IGX

High-Top Chuck Taylors:

Pros:
*Cheap
*Afford excellent ankle stability for all lifts
*Provide excellent lateral stability, allowing you to 'push out' during squats
*Do not have an elevated heel, so they're not a flexibility crutch

I have used them for all my Olympic Weightlifting training over the past couple months and they are excellent. When you fell your Chucks slam the platform during the squat under, you know you're stable, side to side and back to front. That said, I'm probably going to switch to real OL shoes (which have heels) for at least some of my training this summer, because they are required in competition and because if Purros Dimas and Casey Burgener aren't too good for them, neither am I.

Chucks don't really need praise; everybody already knows how good they are. I posted about them mainly to list a few less well-known...

Cons:
*Afford little flexibility between the toes, ball of foot, and mid-foot.
*Rather heavy
*Very poor traction on wet surfaces.

This one-sole construction is what makes them a good lifting shoes, but it makes them a very bad shoe to sprint in. I sprinted in them for a while because I wanted a shoe without a heel. Bu the lack of forefoot flexibility prevents dorsiflexion of the toe (turning the toe up as your foot strikes the ground), which basically means that you're breaking every time you hit the ground. I ran lots of 400s, and got shin splints. Don't make my mistake. Also, the treads do not afford ANY purchase whatsoever on ice or other slick surfaces.

Feiyue Shoes:

Two of my friends who wear these shoes recommended them to me. They are made for Wushu (martial art). I use them for sprinting, running, jumping, sports - anything that requires speed more than stability.

Pros:
*They feel like a slipper. Running and sprinting in them feels almost like going barefoot.
*No heel
*Flexible all the way along the sole - perfect for sprinting
*Good grip on the tread - excellent traction
*Come with short laces

Cons:
*They aren't designed to provide any stability or support for lifting, and they don't. I do light lifts in these (this afternoon I'm going to wear them for a KB/calisthenics/sprint circuit) but they're not made for squats or heavy OLs. Funny things happen.

As a post on DD recently noted, you can get them a usawushu.com, but as of this moment there is a cheaper price at amazon.com.