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Getbig Bodybuilding Boards => Training Q&A => Topic started by: kcb5150 on July 22, 2018, 02:28:47 PM

Title: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: kcb5150 on July 22, 2018, 02:28:47 PM
If anyone has these are they true to size and width or are they like the adipowers and narrow as a chopstick? Size up, half size, true?
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: Yev33 on July 22, 2018, 06:34:38 PM
I don't have the Leistungs but have the Adipowers romaleos 2 and Reomaleos 3. The Adipowers and Romaleos 3 stretch out and mold to your foot after a while. The Romaleos 2 are fairly wide to begin with.

I disliked the high heel height of the Leistungs, as far as width I have a fairly narrow foot so they were fine for me.

What shoes do you use now?
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: oldtimer1 on July 22, 2018, 07:14:22 PM
I have Adidas Olympic lifting shoes. They are really narrow and I have a narrow foot so they are a perfect fit.  Never understood how they would fit the average guy's foot. I almost wonder if they are selling the narrow version exclusively to the US.  I see huge Olympic lifters wearing them so they can't be the ones sold in the US. 
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: Yev33 on July 22, 2018, 08:26:42 PM
I was actually thinking about making a shoe thread on here and seeing what people are training in. I wore Olympic weightlifting shoes for a while because they helped me with my squats. Once I started correcting my mobility issues I was able to squat and front squat in flat shoes comfortably and without issues. So for the past several years I have been wearing indoor soccer shoes for everything. They have a hard sole, excellent traction, and give great feel for the ground. What they don’t have is a lot of support. Which I guess is not really needed when playing indoor soccer but perhaps is not a bad idea when you are supporting hundreds of pounds on your feet multiple times a week.

So now I am thinking about going back to weightlifting shoes for the support they provide. I know quite a few bodybuilders used to train legs in workboots or combat boots for what I imagine the same reason. I train full body three times a week so these would be the only shoes I bring to the gym.

I guess my issue is that I have previously viewed Olympic weightlifting shoes as a crutch for anyone who used them as “squat shoes” and did not actually perform any of the Olympic lifts. I used to do the same, and worked diligently on my mobility so I that I did not have to rely on them.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: kcb5150 on July 22, 2018, 10:50:09 PM
I'm using Matocha M which have a 1" heel, but he passed away recently. I find the inch heel takes a lot of strain off of my knees given my structure. Unfortunately, not many 1" are around these days in the wake of crossfit.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: Yev33 on July 22, 2018, 11:16:01 PM
I have never tried those but know of them. Real old school type of weightlifting shoe. If you prefer a higer heel then the Leistungs are the way to go. It's a well made shoe and you can pick them up for quite a bit less than the $225 original price. I think of you order them directly from Adidas you can return them for free if you don't like them.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: kcb5150 on July 23, 2018, 09:22:52 AM
I may do that as far as ordering. Nike screwed up a bit on the 3. 2 was a bit too stiff up front imo and with 3 they overadjusted the other way where it is just too flexible. A little bit too light also. Foot speed is a good thing, but I like some mass to give me tactile reference. I have a pair of inov8 335 somewhere here that are super light and they can catch you out sometimes. The bottom up front is also almost bevelled which is not good but they are marketed as hybrid shoes. The inov is actually not a bad general purpose training shoe though.  It slaughters the adidas 3.1
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: oldtimer1 on July 24, 2018, 04:40:19 AM
I was actually thinking about making a shoe thread on here and seeing what people are training in. I wore Olympic weightlifting shoes for a while because they helped me with my squats. Once I started correcting my mobility issues I was able to squat and front squat in flat shoes comfortably and without issues. So for the past several years I have been wearing indoor soccer shoes for everything. They have a hard sole, excellent traction, and give great feel for the ground. What they don’t have is a lot of support. Which I guess is not really needed when playing indoor soccer but perhaps is not a bad idea when you are supporting hundreds of pounds on your feet multiple times a week.


