Reebok Lifter PR 3 Review | Good Beginner-Friendly Weightlifting Shoe?

The Reebok Lifter PR 3 is the third iteration of weightlifting shoes to debut in Reebok’s popular budget-friendly Lifter PR line. For beginners and casual lifters, the Reebok Lifter PR line has been a steadily performing shoe.

As a fan of the Lifter PR 2, I was super excited to get my hands on the Reebok Lifter PR 3 and put them to the test. I was most curious to see if any major changes would take away from this shoe’s performance.

Overall, the Reebok Lifter PR 3 remains consistent, and its updates, while all not major, don’t necessarily detract from this shoe’s performance.

If you need a consistent weightlifting shoe for squats, leg day, or Olympic lifts then the Reebok Lifter PR 3 can be a great pick. This shoe is sneaky good for its price and is a good option for recreational lifters.

Who Should Invest In the Reebok Lifter PR 3?

The Reebok Lifter PR 3 can be a viable weightlifting shoe for beginner and intermediate athletes wanting a consistent shoe that’s stable for their squats, weightlifting, and strength sessions.

This model has a budget-friendly price point of $110, which also makes it a great pick for athletes and lifters who don’t feel like dropping $200 plus on a singular pair of weightlifting shoes.

The high-density EVA foam midsole in the Lifter PR 3 was stable enough for my power cleans up to 265 lbs, and the sole construction of this shoe also felt stable and locked down for my 315 front squats.

I also see the Reebok Lifter PR 3 as a good pick for lifters and athletes with slightly flatter feet. This shoe doesn’t feature a ton of aggressive arch support which can sometimes be an issue for certain foot anatomies in the Reebok Legacy Lifter line.

Overall, the Reebok Lifter PR, while not necessarily being fully better than the Lifter PR 2, has proven to be a good, consistent, beginner-friendly weightlifting shoe.

Who Shouldn’t Invest In the Reebok Lifter PR 3?

Overall, there’s not a lot to dislike about the Reebok Lifter PR 3, especially for its price point. However, there are a few contexts and asks in which I think you’ll want to avoid this shoe.

For starters, if you like a higher heel height, you’ll want to explore other options. The heel height listed on the heel of the Lifter PR 3 is 15mm or .6 inches.

If you’re a fan of higher heels for squats, clean & jerks, and snatches, then I’m not sure that you’ll resonate with this shoe’s construction, and more specifically their heel height.

Another context in which you might want to pass on the Reebok Lifter PR 3 is if you have exceptionally wider feet. This shoe’s toe box will fit narrow and neutral-width feet pretty well, but it may feel snug for notably wide feet.

Reebok Lifter PR 3

4.6

Stability

4.6

Versatility

4.7

Durability

4.5

Pros

• Strong well-rounded performance
• Great for beginners and recreational lifters
• Good price point

Cons

• May lack for lifters wanting more heel height

Best For

• Squats & Recreational Lifting
• Beginners to Weightlifting Shoes
• Beginner Weightlifters
• Cost-Efficiency

Specs

Heel-to-Toe Drop	15mm
Weight	17.60
Width	Medium
Lifting Threshold	395 lb

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Reebok Lifter PR 3 Pros

Over the course of my review and testing process with the Reebok Lifter PR 3, I’ve found a few pros to really enjoy with this shoe.

1. Good Beginner-Friendly Weightlifting Shoe
2. Outsole Has a Good Level of Traction
3. Reworked Upper Is Fairly Breathable

The first thing to like about the Reebok Lifter PR 3 is that it can be a good beginner weightlifting shoe for three key reasons. First, its lower price point makes it a little more inclusive for a wider range of lifters.

If you’re brand new to weightlifting shoes and just starting to experiment with them, the Lifter PR 3’s $110 USD price point is a lot better than the Legacy Lifter 3’s $220 price point.

Second, this shoe features a 15mm/.6 inch heel height (per the shoe’s outsole language), so if you’re new to lifting with elevated heels, I see them as a good shoe for helping you acclimate to this style of footwear.

If you’re used to squatting with flat shoes and you jump to a higher heel elevation of let’s say, 20mm/.78 inches plus, then it can feel a little jarring regarding your lifting mechanics and the changes that come with this style as you’re making a more dramatic jump.

Third and lastly, this shoe’s high-density EVA foam midsole’s stability should be plenty fine for beginners. When squatting up to 3 plates and more and when cleaning over 250 lbs, I never had issues with the stability in this model.

The second thing to like about the Reebok Lifter PR 3 is that despite being a budget-friendly weightlifting shoe, its outsole has a good level of tread, and it doesn’t feel “cheap” with its construction.

