Can I do CrossFit in running shoes?

For your first few classes, yes. Beyond that they work against you. A running midsole is designed to compress and return energy, which is exactly what you do not want under a heavy squat or a stable overhead position. Members usually notice the difference immediately when they switch to a flat trainer.

What shoes should I wear for HYROX?

Something light and responsive with real outsole grip. You run about eight kilometres broken into eight one-kilometre segments in a single pair, so running comfort matters more than in a typical CrossFit class, but the sled push and pull demand grip that a soft road shoe does not always provide. Race-specific hybrids exist and are worth it once you are training seriously. Our HYROX program page covers the rest of the race-prep picture.

Do I need weightlifting shoes?

Not in your first year. A raised heel improves ankle range in a deep squat, which helps if you are limited there, but the better first move is to actually improve the ankle. If you compete in weightlifting, or you squat several times a week and have hit a genuine mobility ceiling, they earn their place.

How often should I replace them?

Running shoes typically last 500 to 800 kilometres, and the signal is that the midsole stops feeling springy, not that the upper looks worn. Flat trainers last much longer, and usually fail at the upper from rope climbs and burpees long before the sole is done.

How to Choose Training Shoes for CrossFit and HYROX

You do not need four pairs of shoes to train well. You do need to stop doing heavy squats in something built for a marathon.

Shoes are the one piece of gear that changes how every rep feels, and the one most new members get wrong for the longest. The industry would like you to own four pairs. Most people at our Olympic Village gym train perfectly well with one, and genuinely benefit from two.

The Four Categories

1. The flat cross-trainer

Firm, low drop, wide-ish toe box, minimal cushioning. This is the default shoe for CrossFit and the one we recommend to nearly every new member. A stable platform means force goes into the floor rather than into a compressing foam wedge. It handles squats, deadlifts, presses, box jumps, short runs and rope climbs without complaint.

2. The running shoe

Built to compress and rebound over thousands of repetitive strides. Excellent for its job. Actively unhelpful under a heavy barbell, where the same compression turns a stable base into a mattress. If you run more than about 20 kilometres a week, own a real pair and use them for running only.

3. The weightlifting shoe

Rigid sole, raised heel, usually a midfoot strap. The heel lift buys effective ankle range, which allows a more upright torso in a deep squat. Genuinely useful for weightlifters and for people with stubborn ankle restriction. Unnecessary in your first year, and never a substitute for fixing the restriction.

4. The hybrid race shoe

The category HYROX created. Light enough to run eight kilometres in, grippy enough for a sled, stable enough for wall balls and lunges. If you are racing, this is the pair that matters. If you are not, skip it.

How to Fit Them Properly

Shop in the afternoon. Feet swell through the day, and a shoe fitted at 8am is often a half size tight by evening.
Leave a thumb width at the front. Especially for anything you will run in. Black toenails are a sizing problem, not a toughness badge.
Width matters more than length. A cramped forefoot ruins split jerks and lunges, and most people need more room than they think.
Try them with the socks you train in. Obvious, routinely skipped.
Walk and squat in the shop. If your heel lifts on a bodyweight squat, that shoe is not your shoe.

The Honest Recommendation by Stage

First three months. One flat cross-trainer. That is the whole list.
Running more than twice a week. Add a running shoe and keep the two jobs separate.
Racing HYROX. Add a hybrid race shoe and train in it for at least four weeks before race day. Never race in something new. Our first HYROX class guide is a good place to start.
Chasing a squat or snatch number. Consider lifters, after you have honestly tried to improve your squat depth the hard way.

What Shoes Will Not Fix

A shoe cannot buy you ankle mobility, a braced midline or a warm-up. If your heels lift in a squat, the shoe is a workaround while you address the actual limitation. If your knees ache after conditioning, the shoe is rarely the cause and load management usually is.

Come and try a class before you buy anything. Book a movement assessment and a coach will tell you honestly whether your current pair is holding you back or just fine.

A 2026 original rewrite of a topic first covered on Dai Manuel's archive. Coaching guidance, not medical advice.