At RCTF, our stance on shoes is a two-sided coin:
- You can wear whatever the hell shoes you want in here as long as they’re clean.
- No, all shoes are not created equal. Some are great for training, and some absolutely suck.
Shoe reviews are fucked. Corporate interests are now infused into every publication. Objectivity is gone. Ever notice than when you read a shoe list review, every shoe is good for some type of purpose, but there are never shoes being reviewed as just an overall bad shoe?
This switch happened decades ago, and the result is that you’re confused as hell about what you should be looking for in a gym/training shoe. Let us help you out.
Now let’s be clear about what we’re shopping for right now: a dedicated gym/training shoe.
This isn’t your running shoe, or your casual shoe. If you’re shopping for a pair of shoes with our advice below, you’re shopping for a pair of gym/training shoes. Shoes that will not be used for any other purpose. If you use these shoes exclusively for the gym, they will last you 3+ years, even with heavy, regular use.
This is why we recommend a dedicated pair of shoes that will primarily exist on rubber or turf flooring.
Keeping your shoes away from rough concrete and other environmental factors does wonders for extending its life.
Now that we’re clear about what we’re using this shoe for, we can get a little more specific about what we want in the design:
- Lightweight, Breathable Material
- Part of our training should include explosive, athletic movements. We shouldn’t be wearing damn clodhoppers if that’s our goal.
- These shoes shouldn’t slow us down in any way.
- Shoes should also be breathable because you don’t want to be wearing tiny ovens on your feet while exercising.
- Minimal to no Cushion
- A big cushioned shoe is nice for some runners. It’s also ideal for most situations where you’re going to be on your feet. But that’s not what you’re buying these shoes for.
- When you’re training, you need your shoes to keep you connected to the ground. Standing on marshmallows doesn’t allow for that.
- All of us coaches have different footwear for coaching vs. training. Why? Because we want a little extra cushion while we’re standing and coaching! But we make the swap when it’s time to train.
- Minimal to no Heel-to-Toe Drop
- This kind of goes along with the last one, but I don’t want my heel higher than the ball of my foot. It’s going to be difficult to really plant my feet when I need to, and it will also be difficult to balance on a single leg.
- A lot of shoes have this design. A stiletto heel would be an extreme example.
- Overall, even outside of training shoes, you want a shoe with a neutral heel-to-toe drop.
- Great Traction
- Whether it’s driving a sled, sprinting, or moving athletically, you want to have really good “tread on the tires”.
- The biggest offender was the old-school Nike free’s. These shoes were lightweight and minimalist, but were essentially smooth foam on the bottom. They had minimal traction and as a result, would get SHREDDED if the wearer was training hard. No athlete has ever won a sprint in our gym wearing Nike Free’s. That’s not a coincidence.
- Proper Fit
- I’m astounded at how many people suffer with training shoes that don’t properly fit them. That’s usually due to incorrect width.
- For example; Nike’s are known for being narrow and if you have narrow feet, great! But if that’s not you, you need to look at another brand than Nike – even if you love Nike’s.
- New Balance offers many of their nicer training shoes (meaning, more than just the orthopedic looking ones!) in regular and wide. Their wide fits me great, and I’ve been rocking NB’s for years now. It’s tough to find a shoe that really fits you well, which is why I’ve stayed with NB. But again, that’s because I have wide feet. NB might not fit your foot well and if so, they’re not the brand for you!
- Several brands are showing love to our feet and offering more width options, so shop around.
- Durable Upper
- The upper, or fabric part of the shoe that goes over your foot, needs to be durable and have minimal give.
- If this fabric is really stretchy, it may be comfy, but it’s going to sacrifice stability. Your foot will essentially “squirt” out to the side if you apply lateral force.
- Stretchy is comfy. But stretchy is not the move if we plan to train with some damn effort.
“Cool, Ross. I didn’t read any of that shit. Can you just tell me what shoes you recommend?”
Right on. I gotchu.
Our Favorite Shoes:
- New Balance – Minimus TR
- NoBull – Outwork
- Nike – Metcon
- Reebok – Nano
- TYR – CXT
- Vivo Barefoot – Primus/Motus
- Merrell – Vapor Glove
- Xero – Speed Force/Forza
- Wrestling/Boxing Shoes
- While a unique choice, these actually check all the boxes of a really good training shoe!
There are many other great options, but this is a good start!
Yes your shoes should be sexy. Just make sure they actually function as well!
