Best Shoes For Functional Training – Crossfit, HIIT, GYM And More

In functional training, the connection to the surface is being empowered by the shoes we wear, and through them we get a stronger connection to the earth that provides us better performs and energy efficiency. That is why picking the Best shoes for functional training is at our best interest. Many people tend to choose shoes for their looks, however, there are more to shoes than meets the eye and we might as well learn how to pick them right. In this article, we will review the best shoes for functional training according to 5 key elements.

Training shoes and in particular functional training shoes must answer both the basic and extreme requirements for the best training experience. This is true for all types of workout but especially to training programs such as Crossfit, HIIT, Cross training, GYM programs etc. As those require shoes to withstand vast range of exercises, movements, workloads, different ground types, and all that throughout full feet support and low wear and tear. In other words, those shoes have to be comfortable, durable and mainly oriented towards best training compatibility, all in one.

Best shoes for functional training – our pick

Product	Key Features	Our Grade	Looks
Reebok Men’s CROSSFIT Nano 2.0 Cross Trainer	Light and very flexible Breathable mesh as a top cover 5 mm sole incline Flat sole Sole area for better rope grip	4.5/5
Inov-8 Mens F-Lite 235 V3 – Ultimate Super Natural Cross Training Shoes	5 mm sole incline Low weight including toe bumper Strong light and flexible materials Small arch support Enables flexible movements	5/5
Nike Metcon 4 Men’s Cross Training Shoes	Low sole with 9 mm Moderate arch support Durable outer materials Wide toe box Good support for jumping Flat sole	4/5
Inov-8 Women’s F-Lite 235 V3 – Ultimate Super Natural Cross Training Shoes	5 mm sole incline low weight including toe bumper Strong light and flexible materials Small arch support Enables flexible movements	5/5
NOBULL Women’s Training Shoes and Styles	Reflective logo for night time Carbon side guards Adaptable outsole Outsole rope grip area Upper super strong fabric	4/5
Reebok Women’s Speed Her Tr Cross Trainer	5 mm sole incline Low weight Strong light and flexible materials Small arch support Enables flexible movements For moderate weightlifting Shoe sole area for better rope grip	4/5

See the full review down under.

The 5 key elements for evaluating functional training shoes:

Shoes Compatibility and Functionality for each training program

Starting with this element to get a better understanding whether a shoe is even worth our attention to begin with or can skip to the next one, a.k.a if this shoe doesn’t fit my criteria then it is just not for me.

Think about your usual type of training. What does it involve? Running, jumping, body-weight movements perhaps? multiple direction changes? weight-lifting, strength work, etc.

In order to find the perfect training shoe more knowledge about one’s current preferred training method must be taken into consideration.

In functional training, a variety of exercises are performed and changed from one training session to another. For that reason, a wide range functions shoes are required as the body needs protection and comfort. It can, however, be specified for each one’s physical needs.

For example, being able to support the body for short runs and heavy lifting is a must for some, while getting a strong feeling of grip for fast sprints combined with pulling or pushing heavy objects will be an ideal need for others. No matter how you look at it the shoe must include a combination of features to support functional training, Crossfit or HIIT training.

So what should we look for to understand if a shoe supports this element?

Shoe soal – must be wide and flat, this will generate more friction with the ground for more efficient and full energy usage to support full body movement.

Shoe’s envelope grip – what features are designed for a good grip of the feet. The highest of the shoe must be right for support, the shoelaces need to be arranged so that it holds the feet steady, and some brands will even have more features for improved grip. All in all the grip needs to be firm and provide feet stability.

Shoe’s extra features – such as protected side rope climbing area, or firmer soal around the heel area improving squats balance.

Keep your type of training in mind when examining new shoes. Yes, loving your shoe is important but pick it with heart in mind(!).

Shoe durability for functional training

Life expectancy of our shoe should be examined.

Shoe toughness, structure and support applications. Functional training shoes as mentioned above go through lots of different workout types and sometimes even different environments – indoor or outdoor, beach or gym, with this in mind know that these shoes must be strong enough for any environment you might encounter and for a reasonable length.

For that reason, the shoe materials must be durable with reinforcement features. Check for flexibility of the sole, if you tend to run regularly alongside your functional training.  It must have the minimal flexibility but to enable running comfortably too.