So now I am thinking about going back to weightlifting shoes for the support they provide. I know quite a few bodybuilders used to train legs in workboots or combat boots for what I imagine the same reason. I train full body three times a week so these would be the only shoes I bring to the gym.

I guess my issue is that I have previously viewed Olympic weightlifting shoes as a crutch for anyone who used them as “squat shoes” and did not actually perform any of the Olympic lifts. I used to do the same, and worked diligently on my mobility so I that I did not have to rely on them.

Olympic shoes have a heel that assists with the specialties of that sport. Helps keep you upright as you sink the squat. My Addidas also has a wood heel that is very stable. Squatting in soft sneakers means your foot will sway during squatting and Olympic lifts that means lost power including injury potential. Since crossfit involves a lot of Olympic lifts and other athletic exercises Reebok has come up with a lifting shoe that bodybuilders might like. It's somewhat stable for squats, Olympic lifts but it has some give for other stuff like sprinting. Might be a good choice for bodybuilders. For bodybuilding in general you could train in just about any athletic shoes. I need stability for squats and for stuff like the standing military press. I only use my Olympic shoes for squats, cleans, snatches and sometimes military presses.

Reebok has Olympic lifting shoes but they also have a crossfit shoe that might be idea for bodybuilding. The picture below is an example of one. It has stability and not a super soft bottom that flexes side to side like most athletic shoes.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: Yev33 on July 24, 2018, 07:01:06 AM
I may do that as far as ordering. Nike screwed up a bit on the 3. 2 was a bit too stiff up front imo and with 3 they overadjusted the other way where it is just too flexible. A little bit too light also. Foot speed is a good thing, but I like some mass to give me tactile reference. I have a pair of inov8 335 somewhere here that are super light and they can catch you out sometimes. The bottom up front is also almost bevelled which is not good but they are marketed as hybrid shoes. The inov is actually not a bad general purpose training shoe though.  It slaughters the adidas 3.1

Completly agree on the Romaleos 3, the two's were awesome and only needed a few tweaks. I think the Anta weightlifting shoe is pretty much a perfected version of the Romaleos 2.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: Yev33 on July 24, 2018, 07:18:53 AM
Olympic shoes have a heel that assists with the specialties of that sport. Helps keep you upright as you sink the squat. My Addidas also has a wood heel that is very stable. Squatting in soft sneakers means your foot will sway during squatting and Olympic lifts that means lost power including injury potential. Since crossfit involves a lot of Olympic lifts but other athletic exercises Reebok has come up with a lifting shoe that bodybuilders might like. It's somewhat stable for squats, Olympic lifts but it has some give for other stuff like sprinting. Might be a good choice for bodybuilders. For bodybuilding in general you could train in just about any athletic shoes. I need stability for squats and for stuff like the standing military press. I only use my Olympic shoes for squats, cleans, snatches and sometimes military presses.

Reebok has Olympic lifting shoes but they also have a crossfit shoe that might be idea for bodybuilding. The picture below is an example of one. It has stability and not a super soft bottom that flexes side to side like most athletic shoes.



I have never tried those, I know nike make a version as well. I agree that for bodybuilding you can wear pretty much anything you want, but then again how often do you see bodybuilders pressing while standing up and squatting properly if at all.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: kcb5150 on July 24, 2018, 07:19:23 AM
The Velaasa may be good but they were stupid to launch at the price point they have. Kimd of like a cross between 2 and legacy but with a wood heel
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: kcb5150 on July 24, 2018, 07:24:06 AM
Velaasa
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: kcb5150 on July 24, 2018, 07:25:55 AM
The price and the almost beta product look the glue and tiny gaps all over seem to have scared me off.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: Yev33 on July 26, 2018, 07:21:14 PM
It's really amazing how many weightlifting shoe options there are out there today.

