Remember that your vertical power rests on your own unique strength and ability and not on strength training shoes. It seems however that the idea of strength training shoes as able to make one jump powerfully is a question many athletes and players want to resolve once and for all.
Fundamentally, strength training shoes are specially created to improve one’s total training performance. Strength training shoes have also been created to have a 4 centimeter rubber sole attached to the front half area of the shoes. Why is this necessary?
The objective of the rubber sole is to hinder your heels from hitting the ground. Therefore, strength training shoes condition the muscles on your calf to work a lot harder.
The fundamental purpose of strength training shoes is to allow the legs to function as levers. Note how every time you jump and run, your feet work as levers as aided by the muscles in your calves.
However, the reality of how strength training shoes work was only put to the test thanks to scientists in Tulane University. 12 inter-collegiate track and field athletes were assigned the task of proving or disproving the benefits of strength training shoes.
All of those athletes involved in the study were already involved in both jumping and running sports events. All of them basically adhered to a training regime that was to be done for a full eight weeks.
The study had half of the players wear regular shoes used for training. The other half was required to wear strength training shoes.
The eight-week workout consisted of demanding plyometric drills and stretching exercises. Every workout session lasted 45 minutes and were performed three times each week. Besides the trainings, the athletes also had to do their standard workout regimen.
When the eight weeks were through, results show that strength training shoes did not display any beneficial relevance to the performance of an athlete.
Specifically, ankle flexibility increased at only 1% in the two groups.
Tests of physical performance were also the same in both. It was discovered that those who wore strength training shoes and those who did not increased the time of their 40-yard dash in equal amounts. The skill of vertical leaps was also greater for those athletes who were not wearing strength training shoes.