Every day we perform movements that require the ability to generate energy through some form of ground contact. And while it might not seem like an “ability,” what you do or don’t do with that first action against the ground can be the deciding factor of whether or not you’re able to perform the movement successfully. As Crossfitter’s, one of our pursuits is for better and better movement. Early on, simply completing a movement might seem like a success. But as we journey further down the rabbit hole, we fight to be more and more technically sound and more efficient, realizing that this efficiency, by definition, allows us to do more work with less effort. And that small tangent leads into me asking you to take a look at your shoes. Are they affecting your movement? Are you forced to move in a certain way because of how your shoes are structured? Are they heavily cushioned at the heel or all over? Do they look like mini ATV’s? Have you had them since the 8th grade? Do they cause your foot to roll in or out? If any of these are the case, I’m going to tell you that your shoes are affecting your movement – and I’m going to ask that you seriously consider purchasing shoes that allow your foot to control your movement. This means a shoe that puts as little between your foot and the ground as possible – BUT that you’re still comfortable in. Baby steps here guys… I don’t have expectations of everyone showing up at the gym with Jesus sandals. Yes, that’s their ‘technical name.’ To help get you started, here’s a review of the top ‘minimalist’ shoes worn by Jogo’ers.

CHUCK TAYLOR ALL-STARS (also known as: ‘chucky t’s’ & ‘chuck t’s’)
As worn by JThom, Art and Em

FIT – (Art) I have what I call Hobbit-feet so I’m a little wide, and these fit just fine for my width. As for being True-to-Size, I wear a true Size 10 Nike (gold standard haha). I have a Size 9.5 Chuck and it still gives me a little wiggle room. If you need insoles like SuperFeet I would say to True-to-Size, otherwise go a 1/2 size smaller. (JThom) normally wears a 12, but wears an 11 in Chucks.

COMFORT – (Art) They’re great. Very light,flexible and free. Its like being a kid again! (JThom) They’re fairly comfortable, but they’re definitely not mushy running shoes. I think my one complaint would be that they have kind of scraped me up around the ankle, just because of lack of padding (but that may be a result of how anal I am about having my shoes at that *perfect* tightness).

MINIMALIST LEVEL – (Art) Most of the cushion is in the heel (1/4 inch of cushion, half that in the ball of the foot). It feels like rubber is all that is between you and the road, and it took some getting use to, but worth it if you want to develop your running form i.e. POSE.

LATERAL MOVEMENTS – (Art) Chucks aren’t made for that exactly. When we do our 100m sprints, I feel my planted foot shifting slightly… but only because I’m looking for it.

BONUS – (Art) I heard you can toss them into the washer which is especially useful after Jogo Lab. Also, you can throw on some jeans and a white t-shirt, and look like a Gap model!

REVIEW – (Art) Running is a little tough because form might be sending in a little impact. I bought these primarily as an O-Lift shoe that I can sprint and jump in. They’re perfect for O-Lifts for the square heel with minimal cushion for a very secure and sturdy landing. I love them like a long-lost best friend of my youth… I’ve been flirting with other shoes for all these years, but this one is the one for me. yes, I might marry them. (JThom) I’ve been working out in my red chucks for about a month now, and so far, I dig ‘em. As far as Crossfitting in them goes, they’ve been perfect thus far. They’re light, but are solid enough for lifting, and work alright for running distances up to 800 meters (I won’t be running any 5k’s in them anytime soon). They slip right into the foot pads on the rowing machines, too. I can wear them to the gym pretty much any day, and be confident that I’ll be prepared for whatever kind of wod comes up.

EM’S SIDE-NOTES – I have a pair of Jogo Green Chuck High-Tops that I’ve worked out in a couple of times. I like them alright for focused powerlifts because of their very flat & firm structure, but have not liked them for multi-faceted WODS, because the foot pad rubber is thick enough that it doesn’t really allow as much “foot feel” as I like. I’ve not tried them for OLY lifting. Style-wise, what’s hotter then a pair of high-top green Chucks? That’s a no brainer. But for overall gym & play shoes, these aren’t it for me… I feel like I’m going to go to Crossfit hell for saying that.

PRICE = $45 on zappos.com

NIKE FREE SPARQ TRAINERS
As worn by Cleet & Chad

FIT – (Chad) A little narrow (Cleet) slightly wider than average Nike but only through the midfoot. My feet usually need more room in the toe-box, but I had no issues with these. I found my usual running shoe size fits perfect.

