I wear socks where I go. Yesterday I watched a short video of someone doing squats with dumbbells while wearing socks, and there were a couple of comments saying that the person in the video should be wearing proper shoes???
When I lift at home, I prefer to be barefoot.
Jai said:
When I lift at home, I prefer to be barefoot.
I do light exercises at home barefoot on my yoga mat, but the (small) gym I go to is actually a kickboxing gym, so it’s all matted. I do my warm-ups, lifting exercises, and cardio all in socks there. The only reason I choose socks instead of going barefoot is because the mats aren’t clean, even when they are lol.
@Zen
Be aware of ringworm at MMA gyms.
That’s why I wear socks. Also, I don’t do jiu-jitsu or grapple because I don’t want to roll around on the floor. I only do Muay Thai/kickboxing. I know I can still get ringworm from others, but I am as conscious and hygienic as I can be.
@Zen
Glad to hear it. Kickboxing is a better cardio workout anyway.
@Zen
Oh yeah, I’d definitely opt for socks at your gym 
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Jai said:
@Zen
Oh yeah, I’d definitely opt for socks at your gym
I’m one of the rare ones who wear socks there too lol. Most people, including our coach, go barefoot 
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At home, I workout barefoot. At the gym, I wear shoes.
- At home strength exercises (squats, crunches, lightweight dumbbell lifts): barefoot.
- At home yoga: barefoot.
- Cardio (running, hiking, skating, walking): wearing proper footwear.
It certainly isn’t great if you accidentally drop something on your toe… that’s the biggest concern. That said, lifting shoes can offer some additional ankle support, I suppose.
Vic said:
It certainly isn’t great if you accidentally drop something on your toe… that’s the biggest concern. That said, lifting shoes can offer some additional ankle support, I suppose.
Yeah, I accidentally broke my toe by dropping a 5lb weight on it while barefoot. I got lucky and broke the right bone/segment, but it was not pleasant.
Ky said:
@Jai
I’m so afraid of that happening! Would wearing shoes have helped at all?
Honestly, I’m not sure. Considering how I broke my toe, I think shoes would have absorbed some impact and maybe made it just bruised instead of broken.
I wear barefoot shoes. Best of both worlds!
Olin said:
I wear barefoot shoes. Best of both worlds!
Same here! Barefoot shoes, especially five-finger shoes, are great for squatting, box jumps, etc.
Olin said:
I wear barefoot shoes. Best of both worlds!
YES!
It depends on the movement for me. For squats and deadlifts, I prefer socks or Converse to ensure my entire foot is planted and I can really drive through my heels.
For upper body exercises, it doesn’t really matter—I usually just wear running shoes since I tend to do a bit of cardio after. For more targeted movements like side lunges, Bulgarian split squats, or single-leg RDLs, I prefer wearing my Nike Metcon trainers for more stability.
@Tory
Exactly! I avoid doing heavy leg work barefoot because I seek stability in those movements. Being barefoot gives me flexibility but not stability. Have you tried Vans? I found Converse to curve over time, so I switched to Vans, which stay flat and provide better grip. I do most of my heavy deadlift and squat work in Vans.
Sometimes I deadlift in socks.
You need good floor traction, so having slippery feet is definitely a no. Whether you go barefoot or with shoes will depend on your preferences or gym rules. Some experts (like Squat University) recommend avoiding narrow toe box shoes with arch support. Shoes with a wide toe box and zero raise will help your feet spread into their natural state.