This model features a full rubber outsole with a ribbed tread pattern that is consistent with the Reebok Lifter PR 2. Whether you’re training on wooden platforms, rubber gym floors, or machines, you shouldn’t experience slip issues in this model.

The third and final thing to like about the Reebok Lifter PR 3 is its reworked upper construction. This model features a lightweight mesh upper with textile and synthetic overlays.

For my longer sessions where I was working cleans and jerks separately, this shoe breathed pretty well and my foot never ran too hot even when wearing these with thicker socks during the break-in period with this model.

Reebok Lifter PR 3 Cons

The Reebok Lifter PR 3 has been a pretty solid weightlifting shoe thus far, but there are a couple of cons and things to note that I could see bothering certain lifters and athletes.

1. Midfoot Strap Could Be Better Constructed
2. Not the Best for Wider Feet
3. Non-Gussetted Tongue Can Be Annoying

The first drawback that I have with the Reebok Lifter PR 3 is that its strap construction is a little sub-par. What’s interesting about this is that the Reebok Lifter PR 2 features the same strap construction but something feels “off” with the Reebok Lifter PR 3.

It might just be me, but the velcro in the Reebok Lifter PR 3 doesn’t feel as grippy. Since this strap runs shorter, especially for high-volume feet, I could see this being an issue for certain foot anatomies.

For example, if you have higher arches or thicker feet, then you may want to opt for a weightlifting shoe that has a longer strap because I don’t think you’ll get enough velcro surface area in this model to give you a seriously locked-down feeling.

The second drawback with the Reebok Lifter PR 3 is that its toe box can feel a little snug for wider feet. This shoe doesn’t have as much of a jarring arch compared to other weightlifting shoes, but its toe box still runs narrow.

If you have narrow and neutral-width feet and have a flatter midfoot, then I could see you enjoying how this shoe fits. However, for wider feet, I think you’ll be cramped in the toe box and you may want to look into options like the TYR L-1 Lifter.

The final drawback that I found with the Reebok Lifter PR 3 is that its tongue construction can be frustrating. This model features a wide non-gusseted mesh tongue that has an outer lining.

On multiple occasions, I had this shoe’s tongue start to slide over and round in when training which can be annoying. Additionally, when putting this shoe on, I have to un-lace this model fully and carefully place the tongue to ensure it doesn’t slide.

I liked the tongue better on the Reebok Lifter PR 2 and I feel like the tongue on the Lifter PR 3 could be improved with either a gusset or additional tongue loops for security because its current construction is pretty sub-par.

Performance Assessment

To break down the performance of the Reebok Lifter PR 3, I’ll be discussing their performance for a variety of training contexts. I’ll cover this shoe’s performance for squats, weightlifting, and accessory exercises.

Whether you’re buying this shoe solely for squats or your first pair of weightlifting shoes for snatches and clean & jerks, hopefully, this section can help you out based on your training context.

Testing the Reebok Lifter PR 3 for Squats

For squats, the Reebok Lifter PR 3 delivers a pretty strong performance. I think for most athletes and lifters, stability shouldn’t be an issue whatsoever in this model despite it using an EVA foam versus a TPU heel.

In this shoe, front squatting 315 lbs felt good and the lower heel height can be a perk for certain lifters and athletes. For example, if you’re new to weightlifting shoes or need a lower heel height for a more hip-dominant squat or for your squat mechanics, I think you’ll enjoy this model.

I also like the outsole traction that you get with the Reebok Lifter PR 3 and that it grips different surfaces really well. The rubber outsole tread also shouldn’t fade too fast for squat-specific performance, so I think these will last you a while if you’re just using them for squats.

All that said, for beginners and lifters wanting a shoe solely for squats, the Reebok Lifter PR 3 can be a good option due to its price point, stability, and outsole traction.

Testing the Reebok Lifter PR 3 for Weightlifting

In my opinion, the Reebok Lifter PR 3 is a middle-of-the-pack shoe for weightlifting. It’s a good and consistent shoe, but for experienced weightlifters or competitive athletes, there are better picks on the market.

That said, if you’re new to weightlifting and you want a cost-efficient weightlifting shoe for your clean & jerks and snatches, then the Lifter PR 3 will be plenty fine for your needs.

This model hits on all of the key points that you want for a weightlifting shoe, especially as a first model. The outsole’s tread is solid and this shoe is light enough to assist with keeping your foot turnover fast when catching cleans and snatches.

My gripes with this shoe include its platform feedback and its midfoot strap which are both specific. By “platform feedback”, I mean that the EVA foam doesn’t give you as much ground feel as a TPU or wooden-heeled weightlifting shoe.

