These aren’t designed like true CrossFit shoes, so don’t be surprised when they don’t last as long as Nanos, NoBull Trainers, or Nike Metcons. These shoes look sporty just like other Reebok shoes, with the same lines and contouring you see across the brand’s products. Amanda actually thinks the Nanoflex TRs look better for casual everyday wear than the Nano Xs or X1s, due to the more subdued and earthy colors. Many of the women’s and TR men’s training shoes look similar in style. Reebok Nanoflex Training Shoes vs. Reebok Nanos If the Nanoflex TR training shoes stand out during any activities, it’s high-intensity interval training. And I’m talking about true HIIT, not CrossFit-style workouts. Amanda wore these shoes for several genuine HIIT workouts—20 or 30 seconds of ultra-intense, high-volume work followed by periods of rest—and said they absolutely excelled.

The only thing Amanda was absolutely not thrilled about was the forefoot construction on the Nanoflex TRs. The toe box is super narrow and, while the upper does have some give and will break in eventually, the first couple of workouts in these shoes were hardly short of excruciating. Props to Amanda for pushing on in the name of product testing. Reebok Nanoflex Training Shoes Colorways and Design The Nanoflex TR training shoes make phenomenal everyday shoes—as long as you have narrow feet. If you don’t, all of the good aspects of this shoe are for naught. After a few workouts, Amanda says the upper gave and broke in, but you really have to be dedicated to getting through that break-in period. These would be a good option for people who generally find most cross-training shoes to be too wide. Wearing Reebok Nanoflex Training Shoes for CrossFit Amanda had no problem wearing the Nanoflex TRs while doing lunges, kettlebell swings, lightweight squats, and anything that didn’t really involve her feet (like shoulder press, pull-ups, and push-ups). But when it came to box jumps, handstand push-ups, power cleans, and snatches, her “inner NoBull snob” came out and she was missing the stability and balance that comes with a flatter, more purposefully designed shoe. The Nanoflex TRs come in a ton of colorways, just like the Reebok Nanos always have. For men, there are eight colorways available; for women, there are six colorways. I don’t expect Reebok to add any new designs to this lineup as the shoe isn’t marketed as a CrossFit shoe, rather as a budget-friendly cross-training shoe.

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Workout shoes are an important piece of gear that most invest in for their best home gym equipment. Unless you’re one of those barefoot folks (which I am often as well). A good pair of shoes—and more importantly, the best pair for you—is the difference between an invigorating workout and a dumpster fire of a training session. The Nanoflex TRs are similar to the Nanos in a lot of ways. For example, they both have rubber outsoles, mesh uppers, and feel relatively flat. The Nanoflex TRs also have a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) heel cage and heel clip similar to that on the Nanos. Like all shoes, a combination of your foot anatomy and the activities you do will determine if a shoe is worth buying. The Reebok Nanoflex TR training shoes are good for some things and not for others. This is Reebok’s budget-friendly version of the Nano, so suffice it to say quality is sacrificed in some areas (notably, the outsole and mesh upper). Amanda says the Nanoflex TRs remind her most of the Reebok Nano 9s more than any other Reebok CrossFit shoes. I can tell you why: These shoes have a highly responsive midsole, which results in some springy action, making HIIT movements like high knees, toe taps, jumping rope, jump squats, and other explosive plyometric movements feel easier.

These shoes just don’t provide the level of stability you need for heavy powerlifting and the Oly lifts. Amanda did, however, find them comfortable for what CrossFitters call accessory work: movements like split squats, Romanian deadlifts, and strict dumbbell presses. (Basically anything where the feet stay planted and you’re not going super heavy.) Wearing Reebok Nanoflex Training Shoes for Cardio Overall, Amanda didn’t find these shoes to be the most comfortable, primarily due to the tight toe box. The forefoot of the shoe is narrow and led to some serious foot cramping during the first few uses.These shoes work fine for some types of CrossFit WODs. They’re definitely not ideal for all functional fitness workouts. When testing the Nanoflex TRs, Amanda realized they’re an ideal fit for some types of workouts but not for others. For most workouts, they performed just okay. But for one type, the Nanoflex TRs excelled.

The reason the Nanoflex TRs aren’t great for those movements is because the innersole is more springy than it is in true CrossFit shoes, and the heel-to-toe drop is larger. This creates an element of instability that, while not a dealbreaker for all people, is a serious annoyance to any CrossFitters accustomed to a more stable shoe. Wearing Reebok Nanoflex Training Shoes for Lifting Weights Point blank: If you’re looking for the best training shoes, look elsewhere. The Nanoflex TR Training Shoes—Reebok’s budget-friendly version of the Reebok Nanos—ain’t it. That said, these shoes do have their place. Their construction makes them a superior shoe for certain types of workouts, specifically high-intensity interval training. They’re also good everyday shoes. Compared to their more popular older sibling, the Nanos, the Nanoflex TRs have some room for improvement.The Reebok Nanoflex TRs don’t have any crazy innovative specs. They have a mesh upper, a rubber outsole with flex grooves, and EVA foam midsole and insoles. This is very basic construction for a pair of cross-training shoes.

Whether or not the Nanoflex TRs are good for lifting depends entirely on the type of lifting you do. If you sway toward hypertrophy workouts, supersets, and high-rep straight sets, you’ll probably like the Nanoflex TR training shoes.That’s why I love reviewing all kinds of workout shoes, from the Nike Free Metcon 4s to the Reebok Nano X1s to the NoBull Trainers. In this Reebok Nanoflex TR training shoes review, I divulge all the pros and cons of this Reebok Nano wannabe.