Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes Review | Good Shoe for Tall Lifters?

The Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes are marketed as being good shoes for tackling powerlifting and squats. I’ve seen this model a few times when looking into new weightlifting shoes, so I decided to give them a try and invest in a pair.

Compared to other weightlifting shoes that feature heel heights between .6″-1″, the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes have a .93″ elevated heel. I was intrigued by how they would feel when squatting and tackling other leg day exercises compared to other lifting shoes. 

Side note before we dive into this review, I don’t like that Nordic Lifting calls these powerlifting shoes. They’re weightlifting shoes and I’m also not the biggest fan that they market them as being good shoes for deadlifts — they’re not, but more on that below.

In this Noric Lifting Powerlifting Shoes review, I’m going to cover a variety of topics to help you assess if this model is a good pick for your performance needs.

Who Should Invest In the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes?

I think the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes will be best used by beginner and intermediate lifters who need these shoes specifically for squats and other exercises where a heel elevation is desired.

As a whole, these models work fairly well in traditional gym settings and the EVA foam heel will provide enough stability for most lifters tackling moderately heavy squats. The upper has a fair amount of breathability and the midfoot strap adds additional security.

That all being said, for serious weightlifters and strength sports athletes, I’d skip this model for two reasons. First, the outsole lacks adequate tread and I could see this being an issue in some strength sports settings, especially weightlifting.

Second, the sole material in the forefoot doesn’t provide as much stability as other high-quality weightlifting shoes. For beginners though and recreational lifters who want to save a little money, the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes can be a good cost-efficient option to explore.

Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes

4.2

Stability

4.2

Durability

4.3

Quality

4.1

Best For

• Recreational Lifting and Squats
• Machine Work (when wanting a heel wedge)
• Cost-Efficiency

Falls Short

• For Serious Weightlifting
• For Wide Feet

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Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes Pros

When it comes to performance and construction, there are a few pros that I like with the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes.

1. Decent Beginner-Friendly Intro Weightlifting Shoe
2. Good Heel Height for Taller Lifters
3. When On Sale, Fair Price Point

The first aspect to like about the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes is that they’re a decent option for beginners who are looking to get into weightlifting shoes. This model delivers a pretty good construction for its price so I think it can be a viable option for most casual lifters.

For casual recreational lifters and athletes who plan to use these shoes once maybe twice a week for squats and other exercises where a heel wedge is desired, I think these shoes will get the job done for most.

The second aspect to like about the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes is their heel height for certain contexts and athletes. This model features an elevated heel that sits at .93″, which for context, is considerably higher than the height of something like a Nike Savaleos.

If you’re a taller lifter and need a little more heel elevation when training or just like a higher heel, then this can be a good thing for your training context. The higher heel can be beneficial for lifters that need more assistance with tracking the knees over the toes and maintaining certain positions in lower body movements.

The final thing to like about the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes is that when they’re on sale at a price of $89.95 USD they can be a good cost-efficient option for weightlifting shoes to look into.

On Amazon and Nordic Lifting’s site, they’re regularly priced here and if you’re trying to save a little money and not drop $200 USD for something like a Nike Romaleos 4, then this model can be an okay budget-friendly alternative.

Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes Cons

There are a couple of performance and construction cons to note about the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes.

1. Outsole Could Use a Reworking
2. Forefoot Material Lacks Stability
3. Sole Is Stiff
4. These Are Not Good Shoes for Deadlifts Despite What the Marketing Says

The first drawback to the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes is that their outsole lacks a good tread patterning. This model features a smooth and slightly rigid full rubber outsole. On the product page, Nordic Lifting says this sole is anti-slip, but I would say they’re instead “somewhat anti-slip”.

The sole on this shoe grips rubber gym floor and wooden platforms well, but if there’s any dust on the floor whatsoever or if your sole is starting to lose its slight rigidness, then you may run the risk of a little slippage which is less than ideal when training.

The second drawback is that the high-density foam in the forefoot doesn’t do the best job of providing additional stability. This model features a foam layer that extends from the forefoot to the heel. This is the layer that sits on top of the EVA foam in the heel.

If you’re squatting heavier weight and rock forward at any point, then there’s a good chance you’ll feel the forefoot’s sole compress a bit which could hinder performance and balance further.

It would be nice if Nordic Lifting reworked this aspect and ditched the foam and instead used something like rubber as the sole component in the forefoot.

The third drawback to this shoe is that it can be fairly stiff, especially during the break-in process. You’ll definitely need a week or two to fully break this shoe in and even then the forefoot can still feel a little stiff.

