They're zero-drop shoes with wide toe-boxes and barely-there soles (though the outsole is studded with grippy lugs to facilitate trail running). And while they're not made with CrossFit in mind, they look like a worthy competitor to the Merrell Trail Gloves and New Balance Minimus MT10s.
I remember eying the Neo Trails a few months ago when I saw a sneak peek online, but promptly forgot about 'em when the NB MX20s came out.
Aside from a pair of Onitsuka Tigers Rotation 77s, the only shoes I wear to the office these days are from the VivoBarefoot line, but I've never tried any of the brand's athletic shoes. Sadly, I may have to wait a little while longer to give the Neo Trails a shot; with a $130 price tag, these babies are $45 more than my current favorites in the gym.
It's been a month since I bought a pair of Reebok's CrossFit shoes down at the Games. Only a few hundred pairs were made and distributed to Games competitors; the leftovers were then sold to spectators like me. So while the rest of the CrossFit world impatiently waits for Reebok to offer its shoes to the buying public, we lucky few who nabbed a pair at the Home Depot Center have been trying them out. Through all of August, I put mine through the paces: lifting, running, jumping -- the works.
So what's the verdict?
Before we get down to brass tacks, I should point out that the pair I own may not be the final launch version of the Reebok CrossFit shoes. Even though they were deemed Games-ready, I'm guessing that Reebok has some final tweaks up its sleeves. (From what I've heard, they'll be available as early as November -- though I've also heard January -- and will retail for $130). But I'm working with what I've got, so here goes.
There are some things I absolutely love about these shoes. First and foremost, I'm a big fan of the Reeboks' super-wide toe box. The forefoot feels slightly wider than even those on New Balance's Minimus shoes (though upon visual inspection, they appear to be the same width), and offers tons of room for the natural spread and stretch of athletes' toes. Also, unlike some other manufacturers, Reebok's managed to build a wide shoe without sacrificing the look of the product.
Yes, some find the Reebok CrossFit shoes to be butt-ugly (including my wife), but I don't. As I've written before, I think the styling comes correct. I haven't once felt self-conscious about wearing them out in public despite the fact that they're blindingly yellow. I associate yellow-and-black with Bruce Lee, wasps and the Steel Curtain -- so I actually feel pretty bad-ass when I strut around in these babies. (Yes, I realize that most people actually just think I'm color-blind, but shut up.) Bonus: The shoes came with both yellow and black laces.
The Reeboks -- at 9.15 ounces -- are fairly lightweight, and only slightly heavier than my New Balance Minimus MX20s (8.10 ounces) and MT10s (7.15 ounces). The padding and support around the ankles feel solid without being obtrusive, and the throat at midfoot -- although pretty snug when laced -- doesn't overly constrict my feet like the Merrell Barefoot Trail Gloves did (or even the New Balance Minimus MT10s). The Reebok shoes' mesh uppers are soft and breathable but durable; after a month of fairly aggressive wear-testing, I haven't noticed any fraying or tearing of the fabric -- not even at the toe-cap, where there's minimal foxing.
As for the vaunted U-Form custom-fit technology? I stand corrected -- it's not just a marketing gimmick. When I first put the shoes on my feet right out of the box, they felt a little loose in places (especially in the vamp and heel counter). But after baking the shoes in a 200-degree oven for 3 minutes and then keeping them tightly laced on my feet for another 8 minutes, the Reeboks fit like a glove. Plus, they felt warm and toasty.
(Note: My shoes didn't come with baking instructions, but I found 'em online here.)
That said, this is not (yet) a perfect shoe.
Some of the flaws are minor, and can be easily fixed. For one, the sizing of the shoes that were sold at the Games is totally screwy. These Reeboks run a full size larger than normal. I usually wear a Men's 9.5 or 10 -- but the Reeboks that best fit me are size 8. Given that Reebok has signaled that these shoes will be sold primarily (exclusively?) online, accurate sizing is critical. Folks who have waited months for these shoes to become available aren't going to be happy about opening up FedEx packages of shoes, only to find that they're too damned big.
Another small problem: The shoelaces are way too short. If you lace the shoes up all the way, you'll barely have enough left over to make bunny-ears.
The biggest issue I have with the Reebok CrossFit shoes, however, is the sole. Yes, I like the minimal heel-to-toe drop, the treads wrapping around the edge of the instep to protect against damage from rope climbs, the lack of zigzags, nubs or other rubbery nonsense on the bottoms of other Reebok shoes. But unfortunately, these shoes are, in my opinion, overly stiff in the sole -- especially through the middle of the foot. While most other shoes flex right at the ball of the foot, the break-line in the Reeboks' sole appears to be situated closer to base of the toes. As a result, with the exception of the very front section of the forefoot, the sole feels like a flat board. There's not a lot of give here.
