My time at CrossFit Bellator has been an amazing journey. My level of fitness has skyrocketed with the combination of workouts they have thrown at me daily. My 5k time has dropped from 26 min to a 22 min run. My pull ups and box jumps have sored from the non-existent to being able complete the workout and have enough energy to face what movement is next on the list.
I have been using the Adipure Trainer from Adidas during these workouts, and I have been amazed by how much control I feel with a barefoot style shoe. This amazing shoe is more focused on a CrossFit style workout than just a running shoe, although they hold up well during those grueling runs. From the time I start the CrossFit warm-up to the strength warm-up and then the WOD (Workout of the Day), the Adipures have held up to whatever challenge the trainers have thrown at me.
When you typically think of a barefoot-style shoe, people say it is a running shoe, maybe thinking of examples like New Balance’s Minimus shoes. The Adipure is a completely different monster. The padding on the bottom of the shoe holds up to the heavy Olympic-style lifts and the impact of the box jumps, which other minimalist shoes do not. They give you great control when you are doing the double-unders (a fast jump-rope exercise) and are comfortable when you transition from lifting right to a run.
These shoes hold up well under heavy loads and running or quick movement changes—I even took them trail running! The only issue I have faced with the shoes are sharp stones. You feel everything under foot, even the rocks. While the shoes are well padded and support the majority of running and CrossFit training, large, sharp rocks felt like I had nothing on my feet. These are not trail running shoes, I learned.
With that said the overall practicalities of the shoes were great. I loved them in every other case that I have used them. I would recommend that the CrossFit community and anyone working out in the gym try them—you’ll be pleasantly surprised. At $90 on Adidas’ website, they are competitive with other workout shoes and cheaper than some.
