or if you don’t compete at all to get in the best possible hip position you can just go up on your toes but if you compete in 100% RAW or another federation that your heels have to stay on the ground while you bench I’m going to suggest you wear your squat shoes. The elevated heel on your squat shoe will allow you to get your feet further back while keeping your heels on the ground allowing for better leg drive and hip position leading to better back tightness!
Powerlifting Equipment PT3.) deadlift shoes
So what makes up a good deadlift shoe? Well the answer in my opinion is flat! I personally don’t feel there is a place for elevated heeled shoes for deadlift. They put the weight on your toes(the opposite of what you want for a deadlift), they add range of motion, and put you in a awkward position to pull max weights. Sure Olympic Lifter’s May pull in heeled shoes but they’re typically not pulling max weights, they’re focusing on moving the weight fast and they’re wearing the heeled shoes to be in better position to catch a clean or snatch in a squat. None of which apply for powerlifting so if you want to be as good as possible at deadlifts Ditch the squat shoes and save them for squats and bench. Great so now that we’ve talked about what you probably shouldn’t do for foot wear what should you do? Well any flat soled shoe will be fine, I prefer converse all stars but I know a lot of people really like deadlifting in Vans. I however find that my pulls feel best when I’m barefoot so I prefer to train deadlifts in socks. Now if you compete in powerlifting this probably isn’t allowed in competition so if you want to be barefoot you will have to pick up a pair of deadlift slippers! Happy deadlifting! This concludes my posts of powerlifting foot wear!
Powerlifting Equipment PT4.) socks!
So it’s the night before your first meet; you have a million things running through your mind but what socks do you pack??? So in powerlifting there is only really one rule regarding socks and that is that you must wear knee high socks while deadlifting to prevent bleeding on the bar. You can wear whatever socks you want for squats and bench so have fun with it, pack your lucky or favourite pair of socks and crush some PRs! Also worth note it might be worth wearing long socks in training for deadlifts as well if you drag the bar up your shins at all!
