Think about it – an Oly lifter like the Nike Romaleos 4 is VERY heavy – but it doesn’t matter – it does it’s job well. This makes the cross trainer less desirable for LONG DISTANCE running – but plenty fine for heavy weights in the gym (like barbell lifts). They have to be – otherwise they’d not last long. Therefore cross trainers tend to be heavy – because they are built like tanks. Sides are tough too – the “RopePro” and the tough sides let you climb ropes without shredding these shoes. This upper is tough, looks good, and it is comfortable.Īll those crazy CrossFit activities – burpees, jogging, jumping rope, and rope climbing will put stress and abrasion on the upper and sides of the shoe. For reps – it ain’t gonna matter – the stack height is making you do more work – a good thing?Ĭross trainers need to be tough as nails too – because they are subjected to stresses that other shoes just don’t get. When deadlifting a PR – you might want to pick something with less stack height. There’s some drop, and some cushion – so there’s some stack height. The next thing is grip and traction – and this shoe is not a trail runner so you get an all-rubber outsole that’s flat (less stack height) and will maximize traction on the concrete gym floor through maxium surface area. Isn’t a lot of drop helpful for deep squats – yep – but we’ve got to make some tradeoffs here – so I’d call this a “medium drop” shoe. It’s lesser drop than a traditional running shoe because that’s what CrossFitters want – the lesser drop makes it good for heavy deadlifts and other things too. The Nano X2 comes in at about 7mm – just like the X1 had – but more than the 4mm of the Nano X. More than the Nike M7 – less than a running shoe. Think about it – what’s the heel to toe drop (or just “drop”) on your purpose-built running shoes? Probably 10mm – maybe even more! Ummmm drrrroooppp? It’s 7mm. Why? Because there is mechanical advantage when your heel is slightly elevated above your toes – especially for distance and endurance. Here’s another things joggers and runners want – they want heel to toe drop. A healthy amount of Floatride Energy foam is in the midsole for cushion. It’s more cushion than has been there in the past – that’s good for running and jumping – or walking all day – to be honest. The new Nano X2 line uses Reebok’s Floatride Energy cushion. But realize that every cross trainer is compromises.įirst of all, let’s talk about cushioning. How do you make such a versatile shoe? Well – you have to make some compromises – and we’ll talk about that. What is a cross training shoe? It’s a shoe that you can use for more than one kind of workout.

That’s the basic definition of a cross training shoe. I think this is the most versatile of the current crop of cross training shoes.

That means you can lift heavy weights, and do activities that require cushion – like running, jogging, or jumping. This shoe is meant to be a versatile cross training shoe. That’s OK because it gives us some training options. Which one is it? Read on to find out (or jump to the end!) TLDR: It’s an evolution of the X1 – it’s more stable, better built, and provides more rigid support. Reebok Nano X2 Reviewįirstly, let me state that they have fixed all the issues I had identified in my Nano X1 review – except for ONE.

Rebook nano x