The question of the day is, “Is it okay to squat in running shoes?”. The quick answer to that question is, yes you can squat in running shoes, but, you probably won’t enjoy it. The most basic reasoning for this is that the material that running shoes use as cushioning really doesn’t work well when you’re trying to move a lot of weight. Squatting shoes (or any weightlifting shoes) will have a fair amount of cushioning but not so much as to unevenly displace the weight you’re moving when you’re squatting (or lifting any large amount of weight). There are a few reasons for this conundrum - the main ones though, are what we’ll be discussing in this article.
What's the purpose of a running shoe?
According to chiropractic.on.ca,
The function of a running shoe is to protect the foot from the stress of running, while permitting you to achieve your maximum potential. Selecting the right shoe for your foot can be confusing without the proper knowledge. People with low arches, called pronators, will need a shoe that provides stability. A shoe with good cushioning is important for people with high arches, called supinators. There are three main features that you need to consider when selecting a running shoe: shape, construction, and midsole.
Runners and weightlifters require 2 totally different things from their shoes. While both require cushioning, the type of cushioning that both types of athletes receive is much different. Runners require protection from the impact of their impact with the surface they’re running on while lifters require a stable surface to press off of.
Maximize power output
Have you ever heard anyone say that when you’re pressing any type of weight (the squat is a form of a press) you want to make sure you have a solid, stable base to press off of - you’ll typically hear this being said about the bench press but it stands true for all other strength movements. If you don’t have a solid base to press off of, the result will be that you’ll be wasting energy (or allowing it to leak) and won’t be able to generate as much force as you would be if your base were a bit more solid. *it’s a bit like the concept of “staying tight”. If you aren’t able to stay tight the result will be what we call “strength leaks” - which is basically a fancy way of saying that you’ll be unable to produce as much strength as you would like off of the floor. Think of the shoes you’re wearing as your base - you don’t want to use a shifty, cushioning base (the sole of the shoe) as what you use to press the weight up.
Stan Efferding is one of my sources for this (besides personal information). He talks about about the deadlift and not considering it a good idea to deadlift (we're going to transfer this to the squat)
Below is a video of stan discussing this:
Stability
In the majority of performance running shoes, you’ll find that the cushioning used is made up of some variation of EVA - which is great at cushioning the foot for mid-long distance runs but sucks at keeping the foot from shifting around under heavy leads. The majority of these shoes are designed to reduce fatigue during runs by absorbing a great deal of the impact felt while doing so. As I mentioned before, this cushioning effect, while it may be great for running can really take away from a strength athlete's ability to generate peak levels of force.
Kinds of shoes you’ll see trainers wearing
Instead of wearing running shoes you’ll typically see strength athletes either not wearing any shoes, or wearing a certain type of strength training shoe. Each of the shoe-types below has their own set of pros/cons each of which will be discussed in their respective section. Without further ado, let’s get right into it.
Barefoot
Is it okay to squat barefoot?
When I don’t have my pair of flat-soled Chuck Taylors (they never get old) you will likely see me deadlifting in a pair of socks or almost barefoot. Why, well your bare foot is as close to a natural, stable surface as you’ll probably find. *on another note I also feel as if I have a bit more control over my gripping and weight distribution when I performing a movement barefoot.
Not using shoes when you're attempting to stabilize yourself in a movement that you need to use your feet to perform such as the squat or deadlift (or even bench press for leg drive) helps the feet relearn how to stabilize the body efficiently. Not only that but there is also a a study titled an Electromyographical Analysis of Barefoot Squat: A Clinical Perspective that states that not squatting in shoes allows a lifter to recruit more of their leg muscles than they would with shoes on (which is something you can actually feel when you squat without shoes).
What are the benefits of squatting barefoot?
When you're asking yourself "Why do some people take off their shoes when doing squats or deadlifts?" we're happy to say that it's because doing so yields benefits. Included in those benefits are:
- It' easier to push through the floor: It's much simpler to push through the ground when you're not wearing shoes. This follows the same premise as when you're squatting with flat-soled or weightlifting shoes. You don't have to worry about pressing into foam and the base of your foot is essentially flat already.
- More ankle mobility: This one's self-explanatory. You don't have anything blocking your ankle's movement. The great thing about having improved ankle mobility is that you have to do less to achieve maximal depth in the squat.
