Details
Brand
Reebok
Heel To Toe Drop
6mm
Breathability
7/10
Latest Version
Yes
Terrain
Road
Type
Neutral
Key Features
• Hard rubber outsole designed with multiple grooves and ridges for flexibility• EVA foam midsole highly absorbent to shock• CORDURA upper mesh material durable and highly breathable• Low heel drop ensures even weight and energy distribution• Stability provided by tight-fitting upper and solid midsole
Upper
Reebok went for a specialized design for their upper in order to address the demands of the specialized form of exercise that is CrossFit. The secret to their success in this regard is through the use of their proprietary CORDURA mesh material. This is a lightweight and highly porous fabric, ensuring that the foot is kept at a comfortable temperature and free from moisture even during very intense physical activity. Additionally, this material provides excellent protection from abrasion damage and will be resilient enough to last for several months of intense CrossFit sessions.
Midsole
As a training shoe, the midsole plays a very important role in maintaining high support and balance for a plethora of different exercises. In order to meet these multifaceted needs without adding too much weight, Reebok went for the popular choice of EVA foam for its midsole. This highly condensed foam material is a common choice for running and training shoes due to its high durability and excellent responsiveness. Explosive energy efficiency is guaranteed when wearing a pair of shoes that contain EVA in its midsole, with the Reebok Crossfit Speed TR 2.0 being no exception.
Outsole
Upon the first examination of the Crossfit Speed TR 2.0’s outsole, it becomes immediately apparent that a great deal of thought went into its design. With hard rubber as its primary material, excellent durability is guaranteed. However, these shoes sidestep the common side effect of this construction style, which is a more rigid and heavy underfoot, through some clever design trickery. The single piece of rubber has been separated into several smaller plates with deep horizontal and vertical grooves providing extra flexibility without sacrificing stability, and small ridges provide a similar effect as teeth-like nubs without adding extra weight.
Breathability
In addition to weighing very little and providing excellent protection, the Speed TR 2.0’s CORDURA upper provides a significant benefit in regards to breathability. It shares a design with many other synthetic fabrics through its porous mesh material. Small holes present in the fabric allow for air to enter and move freely through the entirety of the inside, and relieve any uncomfortable heat or moisture. It’s extremely important for a pair of training shoes to maintain a comfortable internal climate, especially when performing the intense and physically demanding exercises that encompass a typical CrossFit session. Reebok designed these trainers to provide that very necessity.
Comfort
For the purpose of providing high-performance footwear at as low of a weight as possible, Reebok had to cut some corners. Unfortunately for comfort lovers, this means that the extra padding around the ankle and heel that is often incorporated into a pair of running shoes has been eliminated. This isn’t to say that these shoes are uncomfortable, simply that they don’t offer an emphasized insulated cushion that many fitness enthusiasts may find comfortable. Something that is also worth noting is that some wearers have experienced an uncomfortable tightness when wearing these shoes, even in their proper size, and recommend that customers purchase a half size larger model than their true shoe size to compensate.
Style
For the most part, a pair of training shoes needs to be functional more than they are fashionable. However, CrossFit is all about looking good, so Reebok ensured that these CrossFit-centric trainers look good as well. It’s sleek and high-end design manages to look tactical and fashionable and wouldn’t seem out of place in a more casual environment. The combination of materials that make these shoes work so well are color-coordinated with an equal level of design expertise. While function is much more important than appearance, customers of the Speed TR 2.0 can rest easy with the knowledge that they don’t have to sacrifice their look.
Durability
As a pair of cross-training shoes, the Reebok Crossfit Speed TR 2.0 is able to handle stress from a variety of situations and on a few different forms of terrain. This is largely thanks to its impressively designed and manufactured outsole, although the upper portion with its CORDURA fabric plays a significant role as well. However, even with these impressive features, regular cleaning and maintenance will be necessary in order to ensure that these benefits are kept over the long term.
Protection
These shoes are meant to meet the needs of an intense CrossFit training session and are designed to offer a level of protection equivalent to that environment. This means that hard impact with the ground will be compensated through a protective outsole and absorbent midsole. Additionally, scuffing or abrasions on the upper will be met with a resilience that can save sensitive feet from sustaining any injuries. While this should be enough protection for the vast majority of exercises and situations, these shoes will not make the wearer’s feet invincible. In the unfortunate event that a barbell lands on the wearer’s toe, a trip to the emergency room will likely be in order.
