A good strongman will usually have a variety of footwear in their arsenal, each with their own event-specific advantages. However, if you’re new to the strongman game a decent pair of trainers will be more than sufficient. Once you have a couple of competitions under your belt you might be thinking about the more subtle improvements you can make. Enter the footwear debate!
Trainers/Sneakers
Every good athlete needs a solid pair of trainers and strongmen are no exception. Trainers are good for moving events and a reliable fallback for anything else if you’re not quite ready to outdo the wife on the shoe count. However, pick your trainer with care! Regular athletic/running shoes can be too spongy for events such as Yoke or Farmer’s Walk.
We recommend shoes such as the Adidas Samba or Puma Roma.
Puma Roma
Adidas Samba
Weightlifting Shoes
This will be largely personal preference, but depending on how you lift you may want to invest in a pair of weightlifting shoes. Many strongmen rely on the heel to squat as well as for any overhead events such as Log, Axle Press and Dumbbell.
Weightlifting shoes have a raised heel which can help a lot with stability and mobility, which is why they’re becoming increasingly more popular.
We recommend weightlifting shoes like the Nike Romaleos series or the Adidas Adipower II.
Adidas Adipower II
Nike Romaleos 3
Rock Climbing Shoes
Next time you catch World’s Strongest Man on television have a look at the shoe of choice for the Truck Pull. Without doubt 90% of the strongmen will be wearing a pair of rock climbing shoes. The grip is unrivalled making them essential for any dragging event.
We recommend the Black Diamond Momentum Lace.
Black Diamond Momentum Lace
Walking/Hiking Boots
Walking boots can provide much needed ankle support for moving and carry events such as Farmer’s Walk or Yoke – especially if the surface is uneven. Some athletes may find boots too cumbersome but to each their own!
Barefoot / Socks
While you could go for deadlifting plimsoles or chuck taylor’s, for many barefoot is the more popular choice. Closer to the ground – meaning slightly less distance to pull – makes it a very valid option.
Another option is to just wear socks. This way your shins will still be protected during a deadlift and you can buy special socks with grip underneath so you won’t be able to lose your grip with the ground.
Deadlift Socks
