Adidas PowerLift Trainer
THE REVIEW:
The PowerLift Trainer Shoe is a model designed by Adidas to fit a growing market of consumers – the fitness enthusiast and athletes that have become aware of the need for proper footer while weight training. This new shoe features a leather upper, a 0.60″ heel constructed of EVA and a very comfortable tennis shoe-like fit. Resulting in a low cost, solid weightlifting shoe.
To understand the impact the Power Lift Trainers will have on the market, we need to first look at the Adidas model history that precedes these shoes. In early 2011 Adidas launched the Power Perfect II, a budget Olympic lifting shoe targeted more towards non-competitive athletes. This shoe replaced the now discontinued Power Perfect and IronWork 3 models.
With the Power Perfect 2 shoe on the market for Olympic weight lifters, Adidas needed to design a shoe that met the needs of recreational lifters – low cost, durable and an easy transition from other lightweight trainers. This was the driving market behind the Powerlift Trainer, gym goers that knew they needed stable shoes to lift in, but didn’t want to spend $120+ on a pair of shoes just for the gym.
Since this shoe is an almost identical twin to the Power Perfect 2 weightlifting shoe, let’s cover the differences so they aren’t confused. First off, this model is about $30 cheaper, priced right around $90. Like the Power Perfect 2, most of the shoe is made of synthetic leather but to reduce the cost even further an EVA material was used for the heel of the PowerLift model (EVA is a lightweight polymer, as dense as harder rubber soles but much lighter.) Finally, the PP2 is only available in white with red accents while the PL Trainer is available in 5 distinct colors.
The EVA material keeps the shoe light, and with a heel height of 0.6 inches, they are the exact height recommended by infamous strength training coach Mark Rippetoe for power lifting. The heel is EVA, not wood or super dense rubber, so they WILL begin to compress under very heavy weight loads. With that said, I’ve personally seen a 250lb man performing 350lb squats while wearing these and he didn’t seem to be complaining.
This model was targeted at the mainstream Crossfit and “Starting Strength” power lifting crowd who don’t really need a $150 pair of shoes just for lifting. And although the Ironwork and Power Perfect were Olympic lifting shoes, we didn’t find the PL trainers all that suited to Olympic lifts. The front of the shoe is very stiff and the design of the sole doesn’t allow a very flexible toe box. I don’t believe this will change even after the shoe breaks in. This will hinder you when going into your split. Second, the heel height is only .6″, relatively low considering most Oly shoes are fitted with .75″ – 1.5″ heels. And finally, a true Olympic lifting shoe must be extremely solid in the heel; I’m afraid the compressible nature of the heel on the Powerlift Trainers will result in an unstable base, especially when performing quick movements such as those required for oly lifts.
In the end I’d say these are best suited for beginner to intermediate power lifters or those that are just performing squats, presses, dead lifts and bench. While you could get away with light weight Oly lifts wearing these, there are better shoes on the market for that purpose. These certainly aren’t for anyone that ever intends on attempt a set of heavy double or singles.
Adidas still run a bit “tight” in the forefoot area so once again, wider feet may have more difficulty fitting into these shoes. I also found the forefront of the shoe to be pretty stiff so a few trips to the gym will be required to break them in. The sole of the shoe uses the exact same sole of the former IronWork, so grip is very good as well. Overall the styling and construction of the shoe seem very promising and many owners are already singing praises for this shoe. Only time will tell if the cut in cost leads to a reduction in durability for this shoe.
SIZING:
These shoes run true to size. I wear a size 9 in Reebok Zigs, and a 9 in Adidas AdiZeros and a size 9 PL Trainer fits perfect. The shoes are fairly narrow in the toe box so anything more than a moderately wide foot will probably result in an uncomfortably tight fit.
WHERE TO BUY:
I’m a huge proponent of buying directly from the source and Adidas has made this even easier by having the best prices online for this shoe AND free shipping for a limited time. Click here to check out ShopAdidas.
I have also seen some really good deals on Amazon for this shoe, as well as seeing the above mentioned rare colors. After paying shipping you will likely end up paying the same as if you had purchased directly from Adidas, but Amazon is still a good alternative if you can’t find the size and color combination you are looking for.
Rogue Fitness also carries these shoes but they cost more and do not come with free shipping.
PROS:
- Very “sticky” gripping sole
- Lightweight
- Sneaker-like fit
- Well made
CONS:
- Not the best fit on wider feet
- Heel does have some give to it
- Shoe laces are too long
ADDITIONAL SHOE FEATURES:
I have been using these shoes for about 3 weeks now and have no complaints. They are narrow at first as Scarey9 has said, but they will "stretch" and become more comfortable after a few wears. The quality is good on these and the heel feels solid. I imagine if you are squatting upward of 500lbs you would want a harder heel for sure, but i find them awesome for all around crossfit and straight oly lifting. Went to these from the VS dynamo which were falling apart, and really like the lower heel height. All around great shoe.
im sorry dont understand how this shoe could get a 4 for quality when this it uses lighter and much cheaper materails than a wood. This is hard to believe i think you should lower the quality rating on this product or not rate it at all until you provide conclusive evidence based on tensile stength of the EVA Ethylene Vinyl Acetate foam compared to the wood and other plastics. i would be really interested since EVA is materail used in top soccer cleats which is the opposite of oly weightlifting and explosiv
Well for one, the quality rating isn't simply the heel construction but the overall quality of the shoe. While EVA is certainly not as dense as wood, it also not as heavy. Not to mention there are very few manufacturers that still use real wood in their heels. The AdiStar, Risto and Kanama are some of the few and they are all price much higher than this shoe. In our tests the heel of this shoe held up quite well under a 500+ lb total load while performing squats for reps. That's good enough for pretty much any lifter that is going to be considering this shoe.