Responsiveness
Thanks to the impressive EVA foam midsole implemented in the Reebok Crossfit Speed TR 2.0’s design, high responsiveness is guaranteed while wearing them. It also helps that these shoes are very lightweight and that the outsole isn’t designed with an excessive amount of grip. This is important for running shoes in order to improve their efficiency and reduce the amount of energy needed with each step. Unfortunately, many training shoes don’t emphasize this to such a degree. What makes these shoes different is that they are designed for the high-intensity training environment that is paramount to the CrossFit experience.
Support
Something important to note about these training shoes is that, much like many other training shoes, they were designed to provide support for a wide range of activities. This results in a shotgun-style approach to support where all areas of the foot and lower leg are covered without any emphasis being placed on one area. This means that for the average trainer, enough support will be provided to perform their physical exercises adequately. This only becomes a problem for individuals with a tendency toward particular injuries such as shin splints, plantar fasciitis, or turf toe. Anyone who needs special orthotic support or who experience chronic injuries will not find the support they need from these shoes and will likely want to look elsewhere for their training footwear needs.
Terrain
CrossFit exercises can be conducted indoors and outdoors and will require a reliable pair of shoes that can accommodate all the different terrains that come with these environments. Whether it’s a hard gym floor, a grassy field, or soft mud, these Reebok training shoes will provide the protection and durability to handle them. However, as training shoes, the Crossfit Speed TR 2.0 functions at its best in a gym environment. They will last longer and require less maintenance if they are used in these settings. Consequently, while these shoes can certainly handle some outdoor training, it is advised that wearers stick to indoor environments while wearing them.
Price
When considering the different features present in the Reebok Crossfit Speed TR 2.0’s design, the quality of its materials, and the ability for them to accommodate strenuous physical activity, the average customer may expect these shoes to cost somewhere in the higher end of the price spectrum. Fortunately, these shoes buck that trend by going for a very reasonable price, placing it much closer to the low end of the shoe price spectrum as an excellent budget option. When considering the fact that these are specialized shoes that are meant only for a particular environment, this value may seem less significant. However, these are still a reliable pair of high-performance training shoes sold at a reasonable cost.
Drop
When deciding on the heel to toe elevation for a pair of shoes, manufacturers like to adopt different styles for different forms of footwear. Trail shoes and running shoes need to have a bit more cushioning in the heel since runners tend to strike the ground with the back of their feet. However, training shoes don’t need to favor the rearfoot since they are meant to accommodate exercises that fall outside of the traditional running routine. For that reason, Reebok decided to design their Speed TR 2.0 with a meager 3 mm drop, providing just enough elevation to help running shoe enthusiasts transition into this new style of footwear.
Stability
As a relatively lightweight training shoe, stability can be difficult to achieve. This is even more difficult when needing to balance stability with flexibility, too much of one extreme will result in discomfort and a lack of performance. It’s true that the Reebok Crossfit Speed TR 2.0 places more emphasis on providing a flexible experience than a stable one, however, the high-quality midsole and low heel drop offset this to the degree that some stability is still present. These may not be the best option for serious weightlifting but they will certainly get the job done for a typical CrossFit session.
Flexibility
Since these Reebok cross trainers are intended for individuals performing multiple exercises at a high-intensity in rapid succession, they were designed with enough flexibility to handle a versatile range of activities. Fortunately, clever implementation of midsole cushioning and upper fabric ensure that the Speed TR 2.0 doesn’t go off the rails in this regard.
Traction
For the most part, traction isn’t a concern in the kinds of environments commonly encountered while wearing training shoes. In a gym, the floors are designed to not require considerable emphasis on providing a good grip. However, these shoes weren’t made for just any gym training, they were made for CrossFit. As a result, the outsole provides a slight advantage in this department over other training shoes.
Bottom Line
Any CrossFit enthusiasts will love what these training shoes have to offer. They are light enough to not impair the numerous bodyweight exercises involved in the program and they are versatile enough to handle the different activities that encompass a typical training session. Many benefits that can be found in the average training shoe have been honed to perfection for the sake of providing the ultimate CrossFit experience.
