Squat shoes

[z1ggy]

Just squatted. Not sure if I can use these shoes, they are very low cut, I had just about 0 ankle support. Hips felt like shit, too. They really tighten up after hockey, and I've been playing about 4 games per week for the last 2 months. Only did 3 working sets, then switched to leg press on the sled, then hamstring curls. Overall, pretty shit work out.

Plus this weird guy was grilling me the whole time. I can't stand when people watch me lift.

 

[Zivic]

Just squatted. Not sure if I can use these shoes, they are very low cut, I had just about 0 ankle support. Hips felt like shit, too. They really tighten up after hockey, and I've been playing about 4 games per week for the last 2 months. Only did 3 working sets, then switched to leg press on the sled, then hamstring curls. Overall, pretty shit work out.

Plus this weird guy was grilling me the whole time. I can't stand when people watch me lift.

if your hips are tight, get a rumble roller. certain parts of the body are hard to stretch properly and a regular foam roller doesn't cut it.

a proper warmup should help your hips.

I do 5-6 minutes on the recumbent bike, and another 5-6 on the stairmill before I squat. a few sets on the adductor/abductor machine along with a couple sets of jeffereson squats might be what you need.

edit:
speaking of watching people workout. was not at my main gym yesterday. guy was really interested in some of the lifts I was doing. He asked a couple questions, politely without really disrupting my pace. 20 minutes later he just walks right up and says "I gotta ask, do you compete?"... so when they are watchin' what they are really doing is mirin'

 

[z1ggy]

if your hips are tight, get a rumble roller. certain parts of the body are hard to stretch properly and a regular foam roller doesn't cut it.

a proper warmup should help your hips.

I do 5-6 minutes on the recumbent bike, and another 5-6 on the stairmill before I squat. a few sets on the adductor/abductor machine along with a couple sets of jeffereson squats might be what you need.

edit:
speaking of watching people workout. was not at my main gym yesterday. guy was really interested in some of the lifts I was doing. He asked a couple questions, politely without really disrupting my pace. 20 minutes later he just walks right up and says "I gotta ask, do you compete?"... so when they are watchin' what they are really doing is mirin'

My roommate actually has a rumble roller. It's at home though and I'm not going to ask to bring it into work... But I'll try and snag it for at home use.

Will do on the bike stuff. I def need something, my hip flexors are incredibly tight. I'm stretching them daily now.

Yeahhhh except I don't look like you [yet... ]. I think this dude is like, autistic or something. He was grilling me down yesterday too while I was doing chest, he even sat RIGHT next to me, 2ft away. Then started giving me advice and crap...Cant stand that. Unless a dude looking like you or Koing comes up to me and offers help... don't talk to me, I don't need any nonsense spewed at me.

 

[Zivic]

He was just mirin on ya

 

[z1ggy]

I don't get why. I was in sweat pants and a loose fit under armor shirt. First of all, not like I even have anything to really 'mire anyway, but even if I did and I'm just down playing things, I wasn't showing any muscle.

Dude is just weird. Was working out in a collared shirt & jeans, sitting there doing preacher curls.

Hips are tight as balls this morning, too. Have a game tonight, and another Thursday. Going to have to spend a lot of time on the rumble roller..

 

[Zivic]

I don't get why. I was in sweat pants and a loose fit under armor shirt. First of all, not like I even have anything to really 'mire anyway, but even if I did and I'm just down playing things, I wasn't showing any muscle.

Dude is just weird. Was working out in a collared shirt & jeans, sitting there doing preacher curls.

Hips are tight as balls this morning, too. Have a game tonight, and another Thursday. Going to have to spend a lot of time on the rumble roller..

what I am getting at is, have confidence in yourself. No matter where you are at, there are people that would aspire to be at your level. You need to take that to heart without forgetting that aspire to be better.

The guy may have been a social misfit or just some weirdo, but it's OK to have people watch you lift. Some will be legitimately mirin, some thinking this guy is a complete @ss. Take either one as a compliment and keep working hard

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Is there a certain material the heel wedge should be made of? I see the mid range shoes have this "EVA" material, which I have read on powerlifing websites is good, but not the best.