The fourth drawback — and this is me nitpicking as a strength coach at the product page’s language — is that these shoes are not good shoes for deadlifts despite what the marketing for these shoes says on Amazon.

When deadlifting, an elevated heel can add more total work to your reps and range of motion to your pull which is counterproductive for being efficient with your deadlifts, especially from a skill-focused mindset.

That being said, I wish Nordic Lifting would market these shoes as what they are, weightlifting shoes, and omit language like using these for deadlifts because I think it can mislead true beginners into thinking these shoes are great options for deadlifts — they’re not.

Performance

To discuss the performance of the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes, I’m going to break this section into key performance sections. I’ll talk about how this performs in the context of weightlifting (clean & jerk and snatch) and powerlifting (squat, bench press, and deadlift).

I’ll also discuss how this shoe performs for squats and recreational lifting. This way you can contextualize if this shoe is a good fit for your training needs.

Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes for Weightlifting and Powerlifting

For weightlifting, the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes can technically work, however, I’d suggest passing on them if you compete in weightlifting, plan to compete, or don’t compete but take your weightlifting training seriously.

The reason I’d suggest passing on them for this training context is for two key reasons. First, the outsole’s grip isn’t the best, and if you’re sliding the feet when catching weight in the clean & jerk or snatch this could be problematic, especially in gyms with wooden platforms that can be a little dusty at times.

Second, the forefoot sole construction and how it compresses can be problematic for trying to re-establish balance on lifts where you’re a little forward. For reps where I caught my cleans a little forward, I found it tough to re-establish balance in the hole due to this.

For powerlifting, these shoes are also okay, but they’re definitely not my favorite pair of lifting shoes for the sport of powerlifting. The stability in this model when squatting is okay, but it’s not going to be the same as something like a Reebok Legacy Lifter II.

I think if you’re a powerlifter and plan to compete or already do, then you’ll probably want to explore weightlifting shoes that have TPU heels or more stable construction. For competition reasons, I’m also not the biggest fan of this shoe’s outsole tread.

Generally speaking, in powerlifting competitions, you’ll be competing on a platform covered in carpet which could be problematic for the outsole tread in this model. 

Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes for Squatting and Recreational Lifting

These shoes do a pretty good job for squats and more recreational lifting and I think that’s where this model will excel the most. I’ve mentioned this a few times in this article, but these shoes are definitely better suited for casual lifters and beginners.

For squats, these shoes should provide enough stability for most lifters. I had no major stability issues when working up to 385 lbs in squats.

I will say though, and this is why I ranked the shoe’s stability a little bit lower is that compared to other weightlifting shoes you do notice a difference in their feel when training. The foam and EVA do not deliver nearly as much of a locked-down and stable feel as weightlifting shoes that utilize TPU heels.

When training on machines and tackling accessory exercises like quad-biased lunges and split squats, I like this shoe as a whole. They give you enough stability and traction to tackle these tasks with relative ease.

As a tip, if you plan to invest in these for your leg days, I would recommend wiping down the outsoles of these shoes before training to get a little extra traction. I train in two gyms and one is a little more dusty/dirty than the other and I’ve noticed before training in that gym that a quick wipe down is essential for increasing the grip with these shoes.

Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes Sizing

For the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes, most lifters should be safe going true-to-size in this shoe. Nordic Lifting also suggests going true-to-size on their product page.

I think this model will work best for narrow and neutral-width feet. If you have a wider foot, then you may feel a little limited with this shoe’s toe box and you may want to look into other weightlifting shoes because I’m not convinced you won’t run into heel slip issues if you have to size up.

• Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes Sizing Thoughts: Go true to size. If you have a wider foot, then you may want to explore different weightlifting shoe models.

If you have additional sizing and fit questions about the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes, drop a comment below and I can help you out accordingly.

Construction Details

Below, I’m going to outline some of the biggest construction callouts for the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes that influence this shoe’s performance and durability.

• Effective Heel Height: .93″
• Weight: 14.25 oz (for my size 10 model)
• Removable Insole: Yes
• Mesh and Synthetic Upper
• EVA Foam Heel
• Smooth and Slightly Rigid Rubber Outsole
• Midfoot Strap

If you have additional questions on the construction of the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes, drop your questions below.

Takeaway Thoughts

The Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes are an okay model for squat and casual lifting. They deliver a fairly stable construction and have a budget-friendly price point.

I do think this model will fall short for serious training and strength sports, so this shoe does come with a few performance limitations.

If you have additional questions about the Nordic Lifting Powerlifting Shoes, drop a comment below or reach out to me via Instagram (@jake_boly).