Pro Wolf Deadlift Shoes Review - Ultimate Deadlift Shoes?

In this article today we're going to do an in depth review of the Pro Wolf deadlift slippers, they are specifically called DLx500 and the first of it's kind in India. If you know about the notorious lifter shoes that are used by IPF powerlifters in meets all across the globe, then these are the exact same shoes, made in the same factory but sold in India with a better pricing I would say. These shoes are imported but even after that the pricing on these shoes are not dramatically high for it to make no sense. Let's discuss some Specs

SPECS

• Rubber outsole

• Amazing grip

• 3mm inner sole thickness

• Double velcro straps

• Provides lateral support to feet

• Barefoot shoes feel

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THESE DEADLIFT SHOES INDIA

First and foremost what I love about these deadlift slippers is the barefoot feel and the fact that it doesn't constraint your toes into a small little place. You can spread out your toes like you would if you were actually barefoot, you can dig into the ground by using the cue while squatting and just feel rock solid when doing squats and deadlifts.

You can really spread out your toes and I would say it feels way sturdier and stable than a weightlifting shoe mainly because squatting barefoot offers more stability as opposed to squatting with shoes, however these offer you the exact barefoot feel with the benefits that a shoe provides which is really good grip, and the grip on this thing is out of this world grippy, again much better than traditional weightlifting shoes.

Along with that these deadlift slippers are just very easy to use as there are no laces which usually get entangled with the velcro and then it becomes a mess. I take out all the laces in my weightlifting shoes for that reason, and I don't really think laces are something that's needed in a lifting shoe as velcro does a great job in itself, however these shoes are literally like wearing slippers and very easy to use.

THE GRIP OF THESE DEADLIFT SLIPPERS

If I had one sentence to describe how well these deadlift slippers for sumo grip, then it would be that they just stick to the floor. The grip on them is so good that no matter how hard you try once your feet are locked into one position, they're not moving anywhere else from there.

This crazy but aesthetic grooving that you're seeing in the above picture is the main reason behind this amazing grip. These patterns are much thicker than traditional weight lifting shoes making them grip much better overall. I have no complaints when it comes to the grip of these shoes and would recommend them over any other shoes for deadlifting. These are the best you can get currently.

You can use these shoes when squatting as well as it exactly resembles a barefoot squatting experience. I don't like squatting in weightlifting shoes and prefer doing it barefoot mainly because I can dig into the ground with my toes and feel much more stable, but these exactly resemble by barefoot squatting experience, however giving me the much needed grip.

I squat on a plywood surface as you can see, and plywood surfaces slip a lot, so squatting barefoot on this surface, it does slip sometimes and doesn't feel grippy, but after I got these shoes they fixed that issue immediately, so much so I have ditched squatting barefoot and using these deadlift slippers for all my squatting movements. It doesn't jam your toes into a small space, it is very breathable and overall a great squatting experience.

Additionally you can use these shoes for bench press as well, a lot of powerlifters have issues when using leg drive as their feet slip on the floor however with these as you would've understood by now, they're not gonna slip and to be honest it is after getting these shoes that I actually learned to push with my legs as earlier I never used to get any grip.

You can push the ground away from you even on an as slippery surface as plywood and you will not need to use any kinds of mats or rugs on the floor for leg drive, with these deadlift slippers you just put them on and focus on utilizing your leg drive, instead of worrying whether the surface will slip or not. These will stick to the ground and you're gonna love bench pressing with them too.

HOW IS THE OVERALL QUALITY

Talking about the overall quality of the shoes, it does scream premium everywhere else too. The bottom sole is made out of rubber with a grooving design that grips great and doesn't smell at all. They have not mentioned what kind of rubber the shoes are made out of, but if I had to guess it's made out of Natural rubber and not synthetic rubber as it doesn't smell at all and there's no powdery residue left on your hands (something that happens with synthetic forms of rubber like TPE). Overall the bottom sole is made of rubber and grips pretty well.

The upper sole is made of a very breathable material, I would say it's made out of durawooven and overall is very breathable. It's a mesh design that keeps your feet dry and you won't sweat much in these shoes. My feet don't sweat much in shoes anyway, however these shoes feel much more breathable than other lifting shoes.

The velcro in particular is very high quality, and it's really good to see pro wolf putting effort into small details like these, I would say the velcro straps are a bit bigger than usual and could've been smaller, but I'm nitpicking here and it isn't something that most people would notice. However as a reviewer it is my job to point out the smallest of the details.

I would say the back material could've been made a bit thicker as sometimes when wearing this shoe it feels flimsy, however it doesn't really inhibit any functionality of these shoes and overall it's fine. The lining on this shoe is also threaded in, so no threads will be coming out or these shoes and won't becomes loose around your feet anytime soon.

