I’ve always worked out in just a plain pair of tennis shoes. Rarely to I see or even think that using special shoes would make any difference at all. However, I began to think of better shoe support when I started doing heavy squats. This prompted me to do a little research in specific type shoes for working out that would give me better ankle support and put my feet in a more level position for squats and leg presses.
After some Googling around, I came across the Otomix brand of shoes. There’s virtually nothing on the net about workout shoes. There’s even less in bodybuilding forums about the subject. Yet soccer players have special shoes, and so do most other athletes. Tennis shoes are great for running but they didn’t seem to be wonderful when it came to squatting and doing other heavy leg exercises.
These shoes ( a few versions are available) sell for around $95 on average depending on the website you find, and the sales being offered. With some clever searching, you can find a great price. I ordered my Otomix Ultimate Trainers online and was pleased to see many e-mail and tracking notifications about my order. According to Otomix, these workout shoes were specifically for:
Ultimate Trainer has been designed specifically for weight training and incorporates the new High Performance Bodybuilding system. The HPB system provides a combination of comfort and support utilizing a special wrap around strap adjusted by our innovative lacing system. This shoe is a must for the serious bodybuilder.
Note: Their shoes run a half size small compared to your true shoe size. They suggest that you order a half size larger.
Quickly I opened the box and found everything intact and in brand new condition. I was ready for my leg workout.
Adjusting the laces properly is a must. It came from the factory like most shoes. It wasn’t laced thru each of the holes. I fixed the laces and found the shoes to fit nicely and very snug. I felt ankle support and was able to tighten them like a snowboarding boot but not so tight as to be uncomfortable. I headed off to the squat rack.
Doing squats is something I enjoy. Honestly, I enjoy them a bit more now with full support for my feet. These shoes were great first time. NO break in period was necessary. They were comfortable, gave strong ankle support and allowed me to do full squats without any annoying feet issues. I felt like my feet were flat and firmly place on the floor with good traction. Moving onto the leg press, same thing. NO odd arches, no slippage, and good solid firm foot placement for a good pressing motion.
I only use these shoes on leg days. That is really where I want the support. I do not wear them outside for walking around. They are just like gym gloves. Used in that environment as appropriate. The soles of the shoe are good for traction in a smooth, flat gym environment. These particular shoes are not made to be worn as a street shoe. That would be a big mistake. You’d wear out the tread in days and be out $100 very fast. However, in the gym, where they are meant to be, these shoes were incredibly superior.
My overall reaction and opinion of my Otomix workout shoes are very favourable. I would recommend them to anybody looking for some comfortable, high quality, long lasting footwear that is designed specifically for the gym.
By: Marc David
Posts Tagged ‘Bodybuilding’
Workout Shoes – Shoes for Strength Training
March 8th, 2010How To Find The Proper Shoes If You Have Overly Wide Feet
February 15th, 2010
As a man over 6ft 2” I have larger than average feet and they are also wider than the average person. If you are like me and you can’t wear regular shoes without feeling like they are cutting into your feet then you probably need to look into shoes that are made specifically for wide feet.
Having shoes that are restrictive and not fitting well are damaging to the health of your feet as well as looking bad. With all the choices available in wider sizes there is absolutely no excuse for wearing shoes that are uncomfortable or improperly fitted. You can find shoes in wide sizes in athletic shoes, casual shoes and dress shoes so don’t settle for just buying any old pair of shoes.
Nearly any large department store with have an extensive selection of wider shoes so that is one option open to anyone. When you are trying on shoes made for wide feet the box will have a designator such as a “W” indicating that it is a wider size shoe or maybe some other letters that indicate different widths such as those found on dress shoes.
One place that I go to a lot is a local Big and Tall store. Since I am well over 6 feet tall and over 260 lbs I have a tough time finding clothes to fit properly as well. Thirty plus years of weightlifting and bodybuilding have caused me to have difficulty finding clothes off the rack. My local store has a shoe department that has wide and larger shoes.
As a professional internet marketer I buy a lot of items online because I am constantly on the internet anyway while I am working. I always tell people that the internet is a good choice for finding just about anything that one could want. You will probably find a better selection of wide shoes online than any place you could find in your local area. The big concern most people have is that they can’t try on the shoes to see if they fit properly but the more reputable stores give free delivery and free returns as well so that is a non issue. To avoid even having to deal with returning the shoes all you have to do is just make sure that you know the exact size you need before you order and don’t wear the shoes out where they can be damaged in case you do have to return them. No one is going to accept shoes back in their inventory with scratched soles.
If you have extremely wide feet or some kind of structural deformity in your toes you may need to go to a medical specialist who is an expert in dealing with this type of problem. This is usually a rare situation, but nonetheless a problem some people have. For the majority of people the internet will give you the best selection you can find anywhere.
By: Gregg Hall
