NOBULL Drive Ripstop review

Designed to make people stop lifting in their running shoes, the NOBULL Drive Ripstop meets the demands of athletes who:

• want one versatile cross-trainer for jumps, runs, and lifting
• need a HYROX shoe that's not a dedicated running shoe
• prefer light and breathable gym shoes

The weightlifting capacity of this NOBULL shoe is limited to light and moderate loads. If your training programme is built around serious strength training and Olympic lifting, we recommend getting the Nike Metcon 10 or the Adidas Dropset 3 instead.

If you need a more durable option for CrossFit WODs, the Reebok Nano X5 is a better choice.

The NOBULL Drive Ripstop showed some of the highest shock absorption measurements among the training shoes in our lab! At 104 SA in the heel and 90 SA in the forefoot, it offers significantly more cushioning and impact protection than the average cross-trainer.

For reference, another popular NOBULL shoe, the Outwork, has only 66 SA and 51 SA, respectively.

However, this is a double-edged sword: while it makes the Drive better suited for cardio and interval running, it also makes its platform less stable for lifting. We could feel the shoe’s foam compressing under load, delaying force transfer as we drove the bar off the ground.

Now that's where the NOBULL Drive proved to be something else. As the first-ever cross-trainer with 100% Pebax-based foam (called RealReturn), it achieved energy-return levels comparable to those of race-running shoes!

Our machine recorded exceptionally high readings of 71.6% in the heel and 71.1% in the forefoot, which is 15%+ higher than the training shoe average! And if you want a reference, that's on par with the Saucony Endorphin Pro 4! This NOBULL shoe's running expertise is no joke, making it a solid choice for HYROX.

But as amazing as it is for high-impact boot camps and treadmill intervals, such explosiveness hinders heavy lifting.

Considering the intent behind the NOBULL Drive's design, it only makes sense that the shoe's stack height is on the taller side.

But our calliper measurements showed that it is, in fact, notably taller than stated in the specs! Instead of the promised 23 mm, we recorded as much as 27.5 mm in the heel!

We wouldn't call it towering, as it's close to that of other cross-trainers like the Reebok Nano X5. But it's quite a difference compared to shoes like the NOBULL Outwork (15.6 mm).

At 22.7 mm, the forefoot stack also turned out to be a few millimetres taller than the claimed 19 mm.

For the record, we always measure stack height at the same points (12% and 75% of the shoe's inner length) and with the insole included for consistency.

The drop, on the other hand, is close to the stated 4 mm at 4.8 mm. It is a versatile offset for cross-training that feels at home for various exercises.

Although we've come to associate Pebax foams with marshmallowy plushness, NOBULL turns that around for its Drive trainer.

Our durometer showed a relatively high reading of 28.5 HA, indicating moderate softness. It is, in fact, closer to the firm range (30 HA or higher) than it is to the soft category (20 HA or less). So while the squish is there, it is nowhere near as dramatic as you might expect from Pebax.

The NOBULL Drive Ripstop is available only in a standard width, and we found it to be a true medium fit.

Having created a gel mould of the shoe's interiors, we used a digital calliper to measure the widest area of its forefoot. At 95.5 mm, it falls right into the medium-width range.

However, athletes with wide feet or bunions may not find this space sufficient.

NOBULL promises a 'wider toebox' in the Drive Ripstop, but our calliper confirmed that it's merely average with a 73.5 mm width in the big toe area.

Granted, it is at least wider than the NOBULL Outwork (68.6 mm).

Vertical space also proved to be sufficient in the NOBULL Drive, putting no pressure on our toes or toenails.

The shoe's toebox height measured a regular 26.4 mm.

With some of the highest friction coefficients we've ever recorded in a training shoe (0.51), the NOBULL Drive grips everything!

From rubber mats to hardwood and turf, this trainer guarantees surefootedness. No more slipping your wheels on sled pulls and pushes!

The Drive Ripstop features a full-length rubber outsole, broken up by diamond-shaped cutouts of various sizes. This design ensures grip where it's needed most while keeping the shoe flexible enough and shaving grammes off its weight.

The taller forefoot stack of this NOBULL trainer doesn't allow much flex, but it is pliable enough to accommodate lunges, planks, burpees, sled pushes, and other exercises that require foot bending.

