Footwear

Zero-Drop Sole, Anatomical Shape

Looking for some minimalist shoes? Check these out. They have thin, flat soles for better proprioception and a nice wide toe box.

– Chris Shugart

Carbon Fiber, 9.3% Increase in Rate of Force Development

These insoles give you more spring in your step. Literally. I like them because they absorb force. Great for sprinting, jumping, and the Olympic lifts.

– Christian Thibaudeau

Stabilizing Foot Support, Flexweave Knit Upper

With their firm, flat soles, these are great for deadlifting, squatting, and just about anything else. Great all-around gym shoe.

– Andrew Coates

Bootie Construction For Easy On-and-Off

Okay, fine, we'll do some cardio. But it better feel like we're running on a cloud of angel butts. These shoes fit the bill. And the Ultra Heel technology provides a seamless fit to keep you locked in for a cushy ride.

– Chris Shugart

Powerbax TPU Plate, Hook and Loop Closures

While it's marketed as the "circuit slayer" this is primarily a weightlifting shoe. Like to clean & jerk? This is the shoe you want.

– Chris Shugart

From Amazon

Versatile Cross Trainer Weighing Only 300 Grams

These kicks incorporate the world's strongest material – graphene – an allotrope of carbon consisting of a single layer of atoms arranged in a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice. But mainly, they look cool.

– Chris Shugart

Lightweight, Breathable, Stretch Knit Upper

Seemless, sock-like construction makes this one of the most comfortable shoes I've ever tried. They call them "runners" but I wear them for everything.

– Chris Shugart

TriBase Outsole, Medial Rope Grip

Billed as a cross trainer and aimed at the CrossFit market, it's actually more suitable for lifting given the firm midsole. Very stable and tough, but with just enough flexibility for comfort and performance.

– Chris Shugart

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

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

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

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