Best shoes for squats and deadlifts

You’re squatting 80kg and something feels off. Your heels want to rise. Your weight shifts to your toes. You feel unstable at the bottom of the squat. You assume it’s a form problem or a mobility issue.

It might be your shoes.

Footwear is one of the most overlooked variables in strength training. The wrong shoes don’t just feel bad - they actively limit how much weight you can lift on the key compound lifts and increase your risk of injury. The right shoes can improve your squat overnight.

The short answers

What should I squat in if I only own sneakers? It depends on the sneaker. Flat, firm-soled sneakers (canvas high-tops, skate shoes, low-profile gym trainers) are fine, and plenty of strong people never squat in anything else. Cushioned running sneakers are the problem. If cushioned sneakers are all you have, squat in socks until you can get something flat, provided your gym allows it.

Should I deadlift in heeled weightlifting shoes? Generally no. The raised heel lifts you further from the floor, which makes the pull longer, and it shifts your weight toward your toes. Deadlift in flat, thin-soled shoes or in socks, and keep the heeled shoes for squats.

What should I buy first? One pair of flat, hard-soled shoes covers every lift in a 5x5 program. Heeled weightlifting shoes are a later upgrade for a specific squat problem, not a starting requirement.

Lift	Good choice	Works	Avoid
Squat (low-bar)	Flat, firm sole	Weightlifting shoes, socks	Cushioned running shoes
Squat (high-bar, or tight ankles)	Weightlifting shoes	Flat, firm sole	Cushioned running shoes
Deadlift	Socks, deadlift slippers, thin flat sole	Canvas sneakers	Weightlifting shoes, running shoes
Bench press	Any flat sole with grip	Weightlifting shoes	Slippery or worn-smooth soles
Barbell row	Flat, firm sole	Weightlifting shoes	Cushioned running shoes
Overhead press	Flat, firm sole or weightlifting shoes	Socks	Cushioned running shoes

The rest of this article explains why.

Why shoes matter for lifting

When you squat or deadlift, force travels from the barbell through your body, through your feet, and into the floor. Your shoes are the interface between you and the ground. What happens at that interface matters enormously.

Force transfer

Every millimeter of compressible material between your foot and the floor absorbs energy that should be going into moving the barbell. A soft foam sole acts like a shock absorber - great for running, terrible for lifting.

When you push 100kg into the ground during a squat, you want 100% of that force to move you and the bar upward. A soft sole compresses under load, absorbing energy, delaying force transfer, and making you work harder for the same result.

Stability

A stable base is fundamental to heavy lifting. Your feet are your contact points with the ground, and they need to be solid.

Soft-soled shoes compress unevenly under heavy loads. This creates micro-shifts in your balance throughout the lift. Your body compensates unconsciously by activating stabilizer muscles, but this reduces the force available for actually moving the weight. Worse, uneven compression can push your ankles into unstable positions.

A hard, flat sole gives you a predictable, stable platform. Push into the ground and the ground pushes back. No energy lost. No balance shifts.

Heel height and squat mechanics

This is where shoe choice gets nuanced. The height of your heel relative to your toes changes the mechanics of your squat.

A raised heel effectively increases your ankle dorsiflexion (how far your knee can travel forward over your toes). This allows:

• A more upright torso position
• Greater squat depth with less ankle mobility required
• More quad-dominant mechanics

A flat heel keeps your foot neutral and is better suited for:

• Deadlifts (you want to be as close to the ground as possible)
• Low-bar squats (which use more hip hinge and less ankle flexion)
• Lifters who already have good ankle mobility

The shoe categories

Running shoes: the worst option

Let’s get this out of the way first. If you’re currently squatting and deadlifting in running shoes, switching to literally any other option on this list will be an immediate improvement.

Running shoes are engineered for shock absorption during repetitive impact. They feature:

• Thick, soft foam midsoles (often 20-30mm of compressible material)
• Elevated, curved heels designed for heel-strike running
• Flexible soles that bend and twist
• Air or gel cushioning systems

Every one of these features is a liability under a heavy barbell. The soft sole compresses unpredictably. The elevated heel alters your center of gravity. The flexibility means your foot can shift inside the shoe mid-lift. The cushioning absorbs force you need for the lift.

If you take nothing else from this article: stop squatting in running shoes.

Squatting in sneakers: which kinds are fine

“Sneakers” covers everything from canvas high-tops to max-cushion running shoes, and they behave very differently under a barbell. What matters is the sole, not the label.

Fine to squat in:

• Canvas sneakers and skate shoes with a flat vulcanised rubber sole. Thin, firm, no heel-to-toe drop to speak of.
• Firm, low-profile gym or cross-training shoes. These are built with a denser, flatter sole than running shoes so that they stay put under load.
• Minimalist or barefoot-style shoes. Very thin sole, zero drop.

