Do we need Jump Strength Training Shoes to Increase our Vertical Leap?

Have you heard about strength training shoes? These shoes are being advertised as can help you jump higher than before. The price ranges from $89 – $149, depending on the manufacturers. However, are they really worth the money?

Strength shoes are designed with a 1.5″ hard rubber platform connected under the balls of your feet that prevent your heels to hit the ground directly. This makes your calf muscles work harder in any exercise that you perform in them. Actually, some people DO increase their vertical jump by using the platform shoes. However, they don’t get to increase their vertical jump because of the shoes but, rather with the help of the drills and exercises they performed.

A scientific study was performed wherein people were assigned to join two focus groups. One group of people used jump strength training shoes and the other without them. Both groups were trained in the exact same training program. Researchers have found out that the group without the shoes also increases their vertical jump just as high as the other group.

The workout came from the manufacturer, randomizing 12 intercollegiate track and field participants to a Strength-Shoe group and a normal-shoe group. After 8 weeks of hard training program supplied by the manufacturer, the normal-shoe group demonstrated that they can improve more than the Strength-Shoe group on all performance measures!

The individuals training using ordinary shoes improved more in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, strength at slow speed, and strength at fast speed. The other group grew larger calves. group. Two of the six athletes in the strength shoe group whined about shin splints, with one of them not able to continue from the workout study because of the pain.

Based on the research, strength training shoes won’t give you the ability to jump higher. However, just using strength shoes alone probably won’t bring you the type of gains that you are looking for. The step-by-step program is what you need to get jump higher.