When you’re doing a HIIT workout, you do not want as much heel-to-toe drop as a weightlifting, or even a running, shoe. The forward angle will instantly detract from your stability. To ensure that your weight remains centered and your foot stable, look for a shoe with a heel-to-toe drop of around 4-6 mm (but no more than 8 mm). The HIIT 2’s bootie construction does not stretch which I discussed in the cons sections above. You can even see the difference in material features in the image below. The right model, the HIIT 2’s bootie feature virtually no elastic components. Personally, I like this for HIIT training because we don’t always want a super plush shoe for this style of training especially when doing plyometrics and other bounding activities. Whether you’re doing lateral jumps, box jumps, or ballistic movements, this model’s midsole provides enough support without losing its stability edge. To steer your shopping choices, we've created an exhaustive edit of the best gym trainers for every type of workout. From the ones you'll want to wear to lift heavy, to styles bouncy enough for a cardio sesh or those badass enough for a brutal HIIT class, you'll find them all here. The HIIT workout plan turned on an ‘afterburn effect’, which increased athletes’ post-training metabolism. This allowed them to burn more calories for the next 24 hours.

The Primus Lite III is a minimalist shoe designed to offer as much freedom as possible when it comes to moving around, whilst still ensuring the foot the grip and protection you would get from a conventional shoe, just in a lean 4mm sole. The wide shape also allows your feet to move freely within the shoe without restricting movement, whilst the thin sole means that your feet can feel the ground. For lifting weights, the Reebok HIIT 2 does surprisingly well. When you have cross-training shoes dedicated to HIIT workouts it’s normal to see their lifting performance go down slightly. In the Reebok HIIT 2, their performance does fairly well for what this shoe offers and if you get this model for casual weight lifting, then I think you’ll like them. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) was ‘invented’ by Japanese Olympic Speed Skating Coach Azumi Tabata in the mid-2000s. Tabata had his athletes perform eight rounds of a workout that involved twenty seconds of sprint work followed by a ten-second recovery on a stationary cycle. When the athletes were tested after 8 weeks on this program, it was found that all of their health parameters had significantly improved. Take a look at the key findings: The best gym trainers for you depend on your activity of choice, but in general, you’ll want to ask yourself the following:The one-piece upper is durable, breathable and flexible for ease of movement no matter what your workout is, and since the material is abrasion resistant it should stand the test of time. The third difference is the bootie construction and fits used in each model. The HIIT TR has a layer of elastic material towards the upper portion of the bootie which I like for helping with putting the shoe on.

With any type of trainer, comfort is key – look for lightweight, breathable gym trainers that will keep you comfortable throughout your workout. In comparison to running shoes, cross trainers tend to have less cushioning in the heel and more in the midsole region. The toe box in a cross-training shoe is roomier than in a running shoe. Cross trainers also have a lower heel-to-toe drop than either a running or a weightlifting shoe. Average heel-to-toe drop When we were at the gym, we truly appreciated the amount of give that this shoe offered. Sprints, jumps, and even simple jogs in place were a lot easier to execute because the shoe just followed the natural flexions of our feet. After manually twisting the shoe in the lab, this shoe got a score of 1 out of 5 for torsional rigidity. That special outsole design is actually made to handle impact at different angles, which is a big bonus when you're moving around sideways as well as forwards. The newest version is also made using On's Helion superfoam, a soft cushioned material that offers an impressive balance between comfort and responsiveness.

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Does your arch feel supported? Are the laces tight? Is there enough cushioning around your midfoot reduce the chances of a sprain? It’s the upper’s breathability that completes the experience of comfort for us. We felt air going through the upper material quite easily. We confirmed this when we subjected the X3 to a smoke test and it got a score of 4 out of 5 when smoke pumped through the collar escaped quite easily through the toe box and sidewall materials. Reebok HIIT 2 Sizing Thoughts: Go true-to-size unless you feel like you normally have a lot of room in the toe box of your shoes. If this is you, then size down a half size.

The heel, for its part, compressed quite well. It registered 20.5 on the HA durometer while the average is as high (or firm) as 27.0. The softness that the heel delivered neutralized the impact of our sprints, jumps, and other nimble movements. From the explosive way you move in a circuit training session to the joint-impacting steps you take during a treadmill workout, your gym shoes need to cater to your workout. What's the difference between running trainers and gym trainers? You want a shoe that has plenty of rubber traction in the forefoot and the heel. Basically, the more rubber underfoot, the greater your sole traction will be. On a daily wear basis, this model works well and is overall pretty comfortable. This shoe reminds me a lot of the Reebok Nano X1’s feel for daily wear, but I would actually grab this model over the X1 because it does have a slight edge for being a bit plusher comparatively speaking. Plus, the price point makes this a good shoe for beating up as a daily driver. Despite liking the Reebok HIIT TR as a whole, there are two potential cons I could see others running into with this model.The Floatride Energy Foam does a better job at supporting a wide range of activities while also keeping the shoe comfortable. Plus, it feels like a higher quality material compared to the previous midsole materials used in the Reebok HIIT TR shoe line. This model works best for HIIT, classes, and light recreational lifting. In the Reebok HIIT 2, I’ve trained up to 315 lbs and they did an okay job at supporting that load without a ton of compression. I wouldn’t train much heavier than this weight, however, for what this shoe is and its price I feel 315 lbs is a pretty good threshold especially for those buying this shoe primarily for classes and HIIT workouts. Why we love them: Developed as a cross-training shoe, the Metcon 8 is designed for tough workouts, gym sessions, and classes where you typically make a lot of sharp, aggressive and lateral movements. It features a flat sole for stability during weightlifting exercises, and a flexible forefoot for agility during functional exercises. The Metcon 8 also has a sturdy upper that can handle rope climbs, box jumps, and other demanding movements. It is suitable for those who perform a variety of exercises in the gym and need a shoe that can handle the demands of their workouts.

And perhaps the best thing about performing HIIT workouts in this shoe is that our feet barely get warm even after extended sessions. Its breathability is so good that we scored it a perfect 5 out of 5 in our lab test, as the smoke we pumped into it passed right through the upper with no trouble at all. The technology that sits within the Cloud X is identical to the other models that fall under the iconic On umbrella. Although it is still classed as a running shoe, we've found its real strength lies in general training, covering everything from gym workouts to HIIT, CrossFit and shorter runs. Elsewhere, if you are going to be doing a lot of weightlifting, you may want to consider a weightlifting shoe with a flat, hard sole for stability. The most important thing is to choose a workout shoe that’s comfortable and supportive – and make sure that your gym trainers have non-marking outsoles (‘cos no one wants to be seen scuffing up a pristine gym floor). To break down the performance of the Reebok HIIT 2, I’m going to discuss how this shoe performs in multiple categories to help you conceptualize if this model is right for you.Whether you’re regularly hitting the weight section of the gym or doing a cardio-heavy HIIT class, you need a decent pair of gym trainers to help you to get the most from your workout. Trust me, as someone who’s tried and tested practically every sweat-inducing gym class in London (from Barry’s Bootcamp and 1Rebel to The Foundry, Third Space and Psycle), wearing the same pair of running trainers you wear at the weekend for parkrun sadly won’t cut it when it comes to squats, deadlifts and burpees (and, spoiler: neither will that old pair of Stan Smiths). The Adidas Dropset Trainer is our top stability training shoe for HIIT workouts as we felt it delivers outstanding support while doing dynamic movements. It is also very flexible and immensely breathable, which make it such a hit for HIIT workouts.