{"id":2322,"date":"2022-10-31T19:50:07","date_gmt":"2022-10-31T19:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestgymhacks.com\/?p=2322"},"modified":"2022-10-31T19:50:13","modified_gmt":"2022-10-31T19:50:13","slug":"do-i-need-crossfit-shoes-an-experts-answer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestgymhacks.com\/do-i-need-crossfit-shoes-an-experts-answer\/","title":{"rendered":"Do I Need CrossFit Shoes? An Experts Answer."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CrossFit shoes are big business. Some CrossFitters get carried away and have far too many pairs. But do you actually need<\/em> CrossFit shoes? Let’s find out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do CrossFit at any level it is preferable to wear shoes that are specifically designed for the activity. The big shoe companies have invested vast sums in perfecting the shoe for the task – specifically for CrossFitters – which is optimal for the wearer’s performance and comfort. Therefore, it’s advised you should wear shoes designed for CrossFit when doing CrossFit. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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NoBulls Midnight Palm – my current shoe choice<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Why they’re different to other shoes <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To put it a different way, you wear running shoes when running. You wear football boots on the footy field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why? Because the shoe dogs<\/em> that designed them did so with the consumer in mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, CrossFit enables you to extract the most from yourself (and the shoe). So logic follows that wearing them is only beneficial to the user.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meteoric growth <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

CrossFit shoes have evolved rapidly since 2011. Around this time and before, the choice of propriety CrossFit shoes was literally unheard of. The sport was still embryonic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brands were still finding their feet;<\/em> making their way in, in fact. Nike was later on to the party. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As was NoBull, founded on the heels<\/em> of CrossFit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(I know – the puns are running away<\/em> with themselves….)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early shoes <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I remember in 2010 going to a running shop nearby and spending \u00a380 on inov8 F-Lite Trail Runners, as that was the done thing for CrossFitters to buy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

F-Lites and Classics were go-to due to their hard, flat sole and solid build. They were also light in weight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was suitable for the Oly lifting, Box Jumps and Pull Ups that were being made manifest in the emerging scene. They were not specialist CrossFit shoes, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from them and Reebok Classics, there was no real ‘proper’ CrossFit shoe. All were primitive; new and emerging back then. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward 12 years and the market is awash with colour ways and brands. The good news is that the shoe dogs have had over a decade to perfect the designs and performance of these shoes. So there’s plenty out there now, with some epic designs.<\/p>\n\n\n

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A member 12 years ago in old skool Inov8’s. And before rubber flooring<\/em>!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

What brand should I go for?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Reebok was the original partner to CrossFit. The near decade-long partnership ended in 2020 and it was taken over by NoBull. The Reebok CrossFit Games became the NoBull CrossFit Games. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reebok entering the market and releasing the Reebok “Nano” started turning heads. The brand of CrossFit gained quick traction, so at that point shoe giant Nike wanted a piece of the action dropping the “Nike MetCon”. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A little tittle-tattle battle then appeared to ensue as both Reebok and Nike released newer, fresher and updated versions of their shoes. Nano 1, 2, 3, 4….Nike MetCon 1, 2, 3, 4….you get the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other brands started turning an interest too. Here’s a table of the brands and their offering, from most commonly seen shoe in CrossFit gym, to least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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With all the digital noise and seductive brand marketing, it’s hard to know what you need, and what you don’t. Be sure to check out this article<\/a> for the top 20 tips for any level CrossFitter.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How much will they cost me?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here you can find an overview with average costings of the most popular and commonly used<\/em> CrossFit shoe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BRAND <\/strong> <\/td>RANGE<\/strong> <\/td>PRICE (AVERAGE ON GOOGLE)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Nike<\/a><\/td>Metcon<\/td>\u00a3101.47<\/td><\/tr>
Reebok<\/a><\/td>Nano<\/td>\u00a387.50<\/td><\/tr>
NoBull<\/a><\/td>Trainer+<\/td>\u00a3130.00<\/td><\/tr>
Inov8<\/a><\/td>F-Lite Alpha G<\/td>\u00a392.00<\/td><\/tr>
Under Armour<\/a><\/td>Tri-Base REIGN 4<\/td>\u00a389.50<\/td><\/tr>
Vivobarefoot<\/a><\/td>TRACKER DECON LOW FG2 MENS<\/td>\u00a3160.00<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As you can see, they are not cheap. Under Armour are on the more affordable end, particularly compared to the Vivobarefoot Tracker Decon. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those are more ‘niche’ and not seen as often in CrossFit gyms. Actually, they’re marketed as a hiking shoe, but have many similarities to a CrossFit shoe, hence their usage in CrossFit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Nike Metcons are the most common in CrossFit gyms. I’ve had 2 pairs of them, but have since converted to NoBulls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What others are saying <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

RunRepeat<\/a> has a scoring of 84 for the latest iteration of Nike Metcon 8 Mat Fraser edition<\/a>; whilst the NoBull Trainer<\/a> sees a cool 89. There’s something to be said for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RunRepeat are well known for their comprehensive testing, scoring and reviews. So take note of what they’re saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Converting to NoBulls from Metcons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After using Metcons for 4 years I found annoyances<\/strong> to be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n