The best workout shoes can make or break your fitness experience. You can’t saunter into the gym in a pair of loafers and expect to set a new squat PR. (Though if you do, get it on video.) Workout shoes provide the proper foundation upon which all of your exercise happens, ensuring you’re calm, cool, and collected as you sweat it out. Comfortable yet functional, they’re essential to getting the most out of your workouts, and they make an excellent gift for the fitness fanatic in your life.
Everyone works out for a different reason, so narrowing down the list can be tricky—that’s where we come in. Across 12 different categories, we’ve selected the best workout shoes in the game, so whether you’re a diehard gym rat who never skips leg day, looking to PR in a half marathon, or recently caught the pickleball bug, we’ve got all the top picks you need to paint your athletic masterpiece or find the perfect present for the gym rat in your life.
The Most Wanted Workout Shoes for Every Activity
- Best Workout Shoes Overall: Reebok Nano X5, $90
- Best Workout Shoes for Cross Training: Hoka Kawana 2, $140
- Best Workout Shoes for CrossFit: Nike Metcon 9, $150
- Best Workout Shoes for the Gym: NoBull Outwork Edge Shoes, $149
- Best Squat Shoes: TYR L-2 Lifter, $225
- Best Workout Shoes for Lifting: Vivobarefoot Motus Strength, $200
- Best Workout Shoes for Running: Brooks Ghost 16, $140
- Best Workout Shoes for Trail Running: Arc’teryx Norvan LD 4 GTX Trai4 Running Shoes, $200
- Best Workout Shoes for Pickleball: Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 6, $140
- Best Workout Shoes for Climbing: La Sportiva Katana Lace, $219
- Best Workout Shoes for Race Day: Nike Vaporfly 4, $260
- Best Recovery Shoes: Kane Revive, $80
In This Guide
Best Workout Shoes Overall: Reebok Nano X5
The Reebok Nano X5 does just about everything and does it well. Just as capable of handling a regular lift as a CrossFit session or even a Barry’s class, it’s practically a one-stop shop for all your gym-related needs. Flexible enough for dynamic movement but still stable enough to ground hardcore lifts, these gym shoes do it all with a Goldilocks amount of foam cushion. While it’s not the best shoe for powerlifting or olympic weightlifting, it gets the job done, and it’s more than well-equipped for accessory movements and the activities that most of us will do in a gym workout—deadlifts, lunges, basically anything dumbbell related—while maintaining a good amount of breathability that keeps it feeling light. Versatility is the name of the game here, and if you’re looking only to get one shoe for the gym, this is it, hands down, because it just transitions so well from exercise to exercise. If you do any form of working out, here’s the shoe you’ll need.
Best Workout Shoes for Cross Training: Hoka Kawana 2
As we discussed in our best cross-trainers piece, the Kawana’s are versatile shoes that are ready for anything right out of the box. With a stable base, they’re capable of handling weightlifting sessions with ease but are supportive and cushioned enough to hit the tread or the pavement for some cardio, too. These cross-training shoes are particularly great for HIIT workouts or to pop in your travel pack (or wear to the airport) as your go-to shoe while on vacation thanks to the sheer number of activities they’re capable of tackling. Think of them as a veritable Swiss Army Knife in shoe form.
Best Workout Shoes for CrossFit: Nike Metcon 9
Nike’s Metcon series is a perpetual beast in the gym, and the 9 continues to improve upon the shoe’s near perfection. With a stable platform that lends itself to intense lifting sessions while still being good enough for quick sprints, the Metcon (not to be confused with the Nike Free Metcon, built for cardio) is exceptionally well-suited to tackling functional training and CrossFit activities. They’re great for general lifting, too, as the lace-lock system keeps everything out of the way. Most importantly, your foot feels stable, secure, and in place, with strong durability to match whatever a session throws at you—all without having to throw in some extra insoles in there.
Best Workout Shoes for the Gym: NoBull Outwork Edge
The NoBull Outwork Edge is perhaps the grippiest option on this list. Thanks to a herringbone-style pattern that allows for intense traction on all kinds of surfaces, these shoes are great for strength training. While some gym rats swear by cheap Converse, they’ll get a kick out of how much more stable they’ll feel when they lace up in these. The flat sole ensures constant, even contact with the floor, and they’re almost as comfortable as being barefoot (almost).
Best Squat Shoes: TYR L-2 Lifter
Love hitting Tom Platz-esque leg days? These L-2 squat shoes (aka weightlifting shoes) from TYR are your best bet—they’re the new and improved version of the L-1s, which won a GQ Fitness Award last year. “For the price of a brutal bar tab, you’re looking at a windfall of benefits to your squat and leg development that you wouldn’t get squatting barefoot or in flats,” GQ senior commerce editor Ian Burke says about the first iteration. “If you have trouble hitting depth on a squat, have ankle mobility issues, or want to target your quads more by putting them in a more stretched position in the hole, you’ll love squatting in a heel. If you have wide feet or just want a well-made squat shoe trusted by some of the world’s best squatters, you can’t go wrong with these. And anecdotally, squatting in these shoes changed my entire leg day experience—I used to squat barefoot, but when I made the switch to heels, my legs blew up, my numbers rose, and the nagging shin pain I had for years while squatting finally went away.”
