T Nation

Crossfit Oly Shoes

Olympic Lifting
#1

I was failing alot of snatches and a good friend of mine told me that everything was good but i needed more ankle flexibility which could be easily remedied by buying weightlifting shoes. unfortunately in new zealand there are no retail weightlifting shoes.

These are crossfit shoes
http://www.sprintfit.co.nz/product/12651/reebok-crossfit-oly-lifter-u-form-plus-mens-red

does anyone have any knowledge about these? the general opinion on these shoes are that they are middle of the line in pretty much everything.

or should i just save up for a proper weightlifting shoe from overseas?

#2

Try iron edge from Australia.

I know that is still “overseas”, but surely the shipping costs wont be as much as if it was been sent from the US or UK.

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#3

http://www.ironedge.com.au/store/search.php?mode=search&page=1&q=shoes
http://www.qwa.org/Shop.aspx
http://www.undergroundelite.com.au/Weightlifting-Shoes/

I don’t know what the crossfit shoes are like. I have an earlier version of the QWA shoe. It is cheaply made. Which makes it a servicable, cheap, first shoe. I modified the heel for extra lift (long story, old injuries) which makes the shoe heavy…

They are starting to fall apart but I’ve had them for a couple years and used them most days.

I have the white Do-Win’s from Rogue, too, and they are definitely higher quality. Haven’t worn them as much, though, since I haven’t altered the heel.

#4

oh… shoes won’t improve your ankle flexibility - but they will give you a little extra depth without an increase in ankle flexibility.

To get a sense of what you will likely get from them try perching your heels on 2.5kg plates. That will teach you not to jump your feet about!

#5

Of all the Oly shoes to want you go with the Crossfit ones?..

#6

[quote]akmcsnarfy wrote:
Of all the Oly shoes to want you go with the Crossfit ones?..[/quote]

Makes sense brah.

Get what ever is cheaper and more durable.

I burrowed this guys pairs and they were okay. No comment on the durability but my Romaleos are so solid after 5yrs of hard usage and comfy I have a back up pair at home. They look dam pimp as well :slight_smile:

Koing

#7

getting crossfit shoes will allow me to compete in crossfit if i decide to ditch my dignity and pride because they are lighter. im leaning heavily towards just buying romaleos or adipower but being able to wear the shoes before i buy them means alot to me because the last couple of shoes i ordered from overseas had narrow soles, wide soles or it irritated my ankles too much.

ill dig up more information on these before the sale ends on saturday. in the meantime, if anyone has any experience with them please share it with me i would appreciate it.

btw, are xfit shoes allowed in competition?

#8

[quote]mbag012 wrote:
getting crossfit shoes will allow me to compete in crossfit if i decide to ditch my dignity and pride because they are lighter. im leaning heavily towards just buying romaleos or adipower but being able to wear the shoes before i buy them means alot to me because the last couple of shoes i ordered from overseas had narrow soles, wide soles or it irritated my ankles too much.

ill dig up more information on these before the sale ends on saturday. in the meantime, if anyone has any experience with them please share it with me i would appreciate it.

btw, are xfit shoes allowed in competition?

[/quote]

You can where WHATEVER shoes you want in comp.

The pair I borrowed were a size too big for me but they seemed to fit okay for the 5/6 sessions I used them.

Adidas fit is narrower than the Nikes.
Nikes are wider and are more comfy for my feet. I have always had a preference for Nike trainers though.

I have 4 pairs of shoes
Adidas weightlifting shoes from 1999, size 9
AdiStars from 04 Olympics size 9
Nike Romaleos, white, 2007, size 8.5
Nike Romaleos, grey, 2008, size 9.5

Koing

#9

Those crossfit shoes are actually pretty good. They are a definite improvement over the previous versions. I lift with a number of crossfitters who specialize in Olympic lifting, and these are the shoes they seem to gravitate to, outside of Romeleo’s and Adistar’s. As mentioned, the Adidas tend to have a narrower sole, and I can’t wear them due to this. I have Nike’s and absolutely love them. Ordered the same size as I would wear in snug fitting sneakers, and they fit great.

