Wrestling shoes are very versatile and can be expensive depending on how much you want to spend. However, many people wonder if they are good for weight lifting, as weight lifting and wrestling often combine.
Are Wrestling Shoes Good for Weight Lifting?
Wrestling shoes are good for weight lifting for several reasons. Wrestling shoes help with grip, offer support, don’t weigh you down, and protect your ankles. All of these characteristics make wrestling shoes great for both wrestling and weight lifting.
Let’s talk a little more about what makes wrestling shoes a good fit for weight lifting.
Benefits of Wrestling Shoes In Weight Lifting
Wrestling Shoes Help Your Grip
Wrestling shoes have strong grips that help you maintain your footing in any direction. Wrestlers need this to properly compete because their sport requires them to move in many different directions. The grips on wrestling shoes will help you keep your feet firmly in place while lifting.
Wrestling Shoes Give Provide Necessary Support
Wrestling shoes add a layer of support for lifters that is vital in foot health. As long as wrestling shoes fit properly, they offer plenty of support needed for foot health. The tight fit holds your foot in the proper position to ensure that you stay balanced and flat-footed when necessary.
Wrestling Shoes Have a Light-Weight Fit
Wrestlers need to be quick on their feet, and their shoes are designed to help with this by being lightweight. This can also help weightlifters get the most out of their lifts.
Heavy shoes can weigh you down and make it more difficult to lift. So, the lightweight feel of wrestling shoes can promote better lifting techniques while keeping lifters light on their feet when needed.
Wrestling Shoes Offer Great Ankle Protection
Wrestling shoes are notorious for offering ankle protection, as wrestlers need to be careful during a match.
Because they move so fast, wrestlers need to protect their ankles from rolling, and this protection transfers well to weight lifting. Weight lifters can roll their ankles easily during the strain of lifting, and wrestling shoes can help offer some protection for their ankles.
Are Wrestling Shoes Good for Squats and Deadlifts?
Wrestling shoes are good for both squats and deadlifts because they have plenty of grips and help protect your ankles. Squats and deadlifts both require sturdy feet, and wrestling shoes can prevent ankle injuries and keep a firm footing while you lift.
Wrestling shoes have grips on the bottom that certainly help accomplish this. When you think about wrestling, there are plenty of instances where grips are necessary to execute moves properly. That is not all that different from lifting, which also requires good grips.
For both squats and deadlifts, ankle protection is very important. It can be easy to lose your balance when lifting and squatting. So, ankle protection can prevent you from rolling your ankle if you lose balance.
How Much Do Wrestling Shoes Cost?
You can get a cheaper pair of wrestling shoes from $50 to $100, but more expensive pairs can cost up to $200. The cost of wrestling shoes varies depending on the quality you are looking for.
Cheaper pairs of wrestling shoes are great for beginners, as it is not necessary to splurge on expensive shoes right away. Basic wrestling shoes will get the job done just fine as they provide plenty of grip and protection, but as you advance, you may want to invest in a more expensive pair.
More expensive wrestling shoes allow wrestlers to utilize more of their advanced footwork and techniques.
While it is unnecessary to spend a lot on wrestling shoes, more advanced wrestlers will want to invest in a better pair. As your skills grow, your wrestling shoes should change and adapt to what you need.
What Are the Best Wrestling/Weight Lifting Shoes?
The best wrestling/weight lifting shoes will fit well, provide great ankle support, have a lightweight fit, and assist your grip. There is no one pair of wrestling shoes that are the best for everyone. The best pair of wrestling shoes is the one that works for you and your style of wrestling.
While it would be easy to name the current top or most expensive brand of wrestling shoes, that isn’t going to do much good for anyone looking for the best brand to suit their needs. Every wrestler is different and has different techniques and skills.
So, the best shoe will always be the one that fits the best and has all the enhancements that the wrestler needs. For a beginner, this will be a cheaper pair to get them started. Once a wrestler gets more skilled, then it will be whichever shoes complement their style.
Expensive usually means better, and in the case of wrestling shoes, that is true. However, the most expensive shoes are not necessary to be a good wrestler.
They merely take what cheaper shoes offer and add some extra features to help maximize your skills. So, don’t get too wrapped up in the most advanced shoes right away. Stick with buying shoes that match your needs.
Are Wrestling Shoes Good for Running?
Wrestling shoes are not good for running because they’re not designed to support your feet against the pavement. Although wrestling shoes provide a lot of free movement, they easily get dirty and won’t protect from injury.
Many wrestlers will tell you that you should not wear your wrestling shoes off of the mat. This is because you can track all kinds of dirt onto the wrestling mat.
That may not sound like a big deal, but wrestlers often lay on and have their face exposed to the mat multiple times during a match. With everything that can be tracked on a shoe, it is considered respectful to wear clean shoes on the mat.
Wrestling shoes provide a lot of flexibility and support by hugging your foot. However, this also means that wrestling shoes do not offer any arch support or much support in general when it comes to running. Because running is hard on your feet, it is not recommended that you run in wrestling shoes.
Wrestling shoes are great for weight lifting because they provide grip, are lightweight, and help protect your ankles. Though they are great for weight lifting, you shouldn’t wear your wrestling shoes running as they don’t give the arch support you need for hitting the pavement.
Interested in Wrestling? Check Out My Recommendations
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