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Good footwear stays comfortable while you’re strength training, but the best weightlifting shoes can actually improve your form and keep you safe during your workouts. Just like running shoes, these pairs have specialized features (like a stiff, sturdy base and a snug fit) to encourage proper body alignment during your exercises. Ultimately, they can help you feel more grounded and confident while you train.
We spoke to personal trainers and foot health experts to get more info on how to pick the pair that’s right for you. Then, we tested some of the most popular weightlifting shoes to see if they really live up to the hype. Our favorites are firm, stable, and supportive, so you can focus on your reps—not your steps.
Our top picks
Best Overall, Flat: Puma Fuse 3.0, $120Most Comfortable: Lululemon Strongfeel, $128Best Cross Trainer: Nike Metcon 9, $155Best for Wide Feet: Ryka Influence Training Sneaker, $90 $65Best Overall, Lifted: Nobull Outwork, $149Best Budget Pick: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star High Top Sneakers, $65Best Splurge: Nike Romaleos 4, $200Best for Beginners: On Cloudpulse, $120Best for Stability: Reebok Nano X5, $140Best for Flat Feet: Nike Free Metcon 9, $125Best Overall, Flat: Puma Fuse 3.0
Puma
Fuse 3.0 Training Shoes
Trakoshis wearing the Puma Fuse 3.0
Dolly Faibyshev
Meet the latest SELF Sneaker Award winner for weightlifting. Puma’s Fuse 3.0 has a firm, stable base that helped our testers feel grounded and a flexible sole that moved with them during lunges. “I don’t have to think about them when I’m lifting or worry about readjusting between sets,” one tester said. “The flat bottom helps me stay stable and really push through the ground for my bigger lifts, especially deadlifts, where you definitely don’t want any wobble.”
They added that, despite the shoe’s firmness, their feet didn’t ache or feel tired by the end of their session. Once they pulled the diagonal laces taught, our tester also noticed that their foot stayed put inside the shoe, with zero heel slippage. As far as we’re concerned, when it comes to a flat weightlifting shoe, the Fuse 3.0 is as good as it gets (and it’s pretty cute too).
Sizes: US 5.5 to 11 | Heel-to-toe drop: 4 millimeters | Weight: N/A | Materials: Synthetic fabric, synthetic materials, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), rubber
Trakoshis testing the Puma Fuse 3.0:
Most Comfortable: Lululemon Strongfeel Training Shoe
Lululemon
Strongfeel Training Shoe
Shopping market editor Angela Trakoshis wearing the Lululemon Strongfeel Training Shoe
Dolly Faibyshev
Back in 2022, Christa Sgobba, CPT, an ACE-certified personal trainer and SELF’s director of fitness and food, tested and loved Lululemon’s Strongfeel shoes. In her review, she noted that the sneakers’ secure base made it easy to focus on her exercises, rather than how her feet felt. “Although I was mainly interested in testing these for lower-body days—where stability is even more important—I found myself reaching for these for any strength-training workout, simply because they made me feel better,” she wrote.
Sizes: US 5 to 12 | Heel-to-toe drop: 6 millimeters | Weight: 10.20 ounces | Materials: Mesh, foam, rubber
Shopping market editor Angela Trakoshis testing the Lululemon Strongfeel Training Shoe:
Best Cross Trainer: Nike Metcon 9
Nike
Metcon 9 Training Shoes
Senior commerce editor Sarah Felbin wearing the Nike Metcon 9
Dolly Faibyshev
The Metcon 9, Nike’s flat cross training shoe, features a strong, solid plate in the heel and a combination of firm and soft foam in the insole, so it’s sturdy with just the right amount of give. The tongue has a strap that holds the shoe’s laces in place and out of the way, a nice safety measure that could also save you from tripping in the weight room. All of these features make it a great choice for anyone who likes to pair their lifting sessions with aerobics, Crossfit, and any other faster, higher-agility cross training.
Sizes: US 5 to 12 | Heel-to-toe drop: N/A | Weight: N/A | Materials: Synthetic fabric, mesh, foam, TPU, rubber
Senior commerce editor Sarah Felbin testing the Nike Metcon 9:
Best for Wide Feet: Ryka Influence Training Sneaker
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