The Greatest CrossFit Sneakers of 2024

CrossFit athletes know no two days are alike. The game asks numerous you — and your footwear. With actions starting from heavy deadlifts and Olympic weightlifting to gymnastics and distance operating, it’s no shock that discovering the very best CrossFit footwear generally is a problem.

We researched and examined the preferred CrossFit & cross-training footwear available on the market — footwear you’ll be able to run, soar, raise, row, trip, climb, carry, and rage in. Our lead tester, Paul Mandell, is an skilled CrossFit coach who places every shoe by means of its paces as he demonstrates workout routines and strategies to lessons and purchasers every day. Our Affiliate Managing Editor, Billy Brown, is a CFL2 CrossFit coach and aggressive powerlifter who has burned by means of lots of of footwear over the course of his profession.

They consider every mannequin to spotlight its particular strengths and shortcomings and make suggestions based mostly on the versatile wants of oldsters who’re solely doing CrossFit, in addition to those that are training stricter lifts and conditioning. After a lot sweat, some blood, and perhaps just a few tears, we’re proud to current our record of the very best CrossFit footwear for 2024.

Take a look at our complete Purchaser’s Information and Worth & Worth sections for useful ideas, and take a look at our Comparability Chart to steer your decision-making.

Editor’s Word: For our November 21, 2024 replace, we added a number of notable new footwear, together with our new greatest premium shoe, the carbon-boosted TYR CXT-2 Elite Carbon.

The Greatest Crossfit Sneakers of 2024

Crossfit Shoe Comparability Chart

How We Examined the Greatest CrossFit Sneakers

Our Professional Testers

Authors Billy Brown and Paul Mandell sought out the highest footwear for CrossFit endeavors and put every pair of footwear by means of rigorous testing. Sneakers are evaluated over the course of a number of months by way of rope climbing, field leaping, pushing sleds, and quite a lot of lifts.

Paul Mandell is a Licensed Energy and Conditioning Specialist and coach based mostly in Bishop, California. At the moment, he coaches Gen Pop and CrossFit lessons out of Bishop CrossFit. Paul has a grasp’s in Train Science and has taught CrossFit and energy and conditioning lessons to newcomers and seasoned athletes for over 5 years. By way of teaching and his personal coaching, Paul is ready to put every shoe by means of the wringer. Paul additionally brings his experience to our treadmills information.

GearJunkie Affiliate Managing Editor Billy Brown is an CFL2 CrossFit coach, a aggressive athlete, a record-holding powerlifter, a USPA-certified powerlifting coach, and a former ultrarunner. His competitors coaching usually consists of 5 to 6 days of energy coaching and conditioning throughout the powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, and cardiovascular modalities, which provides him loads of alternatives to check the latest and greatest CrossFit footwear frequently.

Our Testing Course of

Testing the footwear on this record entailed taking every shoe by means of weeks of CrossFit exercises, ensuring to do the entire main lifts, operating by means of a collection of gymnastics actions, and operating wherever from 200 meters to a few miles in every shoe. All through the testing durations, we thought of the footwear’ match, really feel, sturdiness, and basic eagerness to lace them up for one more exercise. We additionally had different athletes at our gyms check out the footwear so we may get a wider vary of opinions on every one’s efficiency.

Since CrossFit footwear are designed, for probably the most half, to carry out in quite a lot of conditions, we took footwear by means of coaching, competitors, and every day put on (when relevant — we didn’t put on the lifting footwear round city). Paul and Billy take CrossFit severely and know that unhealthy footwear can spoil a exercise, so we rigorously examined each shoe on this record for consolation, assist, and sturdiness. And, since we all know that each athlete is totally different and will have totally different wants, we tried to discover a shoe to go well with numerous wants and tastes.

Every season, we replace this information with new fashions as they grow to be obtainable to make sure our readers have the very best, newest info.

