7 Best Hiit Shoes

Why not use running shoes for HIIT?

A vast majority of running shoes today are packed with extra thick midsoles, soft foams, and propulsive carbon plates to maximize energy return, running efficiency, and long-distance comfort.

However, these same features make running shoes less than ideal for the demands of HIIT:

1. Their midsoles are too thick and plush: High-stacked and cloud-like running shoes are too squishy to keep you stable when lifting heavy weights, doing full-force lateral jumps, or powering through one-legged exercises like Bulgarian squats.

They also make you feel disconnected from the pedals of rowing machines and spin bikes (and that’s if they even fit into the straps in the first place). And what’s worse, their plush foams swallow some of the force you exert making your exercise less effective.

2. They have little-to-no lateral support: Running shoes are specifically designed for the biomechanics of forward motion. They don’t offer the same level of side-to-side stability as dedicated cross-trainers.

Performing dynamic lateral exercises like skater jumps in an unstable running shoe not only feels wobbly but can result in ankle rolls and even sprains.

Best HIIT shoes for weightlifting

If you combine strength training with HIIT by doing AMRAP (as many reps as possible) workouts, you need a shoe that will keep you as stable as possible the entire set.

Considering the speed and intensity of this workout method, you must feel 100% planted in your lifting shoe and there should be no underfoot compression to dampen the power transfer.

Here is a checklist of HIIT shoe features to look for if you focus on lifting:

• Firm and wide platform
• Stiff heel counter
• High torsional rigidity

Please note that you may want to look into dedicated lifting shoes with stiff wedged heels and sturdy uppers if you:

• need a shoe for lifting only
• regularly lift over 300 lbs (135 kg)
• want to improve your squat form
• have poor ankle mobility

But if you also include plyometric movements and other cardio exercises in your HIIT sessions, it’s better to go with a versatile cross-trainer that has sufficient stability for lifting.

Let’s take a closer look at the features that provide this stability.

Firm and wide platform

Come to think of it, all the power you generate to lift heavy weight pushes off your two feet. And if the underfoot foundation is even slightly too soft or too narrow, the whole exercise goes off the rails.

That’s why the midsoles of most cross-trainers are made notably firmer in the heel. Based on our Shore A durometer measurements, the midsole firmness of these shoes returns at least 30 HA in the heel.

For reference, we categorize 0-20 HA as soft, 20-30 HA as balanced, and 30+ HA as firm. The higher the HA reading, the firmer the foam.

In addition to firm foams, the heels of these trainers are securely reinforced with stiff TPU stabilizers, sidewalls, and other sorts of supportive components that minimize shifting and wobbling in the rearfoot.

Last but not least, the base of these trainers is very generously wide. We use a digital caliper to measure the widest parts of each shoe’s heel and forefoot to let you know their platform dimensions.

Stiff heel counter

Those plastic exoskeletons at the back of the shoes often extend up to include the heel counters as well.

Complemented by generous ankle padding, these sturdy heel counters add stiffness and support around the wearer’s heel and ankle.

We perform a simple push-and-squeeze test on each heel counter to rate its stiffness on a 1-5 scale (the higher the stiffer).

High torsional rigidity

The quickest way to check how much lateral support is packed in a HIIT shoe is by twisting it with your hands. The amount of resistance you feel is proportional to the level of support.

The shoe’s ability to hold your foot in place becomes especially important when doing lunges, splits, and one-legged squats. And when the shoe is hard to twist, it lowers the risk of your foot rolling sideways too.

In our lab, we assess each shoe’s torsional rigidity with a manual test. The stiffest trainers get the highest scores on a 1-5 scale.

Now that you know what features make a training shoe perfect for lifting-based HIIT workouts, here is an overview of the most stable HIIT shoes:

Best HIIT shoes for bodyweight training

In most cases, you don’t need any equipment to engage in a HIIT regimen, especially if you are a beginner gym goer or follow YouTube workout videos at home.

Considering how demanding a HIIT program can be, your own body weight is enough to reap its numerous benefits.

But to feel your best and train efficiently, you will need a shoe with the following features:

• Sufficient cushioning
• Good lateral support
• Flexible forefoot
• Lightweight

Sufficient cushioning

The intensity of HIIT training means that you’re putting a lot of stress on the lower body joints. Whether you are sprinting on a treadmill, doing box jumps, or repping out with burpees, your ankles, knees, and hips are going to take a beating.

To minimize that impact you need a pair of shoes with a good level of cushioning, or impact protection. The latter will dissipate the amount of kinetic energy that transfers from the ground to your foot as you land during jumps and runs.

But don’t rush to get your running shoes just yet.

Remember that in HIIT you perform a lot of side-to-side and one-legged movements which require added lateral stability. Some running shoes have so much cushioning that it feels as if you’re standing on a pillow. That will rob you of the stability you need and cause energy and power leaks that will prevent you from performing at your best.

In our opinion, the optimal midsole thickness (or stack height) of a HIIT shoe is:

• 15-25* mm in the forefoot (not too thick to compromise flexibility)
• 20-30* mm in the heel (not too thick to feel unstable)

*This is approximate. If the measurement shows 14.3 mm or 30.6 mm, it counts as well.