I can see the advantages a stiffer sole might bring to lifting -- you don't want so much flex in the shoe that people end up on their toes when they should be keeping their weight on their heels. But in my opinion, the soles of these CrossFit shoes could stand to be more yielding given the variety of non-lifting movements that we encounter. The padded insert that comes in the shoes doesn't help either. It sacrifices ground feel for cushiness -- something that most of us don't want or need. After a few workouts, I ended up removing the spongy inserts entirely.
For CrossFit, I prefer shoes that I don't even think about during my WODs. But whenever I ran or jumped in these shoes, I couldn't help but notice the stiffness of the midfoot sole from the balls of my feet to my heels.
The sole aside, the Reebok CrossFit shoes are still heads-and-shoulders above most other cross trainers on the market. The wide toe-box, easy-bake fit, head-turning looks and minimal heel-to-toe drop are features any CrossFitter would dig.
How do they stack up against my other CrossFit footwear? My New Balance Minimus MX20 Trainers still remain my favorite -- but competition for CrossFitters' hearts and minds (and feet) has begun to heat up. This next year is going to see a glut of CrossFit-specific shoes, with new offerings from Reebok, New Balance, Vibram, Altra, Inov-8, Merrell, and others. I can't wait to try 'em out.
Poppa’s got a brand new pair of shoes, and they’re awesome.
New Balance recently released its new barefoot-inspired Minimus MX20 Training shoes, and although I neglected to pre-order a pair, my coach was kind enough to sell me his.
Up until Friday, I’d been CrossFitting in my New Balance Minimus MT10 Trail shoes. As I mentioned when I bought them back in March, the Trails are lightweight and comfortable, with a minimal heel-to-toe drop and a roomier toebox to better accommodate a more natural running form. They feature a thin but grippy Vibram sole that allows for plenty of ground-feel, and they’re plenty snazzy-looking to boot. The MT10s were clearly built for trail running, but I used them almost exclusively for workouts at the gym, and they worked great for most CrossFit WODs.
But unfortunately, the MT10 still isn’t the perfect all-around CrossFit shoe due to the thinness of the sole. They’re certainly preferable to FiveFingers for Olympic lifting, but after a while, I noticed that my heels always felt sore after stomp-heavy WODs that incorporated explosive lifts and/or box jumps. The worst? Double-unders. It didn’t help that I often jumped too high and fast out of pure panic, but by the end of Annie or some other jump-crazy metcon session, the balls of my feet would ache. There were even a couple of times when I had to kick off my shoes immediately post-WOD because they were so uncomfortable.
So when the opportunity to grab a pair of MX20 Training shoes presented itself, I took it. Tim had pre-ordered a pair of size 10s from the New Balance website, but they were too small for him, so I took them off his hands. I normally wear a 9 1/2 in New Balance shoes, but Tim’s fit me just fine. (Lesson: The MX20s tend to run small.)
Yesterday’s workout -- consisting of pull-ups, push-ups, squats and double-unders -- was a perfect test for my new kicks. I’ve turned into quite a geek for CrossFit shoes, so I couldn’t wait to try them out in class. Before I headed to the gym, I put them on slowly, taking note of the MX20s’ distinguishing features.
The New Balance Minimus MX20 Trainers aren’t as unique-looking as the MX10 Trails, but there’s something to be said about blending in, too. (I speak from experience -- the weird stares and annoying questions from strangers are two key reasons why I haven’t worn my FiveFingers in months.) The MX20s feature a breathable mesh upper with structural overlays across the front of the toes and stretching from the midshoe to the back. Unlike the MT10s, the MX20s feature a plushly-padded ankle collar to secure the position of the heel -- and the tongue is more padded, too.
As with all of the shoes in the Minimus line, the forefoot of the last is super-wide, allowing plenty of wiggle-room and toe-spread. The midfoot feels a bit wider than the MT10s, too (which, in turn, were already more forgiving than the corset-like midsection of the Merrell Barefoot Trail Gloves that came out earlier this year). And unlike the Minimus Trails, there’s no constricting band across the top of the forefoot.
The MX20s felt fantastic on my feet. Like the Trails, these shoes are incredibly pliable and accommodating. The inside of these shoes have no insert. Instead, they feature welded seams and a “no-sew material application” to stave off blisters and chafing. And although each shoe is about 1 ounce heavier than the MT10s that I was wearing -- 8.10 ounces versus 7.15 ounces (believe me, I weighed them) -- they’re still super-lightweight. I didn’t feel weighed down at all.