When you get up into that price range you might as well get pair of Asics Tigers 727 and they will customize the heel height for whatever you want.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: kcb5150 on July 26, 2018, 08:14:43 PM
Unfortunately a 13us equivalent would be $630usd for me in 727
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: kcb5150 on July 28, 2018, 10:48:45 AM
Finally found a pair to try on in 13 at an adidas flagship store. They are quite narrow up front but more room than 3.1 or adipower for sure. If I were doing split jerks I think I would prefer 13.5 as it is quite cramped. I don't think flatfooted ppl would like these but I have huge arches and found them good there. Getting back to more technical lifts, I'm not sure the profile of the toe is ideal. I feel like you should either have a nice rounded toe like 727 or something more persimmons shaped like the adipower so you have good surface area and a nice predictable zone of traction for quick corrections. These are sort of carrot shaped up front. Stabby and weird. I almost feel like if you were a bit off on a jerk with these there is some potential to roll an ankle or worse if you don't re-plant your foot just right. Lacing system is interesting in that you kind of have three zones, the lacing tracks above and below the boa act quite tension independent of one another and the boa feels very stable when cranked. The heel feels extremely stable as well when squatting though I feel the footprint of it is slightly narrow. This shoe could be phenomenal if they increased the contact patch with the ground in the heel and rounded out the front some. I could be wrong but I think if you use adipowers, unless you must have the length you would probably be 1/2 down in these.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: oldtimer1 on August 10, 2018, 03:22:42 PM
My lifting shoes.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: oldtimer1 on August 10, 2018, 03:23:39 PM
My power squat shoes.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: kcb5150 on August 10, 2018, 06:35:12 PM
Ironwork 3 2008 and... Czech/bulgarian shoes?
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: kcb5150 on August 10, 2018, 06:42:27 PM
I use matochas like these. Wood heel. 1" height . Unfortunately, Mr Matocha passed away so just ordering another set isn't happening.

(https://i.imgur.com/XbuKBK9.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/qY76LYVr.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/GBmivjHr.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: oldtimer1 on August 11, 2018, 02:55:36 AM
Ironwork 3 2008 and... Czech/bulgarian shoes?

I don't think they are Czech/Bulgarian shoes. Maybe. No markings on the shoe. I bought them maybe 35 years ago from an ad in the old Iron Man magazine. They are made so well they still show little wear but I only use them for squatting.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: Yev33 on August 12, 2018, 08:32:41 PM
Finally found a pair to try on in 13 at an adidas flagship store. They are quite narrow up front but more room than 3.1 or adipower for sure. If I were doing split jerks I think I would prefer 13.5 as it is quite cramped. I don't think flatfooted ppl would like these but I have huge arches and found them good there. Getting back to more technical lifts, I'm not sure the profile of the toe is ideal. I feel like you should either have a nice rounded toe like 727 or something more persimmons shaped like the adipower so you have good surface area and a nice predictable zone of traction for quick corrections. These are sort of carrot shaped up front. Stabby and weird. I almost feel like if you were a bit off on a jerk with these there is some potential to roll an ankle or worse if you don't re-plant your foot just right. Lacing system is interesting in that you kind of have three zones, the lacing tracks above and below the boa act quite tension independent of one another and the boa feels very stable when cranked. The heel feels extremely stable as well when squatting though I feel the footprint of it is slightly narrow. This shoe could be phenomenal if they increased the contact patch with the ground in the heel and rounded out the front some. I could be wrong but I think if you use adipowers, unless you must have the length you would probably be 1/2 down in these.

That is a really nice rundown of the shoe from someone who actually uses them for the Olympic lifts, way better than what I could have done.

Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: Yev33 on August 12, 2018, 08:41:42 PM
My lifting shoes.

It's amazing how Adidas changed direction after having the 2008 Ironworks and the 2008 Adistars. There are people today asking for $500-$1000 for a brand new pair of these.

I would imagine the Romaleos 2 will probably be in a similar demand 10 years from now if Nike keeps going in the same direction as the with the 3's.

Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: kcb5150 on November 22, 2018, 12:26:38 AM
It's more like hookgrip manipulated the market to create this price. Like "if you keep saying something it must be true." They keep throwing them up for those prices but they sit forever on their site as well as on ebay while other people are trying everything just to get far more pedestrian numbers elsewhere. The 2008 are pretty overrated tbh with you. Their lateral support is not as good as some of the newer models out there and in the hole they were not as stable as what came before or after. I think a lot of why people ended up gravitating to them besides the looks was the square toebox vs the usual claustrophobic adidas box. 2004 was a better shoe imo but the durability stunk. 96 adistar were awesome. Btw, start fitness uk had the rio leistungs that just have the boa in 13.5 for about $55usd so I used a coupon code and delivered from uk I am like $64 all in. Once I give them a proper go I will follow up (unless the sizing is crazy vs 16/2). Adidas coughs up a new oly shoe about a half year before every oly year so hopefully they have something compelling for the 2020 Olympics.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: kcb5150 on November 22, 2018, 12:30:43 AM
My lifting shoes.

A lot of ppl actually prefer the 08 ironworks to the 08 adistars.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: oldtimer1 on November 22, 2018, 12:49:47 PM
A lot of ppl actually prefer the 08 ironworks to the 08 adistars.

They are very narrow is my only complaint. I have very narrow feet so they work but I can't imagine the standard width working for most.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: kcb5150 on November 22, 2018, 02:10:13 PM
They kinda stretch out if you have fat feet and want to suffer for awhile. The adipowers stretch out quite a bit as well from ppl I know who lived with them. The shoes you have are cavernous compared to the 3.1 powerlift entry level shoe. Nike went really narrow on romaleos 3. Those are dogs. Inov 8 is ok on width but the length runs like 1/2 size short.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: kcb5150 on November 26, 2018, 12:49:01 PM
Bought a pair of the 16 rio ones everyine hates on because of the boa only, red color, and the stars of david. These actually fit a bit better than the 16 2 on me anyway. Size for size maybe these are a hint longer. Narrower mid foot than adipower, very slightly narrower heel, but there is more room in the front than adipower because there is more volume combined with material flex. The grip on the ground is outstanding. Flexibility isnexcellent as well. There is a grain to the heel lining where it feels smooth going in and rpugh pulling up which helps heel lock. I have no heel slip that others have mentioned. Given the 1" heel you still feel in this shoe vs on top of it. I don't feel the shoe torquing under heavy loads as I have experienced with more crossover based lifting shoes like inov8. Flexibility in the front is as good as adipower. Breathability is good for an oly shoe. Main criticism from me is I wish the heel transitioned more gradually vs the steep drop they engineered into it. These are really stable in the hole. These bend in a more natural spit than 16 2 as there is not a big boa system in the middle of the lace path. The boa doesn't loosen between sets as some have claimed. You set them, walk around and let your foot settle in and maybe crank one more time after the first working set and they pretty much stay tight. Very tight actually. I think these bombed in the market just on looks so if you can score a pair cheaply and are tall I would go for it. Very stable platform.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: oldtimer1 on November 26, 2018, 04:45:59 PM
Bought a pair of the 16 rio ones everyine hates on because of the boa only, red color, and the stars of david. These actually fit a bit better than the 16 2 on me anyway. Size for size maybe these are a hint longer. Narrower mid foot than adipower, very slightly narrower heel, but there is more room in the front than adipower because there is more volume combined with material flex. The grip on the ground is outstanding. Flexibility isnexcellent as well. There is a grain to the heel lining where it feels smooth going in and rpugh pulling up which helps heel lock. I have no heel slip that others have mentioned. Given the 1" heel you still feel in this shoe vs on top of it. I don't feel the shoe torquing under heavy loads as I have experienced with more crossover based lifting shoes like inov8. Flexibility in the front is as good as adipower. Breathability is good for an oly shoe. Main criticism from me is I wish the heel transitioned more gradually vs the steep drop they engineered into it. These are really stable in the hole. These bend in a more natural spit than 16 2 as there is not a big boa system in the middle of the lace path. The boa doesn't loosen between sets as some have claimed. You set them, walk around and let your foot settle in and maybe crank one more time after the first working set and they pretty much stay tight. Very tight actually. I think these bombed in the market just on looks so if you can score a pair cheaply and are tall I would go for it. Very stable platform.