While flexibility is high, more reinforcing features are needed as a very flexible shoe with little to none strengthening features won’t be in use for long, therefore, might not be financially wise for us We need an ideal balance between to two-flexibility and strength.

Check for joint stitches. Meaning, that all shoe joints are properly stitched and the fabric layers sit on top of each other and protect the important areas.

One more thing to pay attention to is the combination of materials on the outer layer of the shoe. This could be the most crucial element regarding shoe durability. Those materials are holding the shoe structure altogether and are exposed to environmental conditions and will affect the shoe wear and tear.

Picking a shoe with poor materials will result in poor durability performance. Most shoes will have outer reinforcements in various places, such as – sides of the shoe, laces holes, toes area, and heel protection, all those will improve the shoe’s ability to withstand all the challenging training you are about to throw at them.

The bottom line is that the shoe must be made from strong materials with the right intention of serving as a functional training shoe.

Functional training shoe flexibility will give a wider use

Training in Crossfit, HIIT, GYM, or any other functional fitness program requires the participants to perform many movements such as jumping and running, rope skipping, jumping jacks, burpees, sprints, or even a mile run, all while moving comfortably during training sessions.

As a result, the right shoe must be flexible enough to properly transmit the right sensation to its owner. If the shoe will be stiff and bulky the owner wouldn’t be able to run nor jump as comfortably and in many cases might even harm their body.

Making sure the shoe is properly adapted for functional training is by its flexibility rate. This is after making sure the materials are durable enough and well reinforced, as mentioned above.

Training Shoe Incline – high heel vs low heel

Most functional training shoes have a low heel with a low incline percentage. .This enables a stronger connection with the surface while keeping the sole wobble as low as possible.

For years sports and training shoes were used with a high heel such as – 15 mm with a high incline rate that went all the way down to 4 mm on the toes. Those shoes are good for running as they keep the body in a small forward tilt angle, which helps during runs. Moreover, the high heel absorbs the high energy impacts with the ground while running and protects the skeletal system from occasional shocks

What a high heel brings for runners is not really needed in functional training. In those workouts less is more meaning, staying as close to the ground will award the user with better stability as there is less foamy material between him or her and the surface.

In addition, a low heel around 9 mm, with a low incline rate will keep the toes at 4 mm and will create a less harsh forward tilt. This provides the user with a much stronger sense of balance and a more realistic body awareness with keeping a minimal shock absorption.

This element might be the most crucial of elements for functional training shoes, especially for those that wish to get into strength work and weight-lifting.

Training Shoe Breathability

The last element to consider is how stink a shoe can get. A fully closed or waterproof shoe can get horrifically smelly and thereof less ideal for training. This is however not a proper training concern, in my opinion, but rather a preference while loving your shoe will make you wanna train more frequently. So it is a dilemma right there, in case you’re having a favorite nonbreathable shoe in hand.

Low maintenance shoe is a must, and the odour is on top of our list when it comes to their upkeep and maintenance. So in order to keep shoe fun to wear it preferably be breathable, it must include features that allow air to flow as freely as possible and keep the bad odours outside the shoe.

In addition to all the bad smell issue, air flow to the feet during training will benefit the wearer with less moist and greater comfort experience. Dry feet are important as it will keep your feet healthier and will decrease the number of unwanted movements inside the shoe. It will also most likely to prevent future feet problems such as fungus and other nonbreathing skin problems. So yes, get a breathable shoe please.

Best men’s shoes for functional training

Those are the top shoes we found fitting all the criteria and give the best bang for your buck.

Reebok Men’s CROSSFIT Nano 2.0 Cross Trainer

This shoe by many Crossfitters has left all its competitors biting the dust. It is an all-time favorite and has made a marvelous comeback to production.  some would claim it is a mythical shoe with zero competition.

A great shoe, very durable strong materials with high breathability rate. Moreover, this shoe has a thin sole (but not too thin)  which is great for cross training and at times combined with short runs as well.