COMFORT – (Chad) Very light. (Cleet) this shoe is excellent, I liken them to slippers. They are basically a deeper footbed/laterally stiffer/beefier Nike Free sole with a neoprene sock-like upper attached. Surrounding the neoprene is a skeleton of vinyl/leather that anchors down the laces and upper to the perimeter of the sole. They are extremely breathable, essentially all neoprene/mesh in the upper and yet they are durable. 3 weeks of crossfitting and they still look new in all aspects.

MINIMALIST LEVEL – (Chad) Based on the Nike Free Running shoe. (Cleet) Only in flexibility of the forefoot. The sole is highly flexible from the arch forward, with much larger blocks and less flex as you move towards the back of the sole. I would say these have the least ‘flex/freeness’ of any shoes in Nike Free line, and lend substantially more arch and foot support than you will find in the other nike free shoes. There is still a bit of stiffness to the sole lending support and a substantially more heel bed than you will find in the Nike 5.0 runners, and more than even in the Free Everyday models. You are not going to bruise your heel with these on even if you tried.

LATERAL MOVEMENT – (Chad) Great lateral support, designed for “functional movement” in the gym. (Cleet) The biggest plus for these. These shoes have cured my complaints of all other Nike ‘Free’ shoes I have tried, falling off the outside/inside of the shoe during cuts/tight turns and a general ‘squirmy-ness’ feeling in the sole while squatting/lifting.

REVIEW – (Chad) Another great Crossfit/Jogo shoe….The foot bed is soft so I would be reluctant to run off road or longer distances with them. Great for lifting, sprints, and short distance running. (Cleet) I think they act as a great ‘all-around’ shoe for Crossfit where you don’t know what you’ll be doing day to day. They work well in allowing pose-style running with a forefoot landing with a very flexible fore-foot, however there is still a bit of cushion on the heel. If you’re trying to force yourself to learn how to pose run… these are not your shoes. They have a low heel and overall lower height of sole that lends to stability and excellent feeling squats and lifts. They work well for lifting because the sole stiffens up substantially through the arch and especially in the heel of the shoe. The soles are not going to squirm around under the weight of the bar, and in my experience I feel much more ‘solid’ while lifting in these than even traditional running shoes. Landing in the olympic lifts with these shoes exhibits more of a solid ‘thunk’ sound than the slap/cushion sound you get from running shoes. The combination of running flexibility and lifting stability/solidness definitely gets my recommendation as the best shoe I’ve found for mixed modality WODs (running and lifting).

EM’S SIDE-NOTES – these are the next shoes on my list to try. I’d like to use them as a minimalist basketball shoe.

PRICE – $89 on zappos.com

INOV-8 TRAIL-RUNNERS (endorsed by crossfitendurance.com)
As worn by Chad

FIT – True to size.

COMFORT – Light and comfortable.

MINIMALIST LEVEL – Good heal cup and tough foot bed, not much cushion…makes you work on running form…ie no heal strikes.

LATERAL MOVEMENTS – Great support for lateral movement…with no foot slip.

REVIEW – Overall a great Crossfit/Jogo shoe….I ran an off road 1/2 marathon in them with no problems. Great for lifting as they have very little heal and cushion. A great off road running shoe. Only down side to them is the soles wear quickly as the rubber is soft.

EM’S SIDE-NOTES – Try-out coming soon.

PRICE – $80-$85 (sale price + free pair of socks) on http://store.mpgear.com/Trailrunningshoes.aspx

NIKE FREE 5.0
As worn by Em and others…

FIT – I’ve worn Nike’s my whole athletic life, they fit just like every other Nike I’ve ever worn… Like a glove.

COMFORT – most comfortable pair of Free’s yet. Really like the new lightweight fabric that wraps around the foot.

MINIMALIST LEVEL – thin and extremely flexible soles. I love their “foot feel.” I can feel my feet working. Too much cushion and support to be compared to something like Vibram’s as a ‘barefoot’ alternative, but definitely a minimalist shoe.

LATERAL MOVEMENTS – much better then the early days of Frees, but with cheetah like lateral moves the foot slides off the foot bed. Fine for running & gym-wear but wouldn’t want to play basketball in them.

REVIEW – I have loved Free’s since they first came out, and they keep getting better and better. I wore THICK orthodics through most of my basketball career and would deal with a sore back and painful arches if I didn’t. Since the Free’s, I’ve done away with the orthodics with no problems. I’ve worn regular Free’s for dry-to-slightly wet trail-runs of up to 7-miles with no problems. There’s not enough traction to enjoy the Bellingham trails on a rainy day, although this 5.0 model does have more traction then my Free Everydays. I do have a pair of Nike Free Wildwood’s that are built more for trail-running, but I only use them for the rainy conditions that my normal Free’s can’t handle. I also want to try the even more minimalist model of Free 3.0’s.

