Converse For Lifting – How Do They Hold Up?

Converse for lifting is proving to be a very popular, if somewhat controversial topic in the lifting community, so it is one which we are going to be addressing today.

First and foremost, when we go to the gym to train, we go to exercise, not to show off, draw attention to ourselves, or try to gain a bunch of likes on social media.

With that said, however, that certainly does not mean that we can’t look and feel our best when we train.

It doesn’t matter whether you work out in a pair of ripped sweats, or the latest celebrity-endorsed workout gear, the most important thing is that you train hard and get a great workout in.

As far as gym apparel goes, though, wearing the right footwear is not only important for comfort, but it’s also important for getting more from your workouts.

Those who lift weights in particular, have often been seen wearing Vans or Converse kicks in the gym, and not only to look good either.

It turns out that wearing Converse could be very beneficial, and here’s a look at how.

What Is Converse?

Converse, also known as ‘Chucks’ is a brand of clothing that focuses primarily on footwear with rubber soles.

Initially founded in 1908 by Marquis Mills Converse, where it was known as the Converse Rubber Shoe Company, the brand has changed hands many times over the last century, before being acquired by Nike in 2003.

The company specialized in rubber soles and footwear and produced footwear for the military during the Second World War. Here they produced rubber-soled boots that were winterized.

Following WW2 the company moved back into athletic footwear and began producing shoes for athletes and sportsmen and women.

They dominated the market up until the 1970s when they slowly began to drop off and lose ground to other brands such as Reebok, Adidas, Umbro, and Nike.

In the late 90s and early 2000s however, Converse footwear started to grow in popularity, especially amongst skaters and basketball players.

Their Chuck Taylor All-Star style, for example, is considered one of the most popular styles in the history of footwear.

Once Nike purchased the brand, the sky was the limit and the brand took off.

Today, the company generates annual revenues of close to $3 billion a year, and if things continue as they are, that number could grow massively.

That’s all well and good, but are Converse really as all they’re made out to be, or would you be better sticking with proper lifting attire?

Is Converse Good For Lifting?

Lifting weights has become the norm over the last couple of decades, and whereas you once needed to be considered either a freak or a bodybuilder to lift weights, nowadays people lift for all manner of different reasons.

No matter whether you train as a bodybuilder, a powerlifter, an Olympic lifter, a strongman, a CrossFitter, or an average gym-goer, when you lift weights you need to do so correctly, and you need to do so safely.

This is where Converse can prove to be so useful.

Many of Converse footwear’s features and designs make them ideal for lifting weights and performing a wide range of free weight, machine, and compound movements.

Don’t get us wrong, Converse shoes are not without their faults, and there are certain drawbacks when it comes to lifting (more on those later).

In general, however, Converse is indeed very effective.

Reasons Converse For Lifting Is So Effective

Okay, so we’ve taken a look at whether or not Converse is viable, and we’ve hopefully answered that question for you.

If you are, however, thinking of wearing Converse, before you hit the gym here’s a look at several reasons why Converse shoes for weight, strength, and resistance training are so beneficial.

Converse Footwear Has Flat Soles

Not too long back, we looked at Vans for lifting and whether or not Vans footwear was beneficial for lifting weights. It turns out that they are, largely because they have flat soles.

Do you know which other types of footwear have flat soles?

That’s right, Converse.

Converse shoes feature flat soles which makes them ideal for lifting weights. When you see most people lifting weights in the gym, if you look at their feet you’ll see that they’re wearing running shoes that are designed for running, walking, or jogging.

They have cushioning and arch support and are designed to help speed up the wearer and make it easy for them to run.

They aren’t however, useful for lifting weights.

When you lift weights, you need plenty of support and stability on the flats of your feet. This will not only help you to generate more power, but it will also help to keep you stable as well.

In particular, compound exercises such as barbell squats and deadlifts can benefit hugely from wearing footwear with a flat sole, I.E Converse shoes.

They’re Great For Powerlifting

In particular, Converse shoes for lifting are useful for people deadlifting and squatting, so needless to say, they’re ideal for powerlifting.

Because they have flat soles they mean you’re closer to the ground when you lift. The thin soles are ideal for generating more explosive power when you pull from the ground, so deadlifts in particular, can benefit hugely.

There is of course a lot of science and physics to get your head around, but very simply, when you do an exercise such as a deadlift, Converse is useful because it means you’re closer to the ground so you have less distance to pull the bar.

Wearing some running shoes can almost make it seem as if you’re pulling from a deficit. Don’t think deficit deadlifts are any tougher, go ahead and try to deficit deadlift your 1 rep max deadlift weight and see how you get on.

Converse Lack Cushioning

Another reason why so many people have turned to Converse when lifting weights in the gym is the lack of cushioning.

Now, to some people, if a shoe doesn’t have cushioning this would be seen as a negative as surely it would be uncomfortable, right? Wrong.

Converse are extremely comfortable, but more than that, the lack of cushioning is beneficial for lifting weights.

You see, the less cushioning on a shoe the closer to the ground your feet will become. As we just looked at it, the closer to the ground that you are, the easier you should find it to pull a heavy weight.

Converses allow you to generate more power as you push off of the ground quicker and easier, generating power from the soles of your feet.

This is not only beneficial for deadlifts, but it’s also great for pressing exercises, plus for standing up as part of a squat.

Converse Are Affordable

Even though Converse shoes are highly sought after and are popular with celebs, pro athletes, and other people in the mainstream eye, they’re also surprisingly cheap.

Converse is a brand name and as such, you may assume that a pair of Converse Chuck Taylors for example, would set you back several hundred bucks.

The truth of the matter is that you can find Converse shoes for as little as 50 – 60 bucks.

