Written by Andrew Lenau | ISSA CPT & Sports Nutritionist
Fact checked by Tyler DiGiovanni, BSBM
FACT CHECKED
We adhere to a strict methodology when reviewing products. We strive to deliver you an unbiased opinion on products and services so that you're able to make an informed decision. Learn More
When it comes to working out and weightlifting, you must have the proper gear. Weightlifting shoes have several key advantages in enhancing your performance over your everyday shoes.
If you’re someone who is serious about working out, powerlifting, or need some extra stability, then a good weightlifting shoe can be a fantastic accessory. With the fitness and health industry booming over the last couple of years, plenty of companies offer all sorts of different styles of workout shoes.
You don’t want to be wasting your time searching for weightlifting shoes that won’t fit your style of training and potentially put you at risk of injury. To help you avoid the headaches of searching for new shoes, we have done the research and put together a list of the 7 best weightlifting shoes for women.
7 Best Weightlifting Shoes For Women
- Overall Best: Legacy Lifter II
- Runner Up: Inov-8 Women's Fastlift 360
- Budget Pick: Under Armour Women's Charged Aurora 2
- For Powerlifting: Core Weightlifting Shoes
- For CrossFit: Reebok Nano X2
- For Bodybuilding: Otomix Women's Stingray Escape
- Barefoot: Vibram V-Soul Indoor
SFS Pick
Legacy Lifter II
SFS Runner-Up
Inov-8 Women's
SFS Budget Pick
Under Armour
1. Overall Best Weightlifting Shoes For Women: Legacy Lifter II
The Women’s Legacy Lifter II from Reebok, are easily the best weightlifting shoes on our list, as they were designed with powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting in mind. They have great reviews on the Rebook site, with five stars across the board.
Not only are they functionally well developed, but they also come in some fantastic color options. When buying shoes aesthetics isn’t the most crucial factor to focus on, but a modern design and clean look is a nice bonus.
The Reebok Legacy Lifter II features a ¾-inch heel drop, TPU heel, dual mid-foot straps that keep your feet tightly inside the shoe, and a full-length stability plate.
Additionally, the Legacy Lifters II offers a solid genuine rubber sole that grips just about any surface easily, but not so much so that you would risk injury.
Whether you’re working on your squats, deadlifts, or Olympic movements these shoes will keep you stable and secure, even while hitting new PRs. Some people would liken these Reebok's to the Nike Romaleos but we think the Legacy Lifter is a better choice overall especially if you're looking for an Olympic weightlifting shoe.
It is pretty easy to see why the Legacy Lifter II are our overall pick for the best weightlifting shoe for women and we can’t recommend them enough.
Pros
- Great wedge angle for squats
- Comfortable
- Modern and trendy style
- Returns are free
- Provides a snug fit
- Good raised heel height
Cons
- Heavy shoes
- Pretty expensive
Sometimes, all it takes is a solid base to start with. These women's lifting shoes give you exactly that...
2. Runner Up Best Weightlifting Shoes For Women: Inov-8 Women's Fastlift 360
The Inov-8 FastLift 360 offers lifters a handful of essential factors that make them fantastic shoes for any functional fitness athlete.
One of the most significant features that put the Inov-8 FastLift 360 on our list was that they are much lighter than most weightlifting shoes in this category. As the name suggests, they come in at 360 grams.
The Inov-8 FastLift 360 is constructed to be flexible and is made out of breathable material to help you stay cool while training.
Additionally, they offer a lower heel compared to other shoes, at .65 of an inch they are designed to be versatile for most training styles—the Lift 360’s offer many athletes the perfect balance between stability, functionality, and protection.
They also offer five unique colors and designs perfect for anyone who likes to be flashy or keep their style a bit tamer.
Overall these are one of the best women's weightlifting shoes on the market.
Pros
- Awesome stability
- Durable, yet breathable
- Sleek design
- Solid grip
- Light shoe with extreme functionality
- Great for Olympic lifting
Cons
- It takes a long time to break in
- Shoes may be tight on side of the feet
An external heel cage (EHC) and POWERTRUSS technology through the heel provides support and stability. The single, classic strap...
