Going
to the gym without proper consideration for the right footwear
can be detrimental. Choosing the right shoe and one which is suitable
for your workout and your fitness goals is of paramount importance
as you'd want to be comfortable during your workout and get the
best workout as far as possible.
If your main exercise is cardio like running for instance, most
running shoes will do but you'd want one that fits the size and
curve of your foot and which has enough cushion for soft landing
and taking off. A shoe with a great shock absorber is essential
for your joints and ankles as well while running. Generally speaking,
you'd want shoes with soft compressible soles as they are designed
for running and walking due to their impact absorption capabilities.
On
the other hand, if you are the type to rather lift weights, you'd
better avoid cushion-soled compressible shoes as they are not
the best fit for weight training due to the fact that they will
absorb most of the energy that is needed to finish the exercise
movement. Instead, you'd want a flat/thin/hard non-compressible
soled shoe to yield more power transfer and stability particularly
for heavy compound exercises like bent-over rows, deadlifts, military
press and squats.
To resume, since you'll be lifting heavy weights, you'll need
your feet to build a stable and strong base so picking a dense,
hard and non-compressible soled shoe will do the job efficiently.
Some additional things to consider are:
Your foot should
not have much space to move around in the shoe. It should be rather
tight but not too constraining as this can create discomfort and
prevent the muscles in your feet from working out effectively.
Lifting weights
can be dangerous if you don't have good traction in your shoes.
You don't want to risk sliding or slipping, hence it's vital to
have your feet well grounded to the floor. This is why you need
weightlifting shoes that provide good traction.
With
so many shoes on the market designed for exercising, it can be
difficult to pick the right one but if you're looking for the
best shoes for weight training and cardio, here is my recommended
list below. ASICS and Mizuno are great brand of shoes and highly
reputed for running, walking and other cardio activities while
Nike, Adidas, Inov and Otomix have some pretty amazing shoes for
weight training. Either way, I believe investing in a high quality
shoe is fundamental as you don't want to be changing shoes every
now and then but rather use one for the long term. Best of luck.
Adidas
Adipower Weightlifting Shoes
Nike
Men's Romaleos Weightlifting Shoes
Nike
Men's Romaelos II Powerlifting Shoes - Total Orange/White/Blue
Lagoon
adidas
Men's Adipower Weightlift Cross-Trainer Shoe
adidas
Men's Leistung 16 Weightlifting Shoes
adidas
Performance Adipower Weightlifting Trainer Shoe
adidas
Performance Men's Powerlift.3 Cross-trainer Shoe
adidas
Performance Men's Powerlift.2 Trainer Shoe
adidas
Performance Women's Powerlift.2 W Weightlifting Trainer Shoe
adidas
Performance Women's Powerlift.3 W Cross-Trainer Shoe
ASICS
Men's GEL-Foundation 12 Running Shoe
ASICS
Women's Gel-Kahana 8 Trail Runner
New
Men's Nike Metcon 3 Cross Training Sneaker - Ideal
for intense workouts which can include heavy lifting like squats,
deadlifts, bent-over rows and cardio activities like sprint, climbs
or jump squats. Not suitable for long distance running.
Nike
Women's Metcon 2 Training Shoe - Suitable for weight
training and heavy lifting like squats, lunges, deadlifts, rows
and cardio workout like sprint, climbs or jump rope. Not ideal
for long distance running.
Otomix
Ultimate Trainer Men's Bodybuilding Shoe
Otomix
Ultimate Trainer Men's Bodybuilding Shoe
Otomix
Power Trainer Men's Bodybuilding Shoes
Otomix
Extreme Trainer Pro Men's Shoes
Otomix
Ninja Warrior Stingray Bodybuilding Boxing Shoe Men's
Otomix
Stingray Escape Bodybuilding Weightlifting MMA Boxing Shoe
Otomix
Extreme Trainer Pro Shoes
Otomix
Ninja Warrior Stingray Bodybuilding Boxing Shoe Women's
Otomix
Versa Trainer Pro Women's Bodybuilding Shoes
Otomix
Power Trainer Women's Bodybuilding Shoes
Inov-8
Men's Fastlift™ 325 Cross-trainer Shoe
Inov-8
Women's Fastlift™ 325 Cross-Trainer Shoe
Mizuno
Men's Wave Rider 20 Running Shoe
Mizuno
Women's Wave Rider 20 Running Shoe
Nike
Men's Air Zoom Pegasus 34 Running Shoe
Nike
Women's Air Zoom Pegasus 34 Running Shoe