Measuring the force required to bend the shoe by 30 degrees, we obtained a higher reading of 15.1N. This is 50% more than it takes average training shoe in our lab.

There is also a potential nuisance from ripstop folding and pressing into the toe joints/instep. But the Drive is also available in a mesh variant, which is less rough than the ripstop.

Using lightweight Pebax allows brands to increase stack height without making the shoe too heavy. And that seems to be the case for the NOBULL Drive Ripstop.

Even though it looks more massive than the other cross-trainers in our catalogue, it actually weighs 2.5 oz lighter than average! Our scale showed 8.1 oz (230g) per shoe in a men's US size 9.

Unlike the brand's SuperFabric, the ripstop material on the NOBULL Drive showed some fantastic breathability!

Hovering the shoe's half-cut upper over the LED light, we saw that its entire length is generously perforated. What's more, the tongue is made of ultra-thin mesh that feels practically non-existent.

Examining the ultra-tight ripstop material under our microscope, we found that its numerous perforations are indeed the only source of ventilation.

Because they are so effective at their job, the NOBULL Drive Ripstop earns a high breathability score of 4/5.

It's fair to be concerned about stability in a well-cushioned cross-trainer like the NOBULL Drive, but the shoe strikes a perfect balance.

Its higher stack is offset by a broad midsole shape that widens like a pyramid towards the floor. The midsole edges also extend up slightly to contain the base of the foot.

Even though we wouldn't recommend this shoe for heavy lifting or reaching new personal bests, it made us feel well-supported when squatting with moderate weight. We had no problem with its slight toe rocker either, as it didn't cause our feet to tip forward.

The only caveat is that the shoe's higher stack makes it less ideal for deadlifts. The Outwork is a better option for that use case.

A thick and wide slab of firmer foam inevitably adds torsional rigidity to the NOBULL Drive. The shoe resists twisting along its length very well, earning a high stiffness score of 4/5.

This, in turn, creates a strong foundation to prevent the foot and ankle from collapsing inwards during lifts, single-leg strength training, and lateral work.

We found the shoe's heel counter stiffness moderate in our manual test and gave it a middle-ground score of 3/5. It has enough structure to contain the heels of most athletes.

The NOBULL Drive strikes a sweet spot: it has an above-average midsole width for stability without being so broad that it feels clunky for cardio and runs.

Our calliper recorded 112.9 mm in the widest part of its forefoot area.

The heel also provides a few extra millimetres of width with 91.1 mm between its most extended contact points.

If you opt for the Ripstop version of the Drive over the Mesh version in hopes of better upper durability, you will be disappointed.

The former is nowhere near as wear-resistant as it appears visually and tore up rather quickly in our Dremel test. Considering the size of the see-through hole, we assessed the shoe's toebox durability with the lowest score of 1/5.

But here is some good news - the smooth ripstop is very easy to swipe clean.

On a lighter note, the textile lining inside the shoe's collar is much better prepared for wear and tear. Showing practically no damage after the Dremel test, it earned a high score of 4/5.

Unfortunately, the shoe's outsole durability doesn't look very promising, as it practically melted under the sandpaper tip of our Dremel. At 1.5 mm, the dent ended up much deeper than we've come to expect from training shoe outsoles. 

The NOBULL Drive is the last shoe you want to wear on abrasive surfaces like concrete (i.e., outdoor conditioning) and for rope climbing.

Although the shoe's outsole thickness is on par with the average at 3.5 mm, we have concerns about the compound used. In this case, durability was sacrificed for a tackier grip.

The NOBULL Drive comes with a moderately padded insole that's 3.9 mm thick at the heel.

The insole is contoured and offers good basic supprt but it's also easily removable if you want to swap it for a custom orthotic.

A small NOBULL logo at the back of the shoe is reflective.

The shoe's tongue is lightly padded (4.5 mm) only at the top part to buffer lace bites without blocking the airflow.

A webbed finger loop at the back of the shoe helps to slip into the Drive faster and easier.

We were elated to find that the tongue is semi-gusseted. It's a small yet handy nuance that minimises tongue shifting and improves containment during intense movement.

The NOBULL Drive Ripstop exceeds the average retail price of cross-training shoes, but we deem it fair considering the advanced Pebax foam in its midsole.