The upper tier shoes don't really list what their wedge is made from (like Nike Romaleos) but I assume it's made from something harder/stiffer than the EVA stuff.

Edit: This is the shoe I am considering right now

I would make sure you try those Adidas' on before you buy. I have wide feet and found them to be quite narrow.

I have these:

http://www.reebok.com/us/reebok-crossfit-lifter-2.0/M40704.html

They are more money, but they are a really excellent powerlifting shoe.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Us youngin'z and our lingo
Edit: Can anybody tell me at what weight the EVA stuff start's to compress? I understand the solid wood/plastic heel is better, but I'm only in the 200's right now for squat, and if the EVA stuff could handle into the 300s, I'm sure I'd be fine for a while.

FYI - EVA means ethylene vinyl acetate, which is an elastomeric copolymer.

As for when it (they wedge of EVA) will compress, that is a question with a complicated answer that will depend on the density of the EVA used, the thickness of the wedge, and whether any reinforcement is used.

Since you are an engineer -

http://sem-proceedings.com/03s/sem....essive-Property-EVA-Foam-High-Strain-Rate.pdf

 

[Sho'Nuff]

I'm going to focus on stretching out my hips and calves a lot more before and after my squat. Main reason for my heels lifting (and feeling like I need the shoes) is lack of mobility.

Suggest that you try olympic wall squats, pigeon stretch and squat therapies. Google them if you need to. They REALLY helped improve my hip mobility, which translated (for me) into big squat gains. Note - it will take a while to see the improvement. Potentially a month of more of daily stretching before you will see noticeable improvements. Duck walking also helps.

 

[z1ggy]

Suggest that you try olympic wall squats, pigeon stretch and squat therapies. Google them if you need to. They REALLY helped improve my hip mobility, which translated (for me) into big squat gains. Note - it will take a while to see the improvement. Potentially a month of more of daily stretching before you will see noticeable improvements. Duck walking also helps.

I will look into these things. Before, when I wasn't playing much puck, I had much less hip mobility issues. Now I have to really make sure I am stretching them every single day.

PS- I glossed over that paper. Seems like the stresses were measured in MPa, which I am way too lazy to convert over into actual useful force in the gym. It also looked like they used just 3.5mm of the EVA material, and these heels are as much as .75''.

Anyway, it's moot because I don't think I'm going to get squat specific shoes. I'd rather work on my mobility in my hips and calves, and grab a pair of the Reebook's that Zivic linked above.

 

[Koing]

I had serious squat form problems back in mid 2013. Koing suggested I do a better warmup stretching routine, as well as get some Olympic weight lifting shoes.

I started all over with the bar once the shoes came in. This was by choice. They felt strange at first but once I got the hang of it, I noticed my form was a lot better and I finally was moving weight up. Knees didn't hurt anymore either. FWIW, I'm quite tall and have long legs, so I stand very wide and point my toes out 30-45 degrees.

Good job!

You shouldn't get the shoes to compensate for mobility in your ankles. You should be able to squat deep without the shoes as with them. Don't do the plate thing. If you go heavy you can roll on the plates depending on their discs shape. Stretch more before and after training and on off days.

They aren't squat shoes really. They are designed for weightlifting. Snatch and Clean and Jerk. The heel is rock solid so it doesn't compress and you can put more power in to the ground.

Adidas weightlifting shoes = narrower and lighter than Nikes. I have ones from 1999 (wore for 5yrs), 04 AdiStars with a wooden heel (wore for 3yrs)

Nike Romaleos from 07 (7yrs of usage and still going strong) and 08 (a few months, I use to keep them at work to just squat in). Romaleos 2 from 2014 (current pair) These are wider than the Adidas shoes, a bit heavier but give more support as the sole is slightly wider.

Heel heights are pretty much exactly the same between the two.

There is very little real difference between the shoes from day to day apart from comfort depending on if you usually wear Adidas shoes or Nikes.

