Best Powerlifting Shoes 2026: TYR vs Notorious Lift vs Avancus

We carry a wide range of powerlifting and training shoes and it can be hard to decide which is right for your needs. We will break down some of the options and when they might be the best fit for your needs. 

I think the best way to do this will be to talk about categories of shoes. We carry shoes for specific powerlifting and training needs, so we need to compare apples to apples, so we will compare heeled lifters for squats and olympic weightlifting. Then we will talk about zero drop or flat minimal shoes often worn for deadlifts. Lastly we'll go over some general training shoes that are good for all kinds of training.

Heel Lifters aka Squat Shoes

A heeled lifter commonly has a 20-25mm heel to toe drop with a solid, non-compressive sole. These make them extremely stable for squats and olympic weightlifting, and get rid of the problem of a squishy running shoe under your foot causing instability and balance problems. A lot of lifters prefer these shoes for squatting because it helps to reduce the difficulty reaching proper depth by easing ankle mobility demands. 

We carry three options from TYR. The L-1 was their original squat shoe that exploded onto the market with it's wide toe box, an industry first. These were and still are extremely popular. An overall well made and attractive looking shoe. They feature a 21mm effective heel (heel-to-toe drop), which is right in the sweet spot of heels for most lifters. The L-1 is phasing out of the market since TYR introduced their L-2 replacement in 2025. The L-2 keeps all the great points of the L-1, wide toe box, 21mm heel. It adds updated materials, a slightly grippier sole, and a flashy new styling. It's a solid replacement and carries on the legacy of the L-1. 

The last shoe in this category by TYR is the TYRForce Elite. A fancy name for a fancy shoe. These shoes are the first implementation of a carbon force plate used in a lifting shoe. Carbon force plates in shoes sprang to popularity in very high end running shoes because they provided addition energy return. TYR claims a 35% increase in force production with the carbon plate. They also feature a very high 26mm heel, which is definitely beyond the norm. However, for those with poor ankle mobility, or with the mobility needs of a olympic weightlifter in a deep catch position, they can certainly make a positive difference. 

Lastly we carry one heeled lifter from Notorious Lift, the Ronin. Notorious started out making deadlift slippers and quickly became the most common name in powerlifting for that shoe. Last year they introduced their Ronin squat shoe, their first expansion outside of the flat shoe market. The Ronin is an excellent first product in this new line for them. It features a 20mm heel, still in that most common sweet spot that most lifters want in a shoe. It has a wide toe box, again, it's what most people are looking for these days, gone are the days of feet going numb trying to break the shoes in. It also features something pretty unique, a knit upper in the toe box, giving even more comfort and flexibility for those feet. This shoe was extremely comfortable when I've tried it. It also comes in at a slightly cheaper price point making it a nice economical option.

All that said, we recommend the TYR L-2 as the go to heeled shoe for 2026. They are a market leader in this category now for a reason and these shoes are sure to last you through countless PRs. If you need something a bit cheaper grab the Notorious Lift Ronin though, you aren't giving up much in terms of quality, but you will keep a few extra bucks in your wallet. 

Zero Drop or Flat Minimal Lifting Shoes

In this category we have a lot of options, it's become a very crowded market for flat shoes. Lifters will almost always use these shoes for deadlifts to get them as close to the ground as possible. A large number of lifters are also squatting in flat shoes if they have ample ankle mobility and don't need the heel to assist with depth. Lastly these make great general purpose gym shoes. As I mentioned earlier Notorious Lift was one of the first in this category with their deadlift slippers, they have since iterated old designs and introduced new options so let's start with them.

Notorious Lift have three current options in this category: Notorious Lifters Gen 3, Sumo Sole Gen 5, and the Radix Pro. Beyond those we have some older generations of each: Notorious Lifters Gen 2X, Sumo Sole Gen 4, and the Radix. However since everything I'll mention about the newest generations apply to the older we won't get into the older ones too much. 

