When working out, you need shoes that keep you tethered to the ground and give you that bounce that gets your heart pumping when you’re jumping doing cardio. It should also be a shoe that doesn’t cushion you too much when you’re doing weight training. And most importantly, it should be comfortable – something that lets your feet breathe during your intense workouts.

Having the incorrect gym shoe for your workout can be detrimental to your physique over the long-term, and it’s not an item to be overlooked if you truly want to stay well and in shape over the long run. With so many boxes to tick, it is natural to feel overwhelmed. Don’t worry, though. We got a list of the best gym shoes for men so that you don’t have to waste hours trying to find one for yourself.

How to choose the right gym shoes

Before choosing the best gym shoes, make sure that the shoes are the right ones for you. For that, you need to ask yourself this: what activities are you going to be doing in the gym?

The shoes you choose should be suitable to what you mostly do in the gym.

So, do you invest your time inside the weight room?

Do you sweat out on the treadmill?

Do you focus mostly on calisthenics?

Do you stick to high-intensity interval training with weights?

Or do you do just about everything in the gym?

The closer you are to the answer, the closer you’ll be to choosing among the best gym shoes for men.

Here is the list of the best gym shoes for men according to what you’re going to be doing inside the temple of weights and bars.

Best All-Rounder Gym Shoes – The Reebok Nano

Do you focus on strength, conditioning, hypertrophy, and cardio at the gym? Then you need a gym shoe that can always stick by you. It must have shock absorption to help you manage those intense conditioning sessions, but it should also be stable so that when you lift, your feet are stabilized.

Selecting all-rounder best gym shoes for men is difficult, mostly because you won’t be doing every workout on the same day. But if you do, there is one choice that would be the right fit for you.

With Reebok Nano, you’ll have everything you need to train hard. Whether you’re someone who loves chasing after that personal Record when it comes to weights and love to run, or if you’re someone who is into cross training, with a Reebok Nano, you will have the stability and the spring to the step you need to have a great workout.

Best Gym Shoes for HIIT Workout – The Nike Air Super Rep 2’s

Nothing makes you sweat more than a high-intensity interval training session. The heat going through all over your body because of explosive multi-directional movements like box jumps, swings, snatches, squats, and lunges – requires you to use a shoe that can absorb the impact. It must:

1. Be light and agile, but you shouldn’t compromise on the robustness.
2. Give you strong lateral support so that you don’t fall.
3. Be low profile but still firm.
4. Be flexible so that you can splay your feet.

That’s a lot of boxes to tick. Thankfully, the Nike Air Super Rep 2 training shoes meet all the requirements. It is specifically designed for circuit training, sprints, HIIT, and other fast exercises. Created through collaboration with Zoom Air cushioning, these best gym shoes for men will give you stability and the freedom you need to move as you please – without getting injuries.

Best Gym Shoes for Kettlebell Training – The Feiyue’s

Many mistake kettlebells for standard strength training tools.; they are not. When you swing, you rely on the hinge movement of your hips to stabilize. The same goes for cleans and snatches.

It is also one of the training modules that experts say to do barefoot. But why?

Having a shoe that has too much cushion would not let you feel the weight.

However, if you’re a beginner or need something to stabilize your feet, you’d need the right shoes that hit that sweet spot of making you feel the weight while also helping you stay upright.

It is a unique list of requirements to keep in mind. So what’s the answer?

Feiyue shoes are lightweight canvas plimsoll sneakers that are comfortable and flexible. They are firm, so they can help you stabilize. But their flat – non-cushiony bottoms will ensure that things aren’t easy for you. Because when you’re training to win, ease is the last thing you must seek.

Best Gym Shoes for HIIT plus Strength – The Inov-8 F-Lite G 300

Most athletic men understand the value of strength and care for the heart. So, their idea for a good time in the gym is basically sweating it out in cardio and doing intense strength training.

The shoes you need here must therefore meet your hybrid requirement. The Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 has got you covered. It is firmer at the bottom, giving you a stable heel as you lift heavy weights. It also delivers cushioned agility that allows you to go on for a long time on your High-Intensity Internal Training drills.

If you’re into CrossFit, these shoes are the best choice.

Best Gym Shoes for Strength Training – The Inov-8

If your ideal activity is lifting heavy weights that give you that rising feeling, then you need shoes that help you stabilize and let you tap into the power from the ground to let you hit PRs.

Because most weightlifting activities are about finding your core and using the energy coming from it to lift the weights, many prefer to go barefoot, for there is no alternative to going raw at the lifts.

However, if you’re into heavy Olympic-style lifts, you need something below your feet, so your legs don’t slip. In that case, you need shoes that have:

1. Dense heels that help you get a deeper squat.
2. Hard soles that allow you to drive force from the ground and lift better.
3. Supporting uppers to maintain that angle health.

What you don’t need here are cushioned soles. They are not only unstable, but they also take away much of the pressure you feel when you’re lifting. If you’re seeking strength for real, you need something that complements your training, not making it easy for you.

In this case, the Inov- 8 fast lift is the perfect shoe for weightlifting.

How often should I replace gym shoes?

Whilst they made be built to last, they’re not built for a lifetime. Experts say, gym shoes should be replaced every six-eight months, or even earlier depending on the intensity of your workouts.

How much should I spend on gym shoes?

As long as the gym shoes are fit for purpose within your budget, then it’s a goer.

Get the Right Shoes for the Right Job

As a man, you can’t afford to wear anything that doesn’t compliment your training. Cushioned shoes are better for cardio, but for weight training, they are cheating instruments. On the other hand, hard-soled gym shoes might help you tap into the ground force to help you lift weights, but they don’t provide you any leeway when you’re doing long HIIT sessions.

So, choose the right footwear for the right job, and they will be the best gym shoes for you.