The Best CrossFit Shoes of 2025

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

We researched and examined the most well-liked CrossFit & cross-training footwear in the marketplace — footwear you possibly can run, soar, elevate, row, experience, 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 workouts and strategies to lessons and shoppers each day. Our Affiliate Managing Editor, Billy Brown, is a CFL2 CrossFit coach and aggressive powerlifter who has burned by means of tons 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 parents who’re completely doing CrossFit, in addition to those that are practising stricter lifts and conditioning. After a lot sweat, some blood, and perhaps a number of tears, we’re proud to current our checklist of the very best CrossFit footwear for 2025.

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

Editor’s Word: For our February 13, 2025 replace, we added one in all our favourite new CrossFit footwear, the superb all-arounder Reebok Nano X5.

The Greatest Crossfit Sneakers of 2025

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 a wide range of lifts.

Paul Mandell is a Licensed Power and Conditioning Specialist and coach based mostly in Bishop, California. Presently, he coaches Gen Pop and CrossFit lessons out of Bishop CrossFit. Paul has a grasp’s in Train Science and has taught CrossFit and power and conditioning lessons to learners 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 typically consists of 5 to 6 days of power coaching and conditioning throughout the powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, and cardiovascular modalities, which provides him loads of alternatives to check the most recent and greatest CrossFit footwear regularly.

Our Testing Course of

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

Since CrossFit footwear are designed, for essentially the most half, to carry out in a wide range of conditions, we took footwear by means of coaching, competitors, and each day put on (when relevant — we didn’t put on the lifting footwear round city). Paul and Billy take CrossFit critically and know that unhealthy footwear can smash a exercise, so we rigorously examined each shoe on this checklist for consolation, assist, and sturdiness. And, since we all know that each athlete is completely different and will have completely 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 accessible to make sure our readers have the very best, latest info.

Purchaser’s Information: The way to Select a CrossFit Shoe

Cushioning & Heel Drop

Cushioning and heel drop are two of an important 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 stability to take care of. Too little cushioning could be wildly painful throughout high-impact actions. Except you’re used to barefoot footwear just like the Vivobarefoot Motus Power, these actions can provide your toes a beating on lengthy runs.

An excessive amount of cushioning, nevertheless, can result in a lack of energy and responsiveness, particularly throughout weightlifting. Most CrossFit footwear strike a stability between cushion and assist, with most leaning in 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 stability between cushioning on runs and stability on lifts.

Inflexible Sole

A inflexible sole, significantly within the heel, is good for Olympic lifting. A smooth 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 likely one of 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 working. In case you’re on the lookout for an all-around CrossFit shoe with a stiffer sole that’s very best for weightlifting, the Metcon 9 or Reebok Nano X4 could be stable choices.

Vast Toebox

Vast toeboxes are a matter of choice. Athletes with wider toes will recognize the way in which {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 want a roomier forefoot.

Nevertheless, athletes with slim toes can really feel like their toes aren’t getting any sidewall assist in wider footwear. In case you’ve received a narrower foot, take into account one thing just like the NOBULL Outwork or Reebok Nano X4. Once you purchase on-line, make sure that the corporate has return coverage. After they arrive, attempt them on instantly to verify they’re match.

Lateral Assist

Lateral assist is particularly essential for athletes with earlier ankle accidents or who are inclined to roll their ankles. Sneakers make the most of completely 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 could be the distinction between a private report and dropping the burden in disgrace, the Reebok Legacy Lifter III’s aggressively inflexible TPU sidewall and heelsupport is essential.

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.

One of the vital widespread failures in a CrossFit shoe is a sidewall blowout. From lateral strain on the sidewalls to abrasion from rope climbs, footwear’ sidewalls take plenty of abuse. Many shoemakers add TPU reinforcement on the sidewalls to defend the foot from this kind of put on. We’re painfully conscious of the frustration of blowing out a sidewall or carrying a groove in an outsole throughout rope climbs, so any shoe that confirmed extreme put on didn’t make it into this checklist.

Value & Worth

There’s no manner round it — CrossFit footwear are expensive, they usually’re getting pricier. In case you’re on the lookout for a brand new pair of kicks to your field, you possibly can count on to spend someplace round $150, with a number of 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

In case you’re trying to spend as little as doable on a pair of CrossFit footwear, you possibly can usually discover final 12 months’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 presents 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 for those who’re new to CrossFit, looking for a cut price shoe is usually a good approach 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 traces, 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 typically last more than the footwear within the cut price 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 on the lookout for an edge. In case you’re on the lookout for a specialty shoe, like a barefoot exercise shoe just like the Vivobarefoot Motus Power ($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 gained’t discover usually CrossFit footwear, like zero heel-toe drop or a particularly inflexible heel for efficient energy switch throughout lifts. For normal CrossFit exercises, these footwear aren’t fully vital, however for those who’re trying to specialize or optimize your coaching for competitors, they could be well worth the funding.

Continuously Requested Questions

The very best CrossFit footwear for each women and men will differ by particular person. The very best cross coach shall be as versatile as the game of CrossFit itself. The very best footwear within the sport will assist you to run, climb, soar, elevate, and squat with relative ease.

Nicely, you can. The very best CrossFit footwear are made to accommodate a wide range of sports activities, together with working quick distances. Nevertheless, since CrossFit footwear are inclined to have a firmer heel than most footwear to supply assist throughout lifts, they’re removed from the very best trainers yow will discover. Usually, athletes will put on devoted trainers for run-heavy exercises.

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

You completely can. Many athletes use among 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 effectively for lifting weights however was much less snug throughout gymnastics and run-heavy WODs. Nike made a giant splash by erring on the run facet being a working shoe with a softer midsole materials.

CrossFitters cherished this, in addition to the broad toebox. Over time, Nike and Reebok refined each of their traces, hanging a greater stability between working 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 house.

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

Usually, we’d recommend that you simply change your footwear once they put on out or blow out. Nevertheless, it is best to count on to get no less than a number of years out of every pair earlier than they grow to be unusable. And with new types and designs popping out yearly, you’ll be shopping for footwear earlier than they do.