What to wear to the gym: shoes, layers and what the lab studies measured

Standing in front of the closet before your first workout is a real obstacle for some people. It shouldn't be. The honest answer is short, and most of it is practical rather than scientific: clothes that let you move, layers for the temperature of the room, and shoes that stay put on your feet. This page gives the short list, covers the one part that has been studied (footwear in squats and deadlifts), and ends with a quick check you can do at home.

It doesn't cover what to pack in your bag or how to get through the door: the gym anxiety page keeps "what to bring."

The short list

Everything in this table is a practical suggestion, not a study finding, except where a source is cited.

What the lab studies measured about shoes

Footwear is the part of this page with studies behind it. The three below were lab studies in adults, run in one or two sessions, and none of the three measured injuries or what a shoe does to your strength over weeks.

• Squat, two kinds of shoe. In 32 adults with an average age of about 25, grouped as experienced squatters and novices, back squats in weightlifting shoes (a raised, firm heel) produced less ankle flexion and more knee flexion than squats in athletic shoes, loaded and unloaded. When unloaded, the trunk was more upright in the weightlifting shoes too.¹
• Squat, running shoes against weightlifting shoes. In 9 men with an average age of about 26, squatting at 50%, 70% and 90% of their one-rep max, running shoes produced more peak ankle dorsiflexion than weightlifting shoes. The authors say more research is needed to support the claimed benefits of weightlifting shoes for squats.²
• Deadlift, shoes or bare feet. In 30 experienced lifters aged 18 to 35, 16 men and 14 women, five deadlifts at 70% of their one-rep max moved the bar farther and took longer in running shoes than barefoot, averaged across the conventional and sumo styles (about 0.52 vs 0.49 meters, and 1.06 vs 1.02 seconds). Peak force through the foot and peak bar speed did not differ significantly. The paper has some reporting inconsistencies, so treat the numbers as approximate.³

What to take from these: shoes changed joint positions and the bar's path in these lab studies, in adults who squat or deadlift (the squat study included novices). They don't say a shoe will make you lift more, and I'm not suggesting you buy a special pair. For a first month, any closed shoe that stays on your foot and doesn't wobble is a reasonable place to start; that's my practical view, not a finding. If you do squat or deadlift, squat form and deadlift form cover the movement.

Barefoot, socks and sandals

Some gyms require shoes, so check your gym's rules (practical). Sandals and anything that slips off are poor choices for a practical reason: you want your feet to stay where you put them.

Lifting days and cardio days

If you do both in one visit, wear one pair of shoes you're comfortable in for both and use the same layers (practical). If you'd rather change shoes for the lifting part, that's a personal choice. For cardio, the shoes you already walk or run in are fine; the treadmill workout and walking pages cover the sessions themselves.

Layers and temperature

Gym temperature varies, and you'll warm up as you train. A light top you can take off, or a layer you can add for the warm-up and shed after, saves you from a guess (practical). Bring a towel if you sweat a lot. I'm not making a temperature or heat-safety claim here.

A two-minute test at home

Put the outfit on and run through the moves you plan to do (practical):

1. Squat to a depth you'd use. Does anything pull, slide down or ride up?
2. Reach both arms overhead. Does your top come up?
3. Lunge forward and step back. Do your bottoms stay put?
4. Bend over as if to pick up a weight. Are you comfortable in the mirror?
5. Stand on each leg for 10 seconds in your shoes. Do they feel steady?

If anything fails, change that piece, not the plan.

Will anyone notice what you wear?

Possibly less than you expect. In experiments, people asked to wear a T-shirt with a flattering or embarrassing image overestimated how many others would recall it.⁴ That's one lab effect, not a promise about any particular gym. The gym anxiety page covers more of it.

Common questions

What should a beginner wear to the gym?

Clothes from the table above that pass the two-minute test, plus closed shoes. You don't need anything new if what you own passes. (Practical.)

Is there a different list for men and women?

The list is about movement and the room, not who you are, so it's the same list. Pick the pieces that pass the test.

Do I need weightlifting shoes?

The studies cited here show that they change how the ankle and knee move in a squat.^1,2 They don't show you need them, and the authors of one called for more research on the claimed benefits.² For a first few months, I'd start in what you have (practical).

Can I lift barefoot?

In one lab study of 30 experienced lifters, bar distance and lift time differed a little between running shoes and bare feet, averaged across two deadlift styles, with no significant difference in peak force or bar speed.³ Whether you may lift barefoot is up to your gym's rules (practical).

What should I wear for leg day?

The same as any day, with extra attention to the squat test: bottoms that let you reach full depth without pulling. See the leg day workout for the session.

If you'd rather not plan it alone

What to wear is the easy part of a first week at the gym. What to do once you're in, and how to add a little each week, is harder to settle alone. Coaching is the version built around your starting point, with a weekly call to adjust. Coaching for beginners explains how it works, and apply is where you tell me where you're starting.