It's all about the shoes!
1/30/12
So I've been crossfitting for about 4 months now...I'm in no way any kind of expert on the subject matter that I'm about to discuss, just thought that I would give my honest opinion on some of the shoes that I have used/currently use for Crossfit in the hopes that it will help others when making such important decisions. With that being said, the important decision shouldn't be which pair of shoes should I get, it should be how many pairs of shoes should I get?!
I should also say that I have had a lot of problems in the past finding good shoes for exercise (not just Crossfit) because I have really high arches and often get plantar fasciitis. None of the shoes that I currently have have resulted in any plantar fasciitis.
When I first started Crossfitting I was using Vibram Five Fingers (Komodo Sports). As much as I like these shoes, I found them to be my least favorite of all of the shoes that I have/have used. There is absolutely nothing that protects the top of your toes/feet. This makes learning double unders or the occasional kettle bell/bar drop on the toe/foot insanely painful and dangerous.
Next up I moved on to the Merrell Pace barefoot shoe. These provide a decent amount of support while still having the vibram minimalist sole. I liked these as an all purpose WOD shoe, but found that they didn't last long. I wore through them really quickly.
Currently I have Inov-8 f-lite 230's, f-lite 195's, bare xf 210's, and the Reebok Nano Crossfit shoes. I love them all for different reasons.
Reebok Nano Crossfit shoes: These I have found to be a little heavier than the Inov-8's (more clunky feeling) but I really prefer them for any weight lifting. They are extremely stable have a wide foot base and toe box. I thought that they would be horrible for the running that is involved in many of the WOD's that we have, but they aren't bad at all. They certainly aren't the most lightweight shoes on the market but if your focus is lifting I highly recommend this shoe.
Inov-8 f-lite 195's: I have been using these the longest of my current shoe "collection". I love them, they are very light weight, flexible and a fantastic all around WOD shoe. If you're looking for a light weight minimalist shoe for Crossfitting that also is great for running then this is definitely your shoe. They have a lot of great colors to choose from too, to fit your style!
Inov-8 f-lite 230's: This is a heftier shoe than the f-lite 195, it has less flex/give, but if you are looking for a shoe with a little more support and less of the minimalist/barefoot technology then this shoe is definitely a great shoe. I don't do any distance running but I imagine that someone going from traditional running shoes not quite ready to make the full minimalist transition would enjoy starting with these. Less funky colors than the 195's but they did just come out with some rad purple ones (seen in my picture)
Inov-8 BareXF 210's: These are an amazing little shoe, designed specifically for Crossfit, with a rope guard on the sides (I have yet to climb a rope but certainly hope to give it a go!). These are definitely the lightest of the Inov-8's that I have, they have a lot of give/flex and are as close as I've gotten with this brand to a minimalist shoe (or being barefoot). Currently they only come in two color options (black/white or blue/grey). I customized mine to give them some flair!
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| Current Crossfit Shoes |
I should also say that I have had a lot of problems in the past finding good shoes for exercise (not just Crossfit) because I have really high arches and often get plantar fasciitis. None of the shoes that I currently have have resulted in any plantar fasciitis.
When I first started Crossfitting I was using Vibram Five Fingers (Komodo Sports). As much as I like these shoes, I found them to be my least favorite of all of the shoes that I have/have used. There is absolutely nothing that protects the top of your toes/feet. This makes learning double unders or the occasional kettle bell/bar drop on the toe/foot insanely painful and dangerous.
Next up I moved on to the Merrell Pace barefoot shoe. These provide a decent amount of support while still having the vibram minimalist sole. I liked these as an all purpose WOD shoe, but found that they didn't last long. I wore through them really quickly.
Currently I have Inov-8 f-lite 230's, f-lite 195's, bare xf 210's, and the Reebok Nano Crossfit shoes. I love them all for different reasons.
Reebok Nano Crossfit shoes: These I have found to be a little heavier than the Inov-8's (more clunky feeling) but I really prefer them for any weight lifting. They are extremely stable have a wide foot base and toe box. I thought that they would be horrible for the running that is involved in many of the WOD's that we have, but they aren't bad at all. They certainly aren't the most lightweight shoes on the market but if your focus is lifting I highly recommend this shoe.
Inov-8 f-lite 195's: I have been using these the longest of my current shoe "collection". I love them, they are very light weight, flexible and a fantastic all around WOD shoe. If you're looking for a light weight minimalist shoe for Crossfitting that also is great for running then this is definitely your shoe. They have a lot of great colors to choose from too, to fit your style!
Inov-8 f-lite 230's: This is a heftier shoe than the f-lite 195, it has less flex/give, but if you are looking for a shoe with a little more support and less of the minimalist/barefoot technology then this shoe is definitely a great shoe. I don't do any distance running but I imagine that someone going from traditional running shoes not quite ready to make the full minimalist transition would enjoy starting with these. Less funky colors than the 195's but they did just come out with some rad purple ones (seen in my picture)
Inov-8 BareXF 210's: These are an amazing little shoe, designed specifically for Crossfit, with a rope guard on the sides (I have yet to climb a rope but certainly hope to give it a go!). These are definitely the lightest of the Inov-8's that I have, they have a lot of give/flex and are as close as I've gotten with this brand to a minimalist shoe (or being barefoot). Currently they only come in two color options (black/white or blue/grey). I customized mine to give them some flair!
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| Inov-8 BareXF 210's with my own flair |
Overall which do you prefer between the Nano's and the XF 210's? I'm currently debating which to try as I really don't like my Nike Frees for the lifting aspect of WODs and typically end up going barefoot for these (provided there's no running outdoors). I like this information and hopefully you can provide a bit more?
ReplyDeleteIf lifting is the focus I definitely prefer the Nano's...more stable platform yet a wide open foot box to still have a somewhat "barefoot" feel inside the shoe. I run WOD's that don't have lifting in the Nano's and like them well enough but if you're looking for the lightest shoe out there, these aren't it.
ReplyDeletewow!!! I want that pinkish one! How stylish and cool it is! I must say, Crossfits are the most fashionable, durable and exclusive ones and of them Reebok is the best cross training shoes
ReplyDeleteVery nice post. You talk about nice shoes. this shoes is best in this situation. But you must know about plantar fasciitis. Some shoes protect us from plantar fasciitis. so be careful about walking shoes for plantar fasciitis. Thanks for this post.
ReplyDeleteUnless we are living in the jungle where there are no shoes available, we all wear shoes. Some of us need special shoes for one reason or another, and there must be thousands of choices to be made. I find a website for the plantar fasciitis walking shoes. If you want you can visit this site.
ReplyDeleteI have flat feet so it is important for me to choose the suitable footwear for me. Flat feet shoes doesn't look to fashionable but I'd choose comfort than style anytime!
ReplyDelete