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[/caption] On Monday, Nov. 7, at 6:45 p.m. we’re bringing in Joe Landreville of Power Firm Weightlifting Shoes to show you some samples of the products he carries. If you e-mail your size requests to Crystal@Functional Fitness204.com by Saturday, Nov. 5, Joe will bring something for you to try out. He’s also an expert who can answer your questions about footwear. The 6 p.m. class will end slightly early so you can check out the shoes. Functional Fitness Olympic-lifting expert Mike Burgener is adamant that lifting shoes will help you move more weight. Specifically, he’s talking about a shoe with a slightly elevated heel made of a non-compressible substance like wood or hard plastic. Do the shoes make a difference? For many athletes, the answer is yes. The three main aspects of lifting shoes are as follows: 1. They elevate your heels slightly, which means athletes with less than ideal ankle flexibility and limb/torso lengths can achieve a more upright torso position when squatting. This is why you’ll often see people squatting with 2.5-lb. plates under their heels. 2. The shoes are designed not to compress, which means you will transfer more of the force of your legs into the bar rather than that Nike airbag. 3. Standing on a firm platform also helps you keep the barbell in a proper line, which is the secret to good technique and essential at heavy weight. Computer analysis of bar path in running shoes vs. lifting shoes shows that the lifting shoes help create a much more consistent bar path. Running shoes are designed for forward motion, so they’re always rolling you forward, which can cause problems when you squat. Lifting shoes are designed to provide you with a solid foundation on which to lift. The shoes won’t lift the weight for you–but they will help you dial in your form, which will translate to new records!