I have had a few friend with Do-Wins and they don't seem to last as long. You probably will get 2-3yrs with training 3x a week in them.

I've seen a lot more of the Adipowers from 2012 have holes and rips in them from lifters. Probably about 5-10% of the people I know with the shoes get rips in them. Nikes I've never seen anyone have holes in them. The whole is usually wear people have their little toes.

If you have the money it's worth buying imo. Get what you can afford as it'll make a big difference in training IMO. I can't remember the last time I squatted in trainers. I did back squat 150kg for 5x5 in flip flops in 2014 though. Flip flops are safer to squat in than running shoes.

The shoes will last many many years and it's only cutting back on a few drinking session for most people.

Koing

 

[Zivic]

Wanted to chime back in here. I used my adipower shoes yesterday for the first time in probably a year or better. in that time, I have significantly narrowed my stance when I squat in an attempt to put more emphasis on quads (vs my hips). I now squat at just inside shoulder width; inside of my feet ~8-9" apart. This discussion had me thinking I should try them again.

they felt really good on my legs. I normally squat below parallel, but as you narrow your stance, it does become harder to go deep without really flaring out your legs at the bottom. the shoes help with that. I did go a bit deeper than normal and with more tension put on my quads. I will have to add that this wasn't all good as I did notice a bit of knee strain at the very bottom - I don't bomb my squats rather I do hold the bottom for a second, sometimes two.

I continued on to leg presses. I have used them before on this machine, but again, not with my narrow foot placement. On the sled I use a foot placement even more narrow than the squats; now at ~4-5" apart. This didn't feel much different than before.

at the end of the day, I plan on using them again. Not on every leg day, but maybe every other or every third. I still brought my favorite crossfit reeboks with me to finish things off. To me that is the real pain in the butt with the oly shoes. I can't warm up properly with them (stairmill) and they aren't ideal for things like stiff leg deads or calf raises, so I need to have another pair of shoes with me.

I have them so I'm trying to get my money's worth out of them

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Why not barefoot? Gym requires shoes?

 

[z1ggy]

Wanted to chime back in here. I used my adipower shoes yesterday for the first time in probably a year or better. in that time, I have significantly narrowed my stance when I squat in an attempt to put more emphasis on quads (vs my hips). I now squat at just inside shoulder width; inside of my feet ~8-9" apart. This discussion had me thinking I should try them again.

they felt really good on my legs. I normally squat below parallel, but as you narrow your stance, it does become harder to go deep without really flaring out your legs at the bottom. the shoes help with that. I did go a bit deeper than normal and with more tension put on my quads. I will have to add that this wasn't all good as I did notice a bit of knee strain at the very bottom - I don't bomb my squats rather I do hold the bottom for a second, sometimes two.

I continued on to leg presses. I have used them before on this machine, but again, not with my narrow foot placement. On the sled I use a foot placement even more narrow than the squats; now at ~4-5" apart. This didn't feel much different than before.

at the end of the day, I plan on using them again. Not on every leg day, but maybe every other or every third. I still brought my favorite crossfit reeboks with me to finish things off. To me that is the real pain in the butt with the oly shoes. I can't warm up properly with them (stairmill) and they aren't ideal for things like stiff leg deads or calf raises, so I need to have another pair of shoes with me.

I have them so I'm trying to get my money's worth out of them

I squat with a pretty wide stance, toes pointed out a decent amount. Just the way my knees and hip bones are (genetically) makes it impossible for me to squat with a narrow-ish stance. I tried actually recently start with a narrow stance and each rep, I moved my feet about 2 inches further apart until I found what actually felt "right".

Turned out to be maybe 3-4 inches further out past shoulder width. I get my Reebok's next week.

 

[Zivic]

Why not barefoot? Gym requires shoes?

nasty... not in a public gym. that said, I've tried it, and I don't find it any better than a decent pair of chucks or the reeboks I wear now

 

[Plugers]

I just lift bare foot, although I lift in my basement so that may not be an option for people at the gym.

