Best Shoes For Hiit And Lifting

Hiit and lifting, two of the most popular fitness workouts in the world.

It’s not hard to see why. You get all the benefits of cardio (cardiovascular health, increased stamina), along with the muscle-building and toning benefits of weightlifting—all in one workout!

But no matter how much you love these workouts, they can be rough on your feet. And who wants to spend their workout time worrying about their feet? That’s where we come in. We’ve picked the best shoes for hiit and lifting so you can focus on what matters: smashing your goals!

Best Shoes For Hiit And Lifting

High-intensity interval training isn’t for the faint-hearted. It’s truly high-intensity, and you will surely sweat it out. To do well in this program, you need the support of good training shoes that are attuned to the unique demands of HIIT. 

Of course, brands like Nike, Adidas, Reebok, and Under Armour would like you to believe that their offers are versatile enough to support the many types of exercises in an HIIT program. They may be telling the truth. But we want you to be sure, so we present our top HIIT shoe picks.

How we test hiit shoes

An HIIT program is composed of different types of exercises. We really have to go through it in order to fully assess the versatility and durability of each shoe that we review. You can rest assured that our claims are all based on actual experience in the gym.

Aside from making sure that we test the shoe in actual HIIT workouts, we also do the following to ensure the validity and reliability of our reviews:

• Remain bias-free by buying the shoes using our own funds
• Strive for comprehensiveness by taking into account the experience of other testers, including those from outside RunRepeat

Best hiit shoes overall

CoreScore

88

Great!

Pros

• Very plush
• Solid platform
• Grippy
• Lightweight
• Breathable
• Durable
• flexible

Cons

• Not for wide feet
• Expensive
• Not suitable for cycling or running
• Not for shallow arches

Verdict

The Nike Free Metcon 4 is a great shoe for an all-around application. If you want to buy one shoe to do most of your exercise needs, I don’t think you would regret the Nike Free Metcon 4. They are not running shoes, but they will get it done in a pinch if you need to pump out a mile or two at the end of your routine.

Best Nike hiit shoes

CoreScore

85

Great!

Pros

• True to size
• Stable
• Reliable traction
• Futuristic design
• Well-cushioned
• Bouncy feel

Cons

• Lockdown issues
• Narrow toebox
• Bulky sole

Verdict

This performance-ready shoe has a nice, futuristic design. Kudos to Nike for stepping outside the box to design a far-out training shoe. The shoe is impressive and stable when it comes to hard lateral movements. While it runs true to size, the shoe is not suitable for users with wide feet.

Best Reebok hiit shoes

CoreScore

87

Great!

Pros

• True to size
• Snug fit
• Superb comfort
• Breathable
• Very lightweight
• Great ground contact
• Versatile for various activities
• Durable

Cons

• Not for wide feet
• Break-in period
• Lace bite

Best Adidas hiit shoes

CoreScore

89

Superb!

Pros

• Reinforced forefoot for durability
• Breathable upper materials
• Forefoot is cushioned for short runs
• Stable heel area for light weightlifting
• Wide-foot friendly
• Outdoor-ready tread

Cons

• Hard to break in

Verdict

Designed for the usual fitness enthusiast, the Adidas Dropset Trainer feaetures a dual-density midsole that makes it suitable for short runs, plyometric exercises, and light weightlifting. High-abrasion areas in the upper are reinforced to ensure durability. This plus an aggressive tread pattern make this trainer ready for more grueling workouts outdoors.

Best minimalist hiit shoes

CoreScore

83

Great!

Pros

• Feels really minimal and light
• Good for agility training
• Flexible materials
• Stable construction
• Highly breathable
• Reliably grippy
• Stylish
• Designed to last long

Cons

• Needs to be broken in
• For the gym only

Verdict

The New Balance Minimus TR is a great minimalist shoe that provides just the right protection for the foot during indoor workouts. Whether you are into agility exercises or stable weightlifting, this shoe has you covered. It doesn’t budge easily. It does not tear easily, either. That this shoe looks good is indeed already the icing on the cake.

Best value hiit shoes

CoreScore

84

Great!

Pros

• Very plush
• Good solid foundation
• Grippy
• Lightweight
• Durable
• Budget-friendly

Cons

• Narrow
• Not extremely flexible
• Poor ventilation

Verdict

The Nike MC Trainer brings the high-quality standard for a wallet-friendly shoe that will perform exactly how you need it to. Comfortable, functional, and sharp-looking, the MC trainer rises to meet the standard instead of feeling like a cheap, low-quality alternative.

Most popular hiit shoes

New Balance TRNR

CoreScore

83

Great!

N/A

• Top 1% most popular training shoes

Pros

• Exceptionally stable and supportive
• Secure foothold
• Fits true to size
• Excellent cushioning
• Minimal break-in period
• Durable
• Very breathable
• Exceptional grip
• Contemporary style
• Great deal

Cons

• Not wide feet friendly
• Not ideal for running

Verdict

The New Balance TRNR is an excellent-value training shoe with high-end features at a very reasonable price. It has excellent cushioning and is exceptionally stable and supportive. This training shoe has a nice contemporary design that appeals to everyday athletes or seasoned gym rats.

Comparison of the 7 best hiit shoes