Best gym shoes UK: workout trainers for CrossFit, weightlifting and cardio, from Nike, On, Inov-8, Reebok
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.
Whether you’re heading to a gym, hitting the home treadmill, tossing kettlebells and dumbbells around your backyard, or (guilty as charged) doing endless burpees on the living room floor, many of you will be looking to get fit (or fitter) in 2022.
Regardless of your exercise regime, odds are it is time to invest in a new pair of trainers to help you perform at your best.
We spend time and money selecting shoes fit for purpose when running, but people often conclude weights or HIIT training don’t require the same investment.
But a great pair of gym trainers can help you be more stable when lifting, or provide tread to assist you with your agility and speed. Whether you’re an affirmed weights lifter (complete with zero cardio t-shirt), a cross-fit aficionado or dedicated to HIIT, there’s a gym trainer to lift your game.
What kind of work-outs do you do?
If all you do is weights, your primary concern is support for your feet in the appropriate places. This means a stiff upper, and support in the heel (this helps when you deadlift or squat) - if you can, an ankle strap across the laces will ensure your feet are firmly in place.
Many of us cross-train, though, with CrossFit, HIIT, or a cardio blast to help keep us lean as well as muscular. If this is you, you’ll need a shoe that will absorb shock as well as add stability - that means cushioning. ‘Cross-training’ shoes provide support and cushioning in the mid-foot and the heel. They tend to be lighter than shoes designed simply for weight-lifting, to help you move quickly and explosively.
Finding the best fit for your foot
Unlike running trainers, you don’t want gym shoes to be too cosy. Weight-lifting shoes need to look for shoes of a reasonable width, to allow your feet to plant comfortably and offer that stable base for your compound moves.
Cross-training shoes should be a half or full size up from your regular shoe size, to allow you to move naturally as you train.
Barefoot training?
There are - as with everything - some barefoot training zealots. We’re not keen, as this invites injury - either through stress fractures, or from weights dropping on your feet. You’ll also find many gyms don’t allow barefoot training.
Here are our favourite gym shoes on the UK market.
Shoes featured here are all men’s, but each company produces a women’s shoe in the same model.
Swiss running shoe brand On’s trainer, the Cloud X, is uniquely versatile, with a comfortable but supportive design, as well as providing impressive responsiveness as you train. Ostensibly a running shoe, we find they’re terrific in all areas of the gym.
The ‘CloudTec’ sole provides excellent cushioning for explosive movement or foot strikes as you run, while the ‘Zero-Gravity’ foam is light-weight and keeps cool as you move. The knit-weave upper means sweat and moisture is kept to a minimum, which we appreciate for particularly sweaty session.
They’re well balanced and feel great to move around in. The perfect all-rounder.
What a mighty bruiser of a gym shoe. If you’re a heavy lifter through and through, these are the kicks for you.
There’s a steep decline from heel to toe, and a souped-up torsion bar system at the rear of the shoe, to ensure the most stable platform you can imagine - you’ll be at your most powerful when you’re lifting your one-rep max weight.
There’s a single instep strap to really lock your rear-foot in place for maximum support. The midsole is thermoplastic (more, you guessed it - support).
A woven upper also ensures the perfect fit while still allowing your toes to move - so you’ll be comfortable when facing a loaded barbell.
If you love bare-foot shoes, you tend to really love them, and this shoe is ideal for bringing the benefits of bare-foot trainers to your weights’ sessions.
With graphene in the outsole and midsole, these shoes are ultra flexible, very, very light, and have a wonderfully grippy exterior. They are ideal for resistance training, bolstering your grip and helping ensure a great base of support as you lift.
That said, they’re not good for HIIT - they wouldn’t provide much cushioning if you do high-impact, kinetic workouts regularly.
The knitted upper and sock-like liner ensure breathability - no sweaty feet here, while a ‘rope-tec’, thermoplastic cage ensures your feet are protected while not adding weight to the shoe - they came in at the feather-lite 210grams.
Though theoretically a running shoe, the Dasher is a great option for all-round training. The rubber outsole is great for withstanding a punishing workout, so you can jump, climb, and skip and they won’t wear. A cushioning midsole will bear the brunt of any impact as you move, while a knitted upper (combination merino and eucalyptus) is snug but flexible.
If you’re driven by aesthetics, this is one of the better looking gym shoes around, while if you’re eco-conscious, be advised it’s made entirely from renewable materials, such as sugarcane and caster bean.