3. Best Budget Weightlifting Shoes For Women: Under Armour Women's Charged Aurora 2
Beginners and seasoned gym enthusiasts will find the Under Armour Charged Aurora 2’s an incredible workout accessory to aid you in achieving your fitness goals. They were designed to provide adequate lifting, running, and cross-training support for an incredible price.
The Under Armour Women's Charged Aurora 2 Cross Trainers offer 360 degrees of breathability, great flexibility, and bring the wearers plenty of comfort for their feet. They are perfect for those looking to incorporate functional movements into their strength training.
These cross-training shoes also have a reinforced mid-foot that improves the durability of the shoes under heavy weight and keeps the foot stabilized in any direction you move.
So if you are looking for a solid pair of weightlifting shoes, but don’t want to spend a ton of money, check out the Under Armour Women's Charged Aurora 2 Cross Trainers.
Pros
- Clean design
- Quite breathable
- Great value for gym shoes
- Functional
Cons
- No wedge for powerlifting
- Color options are plain
Built specifically for the female foot with a streamlined fit. Lightweight, breathable upper keeps you cool & dry...
4. Best Powerlifting Shoes For Women: Core Weightlifting Shoes
The Core weightlifting shoes are a must-have for lifters that are looking to lift some heavy weight, especially in exercises like squats, bench, and deadlifts.
This women's weightlifting shoe has 1.2” heels, which makes them perfect shoes for people that want to take their powerlifting game to the next level.
This 1.2” elevated heel helps to improve stability and promote proper posture while exercising.
These shoes are made with synthetic leather, mesh fabric, have lace fastening and velcro straps to keep these shoes comfortable and lightweight but still able to fit snugly against your feet.
They won’t win any awards for color options or design (they only come in black), but they have clean lines and are a great option if you prefer minimalistic designs.
Pros
- High heel-1.2”
- Snug fit on your feet
- Reasonably priced
- Stable heel for big lifts
- Not super heavy
Cons
- The exterior design could be better
- One color
Our weightlifting shoes are ideal footwear for lifters, thanks to its extra stable design and comfortable fit. These are fantastic shoes for...
5. Best CrossFit Shoes For Women: Reebok Nano X2
The Reebok Nano X2’s are packed with some incredible features and improvements from the last iteration to create a solid CrossFit workout shoe line. They are designed to be breathable and to give you support when you need it.
The Reebok Nano X2 offers a broad and stable base for weightlifting, while also having comfortable and responsive foam for short runs. This is also beneficial for the high intensity and high impact of functional training like CrossFit.
To keep your feet stable and supported while you lift, the Rebook Nano X2 offers a reinforced midfoot and durable rubber outsole that ensures grip even while working out outside.
If you’re looking for a versatile training shoe that you can lift, jump, run and squat in then these are an incredible option.
Pros
- Most functional on our list
- Lightweight
- Breathable mesh material
- Can be used for running
Cons
- Durability could be better
A durable rubber outsole provides reliable traction. Floatride Energy Foam provides lightweight, responsive cushioning...
6. Best Bodybuilding Shoes For Women: Otomix Women's Stingray Escape
The Otomix Women’s Stingray Escape weightlifting shoes are leather and synthetic shoes that offer additional ankle support for working out or other heavy weight-bearing exercises that can strain your body.
The grippy rubber sole will keep you stable on the gym floor and makes these workout shoes highly recommended to bodybuilders and fighters.
The Otomix Women’s Stingray Escape weightlifting shoes are also lightweight and flexible, allowing lifters full range of movement. Otomix wanted to set these shoes apart by offering bright, vibrant colors that will help you stand out in the gym or in public.
They don’t offer an elevated heel, which isn’t beneficial for squats but does offer a degree of improved performance while deadlifting and performing bodybuilding movements.
So if you’re looking for a new pair of weightlifting shoes, but don’t necessarily focus on powerlifting, then the Otomix Stingray Escape shoes are a great option.