The biggest difference -- and a positive one -- is the foam-and-rubber outsole. Just like the MT10s, these shoes have a 4mm heel-to-toe drop (about a third of the drop featured in most athletic footwear). But the sole itself is slightly thicker and less rounded in profile. Not so much that it’s going to encourage me to heel-strike again like I did when I wore extra-cushioned motion-control shoes, but just enough, I think, to keep my feet from having to absorb the full impact of my overly-enthusiastic jumping and stomping at the gym. Plus, the soles are fairly firm, and not marshmallowy in the slightest, so control isn’t compromised. Perhaps the MX20s don’t offer quite as much ground-feel as the MT10s, but it’s a trade-off I’m more than happy to take.
These shoes were clearly built specifically for CrossFit. Even when New Balance created an ad featuring a MX20-wearing Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox, his feats on the baseball diamond take a back seat to his CrossFit (or CrossFit-esque) training:
So of course, I was excited to work out for the very first time in a pair of shoes made specially for CrossFitting. I arrived at the gym with a plan: As much as possible, I was going to pay attention to how my new footwear was treating me, scrutinizing comfort, traction, ground-feel, and performance.
But then the WOD started, and thoughts of shoes immediately dissipated. Twenty minutes later, I had completed 60 pull-ups, 111 push-ups, 165 air squats, and 220 double-unders -- but I hadn't given a second thought to my new shoes. Which is how it should be, right? They were so comfortable -- even though it was my first workout in ‘em -- that I plumb forgot I was even wearing them.
Even better: My feet felt just dandy post-WOD. No soreness in my feet whatsoever -- not even later in the day, when my shoulders and legs were aching from all the pushing, pulling and squatting.
It’s awesome that so many shoe companies are coming out with shoes designed specifically for the CrossFit community. With New Balance, Altra, Inov-8 and Reebok all competing for CrossFit market share, we’re sure to see some fantastic products in the months and years to come.
I love WODing in my four-month-old NB Minimus Trails (and they're not stinky yet -- I swear), but I'm not going to pass up the chance to grab a new pair of CrossFit kicks. When Tim stopped by yesterday with a pair of MX20s that didn't fit him, I happily took them off his hands.
I'm planning to break them in tomorrow morning at the gym. Stay tuned for the verdict...
Is that just a convenient excuse for me to buy a crapload of shoes? Maybe.
But it doesn't mean I'm interested in lugging a suitcase filled with shoes to the gym every day. Instead, my ongoing mission is to find a pair of go-to shoes that can serve as my Swiss Army knife / utility infielder / jack-of-all-trades for all kinds of CrossFit workouts.
During my neverending search, it's been fascinating to trace the waxing and waning footwear trends within the CrossFit community. Even in the relatively short time I’ve been doing CrossFit, I’ve watched the tide shift from Chucks and skate shoes to Vibrams and minimalist footwear. (See this post for more about my experiences with the aforementioned shoes.)
The Inov-8 f-Lite 195s and 230s (and the new Road-X 233s) are super-lightweight and feature a glove-like fit, making ‘em a fantastic choice for pull-ups, box jumps, burpees, ring dips, knees-to-elbows -- pretty much any movement that involves quick and/or light feet. The absence of a chunky, cushioned heel makes Inov-8s great for POSE running, too. (The heel-to-toe drops range from 3mm to 6mm.)
But Inov-8 has its limitations, too. Some complain about the narrow toe box, which makes these shoes a bit too snug for those of us with big, wide feet. Inov-8 also seems to have a problem keeping enough inventory on hand to meet the demands of CrossFitters and runners who are clamoring for a pair or three.
Thankfully, there are more than a few new options that have recently arrived on the market to sate the hordes of footwear-hungry WOD monsters out there.
I recently picked up a pair of Merrell Trail Gloves as well as a pair of New Balance Minimus Trail shoes. Both are minimalist trail-running shoes that try to provide a barefoot-like experience to athletes. Both feature Vibram-made and -branded outsoles. And both are quickly picking up devotees in the CrossFit community -- especially those who are keenly aware of the benefits of barefoot training. Iin particular, the Minimus shoes are now popping up in boxes all over the place.
First up: The Merrell Trail Glove -- a pretty good option if you're looking for an all-around CrossFitting shoe.
It’s a zero-drop shoe, which makes barefoot fans (like me) salivate. The Trail Gloves are light; they weigh just a bit more than the Inov-8 195s (6.2 ounces versus 6.0 ounces), and their thin, flexible soles offer plenty of ground feel (albeit not as much as a pair of Vibram FiveFingers KSOs) and “stick.” The outsole doesn’t feature a lot of grooves and lugs for added traction, but that hasn’t bothered me; the soles grip the top of a wooden plyo box just fine. Plus, while the exterior styling of the shoe isn’t going to dazzle anyone, it’s not going to attract any open-mouthed stares, either -- a problem M and I face all the time when we strut around town in our gorilla-toed FiveFingers.
As for the inside of the Trail Gloves, the lack of inserts and the smooth fabrication of the interior lining help prevent blisters and rashes. And unlike the Inov-8s, the Trail Gloves offer tons of room in the toe box -- toe splaying is definitely not a problem in these shoes.
