Created by Ironwear, the Champion Series of their Shoe Irons are their top-of-the-line weighted shoe. The weights conform to the shape of your foot for maximum comfort and can fit up to size 15 feet for men and women.
The Cool Mesh Series of weighted footwear by Ironwear is a step down from the Champion Series, but some say more comfortable. A new material helps to reflect heat and keep your feet cooler on your weighted walks.
The premium range by Ironwear. It features soft, flexible weights that you’ll barely feel with tight pockets to hold them steady to inhibit any unwanted movement during your exercise.
Weighted shoes are a fascinating invention. 100 years ago if someone told you us silly humans would be weighing down our feet instead of trying to make yourself more agile and lighter – you’d laugh them out of the room. But they’d be the ones laughing now.
We’re now living in the generation of a weighted life – (almost) all types of exercises are better when they’re weighted, just like pull-ups with a weighted belt. Weighted exercises are great for building muscle and increasing your cardiovascular strength. One of the most popular ways to add in weights to your walking or running, is with weighted shoes.
It’s unsure exactly when weighted shoes were invented, however, one of the earliest US patents we were able to find belongs to Alice E Goetz in 1945, adequately titled – Weighted shoe.
Things have come a long way since 1945, and the weighted shoe has been refined each year, leaving us with this list of some of the best weighted shoes available today. Enjoy!
Weighted shoes are exactly what the name suggests – shoes which have been specifically made to be heavier than normal shoes. There are several ways shoes are weighted including heavier insoles (not very popular anymore), placing weights directly inside the physical body of the shoe (very expensive method), and the current favorite today – wrapping the shoe in a strap or other device which can hold weight, achieving the weighted shoe mechanism.
Here’s a look at the Iron Boots, a method once wildly popular among weight lifters:
There are a few additional ways you can achieve the same effect of weighted shoes, which can you read about in the weighted shoes alternatives further down.
Typically, weighted shoes can assist the wearer in increasing muscle mass and burning more calories during exercise when compared with wearing normal shoes. This is based on the same principle as using extra weights on a bar during a bench press instead of just pushing your hands up and down in the air.
Please keep in mind, however, that weighted shoes are not designed to be worn for extended periods of time – this can have a seriously detrimental effect on the joints and muscles from being under consistent strain for a long period. Again, compare it to lifting weights – most people lift them for around 30 minutes to 1 hour – not for an extended period.
Generally, it is completely safe to walk short to medium distances in weighted shoes. However, as mentioned previously, it can become an overall detriment to your body, such as your muscles and joints, if you walk long distances or wear them throughout the whole day.
On top of that, it’s strongly recommended you do not run with weighted shoes. Running is a far more vigorous exercise and adding unprecedented weights to the sole of the foot can cause the body to lose balance. Losing balance whilst running can result in severely rolled ankles and potentially broken bones.
In saying that, there are some safer alternatives – such as weighted jump ropes. Jump roping is one of the highest calorie-burning exercises out there, and adding a bit of weight on top of the standard jumps will get you sweating in no time.
Yes, one of the most popular alternatives to weighted shoes is ankle weights. Weighted shoes typically have the weight of the design below your ankle – which can be dangerous if running for walking for longer periods. However, ankle weights generally have the weights placed on or above the ankle, leading to far more stability for the muscles and joints of the foot area.
With that being said, there are some exercises and fitness regimes where weighted shoes remain superior. Hopefully, by reading through our recommend best weighted shoes to buy, you’re buying decision has become just that little bit easier.
All in all, if you’re looking to add a little extra weight to your exercise routine, then weighted shoes might just be the perfect addition for you. They’re unique, effective, and can get the job done fairly quickly.
Mike is one of the lead editors at Weighted Living and the author of this article. He's become fascinated with weighted products (a bit too much we think) and loves to see all the different ways they can improve our loves. He's written quite a few weighted product guides as well.
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Weighted Living features a range of articles, guides, and product recommendations for everything weighted. We believe anyone and everyone, including yourself, can enhance the way they live by simply adding a bit of weight into their life.
Weighted Living features a range of articles, guides, and product recommendations for everything weighted. We believe anyone and everyone, including yourself, can enhance the way they live by simply adding a bit of weight into their life. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
