Sabo Deadlift Shoes Review

[khangles]

Just posting this review for the Sabo Deadlift Shoes should anyone be looking to purchase them. While there are a few decent reviews up online I think that more detailed ones are few so hopefully google will direct anyone looking Sabos here.

First off let my introduce myself. I'm a rubbish powerlifter (sumo cheater) and wannabe bodybuilder who buys one too many pairs of shoes usually sneakers but as I grew to love lifting led to the purchase of Nike Romaleos 2 and the Sabo Deadlift Shoes. Previously have deadlifted and trained in a variety of footwear including futsal/indoor soccer shoes and barefoot so that's what I'll be comparing these to.

The following review is for the updated version (I think) Sabos bought off Maxbarbell (would highly recommend them). Its kind of long so if you want the gist of things scroll down to the summary.


Features/Performance

• Traction: Important, especially for Sumo Deadlifts. To be honest traction was good enough but not as grippy as I was hoping. Don't get me wrong though because once you assume your stance and apply some downward force into the shoe they are not going to slide anywhere. The rubber soles are not as tacky as say a gum rubber sole of a futsal shoe but under load the effect is as much traction as you could ever need. Interstingly the sole pattern/design of the Sabos is pretty much the same as that of the Asics Matflex 5 however given the latter has a gum rubber sole I imagine it would offer superior traction.
  
• Flatness/Insole: The Sabos are described by many reviews as being close to the ground and I can confirm this. Personally I removed the thin insole inside the shoes but even with them in the feel is flat, hard and pretty close to barefoot. That being said these will not exactly replicate a barefoot pull so for conventional deadlifters used to pulling like that maybe slippers would be more appropriate, being a bit flatter however imperceptibly so and more importantly cheaper.
  
• Lateral Stability/Reinforcement: When driving out/spreading the floor in sumo you want no doubt in your mind that your footwear can hold up to it, transfer that force efficiently and ultimately allow you to finish the lift. I've heard of people busting out the sides of their chucks though this does sound a bit far fetched to me. What I can tell you is that you won't be busting out the sides of the Sabos.
  
• Metatarsal Strap: This should be one of the main deciding factors for buying these shoes. The straps sucks your foot into the shoe/ground, securing it enough that you could probably go with loose laces if your lazy. If you've felt out metatarsal straps e.g. Romaleos and you like it then the Sabos will offer a similar feel albeit not as secure as the former. If you haven't tried a metatarsal strap then you'll probably (99%) like it anyway.

Durability
Other reviews online have spoken to the "flimsy" construction of the Sabos and I can't say these a completely false claims. Compared to something like the Nike Romaleos 2, which are pretty much built like a tank with materials and construction that you know right from the moment you pick it up will last you years, the Sabos could be said to be poorly constructed.

However as far I am concerned the sabos hold together as well as any other shoe I've worn. Synthetic leather, suede and double stitched reinforcement especially on the outside make the Sabos plenty tough albeit not to the level of the Romaleos.

The tradeoff for this is that the Sabos are light and flexible. If you need to assume a position whether it be benching on your toes, the bottom stretched position of calf raises or any variation of sumo stance then you can be sure that the Sabos will be able to get there.


Aesthetics
Sabos come in several colours now including black, blue, yellow and red. I bought the "black" Sabo where the mesh is dyed black whereas in the original the mesh part is gray.
Not important to everyone but in the words of the Brofessor "I go to the gym to look good and I look good to go to the gym" but in all seriousness the Sabos look like they mean business they even have deadlift written on them. If this is your look fair enough but personally the white detailing looks gaudy so I used some acrylic paint I had lying around and painted over it in black. End result (see pics) is as close as I can get to a pair of Metal Squat Shoes save the 200+ price tag


Sizing
As far as shoe reviews go sizing sections always seem to be subjective and not that helpful to prospective buyers. You'll get one guy saying go true to size and another say up or down 3 sizes or wear the shoes on the wrong foot.

I'll attempt to give as much useful information as I can but there'll be a bit of subjectivity sprinkled in. To orient us a bit: I'm a 7US. That's my go to size, the size I'll try first and state anytime I'm asked. Width wise.. I've no idea so normal width. Also I tend to prefer my shoes snug with as little wiggle room as possible. e.g. my Nike Romaleos 2 size 7US. Snug. Perfect fit


If you are looking to find your Sabo size the first step is to check out the official size chart and measure your feet. Sabo uses EU or Russian sizing or something like that so this is a must. Some sites recommend adding 5mm to your measurement but I my experience this will throw off your sizing. When I measured my feet they were somewhere between 250-255mm depending on how bad my tracing was or RUS 39 to 40.

I bought the size 39 and found it looser than I'd like (keep in mind I like my shoes snug). From my experience I would recommend you measure your feet, DO NOT ADD 5mm TO THE MEASUREMENT and purchase the smaller size in the range you end up with (if you like a comfy fit or have wide feet) or the next size down if you prefer a snug fit. That is to say that if I could be bothered I would swap out for a size 38 RUS.

On Maxbarbell there's also an approximate US to RUS sizing chart but I can't speak for its accuracy.

Keep in mind that the insole can be removed/new insoles inserted allowing for some customisation of fit but given the Sabos mostly synthetic construction the shoes will not stretch much and will fit as out of box.

Summary
Would recommend the Sabos for Sumo Deadlifts though to be honest they kind of underwhelmed me. For other lifts or anything else probably not worth the cash/you may as well upsell yourself with alternatives from the Metal Powerlifting Shoes, Various brands' DL Slippers, Chucks, Asics Matflex 5s, Nike Romaleos, Adidas Adipowers, etc.

Apologies for the length. Hope this helps.


I have pics but no idea how to attach/embed

[geoffstgermaine]

I use these for deadlifts and roughly agree with your review. Compared with my Adipowers the construction quality is very obviously lower, though they are less than half the price.

My biggest complaint is that the eyelets are all starting to rust after only about 3 months of ownership. I'm pretty obsessed with ensuring my stuff airs out and dries - particularly shoes and my wraps and sleeves so I'm honestly not too happy with this.

I do prefer the design of the shoe and very thin sole to the Chucks I was wearing before for deadlifts. I'll wear these until they wear out, but I'm not convinced I'll buy them again.