From strong-and-stable lifters to light-and-fast treadmill runners, these are the best gym shoes for any workout…
If you’re serious about the time you spend in the gym – whether you’re pounding the treadmill or picking weights up off the floor – a battered old pair of trainers aren’t going to do you any favours. For dynamic, high-intensity movements, you need a pair of the best gym shoes that are lightweight and responsive and can handle quick changes of direction.
Get kitted out for the gym with the best shorts for men
By contrast, heavy lifting – particularly squats and deadlifts – calls for a robust, flat-bottomed shoe that grips to the ground and allows you to drive through your heels.
To help you make the best decision for your workout needs, we’ve pulled together the following buyer’s guide, featuring the very best gym shoes for 2023.
The difference between gym shoes and running shoes
If your main goal at the gym is to pound the treadmill before maybe spending some time on the exercise mats, a classic running shoe will do the job. However, if your workouts extend beyond treadmill running, you’ll want to get more specific.
There are a few key differences between a gym shoe and a running shoe. Think about the type of action that a running shoe is made for: it supports forward-going, heel-to-toe movements, rather than lateral movement or upward propulsion. A higher heel-toe drop provides a running shoe with extra cushioning and shock absorption, protecting the runner’s joints and ligaments from injury.
Train in comfort and style with the best sweatpants and joggers
Heel cushioning is particularly important, as is the use of lightweight mesh materials – a running shoe need to be light and breathable for those long, sweaty runs.
A gym shoe, however, is made with multidirectional and lateral movement in mind. Generally, it’ll have a lower heel-toe drop and a smaller cushion, which gives athletes a better range of motion. Typically, a wider toe box also helps to support quick directional changes.
Now that you’re clear on the main boxes that need ticking, here’s our pick of the best gym shoes for 2023.
Put your foot to the floor with the best lifting shoes
BEST GYM SHOES 2023
(Keep scrolling for full reviews)
The best gym shoes for treadmill running
- New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v12 ($159.99 / £160 / newbalance.com)
- Asics Gel-Kayano 29 ($160 / £175 / asics.com)
The best gym shoes for HIIT workouts
- Under Armour Tribase Reign 4 Pro ($120 / £130 / underarmour.com)
- Vivobarefoot Primus Lite III ($160 / £130 / vivobarefoot.com)
Best gym shoes for cross-training
- Reebok Nano X2 ($135 / £100 / reebok.com)
- Puma Fast-R NITRO ELITE Fireglow (£220 / puma.com – not available in the US)
The best gym shoes for heavy lifting
- Nike Metcon 8 ($130 / £124.95 / nike.com)
- Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit ($179.55 / £140 / vivobarefoot.com)
- Reebok Legacy Lifter II ($200 / £150 / reebok.com)
Pick up the pace with the best running shorts
BEST GYM SHOES FOR TREADMILL RUNNING
New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v12
BUY IT NOW:
$159.99 / £160 / newbalance.com
Fit: 4.5/5
Comfort: 5/5
Performance: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 5/5
Material: Hypoknit upper / Fresh Foam X™ midsole / blown rubber outsole | Weight: 292g | Width: Narrow / standard / wide / extra wide | Colours: Grey / orange / black / navy / blue | Sizes: 6½ to 14½
The New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v12 is described as the best running shoe in its range, and it strikes the ideal balance between cushioning, stability and flexibility.
It’s an attractive trainer that comes in five colors and four width options, and features a deep foam midsole, which provides a huge amount of support. Plus, the 1080 v12 also has an engineered ‘Hypoknit’ upper, which gives plenty of breathability and stretch, while keeping the shoe’s weight below 300g.
Lastly, in terms of fit, this shoe is nice and snug. It hugs your foot well and also offers plenty of cushioning and support for a smooth, stable run.
Read our full New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v12 review
Asics Gel-Kayano 29
BUY IT NOW:
$160 / £175 / asics.com
Fit: 4/5
Comfort: 4/5
Performance: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Material: Stretch knit upper / FF BLAST™ PLUS midsole / AHARPLUS™ outsole | Weight: 299g | Colours: 10 colour schemes | Sizes: 5 to 15
The Asics Gel-Kayano 29 is a sturdy, highly supportive shoe. There’s plenty of impressive sounding tech – such as FF BLAST PLUS cushioning, LITETRUSS midsole stabilisation and AHARPLUS heel plugs – which combine to help you feel stable throughout lateral and forward motion.