 

[Koing]

Wanted to chime back in here. I used my adipower shoes yesterday for the first time in probably a year or better. in that time, I have significantly narrowed my stance when I squat in an attempt to put more emphasis on quads (vs my hips). I now squat at just inside shoulder width; inside of my feet ~8-9" apart. This discussion had me thinking I should try them again.

they felt really good on my legs. I normally squat below parallel, but as you narrow your stance, it does become harder to go deep without really flaring out your legs at the bottom. the shoes help with that. I did go a bit deeper than normal and with more tension put on my quads. I will have to add that this wasn't all good as I did notice a bit of knee strain at the very bottom - I don't bomb my squats rather I do hold the bottom for a second, sometimes two.

I continued on to leg presses. I have used them before on this machine, but again, not with my narrow foot placement. On the sled I use a foot placement even more narrow than the squats; now at ~4-5" apart. This didn't feel much different than before.

at the end of the day, I plan on using them again. Not on every leg day, but maybe every other or every third. I still brought my favorite crossfit reeboks with me to finish things off. To me that is the real pain in the butt with the oly shoes. I can't warm up properly with them (stairmill) and they aren't ideal for things like stiff leg deads or calf raises, so I need to have another pair of shoes with me.

I have them so I'm trying to get my money's worth out of them

I think the issue will be getting use to them.

The heel hight will add more stress to your knees as you now can probably get your knees out further over your toes than with your wider squat. Also a narrow squat will for most people allow them more to go deeper and more upright = more knees over toes.

And as you're not use to it it will be a learning curve to get your knees use to it. And you are shifting heavier weights than most people.

Koing

 

[TheVrolok]

I bought a pair of rogue do-wins 3 or 4 years ago and they're still hanging in there.

Same goes for me.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

nasty... not in a public gym. that said, I've tried it, and I don't find it any better than a decent pair of chucks or the reeboks I wear now

I never bought them but I am having recollections of reading about them a year or two ago. I almost bought some but couldn't swallow the price tag.

I'm trying to get into weights again (lifting 1-2 times a week now) but am having a thought go at it. My kids are 7 and 10 and every day they have an activity and I usually just want to relax at the end of the night. Might try to morning exercise but with our family schedule, I'm looking at getting up at 4 or 5 am to do that.

Back to shoes. I can't even remember models. I remember that the ones I wanted had higher heals and the whole point was that it could help with form when squatting heavy. I can't even remember if you are supposed to use them with deadlift.

 

[z1ggy]

Would you boss let you lift during lunch? Or even clock out mid day if you think it'll be longer than 30 mins?

Also, high heel for dead lift isn't a great idea. You want to be as close to the ground as possible.

 

[Zivic]

I hit legs yesterday. No barbell sqauts. Only goblet squats/sled with curls and extensions. Used my Crossfit shoes. Not sure if its the shoes, but my legs are starting to come around. This is @ 203 lbs

 

[DalonFalco]

When I was doing a lot of squats, dead lifts, standing shoulder presses I'd wear my rock climbing shoes. I found my other shoes had too much give in the soles and would throw off my balance significantly (I have other issues that cause some of that too to do with not having feeling in part of one of my legs). Rock climbing shoes let me feel everything and also helped me know when I was in an incorrect stance by pressure feel on my foot. I know a few others who went the same route and are still doing the same years later. I had to quit for a while and plan to get back into it this summer.

 

[Zivic]

When I was doing a lot of squats, dead lifts, standing shoulder presses I'd wear my rock climbing shoes. I found my other shoes had too much give in the soles and would throw off my balance significantly

I watch a lot of people attempt to squat in running shoes. like doing squats on a mattress.

 

[Manach]

I've also been using the Reebok Crossfit Lite TR and have found them very solid and comfortable for Squats and Deads, and general use at the gym. I have wide feet and they feel very good.

 

[Koing]

I hit legs yesterday. No barbell sqauts. Only goblet squats/sled with curls and extensions. Used my Crossfit shoes. Not sure if its the shoes, but my legs are starting to come around. This is @ 203 lbs

Nice wheels!

People are better using flip flops rather than trainers for squats imo. Way too much give in trainers to squat heavy.

Koing