Reebok Women's HIIT Training Shoe Cross Trainer

Product Information

It’s the upper’s breathability that completes the experience of comfort for us. We felt air going through the upper material quite easily. We confirmed this when we subjected the X3 to a smoke test and it got a score of 4 out of 5 when smoke pumped through the collar escaped quite easily through the toe box and sidewall materials. The Reebok HIIT training shoes are, as the name not so subtly suggests, designed for 'high intensity interval training' style workouts. This type of training involves moves such as burpees, jumping squats, lunges, short runs. Basically anything that gets your heart rate up and body moving in all sorts of directions, and generally last 20-45 minutes.

Another aspect to like about this shoe is that the refined and reworked upper breathes well and is lightweight. This shoe features a textile upper construction and doesn’t have a ton of overlays like the previous Reebok HIIT TR. This is nice because it gives this shoe a lightweight feel which you want for HIIT workouts. If you can contextualize the construction of this model to your performance needs, then I think this is a good shoe for certain activities. For example, it’s not the best for heavy training, but it wasn’t designed to do that. The Floatride Energy Foam does a better job at supporting a wide range of activities while also keeping the shoe comfortable. Plus, it feels like a higher quality material compared to the previous midsole materials used in the Reebok HIIT TR shoe line. This model works best for HIIT, classes, and light recreational lifting. We can't help but feel super fast while wearing the Nike Zoom Metcon Turbo 2, especially when doing exercises like jumps and sprints. Its responsive midsole, particularly the Zoom Air unit in the forefoot, adds a nice pop of energy to push us even farther. That midsole foam, which we measured to be 17% softer than the average training shoe, also offers excellent cushioning that keeps our feet well-protected during those speed-oriented exercises.

And perhaps the best thing about performing HIIT workouts in this shoe is that our feet barely get warm even after extended sessions. Its breathability is so good that we scored it a perfect 5 out of 5 in our lab test, as the smoke we pumped into it passed right through the upper with no trouble at all. The third difference is the bootie construction and fits used in each model. The HIIT TR has a layer of elastic material towards the upper portion of the bootie which I like for helping with putting the shoe on.

The forefoot of the Nano X3 felt a bit firm. Our HA durometer in the lab revealed that the forefoot has a firmness score of 27.6, which is a notch higher than the 26.6 average. The setup gave us more speed and control, pretty much what we needed when executing many HIIT exercises. There are multiple pros to like about the Reebok HIIT 2 with both its construction and performance. Below are my favorite things about the Reebok HIIT 2. In comparison to running shoes, cross trainers tend to have less cushioning in the heel and more in the midsole region. The toe box in a cross-training shoe is roomier than in a running shoe. Cross trainers also have a lower heel-to-toe drop than either a running or a weightlifting shoe. Average heel-to-toe dropThe demands of this rapid movement mean your feet need to be supported in a different way to a traditional running shoe. The ideal HIIT training shoe will be lightweight and breathable, perfect for a sweaty studio or gym, and have a flat, low to the ground sole to keep the feet, and therefore your centre of gravity stable when squatting or using dumbbells. But the shoe is still plenty flexible enough to perform plyometric exercises with ease. We were able to bend the shoe 90 degrees with just 19.3N of force, which is 14.2% less than the average training shoe.

When we were at the gym, we truly appreciated the amount of give that this shoe offered. Sprints, jumps, and even simple jogs in place were a lot easier to execute because the shoe just followed the natural flexions of our feet. After manually twisting the shoe in the lab, this shoe got a score of 1 out of 5 for torsional rigidity.

And even when we went pretty hard on our HIIT workouts, the shoe never got uncomfortably hot. That's because of its outstanding breathability, which scored a perfect 5 out of 5 in our lab test. The smoke we pumped into the shoe simply passes through the upper as if it weren't there. In the Reebok HIIT 2, I’ve trained up to 315 lbs and they did an okay job at supporting that load without a ton of compression. I wouldn’t train much heavier than this weight, however, for what this shoe is and its price I feel 315 lbs is a pretty good threshold especially for those buying this shoe primarily for classes and HIIT workouts.

Using an HC durometer, we discovered that the outsole of this shoe has a rating of 85.5, which is higher than the 84.4 average. The firmness of the sole allowed it to resist punctures caused by pebbles and other debris that are commonly seen on outdoor surfaces. The outsole on this model also provides a nice level of traction which I was a fan of. The Reebok HIIT TR’s outsole did a good job at providing you with traction, but the refined and reworked rubber tread on the Reebok HIIT 2 takes the edge slightly here. I never felt like I was losing traction on wood floors, rubber gym mats, or when training outdoors. Reebok HIIT 2 for Running and Daily Wear The Reebok HIIT 2 is an all-around solid HIIT shoe. I like the addition of the Reebok Floatride Energy Foam in this shoe’s midsole and think it’s a good addition for this shoe line. The Floatride Energy Foam gives this shoe a much more responsive feel and it walks a good line between stability and versatility. The second major difference is each shoe’s midsole and the materials used in them. The HIIT 2 features Floatride Energy Foam and the HIIT TR has a medium-density foam. The Floatride Energy Foam in the HIIT 2 provides a nicer blend of stability and versatility compared to the HIIT TR’s midsole construction. The heel, for its part, compressed quite well. It registered 20.5 on the HA durometer while the average is as high (or firm) as 27.0. The softness that the heel delivered neutralized the impact of our sprints, jumps, and other nimble movements.The Metcon Turbo 2 made just about every exercise we did on our HIIT workouts, from burpees to jumps to sled pushes, much more natural-feeling thanks to its exceptional flexibility. And indeed, our lab test proved how pliable the shoe is as it took 32% less force to bend it 90 degrees. The first major difference is the upper construction and materials used in each model. The Reebok HIIT TR has a mesh upper construction with multiple layers throughout. The Reebok HIIT 2’s upper is made with a singular material with no external stitches. This HIIT 2 also features heel counters for additional boot support. Both shoe’s uppers are solid, in my opinion. The Reebok HIIT TR has a few unique construction perks that make it a joy to wear in certain performance settings. Below are three of my favorite pros with this model. Personally, I like this for HIIT training because we don’t always want a super plush shoe for this style of training especially when doing plyometrics and other bounding activities. Whether you’re doing lateral jumps, box jumps, or ballistic movements, this model’s midsole provides enough support without losing its stability edge. On a day-to-day basis, this shoe is okay and will work well as a daily wear shoe. For example, if you’re someone looking for a model to wear out and about and to the gym whenever you feel like training, then I think this model will work. I would recommend being conscious of its long-term durability especially when weathering out the outdoor elements.