A recent study found that deadlifting barefoot won’t improve performance, but wearing shoes does increase the workload. Those are contradictory findings since it should be easier to lift more if the workload required is less. Therefore, more research is needed.
As a National-level coach, I’ve found that deadlifting barefoot allows you to increase balance, reduce your range of motion, engage the glutes and hamstrings more, and transfer force more efficiently between you and the ground. As a result, you can lift more weight.
That's why I primarily deadlift barefoot and why powerlifters, bodybuilders, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger can be seen barefoot in old-school training videos.
However, some gyms don’t allow you to lift without shoes. Additionally, if you're a competitive powerlifter, it's against the rules to compete barefoot, and you must wear a sole.
I cover everything to consider with barefoot deadlifting below, including why science supports it and alternatives to get the benefits while wearing *sigh* shoes.
Table of Contents
4 Reasons To Deadlift Barefoot
- Increased Balance
- Shorter Range of Motion
- Better Engage Glutes & Hamstrings
- More Efficient Force Transfer
1. Increased Balance
To lift the most weight possible, you want to be completely balanced over the mid-part of the foot. Rocking forward, backward, or sideways will lead to inefficient bar paths. This means you won’t be able to lift as much.
Barefoot lifting heightens awareness of micro-movements between your feet and the ground. For example, if you wear running shoes, the sole will have a natural curvature, creating instability as you try to find balance.
It might be easy to find your balance when standing without any load, but it's extremely hard to find stability when deadlifting under load.
When barefoot, you can more easily cue yourself to find your midfoot before the lift. Then, you can use the proper powerlifting technique of ‘pushing the floor away' to generate vertical force more easily.
Check out my article on the best bar path for deadlifts, plus mistakes to avoid.
2. Shorter Range of Motion
The biggest advantage to deadlifting barefoot is that you'll be lifting an overall shorter range of motion.
Most shoes have a sole that measures 0.5 to 1.5 inches. When deadlifting, you will pull the bar that extra distance and do more work.
While this isn’t an issue for the average gym-goer, if you're a powerlifter going for a 1-rep max, it will be a little easier to complete while barefoot successfully.
This is why you should not deadlift in your squat shoes. You can also get an advantage by finding your ideal deadlift grip width. Check out my full post for more.
3. Better Engages Glutes & Hamstrings
When deadlifting barefoot, you can more easily shift the loading demand to the hip extensor muscle groups, such as the glutes, hamstrings, and adductor magnus (inner thigh).
You can read my anatomy guide to learn more about the muscles used in the deadlift.
Deadlifting barefoot doesn't necessarily mean you can recruit the hip extensors more. It just means they might be recruited less if you deadlift with shoes.
Let me explain.
The risk when you don't deadlift barefoot is that the shoe will shift your balance toward the front part of the foot. When you shift your balance forward, you bend your knees and push them forward in front of the barbell. This will shift the loading demand from your hip extensors to your knee extensors, making your quads work much harder.
This is not to say that your quads shouldn't work in the deadlift (especially in the bottom range of motion). However, you want to strike a natural balance between using your hip and knee extensors rather than shifting all of the loading demand to your knee extensors.
Not all shoes will shift your balance forward. This only applies to shoes with a slightly raised heel. However, most gym-goers' shoes have higher heel levels when training.
4. More Efficient Force Transfer
You can have the most direct force transfer into the ground when deadlifting barefoot.
Training shoes with gel or air-based soles are not designed for max strength training, specifically deadlifting.
Your average training shoe is designed to absorb and dissipate the forces that occur when touching the ground. Dr. Aaron Horchig of Squat University said, “Squatting with the soft compressible sole of these shoes is basically like trying to lift while standing on a giant marshmallow.”
When maximally lifting, you want the greatest transfer of force between you and the floor, so deadlifting barefoot reduces any chance of loss of force transfer through the sole of your shoe.
Cons of Barefoot Deadlifting
There are three main cons to deadlifting without shoes.
First, you increase the risk of foot injury if you drop a weight. Make sure the space you are deadlifting in is not cluttered.
You also don’t want to deadlift barefoot if the gym you’re using is unsanitary. If the floor is dirty, it might not be worth it.
