Having been a recreational weight lifter for over 15 years I can tell you that nothing you take to the gym is more important than the right footwear. This is even more important when using barbells and dumbbells to train. The basic power movements that are done in the gym are all dependent on leg drive, which is in turn dependent on deriving power from the feet.

You wouldn't try to do a bench press with baseball gloves on your hands would you? Yet you see trainees lifting weights while wearing running shoes, sneakers, and all other types of incorrect footwear. You need a solid base from which to start your power transfer and shoes with soft soles will rob you of both power and stability. The shoes you normally wear out will make your feet shift back and forth as you move; this wouldn't happen with real weightlifting shoes, supplying you with unprecedented lift results.

What does one look for in a top weightlifting shoe?

That is a good question. Bodybuilders and weight lifters alike have been seen wearing anything from Chuck Taylor's to combat boots in the gym. Recently, weight training specific shoes are actually beginning to gain acceptance among serious gym members. Quality weightlifting shoes give you a firm base from which to commence the various lifts. This is accomplished because of the rubber based composition of the soles of the shoes which provides solidity to the lifter. In addition, the snug fit around the feet via the use of straps generates a firmness around the entire area. It is important that the weightlifting shoes are built to last with quality material that will take a beating.

Which weightlifting shoes are tops in the field?

Essentially these shoes can be classified into two types: There are flat shoes with hard soles and lifted shoes with slightly raised heel. Depending on which muscles you want to work and the types of lifts you're doing, different shoes work for different sets of weight lifters. For example, the shoe with the elevated heel will assist in squat performance because it encourages the lifter to move in the correct groove for this exercise. With the help of the shoes, your squats will be performed with perfect form, also giving you better shaped thighs as your quadriceps are worked more effectively. You can find a huge list of all the shoe available in the USA along with reviews and comparisons of each model at Weight Lifting Shoe Articles - Best Weightlifting Shoes -

On the other hand, when you are performing "pressing" exercises such as a leg press, you may not want that extra emphasis on your quads. Therefore the lifter would prefer a shoe with a flatter sole. Great lift shoes include wrestling shoes or Chuck Taylors, but you might still hate to change out your shoes every time you switch exercises during your workout.

Obviously, a trainee would require two different types of soles in his training if he performs both olympic lifts and conventional muscle building exercises, unless there was a way to combine them in one shoe. Enter the hybrid. These shoes are usually made with just a slightly raised heel and work great for all styles of lifting.