Purchaser’s Information: How you can Select a CrossFit Shoe

Cushioning & Heel Drop

Cushioning and heel drop are two of a very powerful components in selecting a shoe for CrossFit. It’s additionally the very first thing you discover whenever you put a pair on.

So far as cushioning goes, there’s a fragile steadiness to take care of. Too little cushioning may be wildly painful throughout high-impact actions. Until you’re used to barefoot footwear just like the Vivobarefoot Motus Energy, these actions can provide your ft a beating on lengthy runs.

An excessive amount of cushioning, nonetheless, can result in a lack of energy and responsiveness, particularly throughout weightlifting. Most CrossFit footwear strike a steadiness between cushion and assist, with most leaning in the direction of the assist facet.

Heel drop refers to how excessive the heel is off the bottom versus how excessive the toe is. For CrossFit, 4 to 7 millimeters appears to be the candy spot. It strikes the right steadiness between cushioning on runs and steadiness on lifts.

Inflexible Sole

A inflexible sole, significantly within the heel, is right for Olympic lifting. A tender sole’s cushioning will take in the ability that an athlete produces of their leg drive throughout explosive actions.

Reebok’s Legacy LIfter III or Adidas AdiPower have exhausting plastic or non-compressive TPU sole materials for explosive lifts. This is among the largest variations between CrossFit Sneakers and trainers.

Many CrossFit footwear, just like the Nike Metcon 9, try (with various levels of success) to mix a inflexible sole for weightlifting with sufficient cushioning for body weight actions and operating. Should you’re in search of an all-around CrossFit shoe with a stiffer sole that’s supreme for weightlifting, the Metcon 9 or Reebok Nano X4 could be stable choices.

Huge Toebox

Huge toeboxes are a matter of choice. Athletes with wider ft will respect the best way {that a} wider toebox permits the toes to splay out. Sneakers just like the TYR CXT-1 Coach and Born Primitive Savage 1 have wider toeboxes for individuals who favor a roomier forefoot.

Nonetheless, athletes with slim ft can really feel like their ft aren’t getting any sidewall assist in wider footwear. Should you’ve obtained a narrower foot, take into account one thing just like the NOBULL Outwork or Reebok Nano X4. Once you purchase on-line, be certain that the corporate has a superb return coverage. After they arrive, strive them on instantly to verify they’re a superb match.

Lateral Help

Lateral assist is very essential for athletes with earlier ankle accidents or who are inclined to roll their ankles. Sneakers make the most of totally different designs to fight this.

Nike’s Metcon line and Reebok’s Nano line sport barely wider outsoles for a wider base. And NOBULL’s mid-top shoe gives extra assist for the ankle. For Olympic lifts and heavy squats, the place lateral stability may be the distinction between a private file and dropping the burden in disgrace, the Reebok Legacy Lifter III’s aggressively inflexible TPU sidewall and heelsupport is vital.

Sturdiness

CrossFit is as exhausting on the footwear as it’s on the athlete (perhaps extra so). We’ve seen each failure {that a} shoe can expertise, from delaminating supplies to a sole actually breaking in half.

Probably the most frequent failures in a CrossFit shoe is a sidewall blowout. From lateral stress on the sidewalls to abrasion from rope climbs, footwear’ sidewalls take numerous abuse. Many shoemakers add TPU reinforcement on the sidewalls to protect the foot from the sort of put on. We’re painfully conscious of the frustration of blowing out a sidewall or sporting a groove in an outsole throughout rope climbs, so any shoe that confirmed extreme put on didn’t make it into this record.

Worth & Worth

There’s no method round it — CrossFit footwear are expensive, and so they’re getting pricier. Should you’re in search of a brand new pair of kicks on your field, you’ll be able to anticipate to spend someplace round $150, with just a few exceptions for specialty footwear and discounted footwear from earlier seasons. Right here’s what you get (and don’t get) with the varied worth ranges.