A problem:

• Cushioned running shoes, for all the reasons above.
• Anything with an air, gel or foam unit in the heel. That is a spring under the exact spot you are trying to push through.
• Rocker soles (curved from heel to toe). They are designed to roll you forward, which is the opposite of what you want at the bottom of a squat.
• Very thick “stacked” soles, even firm ones. The higher you stand, the easier it is for the ankle to roll.

Two quick checks you can do with the shoes you already own:

1. Thumb test. Press hard into the heel from the inside. If it barely gives, good. If your thumb sinks in, the sole will compress under the bar.
2. Twist test. Hold the heel and toe and wring the shoe like a towel. A lifting-friendly sole resists. A running sole twists easily.

If your sneakers pass, squat in them. If they fail and you can’t buy anything yet, socks on a clean platform beat soft shoes.

Flat shoes: the all-around workhorse

Flat-soled shoes are the most popular choice for general strength training and for good reason. They provide a hard, stable, minimally-cushioned platform that works well for every lift in a 5x5 program.

Converse Chuck Taylors are the iconic choice. They have:

• A flat, thin rubber sole (approximately 10mm)
• Incompressible material that doesn’t deform under load
• No cushioning or arch padding to sink into
• Canvas uppers that are light and unrestrictive

They’ve been the default powerlifting shoe for decades for good reason: they work, they’re cheap, and they’re available everywhere. The one common complaint is the fit: they run narrow, so lifters with wide feet often prefer a skate shoe or a minimalist shoe with a roomier toe box.

Other flat shoe options:

• Wrestling shoes: Thin sole, flat, lightweight, excellent ground feel. Many competitive deadlifters prefer these.
• Vans Old Skool: Similar flat sole profile to Chucks. Slightly wider fit.
• Barefoot/minimalist shoes (Vivobarefoot, Xero, etc.): Extremely thin soles with zero drop. Maximum ground feel. More expensive but excellent for lifting.
• Deadlift slippers: Essentially a thin piece of rubber with a sock attached. Minimal sole height. Competition-legal. Only useful for deadlifts - you wouldn’t want to walk around the gym in these.

Best for: Deadlifts, low-bar squats, barbell rows, overhead press, and general 5x5 training.

Weightlifting shoes: the squat specialist

Weightlifting shoes (also called squat shoes or Oly shoes) are purpose-built for squatting and Olympic lifting. Their defining feature is a raised, incompressible heel typically made of hard plastic or stacked leather.

Key features:

• Raised heel: Usually 0.75 to 1 inch (19-25mm). Allows greater ankle dorsiflexion.
• Hard, incompressible sole: Wood, hard plastic, or TPU. Zero energy loss.
• Metatarsal strap: Secures your foot tightly to the shoe for zero internal movement.
• Wide, stable base: The sole is wider than the shoe for maximum stability.

The raised heel is transformative for many squatters. If you’ve ever struggled with squat depth, felt your torso pitching too far forward, or had your heels rise during squats, weightlifting shoes may solve these issues immediately.

Popular options:

• Nike Romaleos (4 or 3): The most popular option. 20mm heel. Solid all-around shoe. $100-200.
• Adidas Adipower: The other major contender. Slightly narrower fit. 20mm heel. $100-200.
• Reebok Legacy Lifter: Good budget-to-mid option. 22mm heel. $90-150.
• Do-Win: Budget option popular in CrossFit boxes. 19mm heel. $70-100.

Best for: High-bar squats, front squats, overhead press, and lifters with limited ankle mobility.

Not ideal for: Deadlifts (the raised heel increases the range of motion and moves your center of gravity forward). Most lifters who own weightlifting shoes switch to flat shoes or go barefoot for deadlifts.

Barefoot and socks

Lifting barefoot or in socks deserves its own category because it’s a legitimate option that costs nothing.

Benefits:

• Maximum ground contact and proprioception (you can feel exactly where your weight is distributed)
• Zero heel elevation
• Shortest possible distance to the floor (important for deadlifts, where every millimeter counts)
• Free

Drawbacks:

• Some gyms don’t allow it (check your gym’s policy)
• Hygiene concerns on shared gym floors
• No heel elevation for squats
• No protection if you drop a plate on your foot

For deadlifts specifically, many experienced lifters consider barefoot to be the ideal setup. You’re as close to the ground as possible, you have complete ground feel, and there’s nothing between your foot and the floor to absorb force.

For squats, barefoot works if you have adequate ankle mobility. If you struggle with depth in flat shoes, barefoot won’t help - you’d benefit more from a raised heel.