- More grip (depending on the floor type. I can attest to this): Since I've had my own experience with squatting and deadlift-ing on Styrofoam mats (when it was humid) I must say that this varies with the person. If you have practice squatting barefoot you are able to "grab" the ground with your toes, which will result in enhanced grip.
- Improved balance: Your feet are, by default, flat surfaces and you have toes that you can use to balance and re-balance yourself while you squat.
- You're able to strengthen your feet: Well, when we wear shoes we take away from the purpose of our feet and aren't really required to use the muscles inside of them. Taking off our shoes and working out without them forces you to use the muscles inside of your feet which will also result in your feet getting stronger.
- You don't have to spend money on shoes so it's less expensive: You're not spending money on shoes because you're working out without them. So of course it will be less expensive.
- You have more of an understanding of the ground you're squatting on: Your feet, when you're working out without shoes, are forced to develop an understanding of the ground you're working out on. You will be forced to touch and feel the ground which will result in having a better understanding of where to apply pressure on your feet as well as finding out about other potential weaknesses your feet may have.
Squat/weightlifting/deadlift
What' the benefit of using weightlifting shoes?
I personally don’t use squat shoes but I’ve heard that they’re great for both targeting different muscles (muscle activation) and increasing your ankle’s range of motion. Now, the last part of that previous sentence would likely be one of the only reasons I would go ahead and think about purchasing a pair of weightlifting shoes. When I’m performing a heavy squat one of the things that I find to be the most difficult is reaching depth with the range of motion I have in certain joints - if the squat shoes help with that I’m all for it. *if you’re having that same issue of not really being flexible enough to get to where you want to go, then you understand what I’m talking about.
What lifts to use weightlifting shoes for?
Weightlifting shoes are designed to be used for exactly what their name implies, weightlifting. Lifting shoes have a firm base that can be invaluable when attempting to apply force through the ground. Weightlifting shoes also help lifters have improved ankle dorsiflexion - which is invaluable for reaching depth in a squat. There's much more than that however. Weightlifting shoes can help lifters in lifts such as:
- Squat
- Snatch
- Bench press
- Clean and jerk
- Power cleans
Flat-soled shoes (chucks)
Are chucks good for squatting?
Now, this is my personal favorite (my go-to type of shoe). Above we mentioned that the benefit of performing a movement with bare feet is that you have a nice, stable surface to press off of. The same goes for using flat-soled sneakers. My personal favorite is Chuck Taylors (here's my affiliate link to a good pair). Why? Well, they don’t have all of that extra cushioning, they’re inexpensive, and they last for a really long time. Now, don’t take this as if I’m trying to sell them to you either, because I’m not. I also have a pair of HUF sneakers I use to deadlift and squat in (though, they aren’t as consistent as the Chuck Taylors are).
There was also a study done to compare the effect of weight lifting shoes and running shoes on a group of people's squat. The study basically compared the range of motion of regular lifters who lifted the same weight (for the study) but used different shoes to lift in.
Here's an excerpt from that study:
Table 1 contains mean and SD values for the trunk lean displacement. This significant difference indicates that barbell back squat with WL shoes showed less trunk lean displacement as compared with values shown by the squat with running shoes (p < 0.05). The group mean data showed an approximately 22-mm difference.
https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2012/01000/Kinematic_Changes_Using_Weightlifting_Shoes_on.4.aspx
Table 1 also contains descriptive values for the peak thigh segment flexion angle. No statistical significance was observed, that the peak flexion angle of thigh segment angle did not differ (p = 0.37). The group's mean data represented nearly identical values at approximately 20° with respect to the horizontal line.
The mean and SD for the foot segment angle for the 2 footwear conditions are shown in Table 1. This statistical significance indicates that WL shoes provided a greater foot segment angle when compared with that of running shoes (p < 0.05). The difference of approximately 3.5° was captured by wearing the WL shoes.
https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2012/01000/Kinematic_Changes_Using_Weightlifting_Shoes_on.4.aspx
Conclusion
And that’s pretty much it for squatting with running shoes - it simply isn’t advised. You can do it but, be prepared to hurt your knees (Uneven distribution of weight) or simply not be able to lift as much weight as you typically would be able to. The study mentioned in the article also supports the argument that there is a difference in flexibility (which can influence weight distribution) when you use flat/stable shoes rather than running shoes. While there may be many reasons why the data says what it does, it does firmly back up the conclusion reached - Don't squat in running shoes.
Resources:
https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-one-exercise-to-fix-strength-leaks
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/249923