8 best gym trainers to help bring your workouts to the next level

Best: Gym trainers for comfort

Rating: 9/10

• Sizes: 2.5-8.5
• Pros: Lovely padding in the shoe for comfort, strong laces
• Cons: A little stiff at first

There really isn’t anything negative to point out about these Under Armour shoes. They’re easy to put on, the laces are durable and stay knotted, and the full-length micro G foam midsole inside the shoe makes them a dream to walk in.

Although they can feel a bit stiff at first, as we started to work out, they soon became more flexible. For weighted movements, such as barbell squats, these were great as the flat sole meant we felt a little more connected to the ground; ideal for driving up from a squat and really pushing up through the heels.

Under Armour says that the rubber outsole makes these more durable, and we can see why. These feel strong, as though it would take an army to wear them down, despite them feeling light to wear.

Best: Gym trainers for HIIT

Rating: 8/10

• Sizes: 2.5-9.5
• Pros: Looks great, comfortable
• Cons: Short laces

This is the 12th shoe in Reebok’s nano collection, and having tried them all so far, we reckon this is up there with one of the best.

The Reebok nano X2 has extra padding in the heel which further boosts its already incredible comfort, plus the Floatride energy foam midsole helps to absorb impact; useful for jumping movements and also shorter runs. The sole is sturdy and felt great while squatting with weights as well as during higher intensity movements. There’s a good grip on the sole, which is ideal during lifts, as this is certainly not the time when feet want to be slipping around on the ground.

While the Reebok nano X2 is comfortable and also breathable, thanks to a flexweave knit upper, we found that at times, there was little support around the edge of the shoe (although this will vary depending on the person wearing the trainer due to foot size) and it was a little “roomy”.

As for the style, the colourways are pretty impressive. We tried the black and white colourway (which, naturally, goes with everything), however, we also loved the fluro orange and white. It’s a serious stand-out shoe.

Best: Gym trainers for gym-to-day wear

Rating: 7/10

• Sizes: 3-11
• Pros: Versatile, very supportive
• Cons: Very chunky

A pair of trainers that can be worn at the gym and casually with jeans is always ideal; it not only saves money, but it also means that there’s no need to pack an extra pair of shoes in your gym bag to change into after your session.

Although they might be a bit chunky for some, we found them incredibly comfortable. The ankle padding was soft and we weren’t left with any new-trainer blisters, while the toe area of the shoe was spacious enough to allow movement, without being loose.

Squatting in these felt great and the soles grip nicely to the ground. The soles are also very strong with minimal flex, so we found it far easier to keep our knees and hips aligned as we squatted. The laces are also really sturdy and we didn’t even need to double knot them; they stayed in place for the entirety of our workout.

Best: Budget gym trainers

Rating: 7/10

• Sizes: 3-8
• Pros: Affordable
• Cons: Feet slip a little inside

A shoe that’s aimed at minimising injury? It’s revolutionary! These were created for runs of up to 10km, as well as gym workouts such as HIIT and cardio machinery. The eva foam on these is said to prevent impact on the heel with flex grooves that allow your foot to move comfortably, at one with the shoe.

Before putting it on we noticed the flexibility of the sole; useful for jumping movements. Although we weren’t testing running shoes, these did fare well during a short treadmill sprint session too. Considering they cost under £3, these offer a decent amount of cushioning and support.

They likely aren’t the best for heavy lifting as feet do slip a little inside, but for basic dumbbell and kettlebell exercises, we reckon these suit well.

Best: Gym trainers for HIIT workout

Rating: 8/10

• Sizes: 4.5-8.5
• Pros: Incredible support, great for HIIT
• Cons: Very clunky, laces very thin

As the name suggests, you’ll get super reps in these trainers, as they’re specially made for circuit training and HIIT workouts, where speed is key. We wore these during a weighted workout which included various dumbbell moves, working at a high rep count, as well as box jumps and many, many burpees.

As soon as we put these on we felt instantly supported; the ankle collar is spongy and snug yet it didn’t leave our feet blistered upon the first wear. Plus, these have serious cushioning and the infamous Air Zoom Midsole so every jump and every step felt like walking on air.

The upper fabrics are breathable and the large gaps on the midsole of the shoe are said to act as brake pads during movement that requires fast foot action, such as jumps, mountain climbers and high knees, as well as boxing workouts. These “brake pads” offer serious stability and we didn’t feel our feet sliding around at all. This does mean the shoe is very bulky though and not ideal for general wear, but this is a small negative in comparison to the many positives.

Another thing we noticed is that the shoe had a lot of bend in the toe; this was felt particularly during burpees.

Best: Gym trainers for lifting

Rating: 9/10

• Sizes: 5.5-12
• Pros: Stable, 2mm elevated heel for perfect posture
• Cons: Only good for lifting

These shoes are purely for lifting, in particular on a lifting platform. If you’re not familiar with a platform, it’s essentially a hard, yet absorbent surface that can take the impact of heavy barbell plates (especially when they’re being thrown down), plus platforms provide a solid foundation in which to stand as they’re completely flat.

For serious lifters, a pair of lifting shoes offer great ankle support (often, other shoes can cause ankles to buckle and roll under the weight of a heavy barbell), plus the elevated heel makes it easier to ensure a solid posture throughout lifts. The first thing we noticed was the weight of these; which is primarily down to the solid heel.

We wore these when doing a routine of deadlifts, squats and overhead press with a barbell. Instantly, each move felt more comfortable and the drive up from a squat was far smoother, with our knees and hips staying aligned throughout.

The strap across the top is great for stopping any annoying laces from coming loose, and the heel really did help us to maintain a solid posture throughout. In fact, our back felt less strain while doing deadlifts than it usually would. The only downside to these lifting shoes is that they can’t be used for other exercises such as cardio or HIIT.

Best: Gym trainers for absolutely everything

Rating: 9/10

• Sizes: 3-9
• Pros: Minimalist, no frills, made from recycled materials
• Cons: Thin sole can feel odd at first

Vivobarefoot has made serious waves on the shoewear scene over recent years thanks to their range of footwear that aims to let feet move in the most natural way possible. Plus, its shoes are made from recycled materials for maximum eco credentials.

The word “natural” is definitely the right word for these Primus Lite shoes as they’re minimal to the max, with a “no-frills” style about them, especially when compared to the other gym trainers that we tried.

It does feel odd wearing these initially; the soles are very thin at just 4mm and there is that feeling of being “at one” with the ground. However, after a few minutes, they really do feel quite natural. Vivo says these are “foot shaped” not “shoe shaped” which is true; the toe area is far wider than most. The stability these provide during weighted movements is really noticeable. Plus, jumping-based exercises such as box jumps and lunge jumps were easy thanks to a lot of flexibility in the shoe.

We also wore these during a boxing workout, to test the support around the ankle, and found them to be pretty durable; our ankles felt supported throughout and there was no foot sliding.