How To Choose the Right Workout Shoes

by HAC Personal Trainer Joseph Freeman

Selecting the proper footwear for your workouts can be very easy for some but quite complicated for others. And there is a lot of noise around how to make your decision. If you’re a runner, some will say a stability shoe is best for your arch, but others would say barefoot is best. You have certain people recommending Chuck Taylors for lifting and others recommending an actual powerlifting shoe. The issue is that a lot of these recommendations are being tossed out to everyone as a general recommendation or law. Having practiced as a certified pedorthist and personal trainer, I’ve come to recognize that none of it is “one size fits all.” The shoe you choose should be based on your biomechanics, stature, and training goals. Just like I make different adjustments from client to client for any given exercise, I would attempt to suggest footwear with the same mindset.

Shoes for Running

Typically, runners can use their running shoes for most of their resistance training workouts. However, it is important to make sure that the amount and type of cushioning in the shoe makes sense for the load on the body and foot. The heavier the load, the denser (AND possibly thinner) the cushioning needs to be. If the cushioning is too soft, it can be too unstable to hold proper alignment for exercises where the risk is higher with poor form. If your cross-training involves strength training and plyometrics (jump training), then running shoes can suffice, but cross-trainers would give you more protection. Cross-training footwear offers denser cushioning and flex points that reduce stress on the foot on impact, though they are not designed for as much mileage as running shoes.

Top recommendations

1. Running shoes – Running shoes will provide the best alignment and flex points for running while providing the most versatility for the runner who does not lift excessive loads (i.e. <120% of bodyweight on a squat)
2. Performance Cross-Trainers – These shoes have the most versatility between types of impact and load as they are slightly more rigid than running shoes but can accommodate faster, lower mileage running.

Questions to ask yourself
“What is my goal for running in my routine?”
“Do I have constant running injuries?”
“What kind of cross-training am I doing?”
“How heavy will I be lifting in relation to my bodyweight?”

Shoes for Powerlifting

For the power lifter, the most important thing aside from making sure density of the shoe is adequate is to make sure that you are wearing the right size shoe. It can make a world of difference. A lot of athletes tend to choose footwear that’s too short or too narrow. When you wear shoes that are too small lengthwise or widthwise, it restricts the ability of the metatarsals and toes to open up, provide stability, and distribute pressure for reactive force against the ground.

Top recommendations

1. Powerlifting shoes – These shoes are rigid and dense. This quality is beneficial for heavier lifts and for engaging the forefoot and rearfoot if there is poor dorsiflexion of the foot.
2. Performance Cross-Trainers – Cross-trainers will help keep the foot cradled. Since the mid-sole of cross-trainers tends to wrap up around the base of the foot, the foot is less likely to want to drift off the shoe

Questions to ask yourself
“Is my shoe rigid enough to not be easily manipulated by excessive load?”
“Does my current level of mobility allow me to maintain proper foot position through each motion?”
“Am I completely aware of my current movement patterns?”

Shoes for Strength Training/General Fitness

We are going to discuss this as general fitness as there are a lot of different ways to tackle this. The frequent gym-goer would, more than others, benefit from more than one pair of shoes to get more specific with regards to need for any given workout. However, that thought process can be gauged based on intensity and impact. A good combination of flexibility and rigidity is important so this person can effectively incorporate both dynamic and linear movement as well as apply excessive load and impact.

Top recommendations

1. Performance Cross-Trainers – Designed to accommodate the widest range of movement and impact from strength conditioning to power conditioning and plyometric training.
2. Powerlifting shoes – These will be dense and rigid enough for Olympic lifts and general strength exercises as they can offset a few movement patterns that are potentially problematic.
3. Running shoes – These will work as long as they feel stable as a base.

Questions to ask yourself
“What range of movement(s) am I intending to be involved in? Will I be incorporating plyometric training”
“Do I currently have any gait issues that could affect my movement patterns?” I.e. over-pronation, hallux rigidus, pes cavus.
“What intensity level am I aiming to reach?”

Type of Shoe	Pros	Cons
Powerlifting	Rigid; dense; compensates for muscle imbalance	Too rigid for running & cushioning may not be as responsive for running or walking
Performance Cross-Trainer	Good balance of density, flexibility, and rigidity	Flexpoints don’t support longer distances for running/walking gait
Running	Lightweight; good arch support for straight forward movements	Softer cushioning could make for unstable foundation under significant load

Foot Type Considerations

There are a lot of variables to consider in relation to foot mechanics, but here are a couple things that could simplify the selection process.

If you tend to pronate or have a flat foot: make sure that the contact points of the shoe match the contact points of the foot as closely as possible. If a foot is flat in the arch, it will cover more surface area, so having a shoe with a broader base to cradle the foot better is helpful.

If you tend to supinate or have a high arch: make sure that there is enough depth to the shoe as well as good lateral stability on the rearfoot. The lateral support will help offload stress from the 5th metatarsal and encourage better balance of pressure distribution across all the metatarsals.