Plus, without shoes, you’ll have less arch and ankle support. This isn’t a problem for most people, but if you have high arches, flat feet, or previously injured ankles, you might need the support a shoe provides.
In addition, if you desire to compete in the sport of powerlifting or are already a competitive powerlifter, you are required to have footwear in competition. Therefore, you'll want to train in the shoes worn in competition to reduce the number of new variables when you step on the platform.
Finally, your gym may not allow you to lift barefoot.
For these reasons, you can still wear shoes and get benefits like deadlifting barefoot.
Shoes That Imitate Barefoot Deadlifting
There are definitely shoes that mimic deadlifting barefoot and still give you the same advantages. This is Eddy Hall, the strongest deadlifter in the World wearing one of the flat-soled shoes I'll discuss next.
Here are my top three shoe choices for deadlifting in order of most favorite to least favorite:
1. Top Pick: Asics Wrestling Shoe
Wearing wrestling shoes while deadlifting has been a long-time choice by many powerlifters.
The Asics Wrestling Shoe has a 0mm sole mimicking exactly like deadlifting barefoot. There is also the added benefit of having a grippier underside, which is beneficial for sumo deadlifting so that your feet don't slip.
2. Second Choice: Converse Shoe
Like the Asics Wrestling shoe, the Converse has a 0mm sole, mimicking deadlifting barefoot. However, the underside is not as grippy, and I feel like I'm ‘sticking to the floor' when lifting. If that is not a concern for you, this will be cheaper than the Asics wrestling shoe.
3. Third Choice: Deadlift Slippers
The rules in powerlifting say that you must wear a ‘sole,' but they don't specify much more. Therefore, many competitive powerlifters wear slippers because they feel the most connected to the floor. Personally, I think slippers would look silly unless you were training in a powerlifting gym. But if you don't care about ‘looks,' then this is your cheapest option.
And here are 6 other deadlift slipper options. Or you can check out my other favorite deadlift shoes in the full post.
Frequently Asked Questions
Deadlift Barefoot vs. Deadlift In Socks
Socks are definitely the more sanitary option if you’re lifting in a gym filled with other people. However, depending on the flooring, socks might be slippery and would not be a good idea if that’s the case.
Especially if you work out at a home gym, ditch the socks and let your toes breathe.
Do you have flat feet? Check out my article for tips on deadlifting with flat feet.
Can You Deadlift Barefoot When Competing In Powerlifting?
No, you can't compete in powerlifting barefoot.
According to the International Powerlifting Federation, lifters must abide by the following rules when it comes to shoes:
- Shoes shall include only indoor sports shoes/sports boots; weightlifting/powerlifting boots, or deadlift slippers. The above refers to indoor sports e.g. wrestling/basketball. Hiking boots do not fall into this category
- No part of the underside shall be higher than 5 cm.
- The underside must be flat i.e. no projections, irregularities, or a doctoring from the standard design.
- Loose inner soles not part of the manufactured shoe shall be limited to one-centimeter thickness.
- Socks with a rubber outside sole lining are not allowed.
To read up more on this, check out Powerlifting Rules For Deadlifts.
Is Deadlifting Barefoot Easier?
According to this study, deadlifting while wearing shoes increased mechanical work and barbell vertical displacement. This suggests that an increased workload is required to deadlift wearing shoes.
Can You Wear Olympic Weightlifting Shoes When Deadlifting?
Yes, you can wear Olympic weightlifting shoes when deadlifting. However, it's not recommended.
While an Olympic weightlifting shoe has a hard sole, unlike the gel or air-based sole of other trainers, the issue is that the heel is raised. Therefore, wearing Olympic weightlifting shoes when deadlifting will increase the range of motion you need to lift the weight.
If you have the option of deadlifting wearing running shoes or deadlifting barefoot, always deadlift barefoot. But you can read more in the full post.
References
- Valenzuela KA, Walters KA, Avila EL, Camacho AS, Alvarado F, Bennett HJ. Footwear Affects Conventiona and Sumo Deadlift Performance. Sports. 2021 Feb 11;9(2):27.
