In the world of weightlifting, thereโs a large range of specialized shoes that you can buy that can help you with a variety of lifts. One of those shoes is known as the deadlift slipper. Theyโre a very minimalist shoe and lack things like laces and proper ankle support. In this article, weโll go over how these shoes help with deadlifting and if you should buy yourself a pair.
As we just said, deadlift slippers are a type of specialized shoe that aims to make deadlifting easier. They donโt have laces or any ankle support and they only have a thin piece of material between your feet and the ground. The point of this is to offer the least amount of resistance possible when youโre driving the weight off the ground during aย deadlift.
In essence, you wonโt have to move the barbell as much while wearing deadlift shoes. Now that you know more about the shoes, itโs time to go over the benefits of using them. After that, weโll go over the reasons that deadlift shoes might not be for you.
1. The minimalist design of deadlift slippers is what some people to using them. If youโre someone who deadlifts a lot or is learning more about the lift itself, itโs possible youโve been told to wear flat-footed shoes, use deadlift socks, or even go barefoot, during a deadlift. The deadlift slipper is essentially a healthy in-between of these two recommendations.ย
Even with a flat-footed type of shoe, they might have a thick sole. A thick-soled shoe will ultimately cause your deadlift to be harder. Remember, the more distance the barbell has to travel as you drive it up, the more work will be involved.ย Deadlift slippers, to contrast a typical flat sole or flat foot shoe, donโt have a sole at all.
What they do have is a very thin layer of some sort of comfortable material, like polyester or rubber. This is in place to make sure you donโt slip up during your deadlift and make sure you have enough friction to stay in place.
2. As we mentioned, plenty of people actually prefer to deadlift barefoot. The big benefit to going barefoot is that youโre as close to the ground as you possibly can be, meaning your deadlift will be that much easier to complete.
That being said, deadlifting barefoot might be dangerous as you could slip. Moreover, many gyms and competitive settings wonโt allow it because of sanitary reasons or general rules.ย Therefore, deadlift slippers are the best of both worlds. Youโll experience the same benefits of deadlifting barefoot without the risk of slipping, or being banned from competing or going to your gym!
3. Another benefit of using deadlift slippers is that it helps keep your center of mass from shifting, unlike other types of shoes. Specifically, some shoes will have a heel-to-toe drop. This is when a shoe has its heel higher than its toe. Youโll see this more commonly in specialized squat shoes but many general sports shoes also have this feature.
The problem with this type of shoe is that it throws off your center of balance. When this happens, your form will suffer and it will ultimately make it harder for you to complete the lift. With deadlift slippers, you wonโt have this problem. Everything will be properly aligned so that you can practice perfect form.
4. Deadlift slippers are the best option for someone who performs conventional deadlifts. If youโre a powerlifter or just someone who likes to exclusively do conventional deadlifts then these specialized shoes are absolutely something you should invest in. Not only are they approved for powerlifting, but theyโre also some of the cheapest shoes for deadlifting that you can buy.
Even if youโre a lifter who doesnโt compete, theyโre definitely something you should consider. As many pairs of specialized shoes can be very expensive they can be offputting to typical lifters. Deadlift slippers are usually on the cheaper side because they donโt require a lot of materials to put together. You can usually get them for about $20.
5. If youโre someone who has a bigย gym bag thatโs chock full of all sorts of accessories and youโre worried about space, then these slippers are perfect for you. Deadlift slippers are extremely lightweight and also very flexible. You can basically shove them anywhere in your gym bag and theyโll fit right in.
6. Another big benefit of wearing deadlift slippers is that theyโre slip-resistant. Slipping while doing a deadlift can seriously injure you, so itโs very important to have something that can support you during the entirety of the deadlift. That being said, itโs important toย
1. The biggest drawback of deadlift slippers is that theyโre just not suitable for the sumo deadlift. The problem with deadlift slippers is that, while they are slip-resistant, they donโt provide as much support as some other specialized shoes. When youโre doing a sumo deadlift, you need to have as much grip as you can since your essentially pushing your feet apart during the lift.
On top of that, the sumo deadlift is very stressful on the ankles. This is due to the angle your ankles will be at due to the wide stance of this exercise. Unfortunately, deadlift slippers simply do not provide the necessary ankle support for a good sumo deadlift. If you donโt have proper support while doing aย
sumo deadlift, you can seriously injure your ankles due to overextension.
Instead, youโll need to look at some sort of high-top shoe, preferably with some sort of ankle laces or straps. There are acceptable ways to do sumo deadlifts in slippers, which is done by not having an extremely wide stance. However, this is the exception, not the rule. If you are doing sumo deadlifts, it is highly recommended that you get a shoe with plenty of ankle support.ย
2.
This next con is more of a personal preference problem. That being said, itโs still worth talking about. Many people prefer to have shoes that fit tightly around their feet and ankles as it provides them with support and comfort. While deadlift slippers can certainly be comfortable, they donโt provide a very tight fit.
However, there are some specialized deadlift slippers that do come with extra straps. These straps do end up giving you the nice, tight fit that you might be looking for. The only problem here is that theyโll cost a little extra, compared to a normal deadlift slipper.
