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The TYR L-2 Lifter has been a shoe that’s been welcomed with open arms by a lot of lifters. To set the stage here, I like the L-1 Lifter, but there were things about it that I felt could be improved.
For example, the L-1’s upper was a little “blah.” It didn’t have the most aesthetic look and I thought it could use a little more breathability. From a looks standpoint, the L-2’s looks hands down better, which is great, but how is its performance compared to other weightlifting shoes?
The L-1 performed great, but there were a few issues with it like its outsole peeling off of the heel over time and its forefoot feeling a little too low profile for some. With a $25 price hike, the goal with my review here is to assess if it’s warranted and justified.
TYR L-2 Lifter
$225
Pros
- Stable for squats
- Wide Toe Box
- Upper Has Great Security
Cons
- Toe Crease Can Be a Miss
- Upper Lacks Breathability
Best For
- Squats
- Weightlifting
- Wider Feet
Specs
| Heel-to-Toe Drop | 21mm |
| Weight | 21.05 oz |
| Width | Wide |
| Lifting Threshold | ~405 lb |
Who Should Buy This Shoe?
- Wide Footed Athletes. If you have an E+ foot width, it can be tough to find weightlifting shoes that fit well. The L-2 is still the widest option on the market and I’d suggest going up a half-size and removing the insole in them if you want maximal width.
- Recreational Lifters. Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced lifter, the L-2 is a solid shoe to go with. It ticks all of the boxes you want from a good weightlifting shoe and its quality feels good and improved overall.
- Athletes Who Like More “Planted” Feeling Lifters. The L-2 has minimal toe spring and a heavier build. If you love using heavier squat shoes that have that very “planted” and anchored platform, then I think you’ll vibe with this shoe’s construction.
Who Shouldn’t Buy This Shoe?
- Thicker Feet/High Instep Athletes. The toe crease in this shoe can feel rough for athletes with thicker forefoots. If you’re routinely battling the forefoot in your shoes, then I’d suggest either removing the insole in these or buying, trying, and keeping in mind that you may need be one of the lifters who has to return them.
- Exceptionally Narrow Feet. These are great for medium and wide feet, but they can be a miss for narrow feet. If you have <D width feet then you may find that you slide around in these shoes and I’d suggest exploring options like the Adipower 3, Legacy Lifter 3, or Romaleos 4.
- Budget Shoppers. Look, I like the L-2 Lifter, but if you’re trying to save on your weightlifting shoes, then you can find solid options for $150 or less. The NOBULL Canvas Lifter is wider and costs $150, and options like the Reebok Lifter PR 3 and Powerlift 5 cost around $80-120 and perform perfectly fine for recreational lifters.
What’s New? L-1 vs L-2 Lifter
The big updates that I’ved noticed with the L-2 compared to the L-1 revolve around this shoe’s upper, outsole, and midfoot straps. Here are the changes that matter and how I feel about them, respectively.
- Upper Aesthetics: Good change. The branding, overlays, and overall flow of this shoe looks so much better than the L-1. It’s a JV to Varisty different, in my opinion.
- Upper Overlays/Materials: Good change. The forefoot has ridges and is now built with a leather, rubber, and TPU-like material. It gives the forefoot awesome lockdown and it feels more durable than the L-1’s leather material.
- TYRTac Outsole: Good change. The grip of the outsole on this shoe has been buffed and TYR is now using their TYRTac material to create more bite with this model. I’ve enjoyed the grip of this shoe training on different surfaces.
- Outsole Gluing: Neutral change. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s still too soon to call out long-term durability with this shoe, however, the outsole build and its gluing feel so much better in this model.
- Nylon to Leather Straps: Neutral change. Midfoot straps are a matter of personal preference, but I personally like the nylon a little better from a “hug” the foot standpoint. The leather work great, though.
- Plastic Loop for Straps: Neutral change. It’s still too soon to make the call on the plastic loops being a con for long-term durability. Some plastic straps work great, after all. The switch to plastic after increasing the price is interesting, though…
I think for the most part, those are the changes that you’ll want to consider and keep an eye on. Overall, the L-2 does feel like a higher quality shoe when feeling and putting them the feet.
My Sizing and Fit Suggestions
In all of my reviews, I buy the same size shoes on purpose and this is to share better suggestions on how I’d size these shoes. I traditionally size for a US 10 and have an E/EE width foot.
I went with a 10 in the L-2 and the L-1 and these fit true to size on my feet. They take a few weeks to break in with their heavier construction.
Narrow Feet Sizing Suggestions
- Go true to size.
