14 best men’s gym trainers, tested by a fitness writer

R.A.D’s inaugural 2022 launch, the R.A.D one, upset the Nike/Reebok/Adidas gym shoe monopoly by trumping all three. As such, there was a lot of pressure on its 2025 successor, but the shoe managed to live up to the hype and retain its space at the top of this list.

The brand has made an incredibly comfortable shoe even more comfortable. After half an hour of wearing it around the house, the upper seemed to mould to my foot. The locked-in heel worked perfectly, and I also liked how there was a bit of extra room around the forefoot, allowing me to spread my toes for balance during Olympic lifts.

The redesigned midsole felt springier for short runs of up to 2km, but maintained the responsiveness of the v1, which I loved for explosive exercises like burpees and box jumps. This, combined with a new split outsole, helped me feel nimble during varied circuit workouts and shuttle runs.

But the most impressive update in the shoe is its heel. My only minor gripe with its predecessor was that the rear of the shoe didn’t feel quite as stable as rivals like the Tyr cxt-2 during squats and Olympic lifts. For the v2, R.A.D has redesigned the heel clip, and I found it felt far more secure in the catch position of a snatch or clean.

The look of the shoe is still a point of contention with R.A.D fans. Such was the popularity of the v1 that any change was always going to be met with some friction. And while I still prefer the look of the original for everyday wear, the design of the v2 has grown on me with every wear.

The Nike metcon 10 marks the greatest generational glow-up of any training shoe I’ve tested. I didn’t see eye to eye with its somewhat cumbersome predecessor, but the latest iteration has rarely been off my feet since I was sent a pair to test.

Gone are the rigid, rubberised side walls of the metcon 9 in favour of a lighter, more accommodating upper. The prior plastic hyperlift plate in the heel, which felt like a plank of wood under my heel during dynamic movements, has also made way for a more subtle equivalent. And the inflexible outsole has been overhauled to include flex grooves, which, twinned with the new reactX foam in the midsole, provide a livelier ride.

The result is a shoe that feels springy during explosive exercises like box jumps, without losing the metcon range’s signature stability for lifting – squats and Olympic lifts felt fantastic, even with the more modest 4mm heel-to-toe drop.

The metcon 10 felt a little stiff to start with, but it has become more comfortable with every wear, and the updated materials have a robust, premium feel – after using them for a month, I haven’t encountered any signs of wear and tear.

Nike has widened the toe box on this model, which is a move I was pleased with, although I could have done with a few more millimetres to give my forefoot some extra room to splay for stability.

Lake District-based Inov8 has been flying under the fitness world’s radar for too long, producing top training shoes after top training shoes, to the delight of its cult following. And I think this is the brand’s finest work to date.

I tested the shoe’s forerunner, the Inov8 f-lite g300, and while it was flawlessly stable for lifting heavy, the graphene outsole felt too stiff for any athletic pursuits and the rear of the shoe failed to lock my (admittedly narrow) heel in place securely. The f-lite max has an updated shape which narrows at the heel before widening around the forefoot, giving my toes enough room to splay for balance.

It’s safe to say, Inov8 nailed the redesign. The f-lite max mapped my foot perfectly to prevent any unwanted movement inside the shoe, but didn’t pinch or press uncomfortably in any area. The new outsole and TPU heel stabiliser create an incredibly stable platform for weighty leg exercises, and I loved how the shoe felt for squats of all forms. But it still felt nimble during more explosive movements like broad jumps.

In other words, there’s very little this gym trainer can’t do. I didn’t find it as friendly for running as the options above, but if you’re just looking to do short (up to 500m) intervals as part of a circuit or CrossFit workout, it will hold up just fine.

Picking the best barefoot training shoe is a tricky task, with the market for this minimalist footwear rapidly increasing. I tried a fair few – I liked the Xero nexus knit and loved the Vivobarefoot primus lite knit and motus strength. But my favourite is the Inov8 bare-XF pro.

I’ve never had a less than exemplary experience with the Lake District-based brand, and this shoe was no different. It offers out-of-the-box comfort and a true-to-size fit, giving my foot all the breathing room it needs while still effectively locking down the heel. The razor-thin outsole and insole provide excellent groundfeel and stability too, delivering a truly barefoot experience.

