Nike Romaleos 2 Review
Nike Romaleos 2 Review
Pros
- Suited well for wider feet
- Heel size at 0.75
- A true 'hybrid' WL shoe
- Lighter than the previous Romaleos
Cons
- Very costly
- Slightly outdated
This week – Nike Romaleos 2 Weight Lifting Shoes Review
The Nike Romaleos 2 weightlifting shoe is the new version of the original model by Nike back in 2008 – which they specifically designed for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. We got our hands on a pair for a thorough Nike Romaleos 2 review.
The first Nike Romaleos were popular due to its robust and durable build. But it was overpriced, and was heavy, clunky and unflexible. Like most weight lifting shoes of the time. The new model, the Nike Romaleos 2, was released before London 2012 and is a massive improvement.
Overview of the Nike Romaleos 2
The Nike Romaleos 2 is a very high spec weightlifting shoe aimed at the serious gym goer, cross-fitter or athlete. It has been built for performance and to stand the test of time. This Nike lifting shoe has gained a solid reputation within the gym and weight lifters community, partly due to the company’s marketing, now making it one of the most popular weight lifting shoes on the market at this time.
Nike improved this popular weightlifting shoe by taking 50 grams off the weight and increasing the forefoot flexibility, it’s light and extremely comfortable. However, the shoe is very wide and would be better suited for guys with wider feet. Narrow feet folks, you’ll probably prefer the Reebok Crossfit Lifer Plus 2.0.
The majority of olympic weight lifting shoes (also know as ‘oly shoes’) can be fairly heavy and bulky to use in dynamic movements, the Nike Romaleos 2 weren’t like this and held up well with cleans and oly movements.
Weight lifting shoes are traditionally incredibly inflexible in the toe box area, which can be a real pain when it comes to anything outside squatting. The Nike Romaleos 2 has been built with far superior front flexibility than other shoes that are similar to it, so this makes it better for dynamic movements such as snatches, cleans and for crossfit athletes who do a lot of rope climbing, running and jumping and don’t want to be constantly changing shoes.
Nike went to great lengths to make this better than the previous model. To make it more stable and comfortable they added contoured TPU heel wedge cups heel which gives incredible foot support.
The Nike Romaleos 2 has a carefully crafted outsole designed to minimize wear in the heel – giving these squat shoes extra durability.
I noticed that the entire shoe, especially the upper is constructed from a special type of durable synthetic materials that is very thick and provides great support, which did take some bedding into. They have intergrated laces too. One thing I really loved were that the Nike Romaleos 2 came with two different sockliners. One is a softer insert for training and a harder version for competition.
Stats and Performance of the Shoe
Multiple Shoe Straps:
Unlike its nearest competitors, the adidas powerlift 2.0 and the adidas adipower (click for reviews) the Nike Romaleos 2 feature not one, but two metatarsal straps. I found that the extra strap on the Nike Romaleos to give you the added stability and lock you in for heavier weights. I also found that the extra strap didn’t affect flexibility, but rather increased it. The toe box is flexible and so it helps keep you in place. It also made the shoes more durable. The end of each strap is covered with a metal cuff designed to prevent fraying and the upper and lower portions of the strap becoming detached through wear and tear.
Heel Height:
There are many different heel heights in olympic weight lifting shoes, some are 0.75 inches such as the Drehkrafts, others are less at 0.60 inches such as the powerlift 2.0s. The Nike Romaleos 2 are at 0.75 inches which means that they are perfect for squat depth.
Because Nike shed weight and increased the forefoot flexibility, think of these shoes like the Inov-8 fastlift 335 but with higher heel height. The inov-8 fastlifts are another top of the range shoe that combines the heel height and support of a weight lifting shoe, but with no compromise in flexibility.
The result is a great shoe for those that need maximal squat depth, but need the flexibility and lightness to perform other movements.
Final Verdict:
The perfect shoe for someone with wide feet who wants maximal squat depth without sacrificing flexibility.
