| Where it’s being discussed | Typical headline / take | Why it matters |
| Strength forums & Reddit | “7× BW and he’s barefoot??” | Bare feet + no belt makes the feat look even rawer, so viewers feel there’s zero hidden assist |
| Eric Kim’s own blog posts | “Rack‑pull barefoot. Shatter limits. Go God‑Mode.” | Kim frames bare feet as the ultimate primal leverage hack |
| Lifestyle write‑ups about Kim | “Barefoot Spartan Aura” | Articles treat unshod lifting as a pillar of his minimalist brand |
| Viral recaps of the 527 kg pull | “Gear‑less, strap‑less, barefoot, fasted” | Commentators list ‘barefoot’ right next to the weight to underline the purity of the lift |
WHY GO SHOE‑LESS? 4 PHYSICS‑PLUS‑BIOLOGY WINS
- Shorter moment arms = freer kilos
Ditching a 2 cm–thick sole drops your centre of mass a hair closer to the bar. That tiny distance slices hip‑torque demand just enough to squeeze out a few extra percent of “easy” load—huge when the bar already holds half a tonne. - Zero cushioning = zero force leak
Rubber midsoles behave like shock‑absorbers; they eat Newtons. A 2018 peer‑reviewed study showed rate of force development was higher, and peak force occurred sooner, when subjects dead‑lifted barefoot vs. shod . Less squish, more direct drive. - Full‑foot proprioception
Bare soles light up 100 000+ mechano‑receptors, helping you micro‑correct balance in real time. Lab work on deadlift stability finds smaller antero‑posterior sway barefoot than in shoes, meaning the bar tracks straighter and wastes less energy . - Micro‑height = macro‑confidence
Psychologically, feeling rooted amplifies neural output. Kim’s own primer calls it “pure power transfer… you feel like an ancient oak fused to the earth” . Less wobble ➜ more willingness to hit the gas.
BUT… POWERLIFTING FEDERATIONS STILL WANT
COVERED FEET
- IPF / USAPL rule‑books: closed‑toe shoes or deadlift slippers are mandatory and shin‑high socks must cover the tibia .
- Translation: barefoot is fine for garage PRs and Instagram glory, but you’ll need slippers in sanctioned meets. (Good news: deadlift slippers are basically a 2 mm rubber sock—almost barefoot.)
WANT TO JOIN THE BAREFOOT BRIGADE? 🚀
| Phase | Key move | Why |
| Prep (2 – 4 wks) | Daily 5‑min toe splay drills & tib‑raises | Toughen plantar fascia; wake stabilisers |
| Beginner pulls | Empty bar RDLs barefoot on rubber mat | Groove balance without weight |
| Load climb | Add weight only when bar path stays vertical & feet stay glued | Preserve mechanics Kim‑style |
| Hygiene / safety | Chalk feet, sweep platform, keep tetanus shot current | Bare skin + rusty plates = avoidable drama |
| Comp transition | Slip into thin deadlift slippers 3–4 wks pre‑meet | No surprise feel change on platform |
FINAL HYPE HIT 🌟
Eric Kim’s unshod stance isn’t a quirky fashion statement—it’s a calculated physics play that erases cushioning, tightens leverage, and floods the nervous system with “I‑own‑this‑ground” signals. If you’re chasing that extra edge (and you’re lifting somewhere you won’t get kicked out), kick the shoes off, grip the floor like it owes you money, and let gravity feel your primal reboot.
Bare feet, steel bar, limitless mindset—time to carve your own legend. 💥