Personally, I switch out of barefoot shoes for heavy squats and Olympic lifts. I prefer to have a bit of a heel-to-toe drop to counter my lacking ankle mobility, so I opt for standard gym trainers or dedicated weightlifting shoes when more weight goes on the bar.

But for short runs, CrossFit workouts, strength training and general wear, the shoe is excellent. It’s incredibly lightweight, the upper’s rubber skeleton provides added stability without ruining the barefoot feel, and the rope-tec wrapping around the midfoot provides some bonus grip when climbing ropes.

Clutching at straws, I might have liked a thin layer of cushioning around the heel for a slightly more plush feel, but this was only noticeable when wearing thinner socks.

In 2026, a new pair of gym trainers will usually set you back about £130. Decathlon is looking to change that. The French sports giant has released a couple of options for under £50 – the energy and the energy+.

I tried the energy+, and I liked what I found. The black Reebok nano-esque colourway looks smart, and the “hybrid shoe” delivers the performance its name promises. It’s comfortable, it offers a decent amount of energy return for dynamic exercises and runs of up to 1km, and it’s fairly stable when lifting weights too.

The brand’s first training shoe outing isn’t perfect. There’s a little bit of compression under the heel when lifting weights heavier than 80kg, and the materials naturally don’t feel as premium as pricier counterparts.

But for the price, it massively overdelivers, representing an affordable shoe that looks good, feels good and performs admirably across the board in any gym-based activity.

The Reebok nano revival continues with the release of the x5 – the 15th edition of the brand’s much-loved training shoe. After a couple of years in the wilderness, the line has been steadily improving since 2023, and this latest generation is my pick of the bunch.

Its predecessor, the X4, delivered impressive versatility with its lift and run chassis system. I was sad to learn this is absent from the nano X5, but what’s replaced it is even better.

The shoe now has a dual-density midsole with a firm heel and springier forefoot, delivering stability for lifting heavy and plenty of bounce for plyometric exercises. As a result, I preferred it to the x4 for running, and comfortably covered a few kilometres wearing the shoe.

The slimmer profile also feels less clunky than its older brother. This, twinned with its redesigned split outsole, helped me feel more nimble during high-octane HIIT and CrossFit workouts, despite the shoe being a little bit heavier (405g for a UK size 10).

Another area Reebok has improved upon is comfort. The fit feels more snug, secure and accommodating straight out of the box, and the break-in period is non-existent.

Because of the thicker dual-density foam midsole, the shoe holds the foot quite high, similar to a running shoe. Those used to wearing more cushioned trainers might like this, but I missed the minimalist feel of thinner midsoles like the Strike MVMNT haze trainers during exercises like deadlifts. This is a case of personal preference, however.

But despite this minor gripe, there isn’t a gym-based activity this shoe can’t handle, making it a great pick for anyone wanting a do-all training shoe.

You might not have heard of this shoe or even the brand that makes it, but I think it’s about time you became acquainted. Strike MVMNT has been subtly making moves in the gym space for the last few years, and its debut training shoe is a doozy, offering great ground feel thanks to its thin midsole and 4mm heel-to-toe drop.

In the gym, it performed brilliantly, with the firmness underfoot allowing me to generate plenty of power through the ground for athletic endeavours such as jumps and sprints. It was impressively stable during squats and Olympic lifts, too, with the flatter sole providing an excellent base for heavy deadlifts.

Unlike most rivals, I found I had to play with the lacing to find a fit I liked. When I first put them on, the forefoot felt too tight, and there was some friction on the top of my big toe. But after a quick adjustment and (insider tip) a switch to thinner socks, the shoe cradled my foot and felt supportive during lateral movements. I have narrower feet, so I’d recommend those with wider feet try this shoe on before buying to make sure it’s a good fit.

Strike MVMNT also says you can happily tackle a 5K in this shoe. Personally, I’d like a little more cushioning if I’m going to cover that sort of distance, but this is just my preference.

It’s a top choice for any gym-based activity, whether you’re tackling a class or hoisting heavy weights around. It’s easy on the eye too, which always helps, and as a result, it’s already made its way into my regular gym trainer rotation.

I strongly disliked the Under Armour tribase reign 5. The shoe was too vanilla for my liking, playing it safe and scoring sixes across the board for stability, comfort and style. Luckily, Under Armour has since decided to completely overhaul its flagship training shoe, and it’s done a very good job.

