Choosing Footwear for Training

By Emil Chang and Daniel Jauregui

The key considerations for choosing training footwear are the tasks you’re trying to accomplish and the mechanics of your feet. We can divide most training shoes into two general categories based on the activities they’re best suited to: lifting and running.

Lifting Footwear
In strength training, we’re looking for the most stability possible. There’s a reason we squat heavy on very solid ground and not on yoga balls; this logic should carry over to your shoes. For lifting, the most optimal shoe will be one that doesn’t compress and that gives your feet a solid connection to the floor. This leads to two main options for strength training: minimalist shoes and weightlifting shoes.

Minimalist shoes provide the minimum amount of support possible so that you can press through the ground effectively. Additionally, they are relatively flat and have larger toe boxes. Having a flat sole allows your feet to maintain its arches while the toe box gives your toes more ability to spread. Generally, these are good shoes for individuals who spend most of their training time lifting, but also for anyone looking to improve the function of their feet and connection to the floor.

Below are a few minimalist shoe options that you may want to look into if you’re still lifting in very squishy shoes.

Minimalist Shoes:

• Newbalance Minimus
• Reebok Nano
• Nike Metcon
• Lems
• Merell
• Nobull (I don’t know what part of this should be capitalized because it’s a dumb name)

Note the first time you wear a more minimal shoe, you may find that your feet are sore for the first few days. This is a common effect and is a result of the musculature of your foot finally being used to stabilize your arches instead of just collapsing into some cushiony support. So... when changing shoes, be cautious. To lessen the likelihood of injury, wear them for short periods of time, over time. It may take anywhere from weeks to months to acclimate to the new shoes depending on the strength of your foot and type of shoe previously worn.

The other subcategory of shoes for strength training is actual weightlifting shoes. These are specialist shoes designed specifically to optimize your leverages in squatting and the olympic lifts (snatch and clean). They do so by providing a sole that is virtually non-compressible and an elevated heel. If you’re looking to get more serious about lifting, they may be something to look into, but they are by no means a necessity for the average training population. If you do ever decide to use them, understand that these shoes aren’t for walking around in or doing bicep curls; they serve a very specific purpose: maximizing your force output. With that said, these shoes are an excellent option for anyone hoping to improve their squatting mechanics/strength.




Running Footwear:
There is a slight controversy in the running world regarding running shoes. Should you wear thin, minimalist shoes without much cushion and zero heel drop (height difference between the heel and toe) or traditional running shoes with plenty of cushion? The answer is it depends, which is unsatisfying yet true. 



The first option, minimalist shoes, can work very well for running when good mechanics are utilized. A detailed discussion of mechanics leaves the scope of the post, but when using minimalist shoes you essentially want your foot to strike towards the ball of the foot and underneath your center of gravity. This allows the natural spring-like shock absorption system that your lower body possesses to take effect.

The more common running pattern people gravitate towards is a heel strike with the foot reaching out in front of the body. This method puts a tremendous amount of strain on your joints and musculature as there is little to no shock absorption happening each time the foot hits the floor. Instead, this is where a second shoe option comes into play.

Traditional running shoes allow relatively injury-free running and can accommodate various biomechanical restrictions thanks to the significant degree of support they provide. They possess cushioned soles that absorb impact and can be beneficial for runners with a strong heel strike. However, the high heel drop perpetuates this heel-strike and the cushion limits full foot engagement.

The shoe you select ultimately depends on your own mechanics and feet. If you’re currently a traditional shoe-wearer and want to transition to minimalist, consider easing into it and allowing yourself time to acclimate to the reduced support. And don’t do it if you aren’t simultaneously trying to improve your running technique. Running with a pronounced heel strike in minimalist shoes can and likely will lead to chronic lower extremity issues. 

It’s important to note that shoe selection for various tasks is significant, but spending time outside of those shoes is equally important. Becoming dependent on shoes that you feel comfortable with is easy. However, spending more time barefoot can help your foot maintain much of its strength and form and can prevent the development of many issues.

Check out this playlist for some foot strengthening exercises.

Shoe Preferences from some of your Fitwell Trainers:

Elisa Terry (Expert Witness) - “As you can see, I wear Newbalance Minimus.”

Liz Au (Personal Training Coordinator) - “For running I like Brooks. For anything else, Chucks. I like to swim barefoot.”

KC Reischerl (Former Broadway Actor) - “I use Nanos for lifting, and Asics for Cardio. I have wide feet and am on my feet all day so I spare no expense.”

Vikram Prathap (Trainer) - “I wear Nobulls. Or something flat. I can ball in anything.”

Cindy Engle (Trainer) - “My favorite shoe for working out is the Reebok Nano 2.0. It’s light, flat, and a little wide. I feel supported during Olympic Lifts, can perform plyometrics in them, and at the same time I can run short distances and feel good.”

Rob Sanchez (Trainer) - “For sprinting I warm up with no shoes then switch to Vibrams. For lifting, I use flat shoes like Metcons or even go barefoot.”

Justin Lui (Trainer) - “For weightlifting I use Vans or Converse. Especially for deadlifting. I like a flat shoe but I can squat in anything cause I’m pretty mobile. I don’t do cardio.”

Em Chang (Filmmaker) - “I’ve worn Crossfit Nanos for the last six years. They’re good for lifting and if I ever happen to do short running, they’re fine for that. Plus they look okay.”