Yes, You Need Special Shoes for Weightlifting—Shop Our Favorites

Good footwear stays comfortable while you’re strength training, but the best weightlifting shoes can actually improve your form and keep you safe during your workouts. Just like running shoes, these pairs have specialized features (like a stiff, sturdy base and a snug fit) to encourage proper body alignment during your exercises. Ultimately, they can help you feel more grounded and confident while you train.

We spoke to personal trainers and foot health experts to get more info on how to pick the pair that’s right for you. Then we tested some of the most popular weightlifting shoes to see if they really live up to the hype. Our favorites are firm, stable, and supportive, so you can focus on your reps—not your steps.

Our top picks

1. Best Overall, Flat: Puma Fuse 3.0
2. Best Overall, Lifted: Adidas Powerlift 5 Weightlifting Shoes
3. Runner-Up: Nobull Outwork
4. Best Budget: Converse All Star High Top Sneakers
5. Best for Beginners: On Cloudpulse

We’ve selected the best weightlifting shoes for everyone from strength-training beginners to experienced pros. Read on to find your new go-to pair.

Best Overall, Flat: Puma Fuse 3.0

Pros

• Very stable
• Flexible
• Secure fit
• Under $130
• Great for heavy lifting

Cons

• Too stiff for HIIT and other fast-paced, dynamic workouts
• Runs a half-size small

Meet the latest SELF Sneaker Award winner for weightlifting: Puma’s Fuse 3.0 has a firm, stable base that helped our testers feel grounded and a flexible sole that moved with them during lunges. “I don’t have to think about them when I’m lifting or worry about readjusting between sets,” one tester said. “The flat bottom helps me stay stable and really push through the ground for my bigger lifts, especially deadlifts, where you definitely don’t want any wobble.”

They added that, despite the shoe’s firmness, their feet didn’t ache or feel tired by the end of their session. Once they pulled the diagonal laces taught, our tester also noticed that their foot stayed put inside the shoe, with zero heel slippage. As far as we’re concerned, when it comes to a flat weightlifting shoe, the Fuse 3.0 is as good as it gets (and it’s pretty cute too).

Best Overall, Lifted: Adidas Powerlift 5 Weightlifting Shoes

Pros

• Grippy yet lightweight
• Prevents foot shifting
• Multiple fastening points
• Under $150

Cons

• May run small, according to some Adidas reviewers

This Adidas powerlifting shoe is surprisingly lightweight, thanks in part to the breathable mesh panels on its upper. It’s designed to fit securely, with a set of laces and a midsole strap working together to hold your foot in place. And the rubber outsole is extra grippy—because the last thing you need to be thinking about is slipping when you have a barbell on your back.

Runner-Up: Nobull Outwork

Pros

• Extremely durable exterior
• Stabilizing feel
• Under $150
• One-year warranty

Cons

• Not particularly breathable

Nobull comes highly recommended by Future app trainers Tiffany Thompson, an NASM-certified personal trainer, and Lauren Powell, PhD, CSCS. This bestseller from the brand is built for stability, with a minimal heel lift and a rubber outsole for extra grip. Its durable upper is abrasion-resistant and protective, so your feet will stay safe (and your shoes will last a while).

Best Budget: Converse All Star High Top Sneakers

Pros

• Under $70
• Tons of colors to choose from
• Stylish

Cons

• Not as durable as other options on this list, per Nordstrom reviewers

In addition to its retro appeal (and good price point), the Chuck Taylor High Top has endured as a go-to gym shoe for its minimal cushioning and flat sole, Jared Gremillion, DPM, a podiatric surgeon at Holston Medical Group in Bristol, Tennessee, tells SELF. The low heel will help you feel more connected to the floor and maintain your balance. One thing to note: These shoes are on the narrow side, according to reviewers, but Converse offers wide sizing in select colors.

Best for Beginners: On Cloudpulse

Pros

• Supportive yet comfortable
• Good energy return for jumps
• Cute enough to wear outside the gym

Cons

• Not suitable for lifting heavy weights

If you want to add lifting to an already varied workout routine (say, one with cardio, plyometrics, and HIIT classes sprinkled in), On’s Cloudpulse is a great all-around gym shoe. Christa Sgobba, CPT, an ACE-certified personal trainer and SELF’s director of fitness and food, tested a pair and found that they felt great during warm-ups and more dynamic exercises: “I’d consider the Cloudpulses comfy, but not really to the point where I’d call it out. Rather, they were more like, put them on, lace them up, and forget that they’re on—which isn’t really a bad feature in a shoe!”