Pros
- Cool retro designs
- Desirable for deadlifts
- Nice grip
- High-quality materials
Cons
- Sizes run small
- Somewhat expensive
Lightweight yet extremely durable with extra ankle support...
7. Best Barefoot Weightlifting Shoes For Women: Vibram V-Soul Indoor
The Vibram V-Soul Indoor weight training shoes are a great alternative to working out in your bare feet or socks, as they can both become slippery and don’t offer any protection to the bottom of your feet while lifting.
The Vibram toe shoes have rubber soles that allow you to grip the floor, provide maximum articulation, and maintain foot flexibility.
These features help to reduce the risk of injury and are an excellent option for functional fitness, yoga, and other similar activities.
The Vibram Five Fingers V-Train are the best overall toe shoes for working out as they are comfortable, breathable, and have a quick hook-and-loop design that makes it easy to adjust the shoe to fit snugly against your feet.
Pros
- Incredibly lightweight
- Minimal design
- Great grip
- Durable
- Breathable upper
Cons
- Expensive for what they are
- Debris can get into the shoes
The V-Soul is our latest offering geared towards feminine, indoor alternative fitness. These can be used across a variety of activities...
BENEFITS OF WEIGHTLIFTING SHOES FOR WOMEN:
Choosing the proper footwear for your active lifestyle can improve your performance and save you from potential injury. Whether you're on the search for Olympic weight lifting shoes, powerlifting shoes or cross trainers you can find some amazing benefits in buying sport-specific shoes.
1. More Support
Many people invest in weightlifting shoes because they require the extra ankle support that they provide and prevent them from rolling their ankles while performing compound movements or other exercises. Some lifts require constant adjustments of your feet and the last thing you want while training is a serious injury that prevents you from lifting.
When buying weightlifting shoes, high-cut is a great option for this who powerlift and need additional support. If you’re more into functional training and bodybuilding a low-cut weightlifting shoe option will more than likely suffice.
2. Elevated Heel
Weightlifting shoes, minus cross trainers, have elevated heels that enable the lifter to maintain proper form and posture while performing their lifts. When lifting heavy, doing compound movements, and performing Olympic movements the last thing that you want limiting your performance is poor posture and limited range of motion.
Heel elevation can vary from shoe to shoe, changing the angles at which you’re performing an exercise. The goal is to find the best height that allows you to execute the lift with proper leverage and full power.
When looking for the right heel height for your workout needs, find the heel that keeps you feeling comfortable throughout the entire range of motion. If you have longer femur bones, you typically want to find a weightlifting shoe option with higher heels. Whereas people with shorter femurs don’t require as big of a heel.
3. Sturdy Foundation
Unlike a normal pair of sneakers that are light and easy to run in, weightlifting shoes are the exact opposite. This is mostly because a lot more material goes into the base/sole of the shoes.
If you’re planning on lifting heavy weights, you need to have a pair of shoes that are going to keep your foundation strong and stable. The last thing you want is lifting weights and getting injured because the shoes give out on you.
4. Enhanced Mobility
To improve mobility while wearing lifting shoes, you need to look at the size of the elevated heel, if they provide a solid foundation, and if they have solid ankle support. These aspects improve your mobility throughout lifts, especially in the knees, hips, and ankles.
By increasing mobility, you increase the chances of keeping proper form and producing a maximum power output. Without proper shoes and mobility, you are risking injury and failed PR attempts.
Everyone is different on what kind of shoes will work best for them, so do your research and find the best pair of shoes to increase your mobility.
5. Reduce Risk Of Injury
Believe it or not but a good pair of weightlifting shoes can be a preventative measure for injuries. With any style of training, there will be a risk of injury, but with a good pair of shoes that provides proper support and a good base, you can lower that risk significantly.
When looking for a high-quality pair of shoes try to avoid options that have poor ankle support, don’t fit snug against your feet, and don’t have mid-section reinforcement. Without these features you can be increasing your risk for injury.
