When it comes to athletic-based footwear, sports like basketball, baseball, soccer and even bowling are well represented while weightlifting shoes tend to be overlooked by a number of shoe companies.
Adidas took care of this by launching a line of powerlift training shoes. The company’s Powerlift.2 Trainer Shoes give you what every lifter needs, which is a solid foundation.
Related: Choosing the Best Gym Shoes for Men
Features of the Powerlift.2 Trainer Shoes
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Adidas made the Powerlift training shoes with a wide and solid base. They include lightweight mesh to keep your feet cool while a high-density midsole provides the support that you need to participate in competitive weightlifting.
To give you the proper amount of support, Adidas added a power strap, which fastens across the laces as an anchor.
The footwear also comes with an instep strap to ensure that you have a secure fit. This feature provides a high-level of lock down support for those explosive weightlifting moments. Secure feet equal confident lifts.
The 0.6-inch lifted heel is manufactured from a high-density EVA material. This feature increases the longevity of the shoes. The material is strong, so you can trust it to keep you and the weight that you’re lifting upright. The shoes also come with removable insoles.
This makes it easy to upgrade to ones with more support or added cushioning if needed. If you do replace the insoles, make sure that the new ones don’t shift around and put you at risk of injury.
What’s Included?
Adidas used textile lining along the interior of the Powerlift shoes for comfort. The company also added a weight distribution plate to support your hips and joints as you power hundreds of pounds of weight up over your head.
For added lightweight stability, the shoes feature weightlift engineering. In addition, the rubber outsole is non-marking, and the shoes have traction pattern to give you more grip.
Value and Quality
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Weightlifting shoes feature an elevated heel. However, the elevation level varies by manufacturer and shoe model.
With the Adidas Powerlift shoes, the heel is only slightly raised.
For some lifters, this feature decreases arch pain in their feet. If you have tight hamstrings, low arches and limited flexibility in the groin area, these shoes may up your weightlifting game due to the size of the heel.
The raised heel gives your calves and hamstrings added movement. The shoes are also lighter than many of the weightlifting kicks made by other companies. With lighter shoes on your feet, you may feel especially nimble.
The weightlifting trainers hug your feet tightly to prevent them from shifting forward or backward. Your feet won’t move from side-to-side either, and because the sole is wide and flat, you’ll have plenty of stability to give you a solid base when you’re participating in the sport.
The flat design element of the shoes allows you to disperse your weight more evenly when you are completing a dynamic motion. This increases your lifting capacity. It also maximizes the amount of force that you drive into the ground.
Pros and Cons
A benefit of the Adidas Powerlift trainers is that they are somewhat easier to walk around in than weightlifting shoes made by other manufacturers. You may even find that you can wear them while you’re performing some CrossFit training exercises.
If you swing kettlebells, you should be able to keep the Adidas laced up and on your feet during your repetitions. However, the Powerlift trainers are not recommended for deadlifts. When it comes to this exercise, the lifted heels will likely impede you more than they’ll support you.
Like most things, there are drawbacks to the Adidas trainers. One disadvantage is the narrowness of the shoes. If you have wide feet, then you may want to consider other brands. The toe box may especially put the squeeze on your feet. Because the trainers are rigid and stiff to give your feet the proper support when you are lifting, they aren’t that comfortable.
Adidas padded the heel of the shoe, but toward the toe section, your feet will encounter synthetic leather. You’ll be able to walk to the water fountain in a mostly normal way, but you won’t be taking a lap around the gym. You will have to change your footwear to do that.
Final Say on the Powerlift.2
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Adidas started making weightlifting shoes before the footwear type was a twinkle in the eyes of other shoe companies. Because of this, weightlifting athletes have a reverence for Adidas. The company is a bestselling brand in this sports niche.
It earned the distinction for making weightlifting shoes that can withstand the punishment that serious athletes require of their feet and their footwear. With the Adidas Powerlift.2 trainers on your feet, you’ll be wearing the brand of shoes worn by many Olympic weightlifting athletes.
Keep reading: Adidas Adipower Weightlifting Shoes Review