LATERAL SUPPORT IN SUMO DEADLIFTS

The rubber patch on the side heel of the shoe provides lateral support when deadlifting which basically means that your heel don't come out when you spread out your toes in the sumo position. This rubber patch prevents the movement of your heel

This is what happens with regular deadlift slippers with no patch for lateral support, when you try to open your knees and push outwards, your heels come out of the shoes, however with these pro wolf deadlift shoes as there's an additional patch for lateral support, you won't be experiencing the same problems. This is a big thing as, if your heels come out during sumo deads, you will get disbalanced and miss the lift and overall it's not a nice experience to have.

WEIGHT OF THESE DEADLIFT SHOES

Upon measuring the shoes they came out weighing in around 500gms a pair which means an individual shoe weighs around 250gms. Pro wolf claims a weigh of 170gms which I think is more accurate compared to what I got from my testing, mainly because my weighing machine isn't as accurate as a weighing scale that only measures in grams, however I can say that these shoes are lighter than my phone.

These aren't heavy bulky lifting shoes that you cannot wear and walk around the gym, these are very lightweight and you can keep wearing them for all your other accessory lifts and not just the big 3. They are great minimalist gym shoes as well, easy to put on and off, very lightweight to carry around and a great grip.

Overall if you're looking for good gym minimalist barefoot slippers, then you can get them. Of course they're meant to be used by powerlifters and most people who are going to invest in these shoes will mainly be powerlifters, however if you want you can use them for your normal day to day gym purposes as well. Much better than using running shoes in the gym.

WHAT I DON'T LIKE ABOUT THESE SHOES

The only thing that I don't like about these shoes are that they get dirty very easily. The bottom sole stays dust free mostly, but the dirt seems to be sticking on the upper sole, maybe because of the durawooven material that is used, which maybe attracts dirt. It's not major but something to point out.

It's not a big issue and again I'm nitpicking here, however something that you should know. The whole point of wearing shoes is, for your feet to not get dirty. Like every shoes this gets dirty too and you would have to clean them once in a while. My weightlifting shoes don't get dirty too easily, as PU leather is used, however this does but isn't something that most people would care about.

MY FINAL VERDICT

If you're looking for the ultimate powerlifting shoe then this is it. The main purpose of these pro wolf deadlift slippers will of course be during the sumo deadlift, however they can act as great barefoot squatting shoes as well as great leg drive bench pressing shoes as well. I'm pretty sure most people who are going to be getting these shoes will be using them atleast for the bench press as well if not for squats(as some people prefer squat shoes to hit depth.)

These shoes are IPF spec shoes hence you can use them in your powerlifting meets as well without anyone calling you out. These shoes are used internationally by a lot of powerlifters, hence you're getting that assurance of quality & usability. I am primarily using these shoes for the big 3 and probably never switching back to something else. The ease of use, amazing grip and barefoot feel make them better than the competition.

Who should buy these deadlift slippers?

Well I think mostly serious powerlifters who are competing will be getting these as they're quite expensive. These cost INR 3,500 for a pair, so not really budget friendly however I think they're priced well considering it's for a niche audience of powerlifters. It will be a long term investment for powerlifters which will be worth their money.

You can definitely use them as normal gym shoes as well, if you have the budget for them, go for them. They're going to provide you with a much superior grip than the competition as well as lateral support, however if you don't sumo deadlift & don't have the budget for them then there's no particular need to get these shoes.

If you would like to buy these deadlift slippers, I would really appreciate it if you use our links to make the purchase, that will be the best way to support this blog and help us make more such reviews in the future, thanks!

DEADLIFT SLIPPERS FAQ's

Deadlift shoes vs Deadlift slippers?

Deadlift shoes are usually high top and provide more ankle support, whereas deadlift slippers are minimalistic and easy to use. It depends on your preference whether you like shoes or slippers more, both are good.

However I don't think you are able to get a barefoot feel while wearing deadlift shoes especially while squatting. Checkout this article of ours on the best deadlift shoes+slippers in India to get a better understanding.

Deadlift shoes vs Squat Shoes?

Deadlift shoes have a flat bottom sole with minimal sole thickness, squat shoes have a raised heel to help reach better depth in the squat.

Deadlift shoes are versatile and can be used in the Big 3, however squat shoes only work best during squat and can't really be used in the deadlift, as you'll be pulling from a deficit.

Are Deadlift Shoes Worth it?

I would say yes, if they could be used for a single purpose that is deadlifting then it only made sense for serious sumo pullers to get them, however they can be used as barefoot squatting shoes as well as great bench press leg drive shoes which makes them worth it as an overall great powerlifting shoe.