This isn’t the biggest deal by any means, but it is a point of preference that some weightlifting athletes may want to consider. In addition, as mentioned above, the midfoot strap can run a little short which could be problematic for certain foot anatomies concerned with security and spillover.

Testing the Reebok Lifter PR 3 for Accessory Exercises

For accessory exercises, I enjoy the performance of the Reebok Lifter PR 3. To be honest, I feel like the Reebok Lifter PR 3 will be best served for the lifter that wants a shoe dedicated to squats and exercises like machine work.

This shoe’s grip was great on machines like the leg press and hack squat, so if you want a heel-elevated shoe for these training days, then you can feel confident in the Lifter PR 3 delivering a consistent performance.

I also like that this model’s toe box breaks in pretty well so you do get a fair amount of flexibility and articulation for things like quad-biased walking lunges which is an underrated perk for this specific training ask.

Another thing to like about the Reebok Lifter PR 3 for accessory exercises is this shoe’s breathability and comfort for longer sessions. This model doesn’t feel overly hot or heavy, which is nice for this training context.

Reebok Lifter PR 3 Sizing

For the Reebok Lifter PR 3, most lifters and athletes should be safe going true to size in this model. This shoe’s length runs true and they have what I would describe as a medium or neutral width.

If you currently wear Reebok training shoes or you wore the Reebok Lifter PR 2, then I’d go with the same size in the Reebok Lifter PR 3 as your normal Reebok size.

As stated above, if you have narrow and neutral-width feet that have a flatter midfoot, then this shoe should align pretty well with your foot anatomy.

For exceptionally wide feet, I’d tread lightly with this model as its toe box does run a little narrow. That being said, if your feet are only slightly wider, then I think you’ll be okay in this shoe.

• Reebok Lifter PR 3 Sizing Thoughts: True to size for most.
• Break-In Period: ~1 Week

If you have additional sizing and fit question about the Reebok Lifter PR 3, drop a comment below and I can help you out.

Price Breakdown

For the Reebok Lifter PR 3, you can expect to pay around $110 USD. This is a price increase of $10 USD compared to its predecessor the Reebok Lifter PR 2.

To be fair, this price bump isn’t too terrible as we’re seeing a steady increase in prices jump across brands and shoes. On that note, the Reebok Legacy Lifter 3 received a $20 USD increase, so in the grand scheme of things, a $10 USD bump isn’t the worst.

Compared to other weightlifting shoes, I do think this shoe’s price point is worth it for this shoe delivers. More specifically, if you’re a beginner or just want a shoe for squats, then the price is even more solid for what you get.

This is definitely not the most premium weightlifting shoe on the market, and you can feel that with its midsole, strap, and upper construction. You get what you pay for with this shoe, which will be enough for most weightlifting shoe newbies.

Reebok Lifter PR 3

4.6

Stability

4.6

Versatility

4.7

Durability

4.5

Pros

• Strong well-rounded performance
• Great for beginners and recreational lifters
• Good price point

Cons

• May lack for lifters wanting more heel height

Best For

• Squats & Recreational Lifting
• Beginners to Weightlifting Shoes
• Beginner Weightlifters
• Cost-Efficiency

Specs

Heel-to-Toe Drop	15mm
Weight	17.60
Width	Medium
Lifting Threshold	395 lb

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Construction Details

When it comes to the construction of the Reebok Lifter PR 3, there are a lot of similarities between this shoe and the Reebok Lifter PR 2. Below, I’ll outline the key construction details to note for this shoe.

• True to Size
• $110 USD

Reebok Lifter PR 3

Heel Height: 15mm/.6 inches

Upper: Textile/Mesh

Midsole: EVA Foam

• Effective Heel Height: 15mm (per this shoe’s outsole)
• Weight: 17.60 oz (for my size 10 model)
• Removable Insole: No
• Mesh and Textile Upper
• Single Midfoot Strap (plastic anchor)
• Full Rubber Outsole
• High-Density EVA Foam Midsole
• 6 Core Eyelets With a 7th for Lace-Lock

If you have additional construction questions about the Reebok Lifter PR 3, drop a comment below and I can clarify whatever you have an ask about.

Takeaway Thoughts

Across all of my training sessions, the Reebok Lifter PR 3 did a pretty good job. This shoe is consistent in the gym and it should work for most beginner and intermediate lifters.

The construction updates to this shoe are pretty minimal, and in some ways, I think they may actually be a little bit worse than what the Reebok Lifter PR 2 offered. For example, the strap on the Lifter PR 3 is pretty average with its build.

If you have additional questions about the Reebok Lifter PR 3 and my review, drop a comment below or reach out to me on Instagram (@jake_boly or @that_fit_friend).