While this isn’t super cheap, it’s very affordable, especially considering you’re getting a brand-name, premium product.

Right now, with inflation so high, rising interest rates, and everything becoming so expensive, it’s easy to see why people are looking to save money.

If you need new footwear for the gym and aren’t sure what to go with, Converse footwear is perfect, and also very affordable.

If you take your time and shop around, you could even get a pair for as little as 30 bucks.

Converse Footwear Is Very Grippy

One of the main unique selling points (USP) of Converse footwear when it first became popular, was the fact that the soles of these shoes were made of rubber.

Popular with basketball players and skaters, Converse footwear has to be grippy and give you plenty of traction, which is another reason why they’re ideal for training.

When you lift weights, you use your feet to anchor you in place so you stay secure as you execute the lift.

Rather than trying to focus on stabilizing yourself you can instead generate power from your legs and feet and can perform various lifts more efficiently.

Not only is it important to ensure that you don’t slip in terms of generating power, but another reason why having plenty of grip is so important is all down to safety.

If you’re squatting with a 400-pound barbell behind your neck, the last thing you want is for your feet to slip.

This could be catastrophic.

With Converse, as the soles of these shoes are rubber, they will grip the mats or deadlift platform you’re lifting on and you won’t need to worry about injury.

Converse Footwear Is Comfortable

While this benefit likely won’t provide much help in terms of lifting more weight or lifting with perfect form, what it will do is make you more comfortable as you train.

Another reason why wearing Converse has proved to be so popular with lifters is simply because the shoes are so damned comfortable.

When you lift weights, the last thing you want is to be worrying about blisters or painful feet.

What you want is to get into the zone mentally and focus on your training. With Converse footwear, that is exactly what you can do.

Converse shoes may look a little tight, but once they’re on they’ll bind to your feet perfectly and will leave you feeling comfortable as you lift.

Converse Footwear Looks Great

Again, looking great while you train may not help you to execute the lifts more efficiently, but what it will do is provide you with a psychological boost that increases your confidence and improves your mood.

When you hit the gym to train if you turn up rocking your Converse High Tops, you’ll look a million bucks, you’ll feel a million bucks, and you will be in the perfect mindset and mental frame of mind to train.

Are Converse Good For Deadlifting?

The deadlift may very well be the most important exercise, pound for pound, in terms of brute strength. It is the ultimate test of strength as you can either pick up the weight and lock it out, or you can’t.

While we can’t guarantee that wearing Converse shoes will help you to deadlift like Brian Shaw or John Haack, we can guarantee that Converse shoes are generally considered to be very beneficial for deadlifting.

When you deadlift, you want the bar to travel the shortest distance possible for you to get a good lift. This is where Converse proves useful because of its flat sole.

Converse has a 0mm heel-to-toe drop, so they are, for all intents and purposes, completely flat.

This helps you to remain stable. The rubber sole also grips the floor or deadlift platform so you can get better traction and grip as you pull.

Converse shoes for deadlifting are certainly better than running shoes, and they can compete with some cheap, inferior, entry-level deadlifting shoes.

They aren’t however, perfect and if you are serious about deadlifting and might be thinking about taking up powerlifting, you should invest in some deadlifting shoes.

Converse for deadlifting is not perfect by any means, but they are useful for beginners and intermediates who are just learning the ropes and starting to take their deadlifts seriously.

Are Converse Beneficial For Squats?

Okay, so we’ve looked at whether or not Converse will help you to deadlift and we now know that, yes, they will. But what about squats?

The squat is arguably the hardest, most physically taxing, and most demanding exercise you could ever wish to perform, so making sure you do it correctly is vital.

This is where the right footwear is so important.

Just like with deadlifts, you need to have your feet as flat and as close to the ground as possible when you squat.

Converse is beneficial, and for squats, this is no different.

Converse has grippy rubber soles so you’ll be safer and more secure when you squat. Not only that, but Converse shoes also have little cushioning and a 0mm heel-to-toe drop so your feet will be nice and flat.

The only real downside here is that Converse shoes may not be suitable for people with ankle mobility issues, due to their design.

All in all, however, if you’re thinking of wearing Converse and are going to perform squats, the shoes are certainly better than running shoes.

Converse shoes may not be as good as pro weightlifting shoes, but they are certainly useful for intermediates and newbies just learning how to squat with a decent weight on their backs.

Are Converse Good For Bench Pressing?

Powerlifters perform squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. While we’ve already looked at how Converse for deadlifting and squatting can be beneficial, we have not yet looked at the shoes for benching.

When you bench press you lay on a bench and press the weight over your chest with your arms. You do, however, use some leg drive and this is where Converse could be useful.

Converse has flat soles and grippy rubber soles so you can anchor your feet in place and use them to create more leg drive and power from your legs.

As the shoes are so grippy, you needn’t worry about them slipping so you can focus on executing the lift with perfect form.

Are Converse Good For CrossFit?

Answering this question is a little tricky because there is no clear answer, it all depends on what kind of CrossFit WOD (Workout Of the Day) you happen to be performing.

If your CrossFit workout consists of plenty of running for example, then Converse shoes are probably not ideal. If you are doing a lifting circuit, however, then as we’ve looked at previously, Converse could be very beneficial.

Converse For Olympic Lifts

As far as Converse for Olympic lifting goes, the best thing we can say about Converse here is that they’re okay.

Converse can help you master the technique needed to execute the lifts, but you shouldn’t wear them when lifting heavy weights as there are much better options out there.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, if you are thinking of wearing Converse for lifting weights, there are plenty of benefits to be had.

Converse offers plenty of grips, they’re supportive, they’re comfortable, and they have a flat sole which makes them great for powerlifting.

While they aren’t the best option, they are far better than regular running shoes, so why not pick up a pair?