Gear Junkie Names Savage 1 Training Shoe Best CrossFit Shoe of 2024

Gear Junkie Names Savage 1 Training Shoe Best CrossFit Shoe of 2024

CrossFit athletes know no two days are alike. The sport asks a lot of you — and your shoes. With activities ranging from heavy deadlifts and Olympic weightlifting to gymnastics and distance running, it’s no surprise that finding the best CrossFit shoes can be a challenge.

We researched and tested the most popular CrossFit & cross-training shoes on the market — shoes you can run, jump, lift, row, ride, climb, carry, and rage in. Our lead tester, Paul Mandell, is an experienced CrossFit coach who puts each shoe through its paces as he demonstrates exercises and techniques to classes and clients on a daily basis. Our Affiliate Managing Editor, Billy Brown, is a CFL2 CrossFit coach and competitive powerlifter who has burned through hundreds of shoes over the course of his career.

They evaluate each model to highlight its specific strengths and shortcomings and make recommendations based on the versatile needs of folks who are exclusively doing CrossFit, as well as those who are practicing stricter lifts and conditioning. After much sweat, some blood, and maybe a few tears, we are proud to present our list of the best CrossFit shoes for 2024.

Check out our comprehensive Buyer’s Guide and Frequently Asked Questions sections for helpful tips, and have a look at our Comparison Chart to steer your decision-making.

Editor’s Note: For our March 26, 2024 update, we added several notable new shoes, including the Born Primitive Savage 1, a lightweight all-around performer that earned our top nod, the TYR CXT-1 Trainer, which is a high-profile performer, and the lifting-friendly Reebok Nano X4.

The Best CrossFit Shoes of 2024

Best Overall CrossFit Shoes

Born Primitive Savage 1

Specs

  • Best for Folks who want one shoe to rule them all
  • Drop 4mm
  • Width Wide
  • Weight 250g
  • Bonus Dual-density midsole provides stability on lifts and flexibility on runs
Product Badge

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Breathable
  • Stable
  • Good runner
  • Good lifter

Cons

  • Short laces and tongue

Normally, it takes a few iterations for a company to get CrossFit shoes dialed. Luckily for us, Born Primitive knocked it out of the park with its first attempt, the Savage 1 ($130). The Savage 1 took home the “best of” award for CrossFit shoes this year because it excelled at all things CrossFit while being one of the lightest and most comfortable shoes on our list. We tried it for months across every modality from Olympic lifting to mile-long runs, and it never failed to impress.

The Savage 1 has a super breathable textile upper with a wide toe box and laminate overlays for support and added durability. The wide toebox and structure provided a comfortable fit, and the laminate upper kept the foot right where it belonged throughout our workouts. 

While many shoes boast about their dual-density midsoles, the Savage 1 was the first shoe that we tried that truly provided excellent stability during lifts like the clean & jerk and snatch, but was flexible enough to be comfortable during box jumps and burpees. Our tester noted that while his feet generally hurt during most WODs, they never ached in the Savage 1. 

That alone would be enough to put these shoes near the top of our list, but these shoes also run very well for an all-around training shoe — heads and shoulders above the Metcon 5, Nano X4, or the NOBULL Trainer+. They’re not full-on running shoes, so we won’t be running any half-marathons in them, but for runs of a mile or less, they were responsive and provided just enough cushioning. 

We did find the laces to be a bit short, but the rounded profile prevented them from coming undone during inopportune times like during double-unders or sprints to beat the time cap.

Bottom line — our tester found himself wearing these shoes to the gym more than any other shoe, both for his own training and while coaching. Are they a full-fledged lifter? Certainly not. Nor are they a bonafide runner. But if you just want one pair of shoes that you can do any workout in, anytime, while looking and feeling good — the Born Primitive Savage 1 is your shoe.

Contd.

Source here. 

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