We don’t have retail stores with Olympic shoes in the US either, except some stores are carrying the Reeboks you linked to, so we have to order them too. Just have to get close with fit.

#10

i bet you don’t have to pay so much for shipping, though, if you need to return them.
(that is why i posted links to all the Australian sites i know)
if anyone knows of others I’d be grateful.

#11

The crossfit lifting shoes serve their purpose really well. You can lift in them and they arent completely useless for most other movements that you may see in a metcon. I don’t wear them for running of course, but you can use them for double unders, box jumps, anything with a barbell and many other common movements.

So if you want a good crossfit shoe that you can use for your weightlifting, I’d get that.

If you are just weightlifting I’d get something else.

#12

I have been into working out, weightlifting for a while now and I have never really asked the question; why buy weightlifting shoes? Do they really make that much of a difference to be something worth buying or are they just an accessory that you can get if you want?

#13

[quote]asheyko wrote:
I have been into working out, weightlifting for a while now and I have never really asked the question; why buy weightlifting shoes? Do they really make that much of a difference to be something worth buying or are they just an accessory that you can get if you want?[/quote]

Have you watched any videos of elite Olympic lifters?? World Champs, Euro Champs, Asian Champs, Olympics?? EVERY SINGLE ATHLETE WEARS WEIGHTLIFTING SPECIFIC SHOES. That should tell you something. You may not need to get them immediately, but most coaches will recommend that you get them ASAP.

Weightlifting shoes provide a stable, flat platform for your feet to push against the ground when lifting. This is paramount as any extra movement in your feet, such as rolling or shifting, will cause an unbalanced platform. Would you want to be attempting several hundred pound snatch or clean and jerk when you’re not balanced? The heel also provides a slight mobility advantage to allow the knees to travel forward without putting undue pressure on the knees along with allowing a much more upright/vertical torso while doing the lifts.

Hope this helps explain why you need them. :smiley:

#14

That totally helps, thank you. The next question is which shoe is better? Any brands in particular that have been known to be better quality or performance?

#15

Adidas and Nike

#16

[quote]asheyko wrote:
That totally helps, thank you. The next question is which shoe is better? Any brands in particular that have been known to be better quality or performance?[/quote]

Glad that all made sense.

Almost all are similar in performance except for slight differences in heel height on some, but there is some difference in quality. As mentioned, Nike and Adidas are probably the best in terms of quality. My Nike Rom 1’s (the ones out now are version 2) have lasted almost 2 yrs of 4-6 days a week of lifting and still look pretty new. They broke in nice and provide a very stable platform, however they are a bit heavy on the foot. The Adipowers are lighter, but generally fit a narrower foot, otherwise they’re a similar shoe. Those 2 will run you about $200 a pair. For $100-130 you can go with Pendlay DoWins which fit a slightly wider foot if similar to older models, Adidas Power Perfect II’s (might have limited availability, though), and Risto (possibly some others like Reebok Crossfit Lifter, Again Faster and Inov8 Lifter). For cheaper (take note of term) you can get VS Athletics and Wei Rui, although durability is related to price.

#17

I heard that the Reebok Crossfit Oly Shoes should be the only shoes which are perfected for Crossfit;

http://wlshoes.com/review/reebok-crossfit-oly-weightlifting-shoe/

Other shoes haven’t really got the right balance for crossfit, except for this pair. I.e. a light weighted shoe which is flexible enough for running/walking and stable enough for weightlifting.

But, it’s just what I heard. Never really tested enough shoes to give a reasonable statement on this :wink:

EDIT;
I own the adidas adipower, which I wouldn’t recommend at all for crossfit. Noneoftheless for Olympic weightlifting they’re the best that ever was on my feet :wink:

#18

Has anyone tried the Reebok CrossFit Lifter?