Who better to get recommendations from than people who are in the gym every day? To help you get your feet on the right track the next time you hit the gym, we asked fitness experts, including trainers and instructors who really know their stuff, to give us their top picks for the best gym shoes.
The best gym shoe is durable enough to hold up on your most intense fitness days, has the right support for your foot shape, and is designed to enhance the type of workout you’re doing. Activities such as HIIT, strength-training and cardio will yield better results — and reduce the possibility of getting hurt — with the right shoe.
Lauren Kleban, celebrity trainer and founder of LEKFIT, told us that it can be “moderately important” to use different kinds of shoes for different workouts. “Shoes can wear out quickly, especially if you’re doing a mix of strength, cardio, and studio work, so it’s smart to keep a few on rotation.” She added, “Different workouts also place different demands on your feet, so having options helps you figure out what best serves you in different settings.”
Other professionals further echoed her sentiments. “I use different shoes for different training. I see shoes not only as a way to keep my feet protected and healthy, but also as a way to amplify my power and stability,” said Justice Roe Williams, a Boston, Massachusetts-based lead trainer at Fitness4AllBodies.
Based on our experts’ recommendations, we rounded up a selection of workout shoes, along with a couple of editors’ picks, and indicated which fitness activities are suitable for each shoe. Keep reading to learn more and pick up a pair; consider it fabulous motivation for all your future workouts.
The experts consulted for this story do not necessarily endorse the products ahead unless otherwise noted.
