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The gym shoe rethink / 4 minute read
5 reasons lifters choose barefoot shoes for the gym.
You check the weight on the bar. But what about the shoe between you and the floor?
Your gym shoes are part of your setup. For lifting, room for your toes, a level base and freedom to move make a practical difference to how your shoes fit and feel.
A wide, low profile barefoot shoe brings those features together. Research also links regular minimalist footwear use with stronger foot muscles. Here are five reasons to take a closer look.
More room for your stance.
A wide toe box gives your toes room to spread instead of pressing them into a tapered front. That extra space lets you settle into your stance without the shoe crowding your toes.
Unlike simply buying a longer shoe, a wider forefoot gives you room where you need it. Pair that with a secure heel and you have space up front without a loose fit.
A level base for your lifts.
Zero drop puts your heel and forefoot at the same height. No added heel elevation. It gives you a flat starting position for deadlifts, standing presses and kettlebell work.
That straightforward geometry is the appeal: set your feet, establish your stance and begin your lift from a level base.
Closer to the floor for deadlifts.
A low profile sole puts less height beneath your stance. For a pull that starts on the floor, sole height is part of the distance between your starting position and lockout.
Barefoot deadlifts involved less bar travel and less mechanical work. Valenzuela and colleagues measured this in conventional and sumo deadlifts at 70% of one rep max. The barefoot condition also had a shorter lifting time than the shod condition.1
Research has measured faster force development during barefoot deadlifts. In a study of experienced male lifters, barefoot lifting produced a higher rate of force development and less side-to-side pressure movement than lifting in shoes.5
Freedom to bend and move.
Warmups, lunges and mobility work all involve bending through the foot. A flexible shoe bends with those positions, giving you freedom to move through the different parts of your session.
Flex through the sole. Room through the forefoot. Those two features make the shoe easy to move in, from your first warmup to your final stretch.
Build foot strength through everyday movement.
Regular minimalist footwear use has increased foot strength in peer-reviewed studies. In Curtis and colleagues’ six-month study, 22 adults using minimalist footwear for daily activities increased their toe-flexor strength by an average of 57.4% from their starting measurements. Participants wore the study shoes for at least 70% of their shod time, six days per week.2
Ridge and colleagues randomly assigned 57 runners to minimalist-shoe walking, foot exercises or a control group. After eight weeks, the walking group increased foot-muscle size and strength, with gains comparable to the foot-exercise group.3
Make the switch one session at a time.
Start with shorter, lighter sessions as you get used to minimal footwear. For deep squats and Olympic lifting, dedicated shoes with a firm raised heel remain a useful specialist option.4
From this guide’s sponsor
Meet your next gym pair.
Barevon Original brings together a wide toe box, a zero drop base, a flexible textile upper and a textured rubber outsole. Explore the colours and find your size for your next session.
Explore Barevon OriginalView current pricing and availability on the product page.
Sources & context
- Footwear Affects Conventional and Sumo Deadlift Performance, Sports, 2021.
- Curtis et al. Daily activity in minimal footwear increases foot strength, Scientific Reports, 2021.
- Ridge et al. Walking in Minimalist Shoes Is Effective for Strengthening Foot Muscles, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2019.
- The effects of squatting footwear on three-dimensional lower limb and spine kinetics, Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 2016.
- Hammer et al. Shod vs. Barefoot Effects on Force and Power Development During a Conventional Deadlift, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2018.
Study details: foot-strength findings concern daily wear and walking in the study footwear; the deadlift study compared barefoot and shod lifting. These studies did not test Barevon.