Have a pair on the way…will be sure to leave some comments after I wear them a few times and then use them for a meet on 8/6.
Right on. That's what this site is all about!
I found a pair on Amazon for $40.99 (I don't know how much of a supply is available at that price). I've got wide feet, so I'm not sure how well the shoes will work for me, but I figured that it's worth a shot given that I got them so cheap. I'll report back after I've used them.
Yes, there are a few closeouts here and there on Amazon and various other sites. The pair I found on sale was the silver/gold pair, so I would suspect this color variation is being discontinued soon. Either that or it is just a very poor seller and merchants are trying to unload the inventory.
Let us know how they feel on your wide feet after a few workouts. I don't expect the leather to be very forgiving in this price range so the break-in time could be longer than typical. But I could be wrong…
Why are these shoes called Powerlifting shoes? Are they Olympic Weightlifting shoes, Powerlifting shoes, or both?
I referred to this shoe as a "hybrid". Here's my reasoning:
While technically you can use any shoe you want for any type of lifting. TRADITIONALLY, Olympic style lifting calls for a raised heel to help with knee angle and descent under the bar… basically allowing you to drop your butt much lower to the ground without straining your calves. This is essential when trying to move your body underneath a heavy weight that you can only pull "up" so high. With that said, many power lifters and bodybuilders like higher heels because of the difference in how muscles are worked while wearing them. As an example, I feel much more emphasis on my quads when I squat in Oly shoes.
Furthermore, because Olympic lifting requires (a)quick foot movement, (b)uncompromising support of the foot AND a (c)flexible forefoot area, certain other qualities must be possessed by a true olympic weightlifting shoe. It needs to be (a)light, (b)made with a solid yet supportive material/design and (c)have enough flexibility and give across the top of the toes to allow flexion.
Now moving over to the power lifting side; this group typically wants a shoe with a lower heel that is as incompressible as possible. For example Mark Ripptoe, author of the infamous "Starting Strength" program, recommends a heel height of 0.50" for most people. This was why his Rogue Ripptoe shoe had the half inch heel. While EVA is certainly not as stout as a wood heel would be, it can still withstand fairly heavy loading.
The Powerlift Trainers have the body and features of an Olympic shoe, with the heel of a power lifting shoe. They are a little better suited for power lifting, BUT, if you don't have calf flexibility issues then you could easily use them for Oly lifting.
I am not a fan.
The only issue I have is the "non-solid" heels but that's a deal breaker for me.
If I squeeze the heel with my thumb and forefinger, it gives. More importantly, I notice it in my heavier lifts.
For many people, a bit of softness is probably not a problem. I think though anyone remotely serious about powerlifting or olympic lifting will demand a more rigid heel.
Thanks. I've addressed this issue in the pros and cons area of the review. Out of curiosity, did the heel shoe the same give laterally and horizontally? My main concern with heel give would be uneven distribution of weight causing the heel to sink more on one side or the other.
The most noticeable for me was in the aft direction when I rocked back on my heels a little at the top of a not-terribly-heavy deadlift.
The give may not be extreme but it's there. Again, many people – especially those not accustomed to wood-wedge lifting shoes, will be fine with these.
I knew Adidas used a synthetic material (frankly, I wasn't that familiar with what "EVA" was) and not wood for the heel, but still I expected it to be stiffer than the heel of your standard $50 cross-trainer or court shoe, and I am not certain that it is.
how soft are the heels exactly?
i'm currently looking for a shoe at or around $100. have considered this shoe, 2011 rogue do-wins, and the white vs-athletics shoe. any opinions on these shoes/other suggestions?
thanks.
All good choices, but I'd stay away from the VS unless you are a fairly tall person – 1.5" heel height is just too much for most people.
forgot to mention, I'm doing low-bar squats as described in Starting strength by Mark Rippetoe. i'm assuming a lower heel would be better?
I know Justin Lascek from 70's big has squatted low-bar in the white VS weightlifting shoes. he says they're about 3/4" while most people say they're closer to .9".
If you aren't Olympic lifting, then you don't need a high heel anyway.
would it hurt however to go for a .75" or larger heel as opposed to .6" heel, given I'm low bar squatting?
thanks.
I doubt you will feel much difference between a .6 and .75 heel. You will barely feel the difference between .5 and .75". Most Olympic lifting shoes have at least a .75" heel while some such as Risto and VS go even higher.
thanks for answering all my questions. I really appreciate it.
how would these shoes do as far as using them for bench press in a competition?
