The Tokyo 2020+1 Olympics are over. The weightlifting competition was exciting with lots of ups and downs from both athletes and judges. Forty two athletes won medals. We all know the medalists, but do you know which shoe (brand and color) won?
Rest assured, there are no secrets. Here is a medal tally for weightlifting shoe brands (manufacturers) and colors in the Tokyo 2020+1 Olympics.
Which weightlifting shoe brand won the most medals in the Tokyo 2020+1 Olympics?
It was Nike, with 22 medals; twice as much as the next one, Anta (10 medals). Athletes chose Nike Romaleos 2 (18 medals) or Romaleos 4 (4 medals).
Anta however won more (6) gold medals (Nike won 5).
The other 6 brands won 1-3 medals each.
Total number of medals for weightlifting shoes manufacturers:
Tokyo 2020 weightlifting shoe brands: women versus men
Are there any differences between the weightlifting shoes chosen by women medalists versus men medalists?
Yep. Women medalists chose 7 different brands while men medalist only 4.
Also, only women wore Asics, and only men wore Reebok.
Does the brand choice differ between weight classes?
If we collapse weight classes into light (W49, W55, M61, M67), middle (W59, W64, W76, M73, M81, M96), and heavy (W87, W87+, M109, M109+), we get 12 or 18 spots available for a brand to be taken.
The proportion of brands used by each weight class was pretty much the same. If anything, maybe heavy-weight medalists used slightly more Nike shoes.
The most niche brands used by the medalists
Let’s have a look at the shoes used only by one medalist.
There were 3 medalists who have chosen unique shoes for their Olympic performance. All of them were women.
Katherine Nye has chosen Velaasa in color black.
Mikiko Andoh San has chosen custom-made weightlifting shoes in orange and blue. More details on these shoes can be found in this video interview (from 7:47).
Sarah Robles has chosen black VS Athletics.
All three athletes have been using these shoes for some time before the Olympics, and were surly well accustomed to them and felt comfortable. It clearly payed off.
What colors were the most popular among the weightlifting medalists at the Tokyo 2020?
Black was definitely the most popular color of weightlifting shoes (16 medals), followed by red (9 medals) and white (6 medals). Red won the most gold medals, but black took first in silver and bronze tally.
Medal tally for shoe colors:
Weightlifting medalists shoes’ colors: Women vs men
For women medalists, the most popular choice of color was white, with black and red closely following. Most men medalists chose black.
Does the color choice differ between weight classes?
If we collapse weight classes into light (W49, W55, M61, M67), middle (W59, W64, W76, M73, M81, M96), and heavy (W87, W87+, M109, M109+), we get 12 or 18 spots available for a color to be taken.
Light-weight class athletes were mostly choosing between black and red. Middle-weight class athletes had the most fun, with half of them using a color different from black. Most heavy-weight class athletes used black weightlifting shoes.
The most niche shoe colors used by the weightlifting medalists
Three special shoe colors has won medals in the Tokyo 2020+1 Olympics weightlifting competition:
- gold (gold medal) - owned by Lyu Xiaojun
- pink (silver medal) - owned by Tamara Yajaira Salazar Arce
- orange (bronze medal) - owned by Mikiko Andoh San
Also, this list couldn’t be complete without Emily Campbell’s custom decorated pair of white Nikes. If you want to see these gorgeous shoes, meet the designer and have a sneak peek behind the scenes hit here.
How to choose weightlifting shoes based on the evidence from the Tokyo 2020+1 Olympics
Now the most important part of this article - how to apply all this new knowledge to yourself? We will now use the statistical example gathered from the Tokyo Olympics’ medalists to choose weightlifting shoes for you.
Here are your “evidence-based” weightlifting shoes recommendations:
You should chose Nike in white color if you are a woman, or in black or red if you are a man. But if you are only aiming for gold, Anta may be a better choice.
If you think that the weight class is more important, then you should chose black or red shoes if you are light-weight class athlete, or black if you are a heavy-weight class athlete. If you are middle-weight class athlete you should find your own color (other than black, red, or white).
Especially, if you are not particular about the color of your medal, then choosing a custom or niche brand, or color can be a great talisman too.
Best of luck for the next Olympics!
Disclaimer
Of course, all of this analysis is just for laughs and has absolutely no use. Athletes put many years of hard work into their Olympic preparation. Also, many other circumstances influence medals won MORE than the shoes athlete wears on the day. Or does it?
Happy lifting, Alex