That foamy midsole also offers impressive shock absorption to help you deal with impact when running on treadmills, which can often feel hard and unforgiving underfoot. Plus, there’s a cushioned tongue and thick padding around the ankle, while the sock liner also helps make for a comfy fit.
Plus, at least 50% of the shoe’s main stretch-knit uppers are made out of recycled materials to reduce carbon emissions and waste.
Read our full Asics Gel-Kayano 29 review
BEST GYM SHOES FOR HIIT WORKOUTS
Under Armour TriBase Reign 4 Pro
BUY IT NOW:
$120 / £130 / underarmour.com
Fit: 4/5
Comfort: 4/5
Performance: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Material: Mesh upper / Micro G™ foam midsole / UA TriBase™ outsole | Weight: 298g | Colours: Black / lime | Sizes: 6 to 14
The Under Armour TriBase Reign 4 Pro is a solid, versatile trainer, offering stability during various cardio and weight exercises.
The Reign 4 Pro has a durable base, a sock-like wrap-around upper and a thick, blocky midsole that provides plenty of support. It’s also a highly breathable shoe, too, with a layered mesh material that stops your feet from getting too sweaty during intense workouts.
The Reign 4 Pro is designed to maximise ground contact while promoting natural motion, and this shoe gives you a good blend of stability and movement.
Lastly, a strong rubber build under the toe box provides a solid base and powerful floor grip, making it well suited to weight lifting and mixed workouts. If you’re incorporating heavier weights alongside your aerobic work, this might just be the ideal gym shoe for you.
Read our full Under Armour TriBase Reign 4 Pro review
Vivobarefoot Primus Lite III
BUY IT NOW:
$160 / £130 / vivobarefoot.com
Fit: 4.5/5
Comfort: 5/5
Performance: 3.5/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Material: Water-repellent mesh upper made from recycled PET bottles / 4mm active outsole | Weight: 207g | Colours: Obsidian / deep sea blue / molten lava / bright white / harbour grey | Sizes: 6 to 14
The Vivobarefoot Primus Lite III is a minimalistic ‘barefoot’ style of gym shoe, designed to make you agile and light on your feet – as if you’re wearing no footwear at all.
With a plimsoll-like feel, it’s incredibly lightweight and highly flexible, with zero drop and a wide toe box.
These trainers give you the freedom to move around with speed and intensity. There’s also a surprising amount of support, though, too. If you’re incorporating weights into your workout, this shoe provide more than enough stability and ground feel to power through your heels.
Read our full Vivobarefoot Primus Lite III review
BEST GYM SHOES FOR CROSS-TRAINING
Reebok Nano X2
BUY IT NOW:
$135 / £100 / reebok.com
Fit: 5/5
Comfort: 5/5
Performance: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 5/5
Material: Flexweave™ knit upper / Floatride Energy Foam™ midsole / ROPEPRO+™ rubber outsole | Weight: 306g | Colours: Six colour schemes | Sizes: 4 to 13
The Reebok Nano X2 is a superb all-around gym shoe, and arguably the most versatile trainer on this list. Firstly, it features excellent lateral support, plus good grip and traction from the shoe’s rubber outsole.
The Nano X2 can handle multiple movements, as well as the strain put on it by heavy lifting, making it perfect for cross-training. Its heel also has a good spring to it. Plus, its breathable upper material keeps your feet from becoming too hot and stuffy.
If you’re looking for a quality all-rounder that can handle the variety of exercises included in a multi-format routine, you can’t go wrong with the Reebok Nano X2. And with six attractive colour schemes, it also holds its own away from the gym as well.
Read our full Reebok Nano X2 review
Puma Fast-R NITRO Elite Fireglow
BUY IT NOW:
£220 / puma.com (not available in the US)
Fit: 4.5/5
Comfort: 4.5/5
Performance: 5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Material: mono-mesh upper / NITRO Elite™ foam midsole / PUMAGRIP-LT™ rubber outsole | Weight: 180g | Colours: Sun stream / sunset glow | Sizes: 8-12
The Puma Fast-R NITRO Elite Fireglow is a springy, super-light running shoe. That lively feeling makes it a solid choice for a variety of fast-paced movements – not just treadmill work, but any number of aerobic pursuits.
