The 6 Best Gym Shoes for Every Kind of Workout

The RAD One V2 doesn't have quite the same wear-anywhere appeal as its predecessor (yes, I'm talking about the waves), but after owning a pair for a year and a half, I can say it's capable of doing basically everything in the gym short of restacking your weights.

The SwellFoam BIO EVA midsole compressed less under heavy squats than its soft feel suggests, while the stiff TPU heel gave stability when planting my feet. I often struggle to balance during front squats, but I felt more confident and steady in the V2 than in any other gym shoe I tested, and the herringbone outsole has kept grippy on soft gym flooring, wooden platforms and sled carpets after a good amount of wear.

Despite all that stability, it doesn't feel excessively stiff. I wore it for everything from group cross-training workouts to solo leg days combining heavy squats with dynamic bodyweight movements, and it transitioned smoothly between controlled and more explosive exercises. Compared with the denser V1, the V2 felt more forgiving through the forefoot during jumps and short runs without becoming noticeably less stable under the weight of a loaded barbell.

The padded tongue and collar give it a secure and comfortable feel that hugs your feet. The single-piece air mesh on the upper helps with breathability without limiting its durability, but I found that it did run a little warm as a self-diagnosed heavy sweater.

Overall, the RAD One V2 is well suited to CrossFit and other workouts combining weightlifting, plyometrics and short runs. On paper, it's slightly heavy and it could be more breathable, but its balance of stability, grip, forefoot flexibility, cushioning and general versatility makes it a strong performer across the board.

Men’s Health features editor and CrossFitter Daniel Davies also attests to its versatility. ‘Not naming any names, but I’ve seen people refuse to run in the gym because they’re wearing a certain brand’s hybrid shoe,’ he says. ‘No such trouble with the RAD One V2, which is always up to the task – whether your workout requires running or lifting, barbell work or gymnastics.’

The Nike Free Metcon 7 is the regular Metcon's slightly cooler, more versatile sibling. Its striking midsole wrap and heel counter extend up the sides of the shoe, while the extra cushioning makes it better suited to workouts that mix cardio with lighter strength work than to very heavy lifting.

That cushioning comes from the dual-layer of interlocking foam in the midsole and heel. Nike says the Free Metcon 7 is designed for runs up to three miles, and when I tested that claim on a treadmill, I was surprised by how comfortable it felt heading into the final half-a-mile. Even so, for runs longer 10-minutes, I would still swap to a dedicated running shoe.

It's not as suitable for lifting as the standard Metcon. The firm heel felt stable, but the softer, more flexible midsole didn't provide the same support under a heavily loaded barbell. However, the flexibility became an advantage during higher-intensity exercises like sled pushes and burpee broad jumps, where the webbed lacing system and inner sleeve kept my feet securely locked down with no noticeable shifting.

The Free Metcon 7 fits true to size, but as someone with slightly wider feet – and who tends to find Nike trainers a little narrow – I would consider going half a size up. Elsewhere, the mesh upper felt breathable and didn't overheat, while the outsole provided plenty of grip on sled carpets and soft gym flooring.

Overall, the Nike Free Metcon 7 sits neatly between a weightlifting shoe and a running shoe, letting you flip between the two without having to change your footwear. It's best suited to workouts that combine short, intense sets of strength and cardio exercises, but you could also get away with doing some lifting in them too.

'I've been a fan of the Free Metcon since the first version,' says Men's Health fitness director Andrew Tracey. 'For me, they represent a slightly truer "hybrid" shoe than a regular Metcon, in that they're still stable enough to lift in, but they don't destroy your shins if you've got to tackle a decent distance run. If I knew I was going into a mixed-modal event with running and wouldn't be able to change shoes, these would definitely be my pick.'

If you have wide feet, you've probably worn plenty of gym shoes that feel fine at first but soon start pinching at the sides and squashing your toes at the most critical point of your workout. Thanks to its spacious forefoot design, the Inov8 F-Lite should spare even the widest of feet any discomfort.

