The Ultimate Shoedown

In the search for the best footwear for CrossFit, allow me to begin by saying that I acknowledge that this may not in fact be the ‘Ultimate Shoedown’ if we’re speaking in technical terms. Of course, a 3 shoe comparison is not going to be a comprehensive research paper into the highest performance output shoe for elite fitness but that doesn’t matter! Oh, and for the record, I won’t waste your time by reviewing the shoes on ultra-subjective factors such aesthetics. Personally, I think that all 3 of the shoes here all look good in their own right so I’m more focused on their individual effect on performance from here on out.

What I’m attempting to achieve here is to answer, from my perspective at least, what is the best type of footwear for overall CrossFit use:

Left: Asics Gel Kayano 16 Center: Inov-8 F-lite 230 Right: Vibram FiveFingers KSO

• The globo gym ‘standard issue’ stability running shoe – represented here by the Asics Gel Kayano 16, fighting out of the red corner.
• The minimalist trail shoe – represented by the Inov-8 F-lite 230, fighting out of the blue corner.
• The ‘barefoot’ shoe – represented by the Vibram FiveFingers KSO, fighting out of a different colored corner! (I’m not that creative)

I’ve worn each of the above shoes for a variety of training formats from running, lifting, gymnastics and other single element formats to couplets, triplets and even those horrible chipper WoDs.

First, lets have a quick rundown for you stats geeks out there:

Running:

Pose running is the name given to a controversial running methodology which has swept the global running community by storm and divided it into two camps: traditional runners and pose runners. FYI The official CrossFit ‘line’ is that Pose running is the way to go.

Asics:

If you haven’t heard pose running already, essentially all you need to know for the purpose of this review is that if you don’t pose run but you plan on running long distances, then go for the Asics. They are the only shoes here that will give you enough protection from the horrible heel strike to last you a little bit longer before the joint problems set in! My recommendation? Learn to pose run. P.S. Expect this to be about the last time that I recommend the Asics on any level in this review.

Inov-8s:

These give you enough heel protection for ‘traditional running’ methods not to hurt on hard surfaces for distances up to about a mile in my experience. Anything more and you’re gonna start to feel the impact. If however, you are pose running then you won’t come across any problems at any distance on any terrain. Winner.

Vibrams:

You’d better be pose running for any distances in these bad boys or they will mess you up! Running on trails or soft surfaces is a fantastic experience in the KSOs as I’ll outline later in the ‘Walking’ section! However, running on concrete for extended periods of time at moderate/high intensity in the Vibrams is less fun on the ankles and knees – pose running or not. I don’t care what anyone says – it hurts.

This CrossFitters crappy choice of footwear for the deadlift forces him to wear the 'poo face' while picking up a mere 225lbs.

Lifting:

Asics:

All that gel in the tread really does make for some messy & unstable squats & deadlifts sometimes. When lifting heavy loads in these, it can’t be good for the shoes either due to all that extra compression.

Inov-8s:

These are a pretty decent minimalist shoe for lifting. However, after owning Vibrams, I feel spoilt by the awesome barefoot replication I feel in those shoes. I’m an advocate for barefoot lifting in general, but accept that practicality doesn’t always allow for this.

Vibrams:

Perfect for me as they provide a barefoot experience for lifting, without getting me kicked out of the globo gym I’m still a member of (for my sins) because they still technically count as footwear! (NB. I’m aware that some globo gyms have banned FiveFingers from the gym floor – a completely outrageous move in my opinion but that’s another post altogether.) Nevertheless, Winner!

Rowing:

Asics:

Fine. I guess if you’re a super rowing purist then the huge heel drop would give you a disadvantage, but only slightly.

Inov-8s:

Fine. These are more flat than above so somewhat more stable than the stability shoes, ironically. So, I guess Winner?

Vibrams:

I have heard some people complain that due to the super narrow vertical profile of the shoe, they have trouble strapping their feet in securely to Concept 2s.

Jumping Rope:

Asics:

Too much cushioning and the heavier shoe slows your jump. This will begin to matter as you start to care about your WoD times down to the nano-second!

Inov-8s:

My personal favorite for jumping rope as they provide the minimalist feel and quick response time offered by the Vibrams, but without the pain of stubbing your toe with those missed double-unders when using an ultra heavy rope. Winner!

Vibrams:

Great for minimalism and they offer the quickest response time for jumping but if you’re an intermediate jump roper..er..er… Anyway, if you ain’t that great a jumping rope then you might experience the rope getting jammed in

Walking:

Asics:

What can I say? Apart from dull, dull dull. I mean, I guess they’re comfy but most (if not all of you) will know what walking around in a pair of sneakers feels like.

I’ve chosen to give walking it’s own little section because I feel that there’s a significant difference in my preference of shoe for walking about vs running.

Inov-8s:

In my opinion, these shoes provide a perfect balance for general walking about between protection and dexterity (asics and KSOs, respectively). Winner.

Vibrams:

Walking in these shoes over a variety of terrains for the first time is a wonderful experiences. The 3mm footbed allows you to feel everything on the ground! I don’t want to sound like a hippie here or anything but the sensory feedback from your feet gained from wearing these shoes is phenomenal. You’ll feel everything from temperature changes, to soft and hard blades of grass all the way to the smallest cracks in the hard pavement. Ah, actually while we’re on the subject of hard pavement, walking around in these for a long time does cause me some discomfort in the heel. Maybe this is because nobody has taught me how to pose walk yet!

Climbing Rope:

Asics:

The high vertical profile of the shoe give a notable disadvantage when compared to the Inov-8s in terms of securing feet around the rope. However the plastic, ribbed, arch supports act as a handy clamp if you’re crabbing your feet around the rope.

Inov-8s:

Generally good. However, the super thin mesh on top has already started to succumb to the wear of the harsh ropes. Additionally, I’ve heard stories of CrossFitters experiencing problems with extremely fast wear in the foam of the sole from rope climbs – though I haven’t come across this personally.

Vibrams:

Use those monkey feet! Winner

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner:

1. Inov-8 F-Lite 230
2. Vibram FiveFingers KSO
3. Asics Gel Kayano 16

*New review including F-lite 195, Vibram Komodo Sport, New Balance Minimus and the Reebok U-Form CrossFit Shoe is on the way as soon as I can get ahold of the new Reebok Shoe!