What To Look For When Buying Weightlifting Shoes For Women:
With many weightlifting shoes on the market, it's important to know what to look for so you end up with the perfect pair. Below are a few aspects we paid attention to when we tested weightlifting shoes.
1. Design
Design is something that is unique to each person, and while it isn’t the most important factor to look for when buying weightlifting shoes, it is worth noting. Whether you’re someone who always wants to look good in the weight room and have matching shoes or want lifting shoes for their functionality, there are a lot of different designs and looks to pick from.
2. Materials
An important factor to pay attention to when investing in weightlifting shoes is what types of materials they are made out of. For example, leather is a durable material and looks great, but it isn’t the most breathable option out there. Whereas you have nylon and mesh materials that also look great and are breathable, but won’t hold up to the same abuse as durable leather.
What you plan on doing in the gym will play a big part in what materials you should be looking for.
3. Stiff heels/Elevated heels
The heel raise angle of your heel-to-toe is, in our opinion, the most significant factor that should go into your search for shoes. The heel height dictates the shoe's effect on your range of motion throughout a lift. For example, the higher the raised heel is, the easier it will be for you to drop into a squat that can almost hit the floor. Whereas running shoes or regular sneakers are less than ideal for stabilizing your body during heavy lifting sessions.
On the other hand, Olympic weightlifting shoes should have less of a heel drop to keep your base stable as you execute explosive Olympic lifts like the snatch or clean & jerk. Look for shoes that range around 3/4 to an inch.
For deadlifts, you'd want completely flat feet so stay away from shoes that have any heel lift.
4. Wide Toe boxes
The toe box shape and shoe size that is best for you depends largely on your preferences and the shape of your foot, but for most people, a wider toe box is better for lifting. Having more room in the toe box for your toes helps to spread them out which can improve grip, balance, and drive from the ground.
5. Tightening systems or straps
Typically when researching training shoes, you’ll see one or a combination of three types of closure systems. Almost all options you should consider come with laces, but some will also have either a midfoot velcro strap or a lock laces (BOA) system. When looking at lifting shoes, we recommend looking for options with more than one of these closing systems.
6. Higher upper boot
While you may not need the upper portion of your weightlifting shoes to be as durable as the upper portion of your functional fitness shoes, it’s still a smart idea to look for uppers that have high-quality materials that allow for both durability and breathability. A leather upper with holes or a heavy-duty mesh upper are both great options that cover these qualities that you should look for.
A solid higher upper boot will typically have more stability during your lifts.
7. Usage
While some lifters and athletes focus on one sport, others like to diversify and try different sports requiring shoes to be more functional and flexible. If you prefer functional training and variety, you should consider a versatile shoe that can keep up with the abuse you’ll put them through. Remember that lifting shoes that are decent at most things won’t be ideal for one particular training style.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, finding a pair of shoes specifically tailored to your sport should be easier if you're focused on one style. Don’t expect to buy a pair of powerlifting shoes and wear them to run in.
Powerlifting shoes typically have an angled bottom that puts you at a better angle for squats but doesn’t fair well for running or doing CrossFit.
8. Price
Budget can be a tricky factor to discuss because there is a wide price range that high-quality weightlifting shoes come in. Depending on your training style, most of the shoes in this category will function very similarly. The most expensive weightlifting shoes can easily push past 200+ dollars and do many the same things as a cheaper pair.
Some will be designed to look nicer, have more functionality, or have better materials that justify the higher price tags. So choosing the right lifting shoes for you comes down to the important features and the budget you have to spend on them.
9. Reviews
When buying weightlifting shoes, make sure to pay attention to their customer reviews. Most of the options on the market tend to exaggerate the benefits of their products and make them seem like they would be perfect for everyone.
An important thing to look for is user reviews that have similar conditions as yourself such as having wide feet or narrow feet. Some brand tend to skew wider than others so it's vital to understand what type of fit you can expect with the shoes you're looking at.
Some companies may claim that their products can help add a bunch of weight to your lifts without doing anything. To ensure you don’t get played by these types of companies, we recommend that you validate a company's products by checking out their reviews.
