Sabo Deadlift Shoes

Fits just right and as expected. Nearly perfect function. Pros: Very stable platform and thin sole. Good grip on lifting surface. Comfortable and secure. Absolutely would recommend to others. Cons: Upper material may not last a long time; would pay more for leather (very minor con). Not many sizes and colors available; there does not seem to be a large selection from the seller. To be seen: Durability; elastic strap at the top of the shoe may wear out within a short time. Upper material seems thin but this may not be an issue if it turns out to be durable over time. May need to replace yearly.

Flat bottom with some sole traction. No arch support and the toe box is fairly narrow. If your feet are wide or have a wide toe box, the true size will probably be tight for your feet. Other than the toe box, pretty comfortable to work out/lift weights in but definitely not for running.

I love deadlifting in socked feet because it makes me more conscious of my three point contact with the ground and how I am pressing through my heels as I deadlift. I normally wore my Chucks in the gym and during my competitions. Until now... these shoes are as close to going in socked feet as I've ever experienced. I can feel the ground and can consciously press through my heels being very conscious of form throughout my lift. I love these shoes. They'll last forever as I only wear them in the gym whilst deadlifting - like I only wear my lift shoes during my squats on leg days. It's a great investment in self and in a good shoe in my honest opinion. I'm very happy with my purchase.

This is my second pair of Sabo DL shoes. I wear them for deadlift and back squat, and any lift I need to have my weight back on my heels (bent over rows, etc). I love them and they feel well made, but this iteration fits smaller than the pair I bought three years ago; it's not to the point that I can't use them, though. I feel very stable in these whether warming up or pushing 450+ parallel squats. I prefer these for back squats compared to any other shoe that I've used, including oly ones like Fastlifts and, in my clueless days, Chucks. If you have decent ankle mobility, give these a shot for squats.

I waited over a year to write this. I don't do reviews without giving the item a real world workout. (No pun intended). Having 4E wide foot makes it hard to find shoes. Even worse when it comes to specialty shoes like these. I don't just deadlift in them, I've competed in several strongman competitions and qualified for the Master's Nationals in them. They have held up through many training sessions of squats, deadlifts, weighted carries and more. As long as they make these shoes, they will be my shoe of choice..

First, the bad: Within the first week, the left insole began sliding out of the shoe while wearing. This would be annoying on a shoe half this price, but at this price point it is highly disappointing. Within two months, the right shoe did the same. I was able to correct this with a piece of masking tape doubled up on itself underneath both insoles. Also, the shoe itself is slightly larger than expected and if it were any larger, I wouldn’t be able to secure it at all. This was unexpected as their Powerlift shoe fits very snuggly (granted, deadlift shoes are intended to be looser than squat shoes, but this seems a bit too far swung the other way). Now the good: it is a very flat shoe with excellent grip and plenty of ankle support without impeding mobility. The outsole is very thin, which is exactly what I want in a shoe intended for deadlifting. The overall comfort and stance is so good that these have become my go-to shoes for all of my gym activities that aren’t bench press or squat (I prefer an elevated heel for those two exercises specifically). Overall: at this price point, I expected an insole that I didn’t have to jerry-rig. I’ve heard of others complaining about the stitching coming undone, but I’m several months in to these with tens of thousands pounds lifted at this point and do not see any signs of the stitching failing. If they fixed the insole, this would be a five star shoe.

I usually wear an 8.5 in all my sneakers. I got the 8-8.5 and it fits exactly like a size 7.5 in a nike runner's sneaker. My toe was crunched in and it could not fully extend. Other than that the quality is good. Very thin sole and everything else felt fine. Re ordered a size 9 though. Shoe looks better in person. Solid.

I got some new oly shoes and they are excellent but made deadlift harder due to the heel. I picked these sabos up and wow they are great. Solid footing. I feel it in my heel and not torwards the toes. Great fit. If you are ready for a specialist deadlift shoe, these are the ones to get.