Wow Clint my post was mostly tongue and cheek and certainly my use of the word "doubter" was.
I do know exactly why Chucks are prefered in heavy squatting. I prefaced by pointing out do do not provide arch support so there is no advantage over barefooted in that respect. They provide torsional stability with wide, squared off, stiff sidewalls and are a big help in Oly stance as you press outward with your feet.
I understand that in the PL/strongman world a 155lb 20yo woman properly squatting 315lbs completely raw, conventional stance isn't heavy, but I do feel that the other 99.9% of the world find that to be very serious weight. I don't think we can compare PL/strongman trainig to bodybuilding training.
My most sincere apologies if I have offended you or if I have taken your post out of contest.
When I squat (you can see my stance, I've even brought it in a bit lately) I really press outwards on those side walls and they provide so much benefit. The Chucks have "some sole" and that seems to even out the little curves and arches in my foot for better stability that I wouldn't get barefoot.
I think that all sports based on the gym and the kitchen can be compared. In fact, I believe that most bodybuilders could be just as successful (or unsuccessful) as I have been in Strongman BUT that I would probably never be successful in bodybuilding because of my bone structure and genetics. I haven't accomplished anything amazing or that anyone else on this board couldn't do with time. And all 3 sports are based on diet and progressive resistance training. Progressive...