I used to be a wrestler and I've been weight training for a little over a year now. I recently discovered that some serious weight trainers lift wearing wrestling shoes. Why? Well it's important to know how I'm defining "serious weight trainers" in this article. Really, I'm just referring to those individual who aren't hitting the gym just to work on their biceps. I'm talking about the people who go in doing the old time strong training like squats and dead lifts.
So why wrestling shoes? Well the simple reason is because of how minimal the sole is. When you lift it is important that you are stable under foot, but it's also important that you don't lose your arch and you can control the position of your ankles. Wrestling shoes make this really easy because it's pretty close to being barefoot. That natural feeling makes it easier to control your body. In fact some lifters will go barefoot when doing a really heavy dead lift. That's how some of the old olympians did it in competition back in the day.
Some athletic shoes attempt to give you a lot of cusion and even create a cushioned platform for your heal to rest on. This can create instability and make doing heavy lifts dangerous.
Which Wrestling Shoe Is Best For Weight Training?
Not all wrestling shoes are created equal. I've worn some that were in fact a little unstable and caused some degree of pronation (that's when your foot rolls to one side a little putting more pressure on the sides then on the bottom… not good). You want to look for a wrestling shoe that allows your foot to lie flat and stable on the ground without losing your arch. Most should work pretty well. Adidas makes quality wrestling shoes and is my go to brand. Also be careful about the tread on the bottom. Some wrestling shoes have a tendency to be a little slippery. It's something you wouldn't notice on a wrestling mat, but can be pretty important when weight training.
