Although both are manufactured by Adidas, the Adidas Powerlift 4 and Adipower 2 are very different Weightlifting Shoes and with very different prices too, it can make it difficult to determine which Weightlifting Shoe is the best choice for your needs.
The Powerlift 4 is, of course, the cheaper option by a considerable margin, however, this by no means makes it a bad Weightlifting Shoe. that said though the Adipower 2 offers a lot more for your money.
Let’s take a look at both weightlifting shoes in this side by side comparison; The Adidas Powerlift 4 vs Adipower 2.
If you would like a more in-depth review of each shoe, you can check them out at the two links below:
Looks
Looks are always going to be a very personal thing, what looks good to me, may look awful to you, however, I have to say I prefer the looks of the Adipower 2 over the Powerlift 4, but only just!
For the most part, both weightlifting shoes are pretty similar, both have the same canvas upper and feature the famous Adidas stripes on the outmost side, albeit the Adipower 2 features a larger stripe which crosses more surface area.
Both shoes come in a range of colors, the white variant being my personal favorite on both.
The signal pink variant of the Adipower 2 is perhaps the most striking color choice available and it was this color variant that I was able to try. I wasn’t sure of it at first but over time it has really grown on me, depending on the lighting conditions, it actually morphs into a vibrant orange which is a real head-turner.
The design of the sole is much better on the Adipower 2, it at least has a bit of character about it, whereas the Powerlift 4 just looks ordinary.
All in all, both the Powerlift 4 and the Adipower 2 are perfectly good looking shoes that should suit most lifters, although depending on color choice the Powerlift 4 does look a little bland. For this reason, the Adipower 2 is my winner for looks.
1st – Adidas Adipower 2
2nd – Adidas Powerlift 4
Fit and Feel
The Adipower 2 is easily the most comfortable Weightlifting Shoe I have ever tried. I’m not sure how Adidas achieved this, but it is super lightweight and very flexible and honestly feels like wearing an ordinary training shoe or sneaker, which is extremely rare for a weightlifting shoe.
Despite this, the Adipower 2 does have an issue with warmth. The comfortable upper canvas material just isn’t breathable at all. I’m not normally one to get sweaty feet, but after 5 minutes I was already feeling it.
The overall fit of the shoe conforms to your foot well. The upper is so flexible that it should comfortably mold to any foot shape without causing pressure points. One thing to note is that the toe does run a little narrow. I like a wider toe box so this was less than ideal for me.
The Powerlift 4 has a very similar canvas upper so comfort was also pretty great, I would say that it felt more padded and generally thicker than the Adipower 2, so had a very snug feel to it.
The same issues with warmth were also present in the Powerlift 4, and I would say it was more noticeable in this case.
The Powerlift 4 is lighter than the Adipower 2 by a good 70-80g, depending on your shoe size, but strangely felt like the heavier pair of weightlifting shoes underfoot, which speaks volumes for just how comfortable the Adipower 2s are!
The toe box on the Powerlift 4 is much roomier than the Adipower 2, other than that the fit is pretty similar with both shoes.
Overall, the ridiculous levels of flexibility and comfort on the Adipower 2 cannot be ignored. The Powerlift 4 is no slouch though, and aside from flexibility, keeps up with the Adipower 2 well but in a direct head to head, the Adipower 2 is the clear winner.
1st – Adidas Adipower 2
2nd – Adidas Powerlift 4
Straps & Lacing
Straps & lacing is the first area in this Powerlift 4 vs Adipower 2 comparison where the Adipower 2 struggles.
The laces on the Adipower 2 are incredibly thin and feel like they could break at the first sign of stress. I did not feel like I could lace them up effectively for fear of snapping them.
It was a similar story with the strap. It was ever so slightly too wide for the buckle so every time I fastened or unfastened the strap, it would rub against the buckle, which over time I have no doubt would wear one or both of these parts down.
The Powerlift 4 had no such issues with either the laces or strap system, which is pretty strange given its the cheaper option.
Taking this issue aside though, once both weightlifting shoes were laced and strapped up there wasn’t a whole lot to separate them. Both systems performed well in keeping your foot held firmly in the shoe.
An easy win for the Powerlift 4 weightlifting shoes.
1st – Adidas Powerlift 4
2nd – Adidas Adipower 2
Grip/Traction
In the Powerlifting Perfection Grip Test the Adipower 2 scored 0.71 and the Powerlift 4 scored 1.19. This is an impressive score for the Powerlift 4, especially considering that it is also the lighter shoe.
It’s worth noting that the Adipower 2 still has grip in abundance, and you won’t have any problems in this regard during any lift so don’t let this score put you off.
That said though, it would seem that the budget outsole design would appear to grip a lot better, which is pretty surprising.
1st – Adidas Powerlift 4
2nd – Adidas Adipower 2
Performance
The Squat
Both the Powerlift 4 and Adipower 2 weightlifting shoes make for excellent squat shoes.
