20 Best Shoes For Crossfit Beginners (2023 Updated)

I have had a nightmare with Reebok Nano’s since the Nano 4. 0 so I crossed over to the Speed TR until Reebok sorted themselves out. I have been a bit late to the Nano 8 party but they say the best things comes to those who wait and they are not wrong.

This shoe is outstanding! Comfortable, stable, tough and flexible. Every box ticked. How did Reebok do it? Who cares! Lets just hope they don’t change it. They look cute too. The best thing about them for me personally is the roomy toe box.

My toes spread out like flippers so I need this area wide to accommodate them otherwise I get painful corns and a jammed nerve in between my metatarsals. So far I have had no pain at all. I ran in them yesterday and sloppy heel striking will now be a thing of the past in my training.

My feet would slap terribly in my Speeds, so much so, I stopped wearing them for running and would switch to a running shoe to save my shins and knees. However, I would lose time in workouts which was annoying.

I didn’t need to change my shoes yesterday so this is why I am writing this review. I highly recommend the Nano 8. I will be purchasing another pair.

I needed to replace my old leather Reebok trainers that had served me well for over ten years but were now looking decidedly tatty. I decided that something lighter would be better for all the Crossfit training I do, so I ordered a pair of Nano 8s.

They were delivered next day (impressive) and the fit was good (I’m usually a UK7. 5 but I ordered UK8 to allow for padded training socks). What wasn’t so good was the manufacturing fault on the right shoe.

The upper hadn’t been properly matched to the sole during assembly and so there was a crease that ran up the side of the shoe and over the toes. Very uncomfortable. I thought I’d been unlucky and because I liked the look and feel of the trainers I ordered another pair, which also came overnight.

To my astonishment they had exactly the same fault. As a bonus they also had a prominent stain where glue had been spilt on the fabric of the upper. To say I’m disappointed in Reebok is an understatement.

What sort of company charges you this much for a pair of trainers without applying even the most basic of quality control checks to the product? Both pairs of trainers have gone back for a refund. I’m going elsewhere.

Decent shoe, basic comfort, construction appears to be good, decent color options. I personally struggle to find the correct sizing in Reebok shoes, one size is too big, I try a 1/2 size smaller and that size is too short.

I’ve tried a couple different styles and experience the same result. This style felt too wide and too long in my normal size. The 1/2 size smaller felt better in the width but too short in the length.

I don’t feel there was a lot of arch support but then that is not a feature I look for. I will keep trying other styles because I like the Reebok brand. Just need to find the style that is perfect for me.

I’ve never had a sneaker that is so tight and hard, that is impossible to wear. It’s extremely narrow on the front of your feet squeezing all your bones and fingers together, but what is even worse, the back part is stitched with some extremely hard plastic, which literally cuts your ankles into the blood.

I was not able to wear them, as only after 100 minutes of the walk I had to take them off in the middle of the street with broke and bloody skin on my ankles, as I just couldn’t walk anymore. As an international purchase, I don’t even think I can return them.

Total loss of money and complete disappointment.

Fantastic budget-mid range cross training shoe, very comfortable and light, very grippy on a variety of surfaces, absolutely recommend if you’re wanting a good pair of trainers to start training, they’re comfortable enough as well for general use.

The drawbacks (which are understandable for the price range) are that they are not stable enough for heavy powerlifting, the lack of a protected upper makes them easily worn out by rope climbs or climbing in general, the completely flat sole while grippy is not effective for long running, they’re fine for short runs but if you’re using the treadmill primarily, and not doing strength training, go for running shoes.

But for a general all round cross trainer with good versatility for a beginner to intermediate training, these shoes are fantastic. And they come with enough colourways to suit plenty of people (Ones I bought were the black to white gradient sole).

My husband needed a new CrossFit shoe, and he had mentioned that his last pair of Nano x1s were solid. Shipping for these was fast and the price was competitive for other online shops with the same shoe.

The color is just as it should be and my husband loves this shoe for all of his workouts. Sizing was good. As with many shoes, these were snug for the first week of use, and then they quickly became form fitted and more comfortable.

I like the fit and general comfort. The toe box is not as bulky as the Nano 1 which is nice. I don’t like the plastic eyelet chain, it makes tightening and losing the laces a little difficult. Heal counter rubs on heal.

Overall, pretty nice and more comfortable than previous version.

I’m accustomed to a more sturdy shoe. Sole feels cheap. However I’m old school and maybe this is how they are making them now days. I purchased on sale and there is no way I would purchase at full price.

I use them for walking on a treadmill. They do not seem very durable.

It’s the first time leaving a review about shoes. The only reason is I felt so confused about the size due to all the previous reviews and my experience of AF1. My general size is 7 (Based on Adidas/Timberland/Skechers), La Sportiva’s climbing shoes fit me well, so I have slim feet.

I need to size down to 6. 5 for all Nike lifestyle shoes. Meanwhile, I do sized up the size compared to air force 1, which is my general size 7. My right foot is smaller than my left foot, so the right shoe is even a little bit loose on my right side.

That’s saying maybe you don’t need to size up if it’s your first Nike shoes. Of course, the best way of saving time is to try it on in your local store. Except for the size issue, Free Metcon perfect fits my demand.

(Regularly weight training without heavy weightlifting) Hope you enjoy your training journey!.

I love these. Great for the in-home quarantine gym workouts, and should be great for indoor/gym/TRX/etc as I get back there. I think they’re largely intended as a crossfit shoe which I don’t do but I can see how they’d be great for a lot of functional training and dynamic movement.