Key features:

• Light and very flexible materials with high durability
• Breathable mesh as a top cover alongside strong materials for greater protection of the feet
• Very loved durable shoe (7 years and counting) that are just perfect for functional training
• 5mm sole drop for best body positioning
• Flat sole for better control during weightlifting and strength training
• Shoe sole area designed for better rope grip

Inov-8 Mens F-Lite 235 V3 – Ultimate Super Natural Cross Training Shoes

After much consideration, this is what we think works best for all around functional athletes out of a large Inov-8 shoe line, this shoe passed our tests with flying colors. We love it and enjoy training with it.

The Inov-8 Mens F-Lite 235 V3, feels light on the feet, while enables the user to fully enjoy training session without feeling uncomfortable. It supports the feet with every sharp movement thanks to its ultra-strong protective overlays and feels super breathable.

It has many great features:

• A minimal drop of 5 mm, perfect posture for lifting and strength workouts
• New design with low weight including toe bumper for maximum protection
• Strong light and flexible materials for improved durability
• Small arch support, as it just keeps the feet healthy and in a steady posture
• Enables flexible movements of the feet during workouts

This shoe seems to fit a broad range of needs, and so we highly recommend it.

Nike Metcon 4 Men’s Cross Training Shoes

Yes, Nike Metkon is considered a premium show and poses prestige, but regardless it’s very successful marketing it is indeed a very good show overall.

With moderate arch support, wide toe box and very high durability it fitts functional training with all its extensive? requirements.

This shoe can support the user while weight-lifting and provides a solid and stable foundation for weighted strength work.

In addition, running for up to 2 miles with the Metkon is ok but we wouldn’t recommend them for long running sessions or for longer distance runners.

Features :

• Low sole with 9 mm heel height for right body positioning
• Moderate arch support
• Durable outer materials
• Wide toe box with durable outer protection for wear and tear
• Very good support for jumping and ground related movements
• Flat sole for better control during weightlifting and strength training

Best women’s shoes for functional training

Inov-8 Women’s F-Lite 235 V3 – Ultimate Super Natural Cross Training Shoes

After much consideration here as well, this is what we think works best for all around functional athletes out of a large Inov-8 shoe line. this shoe passed our tests with flying colors, we loved it and enjoyed training with it, for men and female.

The Inov-8 womens F-Lite 235 V3, feels lite on the feet, while enables the user to fully enjoy training session without ever feeling uncomfortable. It supports the feet with every sharp movement thanks to its ultra-strong protective overlays and feels super breathable.

It has many great features:

• A minimal drop of 5 mm, perfect posture for lifting and strength workouts
• New design with low weight including toe bumper for maximum protection
• Strong light and flexible materials for improved durability
• Small arch support, as it just keeps the feet healthy and in a strong posture
• Enables flexible movements of the feet during workouts

This shoe seems to fit a broad range of needs, and so we highly recommend it.

NOBULL Women’s Training Shoes and Styles

A highly focused shoe design with functional training, Crossfit, and HIIT in mind. This shoe upper part is made of 1 piece, featuring strength and flexibility.

In addition, the NOBULL Women’s Training Shoes and Styles can be used in any workout environment – indoor, outdoor, beach and mountains thanks to unique outsole design.

As we tried those shoes we learned that they are less breathable than other shoes but not in a significant manner. Moreover, when it comes to their flexibility and comfortability during hard training they perform very well with a very firm connection to the surface.

Key features:

• Reflective logo for night time outdoor training
• Carbon side guards for higher durability
• An adaptable outsole that can rapidly change surfaces.
• Outsole rope grip area
• Upper super strong fabric

Reebok Women’s Speed Her Tr Cross Trainer

A very well all rounded functional training shoe, with many small features that gives it a minor advantage on its competitors.

This shoe will fit your needs for Crossfit, HIIT, gym, or any type of training. This shoe is very versatile and can even be used in short to moderate runs (up to 8 miles)and the shoes will shine.

Just remember that running is best done with proper running shoes that are much different in their shape and features than others to be best for that purpose.

Key features:

• A minimal drop of 5 mm, perfect posture for lifting and strength workouts
• New design with low weight for lower feet fatigue
• Strong light and flexible materials for higher running compatibility
• Small arch support, as it just keeps the feet healthy and in a strong posture
• Enables flexible movements of the feet during workouts
• Great for moderate weightlifting, supports the body for kettlebell and other free weights exercises
• Shoe sole area designed for better rope grip