There’s also serious cushioning underfoot, too, and this shoe definitely feels durable. However, the upper, made of super-lightweight mono mesh, could feel too thin for some. This is definitely not the choice for power lifters.
However, if you’re after something that genuinely puts a spring in your step, the NITRO Elite Fireglow offers exactly that. Puma will even chuck in a free pair of Fast-R performance running socks.
Read our full Puma Fast-R NITRO Elite Fireglow review
Under Armour SlipSpeed
BUY IT NOW:
$150 / £135 / underarmour.com
Fit: 3/5
Comfort: 4/5
Performance: 4/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Material: UA Flow cushioning / breathable mesh uppers / Iso-Chill padded interior | Weight: 306g | Colours: Black / White / Red / Yellow | Sizes: 6-12
The Under Armour SlipSpeed is an innovative gym shoe that switches effortlessly from beast mode to recovery mode just with a flick of its ‘crushable’ heel. In training mode it’s a capable all-rounder, handling treadmill runs, aerobic sessions and even strength training.
It may not excel at any of these, but its Flow foam is durable and grippy, reinforced mesh uppers are breathable and the Iso-Chill interior enhances comfort. Pop the heel down and – hey presto – you have a Croc-like slip-on for post-workout lounging.
Read our full Under Armour SlipSpeed review
BEST GYM SHOES FOR HEAVY LIFTING
Nike Metcon 8
BUY IT NOW:
$130 / £124.95 / nike.com
Fit: 5/5
Comfort: 4.5/5
Performance: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Material: mesh upper with synthetic overlays / Nike React Foam midsole / rubber outsole | Weight: 352g | Colours: six colour schemes | Sizes: 5½ to 15
The Nike Metcon 8 provides plenty of stability and support during heavy lifting. But, it is versatile enough to allow you to perform a more mixed set of exercises.
Its wide, thick heel provides a strong base for deadlifts and squats, giving the shoe a solid feel with plenty of protection.
The foam midsole also gives you a cushioned, springy base and the shoe’s rubber tread provides ample grip. Plus, the uppers are fairly light, creating a good balance between sturdiness, flexibility and relatively light weight.
Read our full Nike Metcon 8 review
Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit
BUY IT NOW:
$179.55 / £140, vivobarefoot.com
Fit: 4.5/5
Comfort: 4/5
Performance: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Materials: Recycled polyester upper / plastic-free laces | Weight: 263g | Colours: 5 available | Sizes: 6.5-14.5 (US) / 6-14 (UK)
Vivobarefoot does things a little differently when it comes to gym and running shoes, creating feet-shaped shoes, not shoe-shaped ones. It’s Primus range features wide toe boxes, ultra-thin soles and flexible uppers, and the Primus Lite Knit employs these to good effect as a lifting shoe.
Weighing half as most of its rivals, it still provides a strong and stable base from which to push through. Those flexible uppers allow better ankle mobility than most built-up training shoes too. Just be prepared for a bedding-in period if you’ve not worn Vivobarefoot shoes before.
Read our full Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit review
Reebok Legacy Lifter II
BUY IT NOW:
$200 / £150 / reebok.com
Fit: 4/5
Comfort: 3/5
Performance: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Material: Textile upper / TPU heel clip / rubber outsole | Weight: 575g | Colours: White and black / white and red / grey and blue / black and grey / navy and red | Sizes: 5½ to 13
This is an out and out lifter, pure and simple, it offers excellent stability and a locked-in feel to keep you gripped to the ground at all times.
That said, the thick, heavy feel of the shoe means it’s not the most comfortable when you’re walking between workout stations (though that’s not an uncommon sacrifice made with specialist weight-lifting trainers). And the bulkiness of the Reebok Legacy Lifter II might not be to everyone’s tastes; they’re just too heavy for a more generalised workout.
However, if you’re gearing up for a day of heavy lifting, you’ll do well to find a better option than this shoe.
Read our full Reebok Legacy Lifter II review
Words: Fred Garratt-Stanley