Midsole softness is also important to consider as you don’t want an overly plush HIIT shoe that messes with surefootedness.

Having tested dozens of training shoes, we believe that the durometer reading of 20-30 HA is a fair middle ground for HIIT.

Good lateral support

In bodyweight HIIT, you don’t need the same level of rigidity and support as in a lifting-oriented shoe. Unless you have flat feet and severe overpronation which call for higher rigidity in the heel and midfoot and a stiffer heel counter.

Example of a 2 out of 5 torsional rigidity

But in most cases, a trainer with torsional rigidity of 2-3 can get the job done and keep you steady during lateral jumps and lunges.

Just keep in mind that you would opt for a stiffer shoe if you need a higher degree of support.

Flexible forefoot

Whether you’re jumping, doing push-ups, or rocking some mountain climbers, you need to be able to bend your feet freely.

That’s why we keep emphasizing that you shouldn’t choose an overly thick or stiff trainer for bodyweight HIIT.

In our lab, we measure the forefoot flexibility of each training shoe with the help of a force gauge. The less force (N) it takes to bend the shoe to a 90-degree angle, the higher is its flexibility.

Lightweight

Doing several sets of burpees or box jumps in a row is punishing enough as is. So you probably don’t want to make your life harder with a heavier HIIT shoe?

To let you know exactly how light or heavy each training shoe is, we weigh them all in the same size for consistency (men’s US 9 = women’s US 10.5). If a trainer weighs 10.6 oz (300g) or less, we consider it as lightweight.

Best HIIT shoes for cardio machines

Most types of cardio machines (elliptical, rowing machine, stationary bike) involve a pretty straightforward push-and-pull action. That’s why they don’t ask much from your training shoes.

Our only recommendation here is to choose a trainer with a relatively flat, firm, and low-stack midsole.

This will ensure that your shoes fit into the machine straps, provide a broad contact area with the pedals, and don’t swallow up your force with a squishy foam.

You can even use a pair of running shoes or sporty sneakers if they meet the criteria above.

However, if your HIIT sessions are built around treadmill running, you would want a better-cushioned cross-trainer or a full-on running shoe.

Choose breathable HIIT shoes

By their very nature, HIIT workouts are short and intense. If you aren’t dripping buckets of sweat at the end of it, you’re probably not pushing hard enough.

That means that your feet are going to get very hot, wet, and sticky at the end of a decent HIIT session. The more breathable and lightweight the upper material of the shoe is, the more comfortable your workout will be.

Because training shoes vary in their ventilation capacity, we perform a series of lab tests to rate their breathability on a 1-5 scale (5 being the most breathable).

That includes pumping smoke through the shoe’s toebox to check how quickly and easily it can let the heat out, hovering its half-cut upper over the LED light to locate ventilation holes, and studying its fabric under the microscope.

How long do HIIT shoes last?

Considering the intensity of this training program, your HIIT shoes are likely to wear out faster than other types of athletic shoes.

And that doesn’t always mean visible signs of deterioration like holes in the upper or missing chunks of rubber on the outsole. The high-impact nature of HIIT is harder on the cushioning of your training shoes and you can tell feel it degrading when you start to experience foot or leg pain post-workout (i.e. foot arch pain or shin splints).

Depending on how often you work out, your body weight, and the added weight you lift, you may need a replacement pair every 6-12 months.

The inherent wear resistance of shoe materials also contributes to their longevity. We use a Dremel with a sandpaper tip in our lab to check each HIIT shoe’s durability in the toebox, the inner heel lining, and the rubber outsole.

The speed, pressure, and timing remain the same for consistent results.

Here is the overview of the most durable HIIT shoes based on our Dremel tests*:

*Toebox and heel padding durability are given a durability score from 1 to 5 based on the severity of damage (the higher, the better). Outsole durability shows the exact depth of the drilled-out dent (the smaller, the better).

Getting the right size and fit in HIIT shoes

You want a relatively snug-fitting shoe for HIIT because it will prevent your heel from shifting and sliding around during fast-paced movements (like lateral plyometric jumps) and weightlifting. To achieve that, you have to ace two things - size (length) and fit (width).

Size

Research shows that a large portion of the population is wearing the wrong-sized shoes! And considering that brands don’t follow any standard shoe sizing scheme makes the problem even more complicated.

To increase your chances of ordering the right HIIT shoe size, we recommend:

• measuring your current foot length (ask a friend to help you)
• checking your size in the tool below (it contains official size charts of 40+ brands)

Fit

You also want to make sure that the trainer provides enough space for your toes width-wise. Depending on your foot shape, you may prefer a narrower and pointier toebox or a wider and more rounded one.

Even in the same size and brand, two shoes can have vastly different toebox shapes.

To let you know how much in-shoe space to expect in a given trainer, we create gel molds of each one in our lab.

Once the mold is ready, we use a digital caliper to measure the following dimensions: the widest part of the mold, the area near the big toe, and the toebox height.

TIP: Make sure you’re wearing your workout socks when trying a new pair of cross-trainers.