Not All Shoes Do All Things. Get Intentional With Shoes Designed for Strength Training and Weight Lifting.

So far at Scouted, I’ve recommended fitness shoes that are great for covering your entire workout. Broadly speaking, I focused on shoes that afforded lots of support for your trips to the gym and that at the same time were light enough to keep you running briskly through streets, trails, and treadmills. But if you hit the gym or nearest boutique fitness studio and do less running and more stationary workouts, you might benefit from a flatter shoe. The idea is to keep you as balanced as possible. Also, using running shoes or ones whose soles are substantial for weight lifting will increase the weight on the heels of those shoes and they’ll deteriorate faster. Whether you’re taking a break from traditional running or want to start separating your fitness shoes, I put together some great options you should consider getting.

Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Low Top Sneakers, $50 on Amazon: The iconic Chucks have a surprising past for some as they’re one of the first widely used fitness shoes ever. Flat, stylish, and affordable, they check off lots of marks for someone looking for a side pair of shoes to use at the gym. For more styles and options at the same $50 price, check out the classic shoes at Converse.

Mizuno TC-01, $140 at Zappos: After Mizuno launched its latest shoe and first in the specific weight-lifting category, it sent me a pair to check out. And I’ve been using them regularly between two or three times a week. Basically, when I know my cardio is going to comprise of the elliptical, treadmill, bike, or otherwise, I have no need for running shoes and turn to the TC-01s. Initially, I saw great value in giving my other shoes more life by sparing them sessions of weight lifting. Now, I’m hooked on these shoes. The ultralight shoes are built with a midsole that responds to pressure points from the outsole and allows you to feel like you’re in contact with the ground. I found this invaluable when situating my feet into proper form before a more rigorous (and therefore higher risk) lift.

Adidas Power Perfect 3 Shoes, $65 on Amazon: Highly-rated both on Amazon and the adidas site, these shoes were specifically designed for lifters and cross-trainers. The hook-and-loop instep strap design allows you to fully customize how much support your heel and rearfoot will be getting while you break PRs. 

Reebok’s Crossfit Nano 4, $115 on Amazon: Of the strength training shoe options, I’d say Reebok’s giving us the most stylish one. That’s notable because it allows you to wear the shoe as a casual sneaker if you want to (a strength the Chuck Taylors have down pat). From elevated shock absorption to an ultra-lightweight design and a shoe body designed to keep your foot situated even when you’re not, this is an investment in a high-performance shoe that will stay the course with you for years to come. You can find more colors and sizes from Reebok.

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