Still, I’m finding the Trail Gloves to be a little too snug in other areas. The ankle collar feels overly tight, and the midfoot is especially constricting. It almost feels like there’s too much support through the arch. I know -- it’s weird to be complaining about a supportive arch, which most folks seek out in new athletic shoes. But it’s probably my biggest complaint about this shoe, which I otherwise love wearing for CrossFit WODs.
Two days after buying a pair of Trail Gloves, I got word that New Balance’s first minimalist shoe -- the Minimus Trail -- had arrived at my favorite local running-store-slash-coffee-joint, Zombie Runner. I was powerless to resist. I had to try ‘em (I’m not very good at self-denial, and I'm a huge proponent of instant gratification), so I rushed over and bought a pair. And I don’t regret it for a second.
I flat-out love my Minimus Trails. First of all, they look awesome. (After wearing Vibram FiveFingers for a couple of years, I'd almost forgotten the simple pleasures of wearing non-hideous shoes.) The exterior mesh upper wraps all the way around the shoe, enveloping an inner webbing that grips the foot snugly. The outsole -- also made by Vibram -- is appropriately craggy, offering solid traction and side-to-side stickiness.
The Minimus Trails are a little heavier than some of the other shoes I’ve tried, weighing in at 7.45 ounces. But when they’re on, I don’t notice much of a difference. They’re still feather-light on your feet.
And although these shoes aren’t zero drop (they have a 4 mm heel-to-toe drop), the ever-so-slightly-beefier heel doesn’t take away from the ground feel at all. There’s still nowhere near the level of cushioning that you’d find on a typical running shoe.
Plus, the extra few millimeters on the heel actually makes the Minimus more versatile for CrossFitting; when chugging through a WOD that incorporates O-lifting, I’ve come to appreciate the sturdier heel on these babies. Even that tiny bit of extra stability when cranking out heavy clean-and-jerks can make a huge difference.
Lastly, the Minimus Trails feel great on my feet, with loads of room in the toe box for my wiggly piggies and plenty of flex throughout the shoe. In contrast to the Merrell Trail Gloves, the Minimus shoes don’t girdle your midfoot.
The interior is almost sock-like, with soft, smooth fabrics. The seams and stitching are not noticeable. There’s a plushness to the inside of the shoe that makes the Minimus a pleasure to put on. After I first took ‘em out of the box and put them on, I seriously wanted to sleep in these shoes.
(If you're interested Barefoot Running University has an extensive write-up about the New Balance Minimus Trail shoes -- check it out here.)
I’m still enjoying my Merrell Trail Gloves, but when I head out the door for my morning classes at CrossFit Palo Alto, I usually grab my Minimus Trails. (I still change into my weightlifting shoes at the gym if we’re practicing a lift.) I loved working out in my Chucks and FiveFingers, but in my opinion, my Minimus Trails (and Merrell Trail Gloves, too) are better able to tackle whatever Tim decides to throw at us. Plus, unlike Inov-8s, my gut tells me that New Balance ain't gonna run out of stock.
I'm still coughing up a lung over here. But I went to bed at 9 p.m. last night, so I got 7+ hours of sleep, which felt awesome.
Strength Skill:
Snatches (3 sets of 3, 2 sets of 1)
The hook grip hurts. But after Tim pointed out that my hands were too far apart on the bar, I narrowed my grip, and it felt better. Not Palmolive-good, but better.
Metcon:
For time:
25 pull-ups
50 air squats
800-meter run
50 air squats
25 pull-ups
"This is right up your alley," Tim said to me. He's right: I love bodyweight workouts like you wouldn't believe. And we hadn't done pull-ups in a WOD in a while, so I was excited about getting up on the bar again.
I'm stoked (holy crap -- I just realized I haven't written the word "stoked" in at least 15 years) that I was able to peel off the first round of 25 pull-ups without stopping. I'm less stoked that I had to hop off the bar five times during the last round.
On another note: My torrid love affair with my new shoes continues. This was the perfect WOD for my New Balance Minimus -- they didn't drag me down on the pull-ups, they gave me a sufficiently solid heel base for air squats, and they were awesome for running.
Result: 7:34 as RXed. Not too shabby, but I think I can do better next time.
The fit is perfect, and they're incredibly light and comfortable. They feel like socks. It's not a zero-drop shoe -- there's a 4 mm heel-to-toe drop -- but it's barely noticeable. And on the plus side, the slightly-more substantial heel feels more stable than that of the Merrell Trail Glove, so the Minimus should be perfect for WODs that combine O-lifting with running. (Both models, by the way, feature Vibram soles.)
Check out Birthday Shoes' detailed review of the NB Minimus Trail shoes here.
Is it weird that I want to wear my new shoes to bed?