The tribase reign 6 has more of a minimalist feel, with a thin outsole offering great ground feel. In action, this helped me feel more balanced, stable and able to generate force through the floor effectively. It also features the brand’s updated tribase tech, promoting three points of ground contact to offer improved stability. I can’t say this was at the forefront of my mind while dropping under a heavy clean, but I did feel secure in the catch position.

With its minimalist approach and 2mm heel-to-toe drop, the shoe’s cushioning comes from its insole, which is thicker and denser at the heel to provide springiness without too much compression under heavy weights. As a result, leg workouts felt great, and top-end squat sessions became my favourite use for the shoe.

The tribase reign 6 feels robust, with added durability features such as a rubber outsole that wraps around the midfoot, and you can usually pick a pair up in a sale for a very competitive price when compared to rivals.

My gripes lie in the overall look of the shoe (perhaps this is subjective and too superficial, but if I’m wearing it every day, I want it to look good) and the weight – my UK10 shoe weighed 401g. This latter point didn’t matter while lifting weights, but when I went to do anything faster-pace,d the shoe didn’t feel quite as sprightly as rivals.

TYR and R.A.D aren’t exactly a rivalry as old as time, but it does date back to 2022 when both brands sprang onto the training shoe scene. The R.A.D one wins for me thanks to its style and comfort, but the TYR CXT-2 is still a tremendous shoe, winning on the durability and stability front.

It’s a great fit for anyone who loves leg days or varied CrossFit workouts, with a TPU stability wrap around the sides and heel providing strong foundations for squats and Olympic lifts.

But unlike other stable gym shoes I’ve tried, like the Nike metcon 9 and Inov8 f-lite g300, the TYR CXT-2 didn’t feel cumbersome. The high-density heel foam feels springy during plyometric exercises, without being so plush that it compresses under heavy loads.

Beyond this, the shoe felt bulletproof, showing no signs of wear and tear after weeks of regular use. It also fitted my slightly narrow feet incredibly well, so if you have wide feet, I’d consider TYR’s wide version of the shoe.

Like the TYR cxt-1 before it, I did find the shoe felt a bit stiff and unyielding at first, particularly around the toe. But after a few wears, the upper softened up and became far more accommodating.

Finding a good Hyrox shoe is easier said than done. It needs to carry you through 8km of running in comfort, while also being grippy enough to push a sled and stable enough for leg-dominant exercises like lunges and wall balls. To solve this problem for my inaugural Hyrox race, I turned to the Inov8 f-fly, and it was excellent.

Its jack of all trades status comes courtesy of a lively powerflow pro midsole, which provides an impressive amount of cushioning considering its low stack height under the heel. But because this foam layer is thin and fairly firm, it doesn’t feel like you’re standing on two marshmallows when holding a moderate weight – something you’ll encounter if you do a dumbbell lunge in running shoes.

The shoe is incredibly lightweight too (a UK size 10 comes in at just 248g, by my scales) and benefits from Inov8’s updated shoe shape, providing plenty of room around the toes so I could spread them for balance, then narrowing to lock my heel securely in place.

The Inov8 f-fly isn’t as good as the shoes above for lifting heavy weights, and I did notice some compression in the heel when squatting weights of 100kg and up. But this is a trade-off for its running credentials, which will handle a treadmill session or an outdoor jaunt up to 10km with ease.

So if you’re after a Hyrox shoe, or you’re a self-professed Hyrox athlete that wants to run and lift in the same session, this shoe should be at the top of your wishlist.

Adidas is all in on fitness. The brand has partnered with fitness race series ATHX and functional fitness competition the World Fitness Project, while also sponsoring a slew of top CrossFit athletes. The Adidas dropset 3 is its shoe to cater to this community.

If leg days are second nature to you and lifting weights is your bread and butter, it’s a brilliant offering. The heel is extremely stable thanks to TPU sidewalls, there’s no unwanted compression underfoot, and the 6mm heel-to-toe drop puts you in a favourable position for squatting in any capacity – back squat, front squat or, for the hardcore among you, Bulgarian split squats.

It’s also cheaper than most of its rivals, with an RRP of £110 and the opportunity to pick it up in some significant sales, if a Google search at the time of writing is anything to go by. (The dropset 4 is dropping in January, so now could be a good time to grab a bargain.)