What country are you from and what weight class do you compete in? 
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: kcb5150 on November 26, 2018, 06:06:33 PM
Usa. I'm pushing 40 so I don't compete in anything. My roots are in ice hockey but I used the oly movements to make myself explosive and enhance my spatial awareness. I probably shouldn't be doing this style of lifting anymore given age but I find my body responds rapidly to it and my core stays strong. I just don't do daily programming. Maybe 2x a week. Sometimes 1x and I will do snatch grip dl another day as a defecit lift or fragments. Like today I wasn't feeling super in damp weather so I did squats and just some light squat jerks. A little bit of just focusing on 1st and 2nd pull on snatch. Luckily my gyms I belong to have locations with pretty nice platforms and bumper setups.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: oldtimer1 on November 27, 2018, 04:31:02 AM
Usa. I'm pushing 40 so I don't compete in anything. My roots are in ice hockey but I used the oly movements to make myself explosive and enhance my spatial awareness. I probably shouldn't be doing this style of lifting anymore given age but I find my body responds rapidly to it and my core stays strong. I just don't do daily programming. Maybe 2x a week. Sometimes 1x and I will do snatch grip dl another day as a defecit lift or fragments. Like today I wasn't feeling super in damp weather so I did squats and just some light squat jerks. A little bit of just focusing on 1st and 2nd pull on snatch. Luckily my gyms I belong to have locations with pretty nice platforms and bumper setups.

What's lacking in so many that bodybuild are power movements. Power as in explosiveness is one of the most important athletic attributes. More important than strength even though they are related somewhat. I use to always do the power clean and jerk in my bodybuilding routines. On occasion I used the snatch too. I used the old fashion split snatch. I always found my sprinting speed and vertical leap improved with using the olympic lifts. I gave up the power clean and jerk when my shoulders went. Seemed the jerk would give my shoulder grief. A combo of bad form and damage over time led me to abandon the movement. I might work my self back into it using light weights.

Don't ever feel that 40 is old.  It is for an elite athlete trying to stay at the top but for the average gym rat you should be able to do 90% or more of what you could do in your youth reference cardio, strength and power. You will see the real decline around 55 years of age.
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: kcb5150 on December 01, 2018, 03:26:31 AM
I still have my resting hr between 54-58 which is good. I also feel these movements make your tendons and connective tissue strong in ways other movements don't. Also lie detectors for muscle imbalances/highlighting weak spots. You will either crumple or start helicoptering after you receive the weight if things are well out
Title: Re: Anyone have Adidas Leistung 16/2?
Post by: kcb5150 on June 03, 2021, 08:42:19 PM
More shoe updates. With everything being shut down ppl were dumping things left and right on the net for sale and during that I picked up a nos pair of ironworks 2 (the silver and red 04 ones) for a song. Heel is wood jacketed by vulcanized rubber or urethane. Lower heel than I have used in years but I have always been hamstring dominant and had a good long rest so a lot of the old aches faded quite a bit during the downtime. I used to get inflammation behind the knees so I went to a higher heel years ago to go more quad but so far nothing bad. These hurt like hell at first, but they stretched and now they fit like a glove. Really feather light and electric response. I am kind of spooked about the glue holding the heel to the upper given elastic lifespan being a 16 year old adidas product but so far it has been ok. They're not as sensitive to balance point as the leistungs. Leistungs the weight either rockets up or it throws you forward or back. There's a general trashiness to the materials of these in some critical areas as well. Some of the laces thread through a plasticky nylon weave that was very poorly chosen. The liners kind of remind me of the stuff nike goes with but less robust, and that silver coating is so fragile it may as well be pencil lead. The tongue is also not tethered so it shifts. Bio mechanically though, it is a really nice shoe. I will see how long till it starts showing the strain. I think I would take these over the ironworks 3 if only because the arch shank is more solid.