Zero Drop Running Shoes

High intensity interval training (HIIT for short) has been gaining popularity in recent years. Although it is effective, there have also been more cases of injuries due to the intense workout routines that this program demands. To reduce such incidents, one of the ways is to get the correct workout sneakers or footwear. For the sake of simplicity, I will be calling these type of footwear HIIT shoes. There is no such category in the market today so don’t bother trying to search for them using this term in the stores :)

What to look out for when buying HIIT shoes?

Unlike normal running shoes where the focus in the sole, we need to look for other criteria when evaluating whether a particular model is good as a HIIT workout shoe. Below are what I think is the most important factor to consider:

• Lateral support: HIIT training requires heavy lateral movement. You will want a pair of shoes that can support your feet, especially the ankles, well during such movements. Running shoes wouldn’t cut it because the focus is on sole and heel support.

• Low heel drop: We want a shoe that offers more stability due to the different actions that HIIT requires such as jumping, squatting, weight lifting etc. A low heel drop such as the zero drop shoes can offer better stability and reduces the chances of any missteps and falls.

• Cool to wear: Select shoes with breathable materials such that air can flow freely. When doing HIIT workouts, your feet will be sweating like a cow so that last thing you want is to have a pair of smelly feet because your shoe is not breathable.

• Light weight: A HIIT shoe should be light enough such that it don’t impose any additional stress on the feet as you focus on executing the HIIT moves. You don’t want a heavy and clunky shoe that slows you down.

Best HIIT shoes for women

In this section, I will be reviewing HIIT shoes for ladies.

Nike Flex Trainer 5 review

Everything that I said is important for a HIIT shoe is present in the Nike Flex Trainer 5.0 model. It looks goods, gives great support and stability and is very comfortable to wear. The price for this is also slightly cheaper than the usual Nike crossing training shoe.

Pros

• Prevent slipping: With the right amount of support, your feet will not be slipping in this shoe especially when doing the lateral movements. More important, they will relief the stress of your feet by transferring it to the shoe instead
• Firm ground grip: For greater stability and prevention of slippage as well
• Light: You will feel almost nothing on your feet
• Breathable: Your feet will feel cool even when doing the intensive workouts
• True sizing
• Colorful designs: There are many different color combinations to choose from that should give ladies a lot of options to pick the pair that best matches their gym wear

Cons

• Minimal arch support: If you need high arch support, this is not for the shoe for you
• Toe box: The toe box has sufficient room for your toes not to be cramped but if you need a wide toe box shoe, you will find this lacking.

Ryka Flextra Training Shoe review

Ryka is well known for producing great women cross training shoes and this Flextra Training model is no exception. It is very very light, and very comfortable to wear as your feet is pounding the gym floor during the HIIT workouts.

Pros

• Very flexible: The flexibility is the biggest selling point for this model. It is flexible and yet has plenty of cushioning to make it a comfortable wear
• Spin spot: The spin spot act as a pivot point and is great for dance classes like Zumba or even Jazzercise. It is hard to find cross training shoes that have such a spin spot so this is a great plus for the model
• Flexible lace system: The lacing is designed in such a way that you can tighten it for better lateral support or loosen it if you need a wider fit
• Mesh material: Makes the shoe very cooling to wear
• Narrow heel: this prevent slippage especially for folks with narrower feet
• Low heel drop: Gives better stability when executing the HIIT moves

Cons

• Narrow design: The shoe is suitable for folks with normal and narrow width feet. If you are looking for zero drop HIIT shoes for wide feet, this will probably feel a bit uncomfortable as the side might cut into your flesh during the workouts
• Not true sizing: you might need to buy half a size bigger than what you normally wear

Best HIIT shoes for men

For mens, I recommend the Reebok’s Crossfit sprint 2.0 and Adidas’s Adipure 360.2. Both are really excellent HIIT shoes that you wouldn’t regret taking a look.

Reebok Crossfit Sprint 2.0 review

Among the models featured here, I must here the Reebok Crossfit Sprint 2.0 has one of my favourite design. It looks really modern and stylish for a gym shoe. Fortunately, it has the substance to back up its looks.

Pros

• Low heel drop for better stability during intensive workouts
• Sufficient cushioning: The shoe has enough cushioning to be comfortable but not so much that it will increase the heel drop to unstable levels
• Solid grip: The grip is very firm and allows you to do some weight lifting. It is also the reason why you feel more stable when doing the jumps or other high maneuver actions
• Arch support: There is sufficient support in this area even for flat feet people so it should good enough for normal folks
• Light weight
• Breathable material to prevent stinky feet

On a related note, the Reebok Crossfit Sprint 2.0 is not a running or powerlift shoe. I saw some reviews saying how bad this model is, not to learn that they were using it for the wrong reason. This shoe is really build for cross training purposes so any usage outside of this purpose will not have a good experience.

Cons

• Hard sole: While the sole has good grip, the impact reduction is minimal. For HIIT, it shouldn’t be a problem but if you are using this for cardio workouts such as Zumba then it will not be the most suitable shoe to consider
• Narrow toe box

 Adidas Adipure 360.2 review

The Adidas Adipure 360.2 is a marked improvement over its previous version. This is, hands down, one of the Adidas best cross training shoe available. Not only does it function well as a HIIT shoe, it looks really good and can easily double up as a causal walking shoe.

Pros

• Secure: Once worn, the shoe will prevent your feet from rotating too much as you go about your HIIT workout. This stability prevents injuries and let you exercise faster
• Light weight
• Comfortable: It has sufficient cushioning to relief the pressure off your feet during workouts but not so much to raised your heel too high above the ground
• Great design: It looks very good when seen in real person

Conclusion

Hiit is an effective workout that can help you to lose weight and tone muscles. Having the right pair of shoes will go a long way to ensure that you enjoy the benefits of HIIT without the risk of injuries.

Cons

• Not true sizing: Order half a size bigger to be more comfortable
• Arch support: Not as good as the Reebok Crossfit Sprint 2.0. It has some but definitely can be improved
• Narrow: Definitely narrow in design and not suitable for a person with large wide feet