Shoes, Shoes and More Shoes! (ft. Coach Sarah)
June 2, 2017CrossFit Shoes!
Many athletes ask the coaches what type of shoes they should have for CrossFitand I’ll break it down a little here.
The significant difference between shoes is called the “drop” which is the different between the height of the heel and the height of the forefoot. Generally, very supportive running shoes, like Saucony or Brooks, have around and 8mm drop. The large drop is good for running shoes because your foot stays supported from toe to heel and your foot is guided by the shoes during your movements. However, this is not necessarily ideal for certain Crossfit movements and OLY lifting. To put the drop difference in perspective, Crossfit shoes generally have a 4mm drop. The shorter drop is a bit more natural and allows weight to be distributed along the entire foot.
A hard sole is another important quality of a CrossFit shoe. When doing CrossFit movements and heavy lifting, you should be able to feel the ground below you which increases stability, even if it feels a little heavier than normal.
Outer soles are just as important in CrossFit shoes at the actual soles are. CrossFit demands being prepared for anything, including squats and running and rope climbs, you name it! The soles that come onto the top and sides of the shoe are a feature that helps maintain proper foot alignment, while also increasing grip for rope climbs, bear crawls etc.
Shoe Examples:
Reebok Nanos have been through many iterations and they have hard soles, a 4mm heal-toe drop, and a protective cage outer sole.
Nike Metcons are newer to theCrossFit shoe circle and have a 4mm heel-toe drop, a very firm sole, and a protective and supportive outer layer.
Inov-8 F Lites have been around for a while now and have a 0mm heel-toe drop, a medium hard sole (very flexible and allows natural foot position), and has a protective outer sole.
*This is not even close to a complete list of CrossFit shoes, but enough to get you started!
Hope you find this useful!
-Dr Sarah