The review section is where some certified buyers share their experience with their lifting shoe purchase and whether they recommend it or tell you to avoid it at all costs. We also recommend checking out other websites (like ours), Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, and Google to find more reviews on the weightlifting shoes that you’re looking at buying.
Women’s Weightlifting Shoes FAQ:
What are the best shoes for weightlifting for women?
The weightlifting shoe that would work the best for most weightlifting athletes is the Legacy Lifter II weightlifting shoes. These shoes are well constructed, stylish, and give you a solid base for all your important lifts.
They also offer a solid genuine rubber sole that grips just about any surface easily, but not so much so that you would risk injury to your leg or ankles.
What shoes can I wear for weightlifting?
If you’re just starting in the gym or aren’t super serious about training, then wearing weightlifting shoes isn't a necessary accessory. If you’re a powerlifter or a functional athlete, we recommend investing in a good pair of weightlifting shoes.
Weightlifting shoes can significantly increase your chances of a successful PR attempt, especially if you are squatting or overhead pressing. With the variety of shoe options available, you should be able to find a pair that works best for you.
Are flat shoes better for weight lifting?
It depends. Flat shoes provide a few unique benefits for weight lifting based on how your style of training. It is worth mentioning that the benefits of a flat shoe can vary for each individual, so the pair that works great for you may not work well for someone else.
Flat shoes usually have a wider surface area than most traditional styles of training shoes. So if you want to focus on lower body workouts and exercises, you may find that the flatter soles and wider surface area are beneficial.
By having a wider base for training, you can also expect to have better stability during deadlifts, squats, and other machine and compound movements. For these exercises, a flat foot position can also help to improve your exercise mechanics and be more true to the movement compared to an elevated heel.
A flat foot position will allow you to root the feet and remain balanced. If you’re working on deadlifts and deadlift variations, then flat shoes are often a go-to for most recreational lifters due to their performance-supporting properties. This is also why it’s not a great idea to deadlift in weightlifting shoes if you’re not a weightlifting athlete.
Overall it isn’t that flat shoes are necessarily better for weight lifting, but that they can certainly be beneficial for some lifters. So if you prefer training with a flat shoe and don’t see the need for a shoe to assist with ankle mobility and range of motion, then flat shoes can definitely be the better option for weightlifting exercises.
What should women wear for weightlifting?
Weight lifting shoes come with a few key benefits that traditional training shoes aren't able to offer due to not being built for the same things. For example, weightlifting shoes typically have elevated heels that can provide assistance when lifting.
They also usually have two ways to secure the foot into the shoe to provide extra support. Flat soles are better for running and functional training as they allow your toes to spread out and give better ground feedback while exercising.
Why are Converse good for lifting?
For good reasons, Converse shoes have been one of the top choices for weightlifters for a long time. They are almost perfect for powerlifting, especially deadlifts, because of their flat heel and high ankle support.
The flat sole allows lifters to feel a better connection to the floor, increasing balance during lifts and reducing the risk of overextending past the recommended range of motion. The high ankle support also allows lifters more stability while the ankle moves during exercises.
Many popular weightlifting shoes can get incredibly expensive, which is another reason Converse shoes are so popular amongst members of the lifting community. Lastly, they are easy to find, so you can go into most shoe stores and find a pair that fits you.
It is easy to see why Converse shoes are most people's first weightlifting shoes and usually rank as the best lifting shoes.
SUMMARY
Weightlifting shoes for female athletes are a great accessory to add to any gym bag and are worth making sure that you invest in the right ones. They can offer a ton of necessary functionality and protection to your workouts, especially for exercises like bench press, squats, Olympic lifts, overhead presses, and deadlifts.
They can also help you reduce the risk of injury by providing good support to your ankles and feet while exercising. However, a good pair of workout shoes is not a cheap investment, so it's important not to rush your choices and carefully select a pair that works the best for your personal preference and your lifting needs.
Please do your own research and use our guide to help find the best option for you. Have questions that we didn't answer in this article? Leave them down below!
More Best Equipment Roundups:
Andrew Lenau
Author