We’ve managed to get our hands on a pair of Leistung 16.II Olympic Weightlifting shoes. These are the new 2017 releases by Adidas that we feel are an upgrade on the Leistung 16.I shoes brought out before Rio 2016.
Read our review below.
Comfort/ Fit
The shoe’s material is thick with padding which in turn provides the lifter with a soft but secure fit. During both of the Olympic Lifts and assistance exercises there is very little movement of the foot.
Although thick, they are very breathable keeping your feet cool throughout training and competitions.
The BOA dial system
The BOA dial system is a fast tightening, strong closure system that comes with a lifetime guarantee. It’s made out of lightweight steel and acts as a strap across the middle of the laces.
The BOA returns from the Leistung 16.I. Instead of acting as the whole lace system in the Leistung 16.I shoes, it acts as a middle strap to work in combination with laces.
Heel Height
The total heel height of the shoe is 37.8mm. This is 6.35mm higher than most standard Olympic Lifting shoes. It may not sound like it makes a huge difference but, it definitely helps you have more of an upright torso when catching a Snatch and those with ankle mobility issues.
Sizing
From a personal point of view, I would recommend getting the next half size or even full size up from your normal shoes/ trainers.
I am a UK size nine with most shoes but the size ten Leistung 16.II Lifting shoes fit me perfectly.
In Conclusion
We would certainly recommend them to both competition lifters and those that do the sport for fun.
A pair will cost you just under £180.00 from the Adidas website. They are built with top quality materials that will last under the strains and pressures of training and competition.
You can pick up your pair here.
Leistung 16 II vs Adipower
The obvious question: how does the Leistung 16 II compare with Adidas’s other lifting shoe, the Adipower? The biggest difference is under the heel — the Leistung sits you noticeably higher than the Adipower’s roughly 22 mm lift, which suits a more upright catch and anyone tall or tight in the ankles. The Leistung also uses the BOA dial over the laces for a quick, even cinch, where the Adipower leans on a simple midfoot strap. In return the Adipower is the more rigid, planted, do-everything shoe — and, crucially, it’s still in production. If you can track down a Leistung 16 II in your size it’s a superb shoe; if you can’t, the Adipower is the closest thing on sale today.
What we’d recommend today
Fair warning if this review brought you here shopping: the Leistung II has been off the shelves for years, and the pairs still floating around tend to be tired. If it was that tall, locked-in heel you were after, the closest thing we’d put you in now is the Adidas Adipower — same planted feel under a heavy clean, and actually available.
I wore Adidas Adipowers back in the day, and the current Adipower Weightlifting 3 is the direct descendant — same tall, planted heel, and what I'd lift in now.
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