While I’ve covered the basics of setting up a home gym before, your shoes are the one piece of equipment that follow you everywhere

You’d think you can wear one pair of shoes for all of your workout needs, but I can say from experience it’s not ideal depending on the kind of workouts you’re wanting to do.

So in the hopes of making things a bit easier for people who are new to working out, getting back into it, or are just in the marketing for some upgrades, here are a few of my recommendations.

Training & gym shoes – Nike Metcon 10

These are my current favorites for most of my daily workouts. I use them for:

• HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
• Strength training
• Core training
• Dance workouts
• Cycling
• Rowing
• Kickboxing

I enjoy them for their steady based which makes them very useful when lifting weights. I also enjoy that they’re still comfortable for workouts that involve more side to side movements like HIIT and dancing.

I will say you should break them in a bit beforehand because they were a bit tight when doing moves like reverse lunges. The Metcon 10s also have a shoe lace tucking spot in the tongue of the shoes which prevents the laces flying everywhere in the more high energy workouts like HIIT and dancing.

Training & gym shoes – Nike Free Metcon 6

These are a great alternative to the Metcon 10s and they are a bit cheaper too. They can be good for all of the similar workouts types like:

• HIIT
• Strength training
• Core training
• Dancing
• Cycling
• Rowing
• Kickboxing

The one drawback I have found with the Free Metcon 6 is you may want to go one size to half a size smaller because the heel of the shoe feels deeper on the inside. This can make the fit of the shoe a bit looser than I would have liked.

Running shoes – Nike Pegasus 41

I learned the hard way how important it is to wear running shoes for running. While it sounds like a no brainer, I see people in the gym or on trails using whatever shoes they have available. The first few runs I did with shoes that weren’t designed for running gave me major blisters.

You’ll notice the back part of the running shoes have more cushion. This helps reduce the impact on your feet, ankles, knees, and hips. They’re also designed to help support natural foot movement and prevent instability. Proper running shoes can also lower the risks for stress fractures, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, and joint pain.

The lightweight materