Tossing shoes aside for heavy lifting has become a staple in gyms across the country, but is there real benefit to the practice?
The real answer? It depends. ALWAYS! Listen, as someone who’s been lifting multiple times a week for 15 years, the answer still varies depending on what I’m training, where I’m training, and what the outcome of the day is. Nowadays I too can be found without shoes (but always socks - don’t be weird), in the gym. If I’m deadlifting or squatting, chances are my shoes are beside me at the rack. Though that changes throughout my workout. When I’m in my metcon warmup or CNS prep, I’m using shoes for protection from both impact and the moving pieces. Same goes for when I’m lifting upper body or working in a crowded area. If you think dropping a plate on your toe sounds painful, imagine it happening without a shoe on.
A blanketed way to look at this really sits within the modality at play. If you’re playing a sport, going for a run, practicing high intensity circuits with plyos and agilities – shoes are likely going to be a tremendous help. If you’re staying in one spot to rep out a lower body lift- there is in fact benefit to practicing without shoes. Let’s break them down.
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Improved Foot Strength: The truth is that our feet have grown soft. We’ve become accustomed to shoving them into supportive shoes all day which causes our feet to forget what it’s like to support themselves. Practicing movement patterns without shoes can help strengthen the arches, ankles and lower legs. Start with barefoot bodyweight squats, deadlifts, RDL’s and other bilateral exercises before increasing weight or moving to unilateral movements.
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Improved Balance + Sensory Feedback: This is an underrated metric to improve upon. It’s one thing to be strong- it's an entirely different thing to be balanced and stable. There are over 100 muscles, ligaments and tendons JUST IN THE FOOT. Together they need to work in perfect harmony to avoid overuse, injury and pain. Teaching yourself the power within the floor/foot connection will lead to better overall balance and make you more skilled in mastering your own body control throughout the day.
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Increased Mobility: Training with a shoe can sometimes give us an advantage we didn’t know we needed. Some may remove the shoes and realize they can’t squat barefoot without their heels coming off the floor. Others may look down and see how scrunched their toes are versus being able to spread and press them into the floor with each rep. In the shoe, we’re really only relying on a few of the main muscles. Without the shoe, we call upon every structure to come into play and strengthen.
Barefoot training is an acquired skill and shouldn’t be rushed. Start with a few sets and reps each week and work your way up as your feet become stronger without the help and support of a cushioned shoe. A good first step is stepping OUT of an overall supportive shoe (think running or walking shoes) and INTO a shoe predominantly designed for strength. This will be one that keeps your foot closer to the ground with a minimal heel drop to allow for proper form and balance. I talked about this at length with my friend and fitness shoe enthusiast, Jake Boly, on the Bodybuilding.com Podcast.