MonkeyFeet Review

MonkeyFeet boots let you lift weights with your feet by attaching dumbbells to them.

You clamp down a dumbbell under the heel then tighten a strap until the boot is snug around your foot.

They make unilateral leg workouts very challenging.

And replace space occupying equipment like leg extension and leg curl machines.

Let’s check it out!

Unboxing

Inside the box there’s a travel bag with the MonkeyFeet boot inside.

Animal House Fitness sells each boot individually but it works the same for both feet.

They also included a one sheet instructions manual with sample exercises.

Seems simple to use.

Here’s a pic of what the boot looks like on its side.

I labeled all the parts so you can understand what you’re looking at.

This is what the front looks like.

That big rectangular pad sits on top of your foot.

This is a view from the other side.

You can see the strap is held in place by a screw just like the other side.

And it looks like you can adjust the strap’s length since there’s 2 extra holes next to the screw.

This is a bird’s eye view of the inside of the boot looking at the padding.

Padding is about 1/2″ thick.

And this is the back.

This is the inside of the boot.

Those green circles on the sides are hinges.

You’ll see why those are needed later on.

One thing I was really impressed about the MonkeyFeet boot, is how they managed to make it so small.

It’s about the size of a 10 lbs iron weight plate so it’s WAY smaller than a standalone leg curl / leg extension machine.

That’s huge for a home gym owner where space is limited.

Here’s what the boot looks like when it’s clamped to a dumbbell.

I’ll show you how to set it up later on.

Specs

• Material: Hard nylon plastic

• Inside padding: About 1/2″ in thickness

• Weight capacity: 160 lbs per foot

• Weight: 1.2 lbs

• Size: About the size of a 10 lbs iron weight plate

How To Use

Pull the ratchet release tab.

This ratcheting strap design is similar to the one on the IsoTib LT but that boot uses weight plates instead of dumbbells for resistance.

This will separate the top cover exposing the inside of the boot.

It’ll look like this from the side.

Notice how the jaws make a circle at the bottom when they face each other.

Now fold the back of the boot forward to open up the jaws.

You can see how the jaws start to open up.

This is why those green hinges are there.

When the back of the boot is all the way forward, the jaws are now separated.

This is where your dumbbell handle will go.

With a dumbbell on the ground, place the open jaws over the handle.

Fold the back of the boot up.

Step into the MonkeyFeet and hold the pad on the center of your foot.

Insert strap into the ratchet and push through.

Pull the ratcheting tab repeatedly until the boot fits snug.

Jaws

There’s three jaws that wrap around the dumbbell handle.

Two on the outside and one in the middle.

Taking a closer look at the inside hooks of the jaws, they’re lined with rubber.

That should help grip the dumbbell handles and keep them from shifting during exercise.

MonkeyFeet Dumbbell Compatibility

• Minimum dumbbell handle width: 5 inches

• Maximum dumbbell handle diameter: 1.45 inches

• Max shoe size: Fits most shoe sizes, maximum size is U.S. men’s size 14

• Max shoe width: 3.5 inches

PowerBlock Adjustable Dumbbells

First dumbbells I tried the boot on was the PowerBlocks.

I have a feeling this won’t work because of the cage around the dumbbell.

And sure enough, it’s tight from side to side.

And the cage prevents the bottom of the boot from opening up completely.

See how the sole of the boot is angled up?

Also tried this on the Powerblock Pro 100 EXP dumbbells and it didn’t work either.

Monkey Feet and PowerBlock are a no go.

Nuobell Dumbbells

Nuobells were next on the list.

My concern with the Nuobells was with the black casing that houses the adjusting mechanism.

It extends into the handle so I wasn’t sure if the boot would fit.

To my surprise the boot fit perfectly.

Here’s a side view.

View from the back.

And a view from the bottom shows the jaws perfectly surrounding the handle.

Core Home Fitness Dumbbells

Core Home Fitness dumbbells have a rubber handle that’s curved in the middle so I was curious to see how this one did.

Just like Nuobells, these also adjust by twisting the handle so they have a similar casing connected to the handle.

The boot fits!

Even with the round dumbbell handle, the jaws still seem to have enough grip to keep it in place safely.

JaxJox Dumbbells

JaxJox dumbbells’ handles are very similar to Nuobell’s but their handles are a bit long so this one should work without a problem.

Another one that fits.

From the bottom you can see there’s still plenty of space on the sides of the handle.

Other dumbbells compatible with MonkeyFeet include Trulap adjustable dumbbells, Living Fit hex rubber dumbbells, and Snode adjustable dumbbells.

MonkeyFeet Exercises: Lift Weights With Your Feet

Below you’ll see a sample of the MonkeyFeet workout I usually do.

I’m sure you can come up with other exercises to do as well.

I like doing standing leg curls.

This way I feel resistance throughout the whole range of motion.

Sometimes I do these on my Isolator rack attachment when I want to use weight plates instead of dumbbells.

When I do them on my stomach, I don’t feel any resistance once my leg is past vertical.

For leg extensions, I use my Exponent Edge rack mounted GHD.

