The highly anticipated Reebok Legacy Lifters are finally here on Rogue Fitness. We were able to get our hands on them and they are living up to the hype!

The Reebok Legacy Lifters were inspired by and created with the help of USA Weightlifting’s CJ Cummings. The shoes are a complete move away from the Reebok CrossFit Lifters. The Legacy Lifters are made specifically for weightlifting.

The shoes will be initially sold in a while/black and a black/gold colorway. Reebok athletes were given the shoes at the CrossFit Invitational in which several athletes used them in the 1RM snatch and clean & jerk portion of the competition.

So let’s take a look at the shoes…

FEATURES

Weight

The Legacy Lifters weigh 20.3 ounces. They are heavy enough that you can feel them on your feet, but not too heavy to be comfortable moving quickly under the bar. Overall, they are line with other weightlifting shoes on the market.

Heel Height

The heel has a 22mm, or 3/4-inch, drop. The drop is the same as the Nike Romaleos and Adidas Adipower, but is more than the Adidas Powerlift 3 (0.6-inch). There is even a 22mm mark on the sole noting the heel height. Expect the same feel and benefit when wearing these shoes in a deep squat.

Heel Construct

The heelpiece of the Legacy Lifters is made of extra hard TPU, or thermoplastic polyurethane. In the white and black version, the white heel has a smooth matte look to it which looks reall awesome in person. The black and gold appears to have a more shiny appearance although we have not yet seen those in person.

The heel is very wide and measures at 82mm. This width creates a very stable platform when lifting. In addition, there is an Exoframe strap that supports the back of the heel for added stability.

Heel Collar

The heel collar is made of 100% ETC anti-microbial lining and is meant to reduce heat and abrasions in the achilles area. Additionally, there is a full foam lining with an achilles pad. While wearing these, they felt very cushioned and padded everywhere. The shoes feels like an extension of your foot and the padding is likely to reduce likelihood of blisters or uncomfort.

Upper Material

The Legacy Lifter’s upper is constructed of perforated leather near the front and mesh near the heel. The shoe is very cushioned and feels more like the Nike Romaleos 2. It is in stark contrast to the thinner feel of the Adidas Adipowers. The perforated leather in the toebox will help with breatheability, but it’s not designed like your Reebok Nanos with mesh everywhere.

Straps

The Legacy lifter features two straps. The top strap is above the midfoot, just below the laces. The top strap wraps from the outside of the heel all the way to the inside heel. The outside portion of the strap is a triangular shape with the Reebok CrossFit logo. The strap loops through a metal fastener with the end of the strap on the inside of your foot. Tightening this strap makes a noticeable difference in the stability of the shoe. Unlike the Adidas Adipowers and Nike Romaleos 2, the strap must be fastened or it will flop around when jumping and moving quickly.

The bottom strap is above the end of the metatarsals, just before the toes. This strap was hard to adjust and even when it was pulled tightly, it did not add much more stability to the shoe itself. Other than the look of two straps, the Legacy Lifters have enough stability that the bottom strap is not essential.

REVIEW

Comfort

These shoes were very comfortable on your feet. There was ample padding in the midfoot upper, tongue and heel. If you like the bulkier feel of the Nike Romaleos 2, you will like the feel of these. They are very similar. If you prefer the slimmer feel of the Adidas Adipower or No Bull Lifters, these may not be the shoe for you.

Sizing

The sizing of the Legacy Lifters is in line with the Reebok Nanos. I wear a size 9 1/2 in the Reebok Nanos 5, but ordered a size 9 in the lifters. The 1/2 size smaller fit for the lifters provides a snug fit that is perfect for a weightlifting shoe. There is not extra room in the toebox, which is perfect for the Olympic lifts and squatting. If you like a snug feel in your weightlifting shoes, go a 1/2 size smaller than your Nanos.

Stability

The wide heel definitely gives you better stability when landing at the bottom of a squat. Coming from a narrower shoe, these feel great comparatively. You won’t have any concerns about feeling stable and in control with these shoes.

Ease of Use

Having an ease of use section is a bit off for a review on shoes, but one of the things that stood out is that it took some work to get the shoes on, tongue sitting properly and the straps locked in. To put the shoe on, the top strap had to be completely undone. Also, with the padding in the tongue, it took a little manipulation to get it laying flat and where it should be. Finally, the metal bracket that the strap loops through is a tight fit and takes a bit of work to thread it through.

As the shoes become more broken in I would expect this to become less of an issue. And once they are on and strapped in, there isn’t going to be a need to adjust or make changes to them.

Performance

Like mentioned earlier, these shoes are not made to be used in a CrossFit metcon. These are pure weightlifting shoes. They have been built for the classic lifts on the platform. Use them to squat, snatch and clean and jerk. Don’t use them for box jumps, rope climbs or running.

Appearance

The Reebok Legacy Lifters look amazing in person. The white and black stand out and look sleek on the platform. They are much improved over the look of the CrossFit Lifter 2.0 and look much more like a classic weightlifting shoe.

Price

The price appears to be fixed at $199.99 no matter where you buy them. Rogue Fitness has free shipping on all shoe orders. The price is higher than the Adidas Adipower and Nike Romaleos 2 although the Nike Romaleos 3 will likely be at the same price point when they are released.

RECOMMENDATION

I highly recommend the Reebok Legacy Lifters if you are looking for a weightlifting-specific shoe. The wide heel provides excellent stability and the cushioning and end-to-end top strap makes the shoe feel like an extension of your foot. The shoes are extremely comfortable and will live up to long sessions in the gym.

If you are looking for a hybrid shoe that you can use in CrossFit metcons, these are not going to fit that use. But if you are wanting to improve your Olympic lifting and need the added range of motion on squats, the Reebok Legacy Lifters are right for you.

The biggest question now is…are you going to buy the white/black or gold/black colorway?

BUY AT ROGUE FITNESS TODAY!