PRICE – $80 on zappos.com

NIKE LUNARACERS
As worn by Em

FIT: I have a regular-to-narrow foot, so they fit me very well, but I would think that those with fat feet would struggle with them. I prefer to wear them without socks for maximum fit and feel, but that also makes them pretty stinky quickly. With that said, they wash well.

COMFORT: super comfy for as little material is used. Just enough cushion that I can wear them trail-running and bounce off jagged rocks with only a slight twinge of pain, but they encourage a good pose-esque foot strike. They are the lightest shoes I’ve ever worn. They’re only about a 1/2 ounce heavier then the Vibrams.

LATERAL MOVEMENTS: not bad, not great. I actually think they’re a bit better then the Free’s because the foot bed is so thin there’s really nothing to slide off of.

REVIEW: I LOVE LOVE these shoes sockless, and love love them with socks. I wore them at Crossfit Qualifiers and through two full-days of OLY lifting with Coach Burgener, and while they’re for sure not an OLY lifting shoe, I really like the way they perform for every task I throw at them. I’ve worn them on semi-muddy conditions trail-running a few times and other then losing traction on inclines they’ve been great. The material that wraps around the foot is porous, which helps the water from puddles work it’s way out.

NOTE: Be sure to get the lunaRACERS and not the lunarTRAINERS.

PRICE: $100 on niketown.com

ONITSUKA TIGERS
As worn by Cam & B-rad

FIT – Normal. For reference, I find that Nike shoes run narrow.

COMFORT – Good, though it may take some getting used to if you’re not used to a shoe this simple. For instance, if I switch between thes and running shoes, I can readily feel a difference.

MINIMALISM – Fairly simple. Some foam in the sole, but the wedge angle isn’t as extreme as your typical running shoe and the foam thickness is quite a bit thinner.

LATERAL MOVEMENTS – Initially, it’s good, but as the shoes get to the end of their life, the upper may have stretched some, leaving your foot a little less stable. Also, bear in mind that
materials can play a role in this. Onitsuka varies the material based on specific color scheme. The ones with suede on them tend to stretch sooner than the ones with the matte rubbery material. Keep in mind, I’m really hard on shoes, and supporting the lateral movements of a 230 lb man is a pretty tall order for any shoe not specifically manufactured for the task.

REVIEW – Back when I was running marathons and half-marathons, I tried a ton of different shoes (Brooks, Nike, Adidas) and I found that ASICS, hands down, fit my foot (on the wider side of normal, mild pronation) better than anything else. So when I was looking for a more light-weight,”pose-friendly” (thiner, more flexible sole with minimal heel wedge), it was natural to look at another ASICS-made shoe. I’m fairly hard on shoes and these have held up as well as any other shoe I’ve had (9-12 months of full-time gym use). Also, they’re fashionable enough that I wear the same style as my primary street shoe as well. Bear in mind that they have little tread, so while they’re fine on pavement or the gym floor, they have no grip at all on unfinished surfaces (grass,gravel/dirt, etc).

EM’S SIDE-NOTES – I just ordered a pair of these for $35 on eBay and will add my two-cents once I get them and try ‘em out.

PRICE – $66 on zappos.com ((can find them for less on eBay.com))

VIBRAM FIVE-FINGERS (THEE barefoot alternative)
As worn by Em, Shain & Melissa

REVIEW – I’m going to skip fit, comfort, minimalism, & lat movements and just give you the review. I had been eyeing the Vibram’s for a couple of years and finally got a pair a few months ago. If you want to go barefoot, but also want to protect your feet from the elements (read: slicing your foot open on a rock) this is your ’shoe’ of choice, although it’s really like a glove for your foot. I have the “classic” model, which is the most minimalist of the Vibrams. The next size smaller was too small, and the size I went with is slightly too big — so that affects my experience quite a bit, because when I pull the tab to tighten them to my feet, it comes so far out that it makes the Vibram lining bunch and then that rubs on my feet — they also slide off my heel if I go too high up on the ball of my feet. You feel EVERYTHING with these shoes. Even just walking from my house to my car, I am VERY aware of the concrete beneath my feet. I know some people swear by these, but personally I’d rather ACTUALLY be barefoot then wear them, and if I can’t be barefoot then you’ll find me in my Free’s, Lunaracers, or flip-flops I might give the other models a try to solve the ‘fit’ issue and see if that helps me love them. Stay tuned.

Price:  $75 on rei.com