They should work just fine for benching.
Best shoes after Risto's !
I got my from nerlinger in the Original Color Red/White "PowerPerfect II" best training Shoes for PL/OLY
I used mine to squat in a powerlifting meet this weekend, and I didn't notice any "squishiness" to be honest. I weight 242 and squatted 545 for my final attempt…didn't notice any give, but this was the first time really using them, so I'll be sure to update if things change as I continue to use them at the gym.
Can anyone say whether or not these shoes run big or small??? I wear a size 10.5 in regular tennis/cross trainer shoes…but im wondering if a size 10 would work?
They don't run big or small, about average. I usually wear a size 12 shoes because I like my regular shoes a little more loose fitting, I ordered a size 11.5 of these and they fit great.
Saw this shoe last weekend at the gym. The guy who was wearing tried to do heavy snatches and the heels were not supportive. The lifter missed all his heavy snatches at 245 pounds (best snatch is 300 pounds). Back squats were a big problem after 400 pounds. These shoes are not for serious O. Lifting.
I decided to get a pair of these to try out since my old adidas weightlifting shoes where really worn out. So far they have worked out well for me. I havent done any really heavy squats in them yet only a couple sets with 315 for a few reps to get a feel. I did do some deadlifts today and these are the first pair of weightlifting shoes ive ever done any deadlifts in and they seemed very supportive. I dont compete in powerlifting any more so i feel that since i dont do 700lbs squats anymore these will be more than enough for me to get good solid stability and get in good workouts and you cant beat the price point on these. I was surprised how well they did shape to my foot. My past experience with adidas shoes where that they where really narrow on me and uncomfortable but these broke in really quick and are comfortable on my wide ass feet. I typically wear a size 10eee in dress shoes and a 10.5 in my regular sneakers so i went with a 10.5 in these and they fit pretty good. If i do have any problems i will be shure to let you all know.
I'm trying to decide between these and a pair of Rogue 2011 do-wins. Currently, I only do Olympic weightlifting, but I may switch to doing other stuff when I leave for college in a year. Can anyone recommend me one over the other?
Well, I'd stay away from Do-Win anything. If your budget is around $120 then I'd get the Ristos – they are Olympic lifting shoes but will work well for anything else you decide to do. The PL trainers aren't a very good choice for Olympic lifting.
heel is too small and is also to soft. plus wood heels look bad ass!
I've been using these shoes since October and I've been quite pleased with them. The sole has stood up well to the rigors of training and they've become more comfortable to wear over their period of use. I did make one slight adjustment to the sole and added an additional 5mm to the heel (my local cobbler is amazing and you can't even tell the shoe has been modified). In all, this has been a great training shoe and I'd definitely get another pair.
Max aita = squatting 302kg in these shoes. oly.
jon north = C+J 192kg in these shoes.
srsly, they're a bargain or at least the PP2 are
Apologies. Powerlift =/= Power Perfect 2.
i do squats, bench, deadlifts, reverse squats etc… no competitive… just training for bodybuilding… im 150 lbs and all my lifts are in the 200s would this be the best shoe for me?
You should be fine in these for now.
Thanks for all the effort you have put into providing information about weightlifting shoes. I find that this review fails to explain why these shoes are unsuitable for olympic lifting though. Please elaborate.
Thanks for pointing out that oversight. I've updated the review to include the reasoning behind this opinion.
Everyone please feel free to leave more comments and critiques – it's what makes the reviews better!
Just bought a pair of these yesterday (grey with black strips) and I am very happy with my purchase. Any complaints about forefoot flexibility are misleading because right out of the box I was able to do calf raises and vertical jumps (yeah I know I shouldn’t be doing them in an oly shoe but I had a point to prove). The next day I went to my gym and hit platform right away. I just want to note that I primarily bought these shoes for the Starting Strength Program and 5/3/1 so doing olympic lifts was primarily to just test the way the shoes felt more so than to assess their worth for that use. Needless to say they felt good, a little hard to get use to at first because I have never used a wedge shoe before but I was able to hit depth well on the clean and jerk and the with the snatch I finally was able to hit a full squat and not fall straight on my butt. After I finished the Oly’s I did a quick squat and deadlift workout just a 5X3 affair and I do not know it was the shoes or because I was warmed up but I was able to hit full depth without knee pain for the first time in recent memory. The deadlifts were still okay despite feeling like I was on the balls of my feet more than I like. Might end up going back to my chuck taylors for the deadlifts but all in all good shoe and worth every penny I spent. P.S as far as the compression worries go I can not lift enough weight yet to notice it but the shoes feel extremely firm when you wear them.
Great website! Really appreciate the work you put in here. Do you have any info on whether these are no longer being produced? I’ve been keeping an eye on the Adidas website and they haven’t refreshed their stock for quite some time now. I contacted Adidas but the sales person I was connected with was understandably clueless. Thought you might have more connex. Any info would be much appreciated! Thanks!
No, they don’t update me with item stock anymore. I don’t think these are discontinued, they sell too well. This is the third time now since their release that they have completely sold out – I guess Adidas didn’t expect such a demand for the shoes.