Best Workout Shoes for Lifting: Vivobarefoot Motus Strength
Few shoes are as likely to elicit a “What are those!” on the streets as a pair of Vivobarefoots. In the gym? Well, seeing a dude rocking these is a sure sign that this guy’s about to get low and break a new PR. The Motus Strengths are about as close to lifting barefoot as possible but with the bells and whistles that’ll keep him on his feet when he’s lifting overhead. The sole is super responsive so you can get a full-body feel for your movements, and with the high midfoot sidewalls, you can get into cross training during the same lifting sesh. It’s grippy, it’s stable, and it’s a damn great shoe for going beast mode at the gym.
Best Workout Shoes for Running: Brooks Ghost 16
GQ contributor Tanner Bowden said this of the Ghost 16 in his review, “If you’re in need of a regular old running shoe, the Ghost is proof that, even in the era of super trainers, excellence doesn’t have to mean fancy features.” That’s a bang-on summation of why we love the Ghost 16 as a good running workout shoe. If you’re hitting the tread for a run, the Ghost is extremely well-suited for easy miles, something that can disappear into the background as you put one foot in front of the other.
Best Workout Shoes for Trail Running: Arc’teryx Norvan LD 4 GTX
Leave it to the experts from one of the best outdoor brands in the world to engineer one of the best trail runners, too. The Arc’Teryx Norvan LD 4 GTX is your first and last stop when it comes to hitting the trail thanks to Gore-Tex upper and a textured, 4mm lug pattern Vibram sole that provides the perfect grip for any surface you’ll come across while running. Breathable and supportive, your feet will stay cool without overheating. Everything you could possibly want or need to hit the dirt is here in one striking package, now it’s just up to you to put one foot in front of the other.
Best Workout Shoes for Pickleball: Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 6
With Pickleball continuing to dominant courts all over the country, it makes sense to have a dedicated option for those looking to get in some reps. For this recommendation, we spoke with pro pickleball player, poach, and commentator Daniel Roditi, who loves the Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 6. “If I can play in them the first day I wear ‘em, then that’s a good sign,” he says of the shoes. The shoes are constructed with a responsive midsole that helps propel you forward for quick movements to get right to where the ball is going. “When I want to move quickly, I like the Exceed,” he adds. “They’re very lightweight, very low profile.” They’re also quite the head-turners, offered in four different colorways, including this electric blue that’s easily our favorite of the bunch.
Best Workout Shoes for Climbing: La Sportiva Katana Lace
Tired of renting shoes every time you go bouldering? La Sportiva is one of the leading brands in climbing shoes and its Katana Laces are at the top of the pack. Eschewing the typical velcro closures for laces, these shoes have a dramatic downturn shape, which helps them perform better on slabs wiggle their way into thin, typically inaccessible cracks. They’re shockingly comfortable—or as comfy as one can get with a pair of climbing shoes—and while they might not help you figure out the beta on a V8, you’ll at least look like you know what you’re doing.
Best Workout Shoes for Race Day: Nike Vaporfly 4
We published a more in-depth review of the Vaporfly 3, Nike’s super running shoe, earlier this year, with the TL;DR being that it absolutely lived up to the hype for long-distance runs at high speeds. But the Vaporfly 4? Woo, boy—this is one helluva follow-up, with a lighter, more stable sole that is, however, maybe a bit more narrow than some would prefer. While it’s a bit overkill for simple runs on the treadmill at the gym, it is beneficial if you’re doing speed work on a treadmill or if for some reason, your gym is swanky enough to have an indoor track for some Olympic-level training. Oh, and it just looks cool as hell, especially if you snag a pair in that bright crimson colorway (not exactly minimalist, but they’re sick). Springy and supportive, thanks to its Zoom sole, you’ll feel like you’re flying as you soar through treadmill work with ease because these are truly some of the best running shoes we’ve tried.
Best Recovery Shoes: Kane Revive
How are your feet doing? A little achey? Time to throw on a pair of recovery shoes. We’re fans of the Kane Revives, a pair of airy slip ons that. From raised footbed nodes to support along the heel, arch, and forefront, these shoes offer up every possible detail that can help you spend less time on your ass and more time going back after it (on your feet). The super-supportive soles give you the cushioning you need to just walk around, whether it’s bopping in your apartment or heading out for a protein shake. Are these shoes you’d work out in? No, but if you work out, this is a pair of footwear you want in your rotation.
More Workout Shoes We Love
What to Look For in Workout Shoes
Much like any good pair of shoes, how you select a pair is going to boil down to what kind of activity you’re doing. Are you doing lots of static lifts? Then you probably can get away with something that’s a little stiffer because you won’t be moving a lot and don’t need that flexibility. Are you doing HIIT training? You might want something that’s really responsive so your feet aren’t killing you at the end of the day. Are you trail running? You’ll want traction. Once you’ve locked into what it is you’ll be doing, it comes down to some key factors like grip to keep you grounded, support to ensure your lower body isn’t hurting, breathability to fight off blisters, and cushioning.
How We Tested
With so many different options on the market, the only way to see how these shoes perform is to, well, test them. We scoured the internet for fitness enthusiasts’ opinions on their favorite workout shoes, eventually pairing those selections to a final list of the pairs that appeared the most frequently. From there, we put the shoes through a variety of different activities where comfort and support were among the most important factors, and those guided us in making our final selections.