Stuff We Like – Footwear 4 Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Stuff We LikeFootwear Stuff We Like – Footwear 4 New Shoes for Brutal Workouts by T Nation July 22, 2020June 6, 2021 Tags Footwear As an Amazon Associate, T Nation earns from qualifying purchases. When you buy something, using the retail links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. T Nation does not accept money for editorial reviews. Read more about our policy. Reebok HIIT TR From Amazon Lightweight EVA foam cushioning, mesh upper, flexible outsole Back in the 1980s, Reebok briefly overtook Nike as the top athletic shoe brand. They did it by creating a shoe made specifically for a new exercise craze: step aerobics. (They made the plastic step too. Smart.) Nike countered by creating a brand new category of footwear: the cross trainer. That marketing game is still being played today. What's popular? HIIT or high intensity interval training. So why not make a shoe just for it? That's exactly what Reebok did with the HIIT TR. It's a grippy, versatile shoe designed to support whatever style of jumping around you like to do to make your heart beat fast. – Chris Shugart BUY NOW Nike Air Zoom SuperRep From Amazon Slip-on, two Zoom Air units in the forefoot, Cushlon foam at the heel Another shoe designed specifically for HIIT workouts and circuit training. And man, they thought (over-thought?) of everything. This futuristic-looking shoe has "brake pads" to help you cut hard from side to side, and even a "burpee break" – a small groove right where your foot flexes. This is designed to help your foot flex properly when doing push-ups, planks, short sprints, and of course burpees... if you actually enjoy those. The duel Air Zoom cushions absorb your energy and shoot it right back—springing you into your next move. Yeah, a minimalist shoe this is not... but it sure is comfortable. – Chris Shugart BUY NOW Inov-8 FastLift 335 From Amazon 1.25" heel, nylon ripstop upper, adjustable hook-and-loop instep strap The athletic shoe market is weird. On one side, you have extreme specialty shoes made for one specific sport or style of training. On the other side, you have do-anything cross trainers. The FastLift 335 is somewhere in the middle. At first glance, it looks like an Olympic weightlifting shoe. And yep, that's mostly what it's made for given its external heel cage. But unlike other weightlifting shoes, these have some flexibility built in too, meaning you can keep them on for the rest of your non-snatching workout. – Chris Shugart BUY NOW Nike Free X Metcon 2 From Amazon Rubber wraps for rope climbs, flexible and lightweight design Voted the best all-around gym shoe by magazines who vote on such things, the latest "CrossFit without saying the word CrossFit" shoe by Nike looks like a winner. Reviewers love the extra ankle support and breathability. Perfect for your "mixed workouts" with "varied movement patterns." Wink-wink. – Chris Shugart BUY NOW Salomon Sense Ride 3 From Amazon Trail running shoe, Quicklace system, all-terrain grip Some people enjoy running along endless stretches of straight asphalt... for miles. We call those people "masochists." If I'm going to run, I prefer to do it out on some mountain trails where my mind has to stay sharp and my body has to react to unexpected terrain changes. Also, I get to see chipmunks and shit. If that's the kind of running you like, your regular gym shoes aren't going to cut it. You need something with traction and protection, like these third generation Sense Rides from Salomon. These shoes have road-ride comfort combined with all the tactical extras you need to bound over sharp rocks and loose debris. And the one-pull, wire-like laces mean they'll never come untied when you're running from a bear or backwoods serial killer. – Chris Shugart BUY NOW Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Stuff We Like Stuff We Like – Equipment 1 We test out a lot of training gear and accessories. Not all of it passes muster. Here's what did and where to buy it. Equipment T Nation January 2 Equipment Stuff We Like – Equipment 6 Cool training-related gear, tested by the T Nation staff. Check it out. Equipment, Stuff We Like T Nation February 3 Equipment Stuff We Like – Equipment 7 Tested and approved gadgets and gizmos for lifters and fitness fanatics. Equipment, Stuff We Like T Nation February 25 Books Stuff We Like – Books 1 Lifting. Diet. Sports. Philosophy. Here are some of our favorite books on these subjects and where to buy to them right now. Books T Nation August 7