1. Do deadlift slippers really make that much of a difference?ย
Yes, they do! While it might seem like a really simple change, switching to footwear thatโs designed for deadlifts will easily help you add extra weight onto your total max. If youโre used to wearing tennis shoes or other generic sports shoes, youโll notice a difference almost instantly. You might even notice that youโll be able to lift more overnight!
2. Are there any other alternatives to deadlift slippers?ย
There arenโt really any good substitutes for deadlift slippers. As they stand, the slippers are already specialized equipment and there arenโt many sports that require something like them. That being said, the only other alternative we can recommend is wrestling shoes. They have a similar design to deadlift slippers but the key difference is that that these shoes actually have good ankle support.
At the end of the day, you can deadlift just fine with either the slippers or wrestling shoes. Itโs up to personal preference. We will also say that wrestling shoes are excellent for sumo deadlifts because of the extra support. These shoes can sometimes be cheaper than sumo deadlift shoes as well.
3. Are deadlift slippers the only accessory I should use?ย
When it comes to the deadlift, there are a few other accessories out there that can really help in terms of stability and injury prevention. If youโre looking to really make the deadlift as safe as it can be, especially when doing a heavy set, you should invest in a weightlifting belt and wrist wraps.
A weightlifting belt makes sure that your lower back stays straight and that your core is supported. This is a very helpful tool to have when working with heavy weight as it reduces the chances of getting injured and helps keep you in good form while supporting your body.
Wrist wraps are more for people who do not have a lot of gripย
strength. They ensure that youโll be able to hold onto the barbell even when you feel like you canโt anymore.
Now that youโve seen what deadlift slippers can do for you, youโre likely pretty interested in buying a pair. The only problem is that thereโs a lot of different deadlift slippers made by different brands on the market. Luckily for you, weโve got some IPF approved recommendations that can all be easily found on Amazon.
These deadlift slippers by LiftingLarge are an absolute classic. Theyโre favored by many lifters and for good reason. Probably the most appealing factor to these slippers is the strap that comes across the middle of the foot.
This is something we talked about a little earlier in the article. This slipper, unlike many of its kind, provides a tight, snug fit which helps to make your foot feel secure. These velcro straps are adjustable so you can mess with how tight they are to fit your needs and comfort. Speaking of comfort, these slippers are very comfortable.
You definitely wonโt feel bothered by these at all. Itโs practically like wearing a second foot. For added comfort, the slippers also come with a 4mm removable insert insole. Some people like to feel as close to the ground as possible when doing a deadlift, after all.
Also, with these slippers, you will never have to worry about slipping during a deadlift. The thin rubber outsole of these slippers makes sure they live up to their namesake of being locked to the ground as they're very grippy. With these slippers on, your deadlifts will be a lot easier. If you plan on going to a competition soon, you'll definitely want to put these on your wishlist!.ย
Here we have another prime choice thatโs also by LiftingLarge. These are essentially a toned-down version of the previous slippers. That being said, theyโre still a perfect choice for someone whoโs looking for some deadlift slippers. Theyโre extremely comfortable but will fit loosely on your feet as they donโt have the straps like on the Ground Lock slippers.
The rubber treading of these slippers will ensure that every deadlift you perform is smooth and slip-free. On top of that, youโll find that the high-quality material that these are made of to be very comfortable as well. Itโs very breathable and ensures maximum comfort during a lift. Theyโre also easy to put on and take off because they donโt have the straps like the Ground Lock ones have.
Additionally, these are some slippers that are on the cheaper side without sacrificing quality. Itโs a great deal from a very recognized brand.
Speaking of great prices, these next slippers are what you should look for if youโre lifting on a budget. Fun fact about this particular brand: Theyโre not actually a powerlifting brand! These shoes are actually designed to be used for yoga and are even able to be used as water shoes.
That being said, these provide all of the necessary features that a good deadlift slipper should have. The rubber outsole provides good grip and the elastic material that itโs made of tends to provide a pretty tight fit without the assistance of any straps. Additionally, these are very easy to put on and take off because of the elastic material that theyโre made out of.
Honestly, because of the price and functionality, these are slippers we highly recommend for people who are on a budget or for less serious lifters. You wonโt have to shell out a lot of money on some of the bigger brands when you donโt plan on competing, or donโt deadlift all that often.
Now, letโs answer the question that youโre looking for the answer for: Should you use deadlift slippers? The answer wonโt be as straightforward as you think. Firstly, if you donโt plan on competing and donโt do deadlifts that often, itโs probably more economical to use some sort of flat-footed shoe that you have lying around.
Many people favor Converse shoes for the deadlift for this very reason. However, if youโd like the maximum amount of support for doing a deadlift, then itโs wise to get a cheaper pair of deadlift slippers. If you are going to compete in aย powerlifting competition, or just deadlift a lot, then it would be very smart of you to get yourself a pair of deadlift slippers.
Youโll want something that has a lot of grip to reduce the chance of slipping and be sure that theyโre legal for your competitions. There are other weightlifting shoes on the market but these are generally very expensive.