Matching shoes to lifts

Here’s a practical guide for each exercise in the 5x5 program.

Squat

The squat benefits most from intentional shoe choice.

• If you squat high-bar (bar on traps, more upright torso): Weightlifting shoes are ideal. The raised heel helps you stay upright and reach depth.
• If you squat low-bar (bar on rear delts, more forward lean): Flat shoes work well. The more horizontal back angle means you need less ankle dorsiflexion.
• If you’re not sure which style you squat: Start with flat shoes. If you consistently struggle with depth or feel your heels rising, try weightlifting shoes.

Deadlift

The deadlift almost universally benefits from flat or minimal footwear.

• Best option: Barefoot, deadlift slippers, or flat shoes like Chucks
• Worst option: Weightlifting shoes (raised heel adds range of motion and shifts your weight forward)
• The logic: You want to be as close to the ground as possible with a flat foot position

If you use weightlifting shoes for squats, bring flat shoes or go barefoot for deadlifts. Many lifters at gyms that allow it simply take their shoes off for deadlift sets.

Why heeled shoes work against the deadlift

The same heel that helps your squat hurts your pull, for two reasons:

1. It makes the lift longer. The bar’s height is fixed by the plates, but a 19-25mm heel makes you stand that much taller. You have to reach further down to grip it and pull it further to lock out, on every rep.
2. It moves your balance forward. A deadlift is strongest with the bar over the middle of your foot and your weight spread across the whole foot. A raised heel tilts you toward your toes, which makes it harder to keep the bar close and to push the floor away through your heels and midfoot.

A few lifters do pull in heeled shoes on purpose, usually because they like the extra knee bend off the floor. That is a personal exception, not a starting point. If you are learning the deadlift, learn it flat.

In a 5x5 program this comes up every Workout B, where you squat first and deadlift last. If you squat in heeled shoes, change (or slip them off) before the deadlift. It takes a minute and you are resting between lifts anyway.

Bench press

Shoes matter less for bench press since you’re lying down, but your feet are still in contact with the ground providing leg drive. A flat, grippy sole is preferred. Running shoes can actually cause your feet to slide during heavy bench sets.

Barbell row and overhead press

Either flat shoes or weightlifting shoes work fine. These movements aren’t as sensitive to heel height as squats and deadlifts.

The practical approach for 5x5 beginners

If you’re just starting a 5x5 program and you’re wearing running shoes, here’s the simplest upgrade path. Early on the stakes are low: the starting weights are an empty bar on squats, so you have a few weeks before footwear makes a real difference. Use them to sort it out.

Step 1: Get a pair of Converse Chuck Taylors ($50-70)

This single purchase solves 90% of footwear problems for a beginning lifter. Chucks work for squats, deadlifts, rows, presses, and everything else in the program. They’re affordable, durable, and available at virtually every shoe store.

If you already own a pair of flat-soled shoes - Vans, old skate shoes, minimalist shoes - those work too. Don’t buy new shoes if you have something with a flat, hard sole already.

Step 2: Assess after 3-6 months

Once you’ve been training consistently and your squat numbers are climbing, you’ll have a better sense of whether you need weightlifting shoes. Signs you might benefit from them:

• You consistently struggle with squat depth despite working on mobility
• You feel like you’re folding too far forward at the bottom of squats
• Your heels rise during heavy squats even in flat shoes
• You’ve identified limited ankle dorsiflexion as a limiting factor

If none of these apply, keep squatting in flat shoes. Plenty of very strong squatters never use a raised heel.

Step 3: If you get weightlifting shoes, keep the flat shoes

The ideal setup for a lifter who squats in heeled shoes is:

• Weightlifting shoes for squats (and optionally overhead press)
• Flat shoes or barefoot for deadlifts
• Either for bench press and rows

This means bringing two pairs of shoes to the gym, which is a minor inconvenience for a meaningful performance benefit on both lifts.

Don’t overthink this

Here’s the honest truth: footwear matters, but it won’t make or break your training. A lifter squatting in Chucks three times per week will always be stronger than someone with $200 weightlifting shoes who trains inconsistently.

Bad shoes can limit your performance and increase injury risk. That’s real and worth addressing, and like most common beginner mistakes on 5x5 it is cheap to fix once you know about it. But expensive shoes won’t add 20kg to your squat. Consistent training, progressive overload, and proper form are what build strength. Shoes are the icing, not the cake.

If you’re currently lifting in running shoes, switch to anything flat and hard. If you’re lifting in flat shoes and your squat feels good, don’t fix what isn’t broken. And if you’re spending more time researching shoes than actually training, close this tab and go to the gym.

Whatever’s on your feet, show up and lift. Master proper form on all five lifts and the shoes become the detail, not the story.

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