Neither is entirely true, of course, so lets dig into the pros and cons.
Will you gross people out by training barefoot?
Before we get into biomechanics, lets talk etiquette.
When and where is itacceptableto train barefoot around other people?
If youre at a gym, you have to play by the gyms rules.
Many gyms dont allow barefoot training.
(There are tons of shoes out there meant to mimic the feeling of being barefoot.)
That said, socks by themselves are very traditional lifting footwear, and are allowed at most gyms.
Are shoes more or less safe than training barefoot?
Most literature on barefoot training focuses on running, which doesnt apply here.
Studies that look at multiple sports,like this one, also dont apply neatly to lifting.
This agrees withour previous adviceto use weightlifting shoes, flat shoes, or socks when liftingnot sneakers.
What are the benefits of barefoot training?
Lets look at why people prefer training barefoot.
Now,whydoes it matter that youre training your feet to provide this stability?
What does it feel like to lift barefoot?
So what is barefoot training like, in practice?
He says of barefoot training, you might feel where youre supposed to be in space.
I notice when Im wearing shoes I tend to skip the setup a bit and accept good enough.
With barefoot lifting, I have to wiggle a lot to feel comfortable.
The benefits, he says, are mainly subjective.
My general strength is pretty much exactly the same with shoes or without, he says.
I justfeelbetter going barefoot with moves like low bar squats, zerchers, and deadlifts.
These boards are commonly available in gyms where people train barefootits just another way of solving the same problem.
Shoes can also make you feel safer when it comes to avoiding minor injuries like scrapes and toe-stubbing.
If youre more comfortable in shoes, then so be it.
Neither is proven to make you more prone to injury or to be able to lift more.
That brings it down to a personal, subjective decision.
If you work with a coach, talk to them about the best footwear for you.
Its worth trying, Joubert says.
Not because of a magic effect, but you may just enjoy how it feels and feel more stable.
We grossly overestimate how important the shoes we wear are sometimes.