One thing to note is that the Powerlift 4 features a 0.6″ effective heel height, whereas on the Adipower 2 you get the standard 0.75″ heel height.
The material on the heel is also different, with the Adipower 2 sporting the stiffer TPU, whilst the Powerlift 4 features an EVA sole.
On paper, these differences put the Adipower 2 on top, however, whether you notice any discernible difference will come down to how advanced you are and how much weight you lift. For most, there won’t be anything particularly noticeable.
Beyond these subtle differences, there isn’t a whole lot to separate both shoes when it comes to squatting performance.
The narrower toe box of the Adipower 2 was the only major flaw that stuck out to me. I like to spread my toes when I squat, and the narrow toe box did cause some slight issues in achieving this.
The flexibility of the Adipower 2, although great when walking around did make me feel less stable in the squat when compared with the Powerlift 4, which was much more stable and secure.
These were very small niggles, rather than major design flaws though.
Overall, it was quite hard to pick a winner in the squat. I decided to go with the Powerlift 4, but only just.
Although on pure stats, the Adipower 2 is the better option, those improvements are hard to notice except for perhaps elite lifters, whereas the benefits of the Powerlift 4 are much more noticeable for beginners through to intermediate lifters.
1st – Adidas Powerlift 4
2nd – Adidas Adipower 2
The Olympic Lifts
For complete clarity, when I refer to the Olympic lifts, I am talking about the Clean & Jerk and the Snatch.
Performance again is great on both shoes and for most people, I would happily recommend either.
In this case, though, I would say the Adipower 2 is the superior shoe overall, primarily due to its flexibility and lightweight feel.
The Clean & Jerk and the Snatch are much more dynamic lifts than the squat and therefore require a lot more movement and responsiveness from a weightlifting shoe. For this reason, the Adipower 2 just works a lot better here.
The additional stiffness that the Powerlift 4 has, although great for the squat, starts to cause issues here, particularly in the split jerk where there is a touch of heel slip present, not a lot, but just enough to notice.
The Powerlift 4 is still an excellent shoe in these lifts but just can’t quite keep up with the Adipower 2.
1st – Adidas Adipower 2
2nd – Adidas Powerlift 4
The Bench Press
For those of us who either compete in or have aspirations to compete in Powerlifting competitions, weightlifting shoes can be useful in aiding with our arch whilst keeping our heels on the floor.
For those that don’t compete in Powerlifting, the Bench Press probably doesn’t factor in your weightlifting shoe choice as much.
Both the Powerlift 4 and the Adipower 2 perform perfectly well in the Bench Press and to be perfectly honest, I’m splitting hairs in this comparison.
I’ve mentioned the narrower toe box of the Adipower 2 previously in this comparison review and it did cause my toes to slightly bunch together when Benching due to leg drive pushing my foot to the front of the shoe. I cannot emphasize the word slightly enough here though, as it really wasn’t that big a deal.
Beyond this, the only real difference between the Powerlift 4 and the Adipower 2 was the effective heel height. The Adipower 2 is on paper going to offer greater performance given it is slightly higher but in practice, it is a very small difference that most won’t notice.
I’m going to declare a tie for this lift. the differences are just so minute that they’re almost not worth considering. Just rest assured that whether you choose the Powerlift 4 or the Adipower 2 as your weightlifting shoe of choice for the bench press, you will be more than happy.
Price
The Powerlift 4 is considered a budget weightlifting shoe, whereas the Adipower 2 is considered Adidas’ premium weightlifting shoe.
Naturally, their prices reflect this, with the Adipower 2 being considerably more expensive than the Powerlift 4.
For the most part, I would say that the Adipower 2 is definitely worth its hefty price tag, however as the Powerlift 4 is the cheaper option, it wins this round.
1st – Adidas Powerlift 4
2nd – Adidas Adipower 2
You can check out the latest Amazon prices of both shoes in the links below.
Final Thoughts
The Adidas Powerlift 4 and Adipower 2 are both excellent weightlifting shoes and are a great choice for novice and intermediate lifters right up to the more elite level lifters.
When it comes to Powerlift 4 vs Adipower 2 though, it’s a pretty close battle. Given the large price difference between both shoes though, I am inclined to lean towards the Powerlift 4 especially if this will be your first weightlifting shoe, as it offers extremely good results for the price!
For those who are more experienced with weightlifting shoes or those who lean more towards Olympic Weightlifting or even CrossFit, the Adipower 2 weightlifting shoes may be the more suitable option with its higher heel height and extremely flexible design.
No matter which way you go, both the Powerlift 4 and the Adipower 2 offer outstanding performance and should suit the vast majority of lifters.
1st – Adidas Powerlift 4
2nd – Adidas Adipower 2
As an aside, if you are set on a budget weightlifting shoe, I would strongly recommend considering the Adidas Power Perfect 3 over the Powerlift 4, which in my opinion is perhaps the best budget weightlifting shoe currently on market.
Feel free to read my Power Perfect 3 vs Powerlift 4 review or you can jump straight to my independent review of the Power Perfect 3 instead.