I think some narrow feet will be fine in the L-2. If you have low-volume feet and a narrow midfoot and forefoot, then you may find that you slide around a bit in this shoe. Try them on and keep in mind that you may need to return.
Medium Feet Sizing Suggestions
- Go true to size.
Medium-width feet with normal instep heights should feel like butter in these. The width should be just enough without any security issues.
Wide Feet Sizing Suggestions
- Some should go true to size, most should size up a half-size.
If you have E-width feet and like a snugger fit, go true to size. If you want more room or have 2E+ width feet, go up a half-size.
For flat feet and if you even more space in these, take out the insole. You can also try swapping in an insole from a barefoot shoe to take out some of the arch feeling in these.
How Are These for Squats?
The L-2s have beel stellar for my squat sessions. I’ve been programming a lot of zercher and front squat variations lately and these have been some of my favorite weightlifting shoes in minute for these sessions.
The L-2 Lifter has a heel-to-toe drop that sits at 21mm or .83 inches. This height tends to be a sweet spot for most lifters, and works great for my needs because I’m a lankier guy (read: has mediocre ankle and hip mobility). If you find that you could also use a little help with squat depth, then I think you’ll enjoy the overall drop of these.
For squat performance specifically, there are three factors that I’ve taken note of. First, the TPU midsole and blend of thicker rubber outsole give these a nice stable feeling. Even if you’re squatting well over 600 lbs, you’re not going to compress this shoe’s midsole and have issues with stability and balance.
Second, the TYRTac outsole has been awesome for grip. When walking back heavy Zercher squats, I’ve really appreciated how well these lock your feet down. They’ve felt best on rubber gym floors and wooden platforms.
Third and lastly, the toe box width has been fantastic for promoting my toe splay when squatting. I’ll take out the insole when I wear thicker socks and the space is *chef’s kiss*.
Weightlifting and Accessory Performance
For weightlifting (snatches and clean & jerks) and accessories I’ve also liked the L-2’s performance. I actually like them more than the L-1 due to their grip and upper changes. The rigid forefoot upper does a great job at locking down the feet and preventing spillover when catching cleans.
The reworked straps also don’t feel bad from a security standpoint. I don’t love the stiffer leather build of them, but they get the job done and should work plenty fine for most lifters. There’s also the fact that TYR shortened the lower strap a bit so it doesn’t overhang by the ground like they could in the L-1 — a much needed tweak in this shoe.
The lower toe spring is nice for not feeling too pitched forward in these, and if that’s something you battle, I think you’ll appreciate that aspect in this model. My one concern with this shoe for weightlifting is the toe crease issue I mentioned above. Again, you may want to try taking the insole out in these or sticking socks in the toe of these when you’re not using them to stretch the upper a little bit.
The outsole build DOES feel better. Lipping was an issue some weightlifters had with the L-1. If you experience similar lipping issues, please let me know in the comments below and share some context as to what happened and at what timeline.
For accessory exercises like split squats and leg presses, the L-2 has done a good job overall. They tick the boxes you want from a weightlifting shoe for lower accessories such as good stability, security, and grip. They’re also a little more flexible than models like the Romaleos 4, which actually surprised me a bit in these.
Keep in mind, they are a bulkier weightlifting shoe with limited mobility, so they won’t be the most breathable for longer sessions in hotter gyms. I don’t think that should be a complete deterrent from buying them, though, especially if you’re only using them for a few leg exercises each day.
Construction Details
Midsole
- TPU midsole
- 21mm/.83 inches heel-to-toe drop
Outsole
- Full rubber outsole with grooved ridges
- TYRTAC rubber compound
- Extended outsole lips wrap the toe and lateral/medial forefoot
Upper
- Leather, TPU, and rubber materials
- Padded mesh boot
- Ventilated areas at the forefoot
- TYR branding on the lateral and medial midfoot/heel
- TPU layer around heel (which I think is for taking them off)
Laces, Straps, and Tongue
- 5 core eyelets
- Padded mesh gusetted tongue
- Dual leather velcro straps (plastic loops)
Final Verdict: Would I Buy Again?
I would.
The L-2 Lifter has felt great for every performance task I’ve thrown at them. For squats, they’ve been plenty stable, and for my cleans, the outsole grip and upper have been fantastic for lockdown and traction. They’re also the widest option on the market at the moment, which helps further my enjoyment of them.
If you can, I’d spend a bit of time looking for coupons to knock the price down because even though I like these, they’re still an expensive investment.
If you have additional questions or need advice on which shoe to go with, drop a comment below.
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