I have slightly wide feet. It doesn't catch me out too often, but I know the pain of wearing a shoe that's too narrow. The F-Lite has a wide toe box and plenty of room around the forefoot, allowing me to splay my toes during squats for extra stability without it feeling oversized or cumbersome when I transitioned to more explosive exercises. People with narrow feet may find the fit runs a little too wide, but it should serve wide-footed gym-goers – or anyone who doesn't like narrow gym shoes – well.

Stability is good rather than exceptional. When squatting up to 100kg, my feet felt planted and well supported by the MET-CRADLE overlay on the upper and the reinforced ROPETEC wrap in the arches. However, the heel feels softer and more pliable than the RAD One V2 and Nike Metcon 10, which makes it less suitable for heavier lifts. If you want to keep the wide fit but want more stability, consider the Inov8 F-Lite Max.

That extra flexibility becomes an advantage during explosive movements and bodyweight exercises. When my heels were elevated during box jumps and mountain climes, I found that the pliable midsole and upper flexed naturally with my feet.

Overall, the Inov8 F-Lite is a well-rounded gym shoe with enough stability for moderate lifting, but its flexibility and pliability make it a better suited shoe to general cross-training and cardio-heavy workouts than heavy weightlifting.

The Under Armour TriBase Reign 6 has a low-profile and an almost barefoot shoe feel that makes it well suited to lifting, despite not technically being a true weightlifting shoe.

The TriBase outsole gives you three points of ground contact that act like a triangle of stability, while the 2mm heel-to-toe drop keeps your feet close to the floor. Whenever I needed strong footing, like during squats, deadlifts, RDLs and standing overhead presses, I felt connected to the ground and able to maintain good form.

The Reign 6 has a removable drop-in midsole that replaces a standard, built-in layer of foam. It's soft through the forefoot and denser at the heel, which offers flexibility in the middle of the shoe so it can bend during lunges, jumps and multidirectional movements while remaining stiff and stable at the heel during squats and deadlifts. I didn't see the need to swap the midsole out when I was lifting a barbell, but you have the option to replace it with a standard insole for an even flatter feel underfoot.

On the bottom of the shoe, the deeply grooved rubber outsole provided dependable grip and, together with the reinforced upper and sidewalls, gave the shoe a durable feel.

Overall, the Reign 6 stood out as a particularly strong pick for lifting. It felt stable under a barbell but flexible enough for sled pushes, plyometrics and short running intervals under 400m. But I would look elsewhere for workouts involving lots of cardio as the low-profile and lack of cushioning can become a little comfortable over longer distances.

The latest release from Nike's legacy cross-training line, the Nike Metcon 10 is well suited to mixed workouts, but it still sticks true to its lifting roots.

On foot, the Metcon 10 has a very flat, planted feel. Its 4mm heel-to-toe drop provides plenty of ground contact, while the TPU plate at the heel adds stiffness. I felt stable during heavy overhead presses and front squats, although the toe box was slightly narrow and prevented me from splaying my toes as much as I would have liked.

All that stability means it is not particularly enjoyable to run in. I completed 1km on a treadmill and would not rush to repeat it unless I was unable to change shoes. The same stiffness and flat profile that make it a better lifting shoe than the Free Metcon 7 are also what limit it on runs longer than a few hundred metres.

However, there's also plenty here for cross-training. The rope guards around the arches provide protection against abrasion during rope climbs, while the sturdy upper and midsole wrap help it withstand the scuffs and knocks that come with weight training. I subjected my pair to plenty of rough treatment and saw no signs of separation or structural damage. There's also a good amount of flexibility in the forefoot where the midsole wrap ends, which allows the shoe to bend naturally during exercises like sled pushes.

Overall, the Nike Metcon 10 is an excellent shoe for lifting and cross-training workouts that don't involve masses of cardio. It feels slightly flat and heavy underfoot, but those traits suit its main purpose: providing a stable platform for heavy strength work.

I tested my usual UK size 11 and it fit true to size, but my slightly wide forefoot felt a little tight through the toe box, so I'd consider a half a size up next time.