The Notorious Lifters Gen 3 are the newest iteration of their original design. Super minimal sole made of soft rubber to provide good grip on most surfaces, they offer the thinnest sole and most "slipper" feel. That said the sole offers minimal texture which would help take the traction up to the next level. That's where the next shoe comes into play, the Sumo Sole Gen 5. The Sumo Sole line has been their best seller for as long as we've been carrying them. They have continually improved and pushed the Sumo Sole to make it better with every generation. Now with a wide toe box, thin minimal sole, but with extra traction from the textured pattern on the sole. These provide a very thin 3.8mm stack height but with all the traction you'd need for wide stance squats or sumo deadlifts. Both of these shoes fall into the slipper category with velcro straps for closure and tightening duties. 

The Radix, and now the Radix Pro are their lifting shoe, with proper tongue and laces for secure the shoe on your foot the best. The Radix Pro offers a dual layer upper with a soft lycra liner from heel to toe that provides excellent comfort and padding, with an outer mesh ensures breathability and structure. These almost combine a slipper comfort inside the supper and structure of a normal shoe. The sole has excellent textured traction providing top level grip for any kind of lifting, and with an extremely thin 3.3mm stack height they give you great ground feel. Also with a wide toe box. 

The Avancus are the newest to market with their Apex Power and one of the first with a purpose built wide toe box powerlifting shoe. However they haven't rested since then they have already made many iterations and improvements before reaching their current V3 models. With their laser focus on quality and meeting lifters needs Avancus have become one of the most popular shoes on the market. They sell two different models, a standard low top and a high top option. The high top is fairly rare on the market, and something a lot of lifters really want so it fills a hole in the field and has been very popular. The high top provides additional support and sensory feedback. Both of the shoes feature an extremely thin and flat sole (3.5mm for low top and 4.0mm for high top). With the same logo pattern in both soles that provides amazing grip on any surface, but especially carpeted competition platforms. 

Lastly TYR hit this market category with the Drop Zero shoe line a few years ago and have now released the second generation. The DropZero 2 improves upon the first generation with a slightly more rigid sole but still providing maximum traction in this wide toe box very minimal shoe. While these check all the boxes of the wide toe box, minimal powerlifting deadlift slipper. They are targeted at a wider audience and good for those looking for a quality flat zero drop training shoe for all kinds of uses. They don't have the extreme knobby textured soles of the Avancus or Radix Pro which are purpose made for lifting. These can be used through out the gym and out of the gym. 

This is hard one to sum up, but Avancus is the market leader for a reason. If you want a purpose built powerlifting shoe for deadlifts then the Avancus is the clear answer. However if you want to try something a bit different the Radix Pro offers an interesting upper potentially making it more comfortable for some. Lastly the TYR is just a great shoe all around and if you want something you can use for lifting, then keep on when you hit the treadmill after training these might be the ticket for you. 

General Purpose Training Shoes

This is a category we don't offer a lot of options in. While any of the flat shoes above can be used for this purpose, many of the purpose built shoes like the Avancus and Radix Pro have very soft rubber compounds to provide maximum grip. That's good for grip but less good for durability, and wearing them around the gym, or on cardio equipment will wear them out sooner, wearing down that valuable grip you paid for. 

For a general purpose shoe we carry the CXT line by TYR. Their newest is the CXT-3 which has, again, improved on the previous version providing greater durability, traction, comfort, support, and features a weight reduction. They are a great cross trainer shoe that can be used for a variety of lifting needs, especially when you want to be able to move from one lift to the other quickly without having to change your shoes. While they don't have the super hard sole of a heeled squat shoe, they compress less than a normal running shoe, making them able to be used sparingly in this area. They have a medium toe box, not quite wide but a bit more natural shaped than a lot of shoes on the market, making them a more comfortable option. 

I'll also throw the DropZero2 in this category, as I said it's designed to be more than just a deadlift shoe. If you want a zero drop, wide toe box, wear everywhere and do everything shoe, the DropZero2 checks all these boxes. 

I won't declare a winner here since the two options are pretty different and meet different needs and wants. 

There you have our 2026 rundown the shoes we carry and their best uses. It's a very exciting time for lifters with so many purpose made brands for lifting and training, no longer are lifters trying to make do with what they can get that might do the job, we have specific tools made for specific jobs.