This way my thigh is supported from the bottom and I have plenty of height so that my leg hangs without touching the floor.

You can place something like a sandbag on top of a weight bench or throw a weight plate below the bench to give you a lift.

Standing leg raises can be done several ways with the Monkey Feet.

These really hit your hip flexors and lower abs.

I do them standing on my box squat pad or sometimes hanging from my pull up bar.

Next is the hip abduction exercise.

This one targets the glute medius, side of your butt.

You’ll feel this one burning quickly so you may have to go lighter on the weight.

And the last exercise on my rotation is donkey kicks or kick backs.

I start on all fours and rotate my leg back with knee bent until it’s horizontal.

I do this rotation of Monkey Feet exercises after compound lifts to finish off my legs workout.

MonkeyFeet Exercises With Resistance Bands

I wanted to test how MonkeyFeet would work with resistance bands.

So I did several exercises with a thick and light resistance bands and it worked well.

Resistance bands felt a bit harder than dumbbells in some exercises since the tension increases towards the end of the movement.

The jaws did a good job at securing the bands without a problem.

Another similar option would be to attach the boot to a cable machine for constant tension.

MonkeyFeet Workouts

Monkey Feet just recently launched their new Guided Workouts Bundle which includes 10, 1 hour long online classes for all fitness levels.

The workouts range from isolated exercises to full HIIT sessions using Monkey Feet and a set of dumbbells.

Here’s some info about the Guide Workouts Bundle:

• Price: $19.95 one time fee

• No subscription required

• 10 guided workouts, approximately 1 hour long each

• No app required, access the videos online

• Equipment: MonkeydFeet and dumbbells

MonkeyFeet Alternatives

IsoTib Bar

The IsoTib is a unilateral foot attachment that mainly targets the tibialis anterior muscle and ankle.

But like Monkey Feet, it can also be used to train the entire lower body.

Main differences between Monkey Feet and the IsoTib are the weight distribution and type of weights used.

IsoTib uses weight plates and the weight is distributed to the front of the foot.

Because of the IsoTib’s weight distribution, you can do ankle exercises that you can’t do with MonkeyFeet.

But since more of your ankle is involved, there is a lot of instability when using the IsoTib, which is great for ankles but…

You won’t be able to use a lot of weight for leg curls, leg extensions, etc.

A big advantage MonkeyFeet has over the IsoTib, is that it can hold much more weight (up to 160 lbs).

This lets you get stronger progressively so that you can continue to make gains in the bigger muscle groups.

OmniStrap

The OmniStrap is a new ankle strap that is very versatile.

Although it’s new to the market, I believe this product will give MonkeyFeet competition.

It can be used with dumbbells, cable machines, and resistance bands.

So for lower body isolation exercises, it does it all.

You can learn more about the OmniStrap here.

Leg Extension / Leg Curl Machine

For most home gym owners, I think MonkeyFeet would be a better option than a dedicated leg curl / leg extension machine.

A dedicated leg curl and extension machine like Valor Fitness‘ will run you $446 (this is on the low end by the way).

And you’ll be able to do just two exercises while taking up a lot of space from your home gym.

Compare that to Monkey Feet’s $79 price tag, minimal size, and versatility.

You’re easily getting more bang for your buck with Monkey Feet boots.

Ankle Weights

Ankle weights have been around forever.

I haven’t used one in a while but from what I can remember they’re not very heavy.

And yes, some ankle weights use sandbags to make them adjustable, but the heaviest I’ve seen them go is 10 lbs.

One obvious advantage of MonkeyFeet is that they have a high weight capacity compared to ankle weights.

What I Like

• Versatility: I can do many exercises with one piece of equipment (you can only do two with a leg extension / leg curl machine)

• Space saving: About the size of an iron 10 lbs weight plate vs a leg extension / leg curl machine

• Weight capacity: 160 lbs capacity per leg is WAY more than most people need

• Fit: The ratchet buckle makes the boot feel snug around my foot. No slack is felt at all.

• Comfortable: Foam inside the boot is thick enough that it doesn’t hurt my foot.

• Build: Hard plastic feels tough and I can see it lasting for a long time

• Compatibility: Works with most dumbbells I tried.

• Affordable: Leg extension / curl machines cost around $400 on the low end

What I Don’t Like

I don’t like that I have to work out one leg at a time.

Once you get the mechanism down of attaching the boot to a dumbbell, set up doesn’t really take too long.

But having to go one leg at a time makes the workouts longer.

The only way around that is to buy the pair of boots.

Monkey Feet Discount Code

Each Monkey Feet boot retails for $79.95 or you can get their Double Up Bundle (2 boots) for $149.95

Buying the bundle makes each boot $74.98 so you save a little per boot if you want both.

Click the red button below to reveal the latest discounted price.

MonkeyFeet Review

So the big question is, are MonkeyFeet worth it?

I feel they’re really good for leg and glute isolation exercises.

They’re well built and don’t take up a lot of space like a leg curl/leg extension machine does.

Plus you can do more exercises than just leg curls and extensions.

And with a weight capacity of 160 lbs, there’s plenty of room to keep getting stronger.