FIT: Medium-Wide and a little square, which is perfect for my feet. True to size maybe slightly long? My 23cm feet are indeed comfortable in a 6. 5/37. SUPPORT: Not much arch support, as is common with barefoot shoes, but I have arches high enough you could store stuff in them so inserted suitable custom ones of my own.

However, make sure if you do this that you have flexible insoles around the toe especially as these are intended to be very flexible shoes. Quite lightweight. QUALITY: I’ve just had em a few weeks, but the shoe on both inside and outside seems well-made, durable, very flexible, decent laces, and a good outsole that grips quite well but not the same as Vibram.

OVERALL: Very happy; I think I’ll get a separate pair for outdoor/trail running/casual. More please!.

Have only had these shoes a few weeks, but they have been a really pleasant surprise. I am an 11. 5 and they were true to size. One quirk I would note is that the support running right under the heel to about the mid point of the sole felt somewhat narrow (not as much lateral support) as compared to the NB minimus I have.

Almost like walking along a 2” board. Felt a little unstable at first, but after a few days I did not notice it at all. These are great shoes and are now my barefoot of choice.

This is a great comfortable shoe. They look good, I am an 12. 5 and they were true to size. One quirk I would note is that the support running right under the heel to about the mid point of the sole felt somewhat narrow (not as much lateral support) as compared to the NB minimus I have.

Almost like walking along. Felt a little unstable at first, but after a few days I did not notice it at all. These are great shoes and are now my barefoot of choice.

Long time Nano user all the way from the 4. 0, which WAS my favorite shoe, until these. I should point out I purchased (and immediately returned) the launch nano x. These are nothing like those. Most of the chunky overstuff material from the base nano X is gone in the Froning version.

The Achilles dip is vastly superior here as well. The footbed is reworked for those of us that supinate a bit, though a lateral size heat transfer in the toe box would really reinforce foot placement and stability.

The lock strap is critical and super versatile, and the flywire-like lacing system is great. Lots of balance control for users, but in the future, the chunky laces are not great. The heel brace is kind of good, but I would have preferred a material flat strap than the jutting band.

The heel itself is vastly improved over the odd feeling and weird base nano x heel. Arch support is a touch too hard for my tastes, but that can be fixed on my end or just worked out over time. It runs a touch bigger in length (I am using a 9.

5 and usually use that size), but with impact swelling in your feet after working out, the added room is appreciated. I hope Reebok moves forward making Nanos in the vein of this model. it’s versatile but could use a little more development.

It’s comfortable, but there’s room for a bit more. It’s really the evolution of the model and I hope that’s where it’s going.

I already have a standard pair of black Nano X but recently treated myself to these to mix things up. I have 26. 5cm long and 2E wide feet and UK size 9 is just about perfect. They’re certainly as comfortable as normal Nano X – though perhaps a tiny bit more give and flexibility due to the sock-like design made with different material.

One tiny niggle I have is the mid foot strap which looks cool but serves limited purpose – when skipping, I find the tips (which point inwards) catch each other quite often. Perhaps I do the straps too tight or my feet are closer together than most but there we go.

On the upside, they strap your laces down and stop them from unravelling and flying everywhere. Having only had them for about a month, I can’t really comment on longevity. Other than that it is proven Reebok Nano goodness.

Looks are subjective but I think this Froning model looks wicked and attracts a lot of “Heeey what are those slick trainers on your feet? Oh wow Reebok?!”.

Coming from the Metcons 5 because I was intrigued by the high top design. Tried the 9s before but wasn’t a big fan of the lack of stability in the heel area. I was blown away by these in every aspect.

They handle heavy loads with ease (squat-340 dead-390 bench 270) and never got uncomfortable. I loved these shoes so much i ordered a second pair and went with the Froning editions. Couple of things -the Xs wrap around the foot so it feels more narrow and more secure but never uncomfortable.

The Froning are wider in the toe box and allows for more toe splay. The collar on the Xs are more stuff which allows for a tighter feel on squats. Now the Fronings have a sock collar which makes more athletic movements like box jumps and wall balls better.

All in all both are excellent shoes but if you are debating between the two get the Nano X for heavy lifts like squats, deadlifts and bench but go for the Fronings for more Olympic lifts and CrossFit circuits since they provide a wider for base and flexible collar.

I know there is debate on the strap. I don’t feel the difference when benching or deads but i wear heel lifters when i squat and the strap is a major plus! I don’t think it’s purely cosmetic because i do feel the difference if i bench without the strap on but it’s not to the level of a power lifting shoe strap.

Love this shoe as my everyday CrossFit shoe. The reason it works is because of its low heel and structural support. Other CrossFit shoes feel too flat and lack stability, this one covers both points.

I use it for cardio (jump rope, burpees, band movements) and for strength (deadlifts, cleans, etc. ). It’s also a great rope climbing shoe because of the sturdy outer material. The only thing I try not to do in this shoe is run longer distances.

Although it’s a great sprinting shoe, my feet need a little more heel in a shoe for comfortable running.

The first thing I noticed was the way my heel felt when I slid into them. They felt a little narrow in the heel, so I took out the soles and tried readjusting but that didn’t help any. My foot also felt like it was spilling out on the sides.

I prefer to wear wider shoes but I can wear an average width and these are definitely not that, even if the material does give a lot. Still, it’s a cute shoe but just not for me.

Great product. My wife has trained CrossFit in these every day since receiving them. Arrived promptly and cost was a bargain