Weightlifting shoes

Choosing the right weightlifting shoes can make all the difference in your lifts. In this article you will find an updated guide with the best 2025 models, what to consider before buying and recommendations according to your level and type of training.

What are weightlifting shoes?

They are technical footwear designed for Olympic lifts such as snatch PR or clean & jerkand strength exercises such as squats or presses.

Unlike a CrossFit shoe, they offer:

• Raised heel to compensate for lack of ankle mobility
• Stiff outsole provides stability and force transfer
• Robust materials for maximum durability

Benefits of wearing weightlifting shoes

• Increased stabilitythanks to the hard and flat sole, which avoids displacements.
• Best techniqueThe drop makes it easier to maintain a more upright position in squats and deadlifts.
• Force transferThe energy is transmitted directly to the ground in the absence of damping.
• Injury preventionreduce the risk of ankle or knee collapse due to inadequate footwear.
• Reliability under loadfeeling firm allows you to lift more confidently.
• High durabilityIt is a shoe that hardly suffers from wear, it is not like a shoes for wods and chances are that once you buy it you will have shoes for life

Comparison 2025: best weightlifting shoes by feature

How to choose your weightlifting shoes

Level of experience

• Beginner: you are looking for comfort, versatility and good price.
• Advanced / competitor: prioritizes stiffness, support and high drop.

Type of training

• Pure weightliftingStiff-soled, high-drop shoes (Romaleos, Adipower, TYR).
• CrossFit / mixedmodels with a little more flexibility (Savaleos, Lifter PR III, Power Perfect, XERO, UA Reign Lifter, Reebok Lifter PR III).

3. Budget

• Models between 100 € and 150 € offer good overall performance.
• The most technical and professional ones start at 200 €.

Analysis by brand

Nike

• Romaleos 4Double strap, rigid sole, excellent stability. For advanced athletes.
• SavaleosLighter, more versatile. Good entry point for CrossFitters.

ROMALEOS 4 - The most recent model of Romaleos, which is more reminiscent of the design of the Romaleos 2 that were so successful. Even after the appearance of a newer model (Romaleos 3) many athletes were still looking for where to buy the Romaleos 2now discontinued.

Good news for those of you looking for that sturdy shoe. If you want a weightlifting-only shoe, these are the ones you're looking for.

SAVALEOS - It is the first model of this Nike collection launched in 2021 and fills the gap that existed between the Romaleos and the Metcon. We can say that it is a hybrid shoedesigned especially for those who instead of training only weightlifting, do CrossFit wods.

Reebok

Lifter PR IIIUpdated, resistant, good balance between support and mobility.

Adidas

• Adipower 3High performance, great support, premium materials.
• Power Perfect 3intermediate alternative, comfortable and efficient for general use.

Under Armour

Reign LifterGood choice if you train strength occasionally. More limited in stiffness.

TYR

L-2 LifterTechnical improvements over the previous model. Better grip and comfort.

XERO

Forza Trainerfor barefoot enthusiasts. It is vegan, more economical, suitable for regular training without competition.

If you don't like the feeling of your feet being heavy or your feet being compressed, I recommend you give XERO's Forza Trainer a try..

These shoes respect the natural shape of your foot, making them very comfortable.

We tend to place a lot of trust in our traditional weightlifting shoes for deadlifts but would not be the first time we have seen spectacular lifts in other types of footwear..

Recommendations according to your profile

• Beginner / CrossFit mixed: Savaleos, Power Perfect 3, Reign Lifter
• Intermediate / frequency 2-3 times per week: Lifter PR III, XERO Forza
• Advanced / competitionRomaleos 4, Adipower 3, TYR L-2 Lifter