Squat Shoes Are Ruining Your Squat

Most people who are interesting in strength training eventually consider buying olympic weightlifting shoes as a way to enhance their squat. However, these shoes might actually be hindering how quickly your squat progresses. In today's video we take a look at some major problems of utilizing this equipment too early on.

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[jasondobson]

I've been squatting barefoot for years, coupled with the advice of "squat down like you're taking a shit" for foot placement. Since then, my form has improved, I have no pain, and my numbers have increased.

[MichaelKory]

The best solution is just not to squat!!!

[DigitalCable]

Currently going back to flats after 6 years. Feels good. Started tipping forward at heavier loads in heels, so going back.

[gregors]

Anecdote: my squat mobility actually got better after months of squatting on wedges. That said, I have more of an issue managing my centre of mass; less than it was a leverage issue. Front squats or goblets can help too. And letting the foot pronate.

But you’re spot on, as beginners we all think that spending money is the solution when it rarely is, it’s all about learning and experience at the end of the day.

[thebionicman]

Love the insight Brandon. I actually have had to go the opposite way and use squat shoes. I had a lot of problems with keeping my feet from moving in flat shoes vans/no bull trainers. I find that the squat shoe keeps my foot locked in and they keep my foot from rolling. I so wanted to not wear the squat shoes but it was holding me back not wearing them. Keep up the good work I love your content.

[HughLeFitness]

Good point. I squatted many years with chucks and then switched to adipowers for many years afterwards. The toebox is so narrow that I don't even engage my toes at all but focus on my midfoot and heel when getting out of the hole.

[andrewtanczyk]

3:00

Narrow in the toe box?

Yep, the TYR L-1 Lifters will solve that. Best pair of squatting shoes I got so far. Inov8 are great yet narrow.

[SimonChango]

I went barefoot with the creation of my home gym after COVID shutdowns. I'd been lifting for 10 years at that point and bought heeled shoes early on, which did help with my ankle mobility then but nowadays my ankle mobility is fine to hit deep squats. I cue the same as you with clawing my feet to the floor and found they were the biggest help in my stability during the squat. The proprioceptive feedback with barefoot ends up working really well for me, so I do barefoot at home, or when I'm traveling and need a public gym I use barefoot style shoes now for that proper foot splay.

I'm not a barefoot shoe evangelist but am pretty convinced for my use about their function over form. I just came back from my trip to Europe where I was constantly walking and only brought two pairs of barefoot shoes (wider toebox and minimal cushion). My foot fatigue at the arch of my foot that I've historically had wearing "normal" adidas ultraboosts was far more tolerable.

[herrnoname.]

Thank you - switched to flats a few years ago and oh wonder my Squat improved in technique and strength. Blessings👍

[joel]

For my first few years of lifting, I would do all three lifts in a pair of Chucks. I ended up having a nagging hip injury that was effecting my squat and one of the (many) changes I made was switching to heels. I couldn't tell you if the heels contributed to my recovery, but they're part of my routine now so they're here to stay. 😅 Also, I find that the thicker soul helps me keep my feet flat on bench.

[beetraham]

I would say that dropping squat shoes off a couple of execise session back for the sake of barefoot squatting (high bar squat) dramatically improved the overall mobility in my case - i.e. making it easier to go ATG without folding the lower back in the very bottom part of the movement due to kept firm high bar squat position. In my case barefoot squatting also seems to be able to produce improved quads activation, which feels as a tasty pump even with moderate loads.

As for the performance increase/decrease, a sanity check set of 5x180kg feels pretty much the same, though I do sense that it will for sure take some rounds for the nervous system to catch up with the altered movement - especially shown by the sets brought near ( or unintentionally to ) failure.

All in all: - the change feels so good that I do not consider it propable to return back to using squat shoes. What a wonderful and refreshing subjective discovery. A happy squatter says cheers to All!

[murfenator]

My subconscious while watching this video: "im gonna toss my squat shoes and put 50lbs on the bar in just a few sessions!" LOL

[twistedbarbell]

Excellent topic and spot on! I started training without shoes late last year and it has been great for me. I now squat barefoot (felt a little awkward putting on my shoes for the comp in March) and feel better connected and my depth is consistently good.

[fuzzylogiceire]

Do you feel the same way in regards to high bar squats or is this purely from a low bar perspective?

[JustinRudd]

My first couple of years I didn’t use shoes or belt. Just good old Converse with the hard rubber sole. Then I got a coach, and he pushed me to get raised heel shoes. I can’t prove it, but I think the shoes messed up my knee. The shoes changed my mechanics. I ditched the shoes and go barefoot now. Knee still hurts (I messed it up real good), but I do what I can. Ditched the coach as well 🙂 So now the only time I wear shoes is during the warmup because I jump rope, and I’m terrible at it. Rope hitting your bare toes is not enjoyable.

[sheridansigstad]

I did heels for a while (~1"), then flats, and now back to a smaller heel (0.5"). Although I feel more planted in the flats I do find my back rounds much less with the small heel. SO its a small heel for now haha.

[StephColbertsonStrength]

This hits close to home. I relied heavily on heels to make up for my less than ideal squat mechanics.

Then I dropped a sumo deadlift on my toes and broke 2 of em. Then I had to go to a flat, wide toe-box shoe, for squatting for a while.

My squat blew up. Took my adductors some time to not feel fried after squatting as whatever I was doing previously must not have been utilizing them well.

I’ll use weightlifting shoes sometimes in certain circumstances but my squat is forever improved because of that time away from them.

[bmstylee]

I like my Romealos 2. I've had them for about 7 years. I was really deep into weightlifting and doing snatch and c&j without them isn't optimal. So at this point I just prefer them for everything but deadlift.

[JoelP]

I actually feel more connected to the ground in my Bearfoot shoes. I still use my heeled shoes about half the time, I’m about ready to ditch them though. I’ve used Olympic lifting shoes for about 10 years.

[pwprochazka]

Started with generic sporting shoes (that was a sloppy mess). then went barefoot for a while. Eventually got wedges. I got tired of my feet getting knocked around in the gym. Now the squat shoes (TYR) prevent me from F-ing up my feet, gives me better range of motion without the wedges, and provides a solid base.