CrossFit Shoe Review

I was one of those CrossFitters 4 years ago that said I would never have all that “stuff” for CrossFit. I slowly broke down and bought a pair of shoes… then wrist wraps… then Olympic lifting shoes… and then you know the rest of the story. I am going to leave my shoe review for all the shoes I have ever worn for CrossFit… the good and the bad!

Nike Free- These are the most comfortable pair of shoes that I had owned… great for running shorter distances, light weight, but terrible for CrossFit. The soles were too soft, the ropes ate them up. They squished under my feet during squats or anything with a weight on my body… not a great CrossFit shoe.

Brooks Running Shoe- Better for climbing ropes, but see above under Nike Free for all the other things…

Nano 2- This was my first pair of CrossFit shoes. They were wide enough for my feet but felt really flat and hard at first. I had come from wearing running shoes so they didn’t feel the most comfortable right away. I could actually climb a rope with them because they have these little grippers in the right places. Once I could climb ropes better the rubber wore away and I would actually get blisters on the outside of the braking foot of the rope. I felt much more grounded in the shoe on my lifts and was getting used to sitting back in my heels while using them.

Nano 3- I did not like this show as well as the toe box felt too big… it bunched when I tied it. It was more squishy than the Nano 2 which was great for initial comfort but not for longevity of the shoe. I felt it broke down sooner than the 2. Still felt good to lift in and climb ropes in and overall a decent CrossFit shoe.

Reebok lifter 1- This was my first lifting shoe so I had nothing to compare it to. Initially it felt like I was walking around in high heels and my foot was always clacking the ground. I was able to get deeper into my squat but my weight was thrown a bit forward. I felt more solid in my bottom position of my olympic lifts because the shoes are hard and there was not really any give. They were flexible enough that if I had to do other things in them (except for run) I was good to go. I actually liked doing double unders in them!

Nano 4- I had many pairs of these and I really like this shoe for bumming around in as well as doing CrossFit in. The basket weaving over the toe cap made for a more durable shoe. The sole was maybe a little bit more cushioned than the 2. They held up well climbing ropes and I liked doing the running WODs in this shoe. The shoe was solid enough to do olympic lifts in but soft enough to rebound box jumps. I felt like I could beat on these shoes and they held up for me.

Metcon 1- I did it… I ventured over to Nike. I had to see what they were all about. The original comfort was great. I do feel like the shoe stretched out a bit. When using a split jerk my foot would slide to the top of the shoe and jam my toes in my front foot. They have a gripper to climb ropes, but I still think Reebok has a better gripping apparatus in their shoe. Becuase they felt big on my I did not continue to use them for too many WODs or competing and stuck to my Nano 4’s and 5’s. I am not sure about the durability becuase I did not wear them enough to get an adequate consensus.

Nano 5- At first, these shoes were really much harder soled than the 4’s. I initially hated them but once I broke them in I loved everything, well almost everything about this shoe. The bottom of the sole was so hard that climbing ropes was far better and didn’t blister my foot and the shoe didn’t collapse. Double under were no problem. Running took a bit more time to get used to. I had to make sure I was using proper running technique utilizing a forefoot strike for these shoes to feel good. They would not feel good for a heel striker. They were solid for barbell cycling and squatting when I need to squat in them. They have a smaller drop than the Metcon’s so I guess I would rather overhead squat in the metcon. These have likely been my most used CrossFit shoe to date. I beat on these things on a daily basis, I trekked across Thailand with them and they are still going strong. Great quality for the price.

Metcon 2- So I will have to tell you this, I simply bought this shoe for one reason and one reason alone… they have a hard plastic pice on the heel of the shoe that allows your foot to slide up the wall better for strict handstand push-ups. I justified the price and thought if I could get 7 more strict handstand push ups at regionals it was worth it… $20 per handstand push up? I did get 7+ more. Becuase the plastic strip minimized friction I was able to last longer during that awful “Strict Nate” workout. I have grown to like them for other things too. Overhead squats at a heavy weight are preferred in them while during a workout. I did buy them a 1/2 size smaller than I usually buy shoes so my feet didn’t slide around in them this time.

Nike Romaleo- I gave in to the Romaleo's while working the medical staff at a USA Junior National event. They are bright orange, flashy, and of course I thought they had PR written all over them. The are solid. Solid meaning that they are rock hard. They are more of a strict weightlifting shoe rather than a CrossFit weight lifting shoe. You actually feel like you have boards on your feet. Some might ask why on earth you would ever want to wear something like this… well, you have immediate feedback in your lift off becuase there is no give. The drop is greater than the Reebok lifters. For a 1RM lift, they are great, but for barbell cycling in a WOD when you have to do other things I would prefer my reebok lifters. One other note, I stood through an Olympic Weight lifting seminar for 12 hours one day and my feet cramped up so bad in these things that I could barely walk the next day. Break these puppies in =)

No Bull- Welcome the newest CrossFit touted shoe. No Bull burst onto the scene and signed some pretty big athletes to rep their brand. I actually won mine from a competition. They are sleek and not so flashy like the Nikes or Reebok. Initially they were super comfortable. I wore them for about 3 weeks straight for everything and I wasn’t even training at my normal frequency or duration. Initially they felt good during Olympic lifting and squatting but over time I feel like they broke down more than they should have. They don’t have a specific gripper for climbing ropes and the softer sole makes it difficult for that. They are more comfortable to run in than the nano 5, however. Overall I wasn’t that impressed with their first version and I would recommend waiting for their second and hopefully more durable option to come out. If you are looking for a pair of shoes to kick it in… these are spot on!

These are just my personal opinions in the shoes that I have worn and worn out throughout the past 4 years. In the end, you have to go with what is comfortable with your foot.