Apparel Studio - Designing for the Skijoring athlete
Kratos Revival // Research Project
The Powerlifting Shoe
The man who made the sport what it is today, Bob Hoffman. In the 1950s, weightlifting was becoming a thing of the past. Various ‘odd lift’ competitions around the country, gradually developed into specific lifting competitions that consist of the bench-press, squat & deadlift.
Mr. Hoffman became aware of this transition from weightlifting to strength sports (powerlifting) and started a magazine called Muscular Development. It focused on bodybuilding & the fast-growing interest in ‘odd lift’ competitions.
Until the 1950s, powerlifting didn’t have a name. Men used boxing shoes in the 1920s because of the slight raised heel. But this was deemed problematic because of the restriction in ankle movement. The work boot was also problematic, although it provided a raised heel, it was restrictive in other places. It wasn’t until the 60’s when a true powerlifting shoe was developed. Interestingly, it was the soviet lifters who seemed to have paved the way for new types of lifting shoes. They started this trend by nailing raised heels to the leather soles of their everyday shoe. The raised heel and low-cut ankles are still a trend today.