An important factor in determining which Powerlifting Shoe is right for you is how much grip it provides on the platform.
The Squat, Deadlift and Bench Press all require us to push and twist with our feet in order to ensure the most optimal lift and when we’re dealing with all that weight, the last thing we need is for our shoe to slide out from underneath us.
But just how much grip does each Powerlifting Shoe actually provide? Without testing them all yourself, its almost impossible to tell which shoe is best based on a review by someone else, which is almost always going to be subjective.
So this led me to devise a method for testing the grip of all the Powerlifting Shoes that I review that takes all subjectivity right out of it by providing a number, allowing for each shoe to be ranked objectively against each other.
The Test Method
The test method used is firmly rooted in science, you may have even done it yourself during your School days! Basically, we are going to work out the Friction Coefficient between the shoe and the floor.
How we do this is we measure how much force it takes to move the shoe horizontally along the floor, take into account its weight and hey presto! We have a friction coefficient.
The higher the friction coefficient, the better grip or traction the shoe has, pretty simple, right?
The Results
So here it is, the results of every shoe I have ever tested, use the headers to sort by Shoe or by Friction Coefficient.
| Shoe | Friction Coefficient |
|---|---|
| Adidas Adipower 2 | 0.71 |
| Adidas Box Hog 2 | 0.77 |
| Adidas HVC 2 | 1.05 |
| Adidas Power Perfect 3 | 1.08 |
| Adidas Powerlift 4 | 1.19 |
| Converse All Star (high top) | 1.18 |
| Converse All Star (low top) | 0.63 |
| Inov-8 Fastlift 335 | 0.72 |
| Nike Romaleos 4 | 0.95 |
| Otomix Stingray | 0.71 |
| Reebok Legacy Lifter | 0.61 |
| Reebok Legacy Lifter 2 | 0.91 |
| Sabo Deadlift Shoes | 0.86 |
| Vans Old Skool | 0.64 |
| Vibram FiveFingers | 1.58 |
