The best shoes for the bench press are flat, firm, and zero-drop — a thin, incompressible sole that plants your whole foot and lets you drive hard into the floor without the platform squishing. Leg drive is a large, underrated source of bench power, and it starts at your feet. A soft cushioned trainer compresses and shifts under that drive, leaking force and destabilizing your base; a flat shoe (or bare feet where allowed) turns your legs into a solid link between the floor and the bar.
Do your shoes really matter for the bench press?
More than most lifters think. The bench press looks like an upper-body lift, but a strong bench is a full-body brace: you pin your feet, squeeze your glutes, arch your upper back, and drive your legs into the floor to stabilize your torso and help move the bar. Every one of those forces travels through your feet. If the sole under them compresses, that force scatters instead of transferring — you lose tightness and the bar path gets shaky.
A flat, firm sole keeps your base locked so the effort you put into the floor actually reaches the bar. It is the same principle that makes flat shoes a favorite for the squat and the deadlift: stability under the foot equals stability everywhere else.
Are cushioned running shoes bad for benching?
For serious benching, yes. Running shoes are built with thick, soft midsoles designed to compress and absorb impact — the exact opposite of what you want when you are driving your legs into the ground. As you push, the foam sinks and rebounds unevenly, so your feet rock, your arch loosens, and the power you meant to send into the bar bleeds away into the sole.
They also raise your heel, which can subtly change your leg angle and make consistent drive harder to find. Plenty of people bench in trainers and survive — but if you care about a stable base and repeatable leg drive, a squishy shoe is quietly costing you.
Flat shoe, raised heel, or bare feet for the bench?
It depends on your setup and how much leg drive you use, but for most lifters a flat zero-drop shoe is the most versatile answer. Here is how the common options stack up.
| Footwear | Sole & heel | Best for benching when… | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat zero-drop shoe (e.g. KRAFTBARE FORGE) | Thin, firm, 0 mm drop, wide toe box | Feet-flat leg drive, most lifters | Takes adjustment if you are new to flat soles |
| Bare feet / socks | None | Home gym, maximum ground feel | Banned in many gyms and most powerlifting feds; no plate protection |
| Raised-heel Olympic shoe | Hard, ~19 mm raised heel | You bench heels-up, on the toes | Bulky and heel-biased; built for squatting, not benching |
| Cushioned running shoe | Thick, soft, elevated heel | Rarely the best choice | Compresses under drive; unstable, wobbly base |
Honest note: two legal bench styles exist — feet flat (most common in powerlifting) and heels-up on the toes. If you bench heels-up, sole compression matters less because your drive is more vertical through the ball of the foot. But for the far more common feet-flat style, a flat, firm, zero-drop shoe gives you the most stable, grippy base — and it is the same shoe you will wear to squat and deadlift in the same session. Many federations require a proper soled shoe in competition, so check our powerlifting meet shoe rules guide before a meet.
How do I set up leg drive on the bench?
Leg drive is a skill. This setup takes fifteen seconds and turns your feet into part of the press. Run it on every working set before you unrack.
- 1. Plant your feet. Pull them back toward your hips (feet-flat style) and press them firmly into the floor. A flat sole lets the whole foot make contact.
- 2. Grip the ground. Spread your toes and screw your feet outward slightly to build tension. A wide-toe-box shoe like the KRAFTBARE FORGE lets your toes splay for a wider base.
- 3. Build your arch. Squeeze your upper back and glutes; think chest up, shoulder blades pinned and tucked down.
- 4. Drive, do not bounce. As you press, drive your legs into the floor as if pushing yourself up the bench toward the rack — the force goes into the bar, not into lifting your hips off the pad.
- 5. Stay tight between reps. Keep the feet loaded and the arch braced; do not relax your base until the set is racked.
What makes the KRAFTBARE FORGE good for benching?
The KRAFTBARE FORGE is a true zero-drop barefoot lifting shoe with a flat, incompressible sole and a wide toe box — the exact traits that give you a stable bench base and clean leg drive. The flat sole keeps every part of your foot planted so your drive does not sink into foam; the wide toe box lets your toes spread and grip for a broader, steadier base; and the grippy outsole keeps your feet from sliding as you push.
The practical win is consistency across your whole session. You brace the same way to bench, squat, and deadlift, so you never swap shoes or relearn your base mid-workout. If you are still weighing whether dedicated lifting shoes are worth it, our honest take on whether you need special shoes to lift lays it out. At $69.90 — about half what premium zero-drop rivals cost — the FORGE comes in US sizes 7–11 and five colorways: Onyx Black, Chalk, Volt, Steel, and Raw Pink.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do shoes matter for the bench press?
Yes, more than most people expect. A strong bench uses leg drive and a full-body brace, and all of that force passes through your feet. A flat, firm sole keeps your base stable so the force reaches the bar, while a soft, compressible sole lets your feet rock and leaks power.
Can I bench press in running shoes?
You can, but it is not ideal. Running shoes have thick, soft midsoles that compress and shift under leg drive, creating an unstable base and bleeding off force. Their raised heel can also change your leg angle. For a stable base and repeatable drive, a flat firm shoe or bare feet is better.
Are zero-drop shoes good for the bench press?
Yes. A zero-drop shoe plants your whole foot flat with no heel elevation and a firm sole that does not compress, giving you a stable platform to drive from. That stability is exactly what feet-flat benchers want, which makes zero-drop shoes a top pick for pressing.
Should your feet be flat or on your toes when benching?
Both are legal and effective; it comes down to style. Feet-flat is the most common powerlifting setup and pairs best with a flat, firm shoe for a stable base. Heels-up (on the toes) sends drive through the ball of the foot and is less affected by sole softness. Pick one and be consistent.
Do I need lifting shoes for bench if I already use them for squats?
If your squat shoe is a flat, zero-drop shoe, it is already ideal for benching too — no second pair needed. That is one of the biggest advantages of a flat lifting shoe like the FORGE: one stable base for squats, bench, deadlifts, and accessories.
Is benching barefoot better?
Barefoot benching on a stable floor gives great ground feel and a flat base, and many home-gym lifters like it. The downsides are real: many gyms and most powerlifting federations do not allow it, and there is no protection from a dropped plate. A flat zero-drop shoe gives nearly the same ground connection with coverage and gym-legal status.
Ready to bench off a base that does not sink? The KRAFTBARE FORGE zero-drop lifting shoe gives you a flat, grippy platform for stronger leg drive on the bench — and every other lift in your session — for $69.90, about half the price of premium rivals.
Last updated: July 7, 2026