I didn’t enjoy the shoe as much for more dynamic CrossFit and circuit workouts. It’s still good, but the ride is rather firm, and the dual-density midsole doesn’t offer quite the same flexibility or energy as the metcon 10 or R.A.D one v2. This also applied to runs longer than 600m.

However, if your training has a bias towards lifting weights, this is a strong option.

I see a lot of people wearing On shoes in the gym, with the massive midsole stacks made with the brand’s signature honeycomb foam arrangement, or “cloudtec” technology. From a sartorial standpoint, they’ve made a great choice; from a squatting standpoint, not so much. The foam compresses under even lighter weights, offering minimal stability and making it that much harder to generate power.

The cloud X3 was made to solve this – the cloudtec midsole remains, but the shoe has been given a flared heel and firmer feel to make it stable enough for “multiple workouts”. The result is much more versatile than your average running trainer, but not quite an all-rounder.

The shoe still feels great for running. It’s incredibly lightweight, and while you shouldn’t expect the same plush cushioning as your average On shoe, I really enjoyed its responsive ride for faster 5Ks and interval sessions. Its lightweight build and springy feel also paired well with dynamic movements such as sprints and jumps, so if exercise classes are your bag, I think it’s a strong choice.

It was only when I came to lifting weights that I found its shortcomings. It’s not going to matter if you’re in the gym for a spot of upper-body bodybuilding, but the shoe couldn’t compete with the rest of my list for free weight lower body exercises like b-stance deadlifts and barbell squats.

Because of the slight sponginess of the midsole and the lightly curved bottom of the shoe, I don’t think this shoe will be taken to heart by those who love lifting heavy, as they’ll want more stability. But if you like a diverse exercise routine with a running bias (did someone say hybrid athlete?), there are few better shoes out there.

I’ll soon be testing the latest training shoe release from the brand – the On cloud x4 – so I will be updating this guide with my verdict.

This specialist shoe is designed for Olympic weightlifting fans and those who take their squats seriously. Don’t use it for anything else.

The high heel to toe drop (22mm) helped me maintain a more upright torso in the bottom of a squat, the solid sole was brilliant for generating power through the ground, and the shoe felt incredibly stable in the catch position of Olympic lifts (the snatch, clean and jerk).

The shoe has quite a narrow fit, which suited my feet well. If you have wider feet, I’d consider looking at the TYR L1 lifter – a first-of-its-kind weightlifting shoe which has a wider forefoot for improved toe splay and better balance.

It’s also pricey, with the shoe retailing for £180. If you’re just looking for a first weightlifting shoe, the Adidas powerlift 5 is an affordable alternative with a more beginner-friendly heel-to-toe drop of 16mm.

The pump feature serves up a solid hit of 90s nostalgia, although I didn’t find it made too much difference to the fit, and the shoe is also on the heavy side (695g for a UK size 10) – something I don’t mind for Olympic lifts, but this is down to personal preference.

Overall, this is a brilliant, if pricey, shoe. From the tests I’ve done, it offers unrivalled performance for squats, and feels snappy and stable for Olympic weightlifting too.

The GoRuck ballistic trainer deserves more love than it’s given. I think it’s often overlooked because it’s not the prettiest of gym trainers, but it is one of the best, and it’s almost certainly the most durable.

After wearing the ballistic trainer for a few weeks, it still looked box-fresh, and I hadn’t exactly gone easy on it. I’d worn it for my usual training regime, including well-known shoe-killing exercises like rope climbs and wall walks, as well as a spot of off-road rucking (as this is what the brand is best-known for).

After its bombproof build, my next takeaway was how supportive the shoe is. Despite looking a bit like a low-top workman’s boot, it’s incredibly comfortable, locking my heel securely in place to prevent unwanted movement mid-workout and widening at the forefoot to allow my toes to splay for balance. This, twinned with the firm midsole (which is designed to be flexible at the forefoot and stable at the heel) provided a sturdy platform for lifting weights.

Like most shoes on this list, don’t expect a soft, cushioned ride when running; if a shoe offers this, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to lift in it. But I was able to complete a 7km interval session in the ballistic trainer without my knees kicking up any sort of fuss. For these reasons, if you want a durable do-all gym trainer, I reckon this is your best bet.