2002 Adidas Ironwork II Weightlifting Shoes

These were shoes that I had owned back in my teenage years of Weightlifting, they were a little under $200, when new, in the early 00’s and came in this colorway, along with one in a metallic silver outer with red details. These are, from a nostlagia standpoint, my favorite pair of shoes. These shoes, along with the Atenus weightlifting suit, were my dream kit as a younger athlete.

The good; incredibly durable materials, top-notch build quality, excellent performance. There’s nothing flashy, or fancy, about this shoe in terms of material, technology, or other gimmicky stuff. It is, quite simply, just an incredible shoe. This is a great tool to have at your disposal if you need a shoe with about a 3/4” heel.

The bad; the finish (paint) that was used to cover the upper material is prone to cracking and crumbling over time. The material used for the upper is a synthetic that is difficult to properly refinish in a factory-replicated way. The material, itself, is a fibrous sort of leather with a “fuzz” that is evident when the finish starts to peel/crack.

The Takeaway; if you can get these shoes for less than $350-$400 they are worth it, in my opinion. These are one of the most overlooked models of the vintage Adidas weightlifting shoes.

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Of note, on these pictures; they’re not current photos. I’m in the process of refinishing these, the white finish has been removed and will be re-finished at some point in 2021. They’re not high-priority, at the moment, but I will update here as I make progress.