Price range

Should you’re trying to spend as little as potential on a pair of CrossFit footwear, you’ll be able to usually discover final yr’s fashions on-line for wherever from $60-$100. The one new pair on this worth vary that we favored was the Reebok Nano Gymnasium ($100), which affords loads of cushioning and simply sufficient stiffness to carry out throughout lifts. Sneakers on this worth vary can do the job, however you’ll usually discover options like rope guards and sidewall assist lacking right here.

However in case you’re new to CrossFit, trying to find a discount shoe generally is a good technique to get began and uncover what options you want (and don’t want) in your endeavors.

Mid-Tier

Most CrossFit footwear you’ll discover are within the $140-$160 vary. This class consists of mainstays just like the Metcon and Nano strains, in addition to the superb TYR CXT-2 ($150) and Born Primitive Savage 1 ($140) trainers. For the added $50, you’ll discover options like rope guards and grips, sidewall safety and assist, TPU heel slides for handstand pushups, and lace locks to maintain your footwear tied throughout double-unders. Plus, we’ve discovered that these footwear usually last more than the footwear within the discount vary.

Premium

Tremendous expensive competitors footwear just like the TYR CXT-2 Elite Carbon ($225) are new to the sector, however its high-end parts and glorious efficiency are perfect for opponents who’re in search of an edge. Should you’re in search of a specialty shoe, like a barefoot exercise shoe just like the Vivobarefoot Motus Energy ($200) or a lifting shoe just like the Reebok Legacy Lifter III ($220), be ready to spend $200 or extra. These footwear supply particular options that you simply received’t discover on the whole CrossFit footwear, like zero heel-toe drop or a particularly inflexible heel for efficient energy switch throughout lifts. For basic CrossFit exercises, these footwear aren’t completely crucial, however in case you’re trying to specialize or optimize your coaching for competitors, they might be well worth the funding.

Incessantly Requested Questions

The perfect CrossFit footwear for each women and men will fluctuate by particular person. The perfect cross coach will probably be as versatile as the game of CrossFit itself. The perfect footwear within the sport will let you run, climb, soar, raise, and squat with relative ease.

Properly, you can. The perfect CrossFit footwear are made to accommodate quite a lot of sports activities, together with operating brief distances. Nonetheless, since CrossFit footwear are inclined to have a firmer heel than most footwear to offer assist throughout lifts, they’re removed from the very best trainers you’ll find. Usually, athletes will put on devoted trainers for run-heavy exercises.

CrossFit footwear ought to match identical to a daily shoe; comfortable sufficient to offer assist with out compressing the foot.

You completely can. Many athletes use a few of the better-looking CrossFit footwear as their on a regular basis walking-around footwear. We all know athletes who would purchase a number of pairs: one for the gymnasium, and one other pair for on a regular basis use.

Nike and Reebok had been early adopters of CrossFit with Nike’s Metcon Line and Reebok’s Nanos. Initially, Reebok skewed nearer to the lifting facet with its tougher midsole. This labored nicely for lifting weights however was much less snug throughout gymnastics and run-heavy WODs. Nike made an enormous splash by erring on the run facet being a operating shoe with a softer midsole materials.

CrossFitters cherished this, in addition to the huge toebox. Through the years, Nike and Reebok refined each of their strains, putting a greater steadiness between operating and lifting.

As CrossFit grew, Nanos and Metcons turned extra seen within the public eye because the CrossFit video games turned televised. Now the 2 manufacturers are synonymous with the game, with different manufacturers carving their names out within the area.

Sure. Not solely will they assist stop blisters, in addition they preserve your footwear from smelling such as you stuffed them with roadkill between exercises. We advocate taller socks, as this additionally protects your shins throughout bar strikes like deadlifts and snatches. It’s additionally a pleasant additional layer throughout rope climbs.

Usually, we’d recommend that you simply exchange your footwear after they put on out or blow out. Nonetheless, you need to anticipate to get a minimum of just a few years out of every pair earlier than they grow to be unusable. And with new kinds and designs popping out yearly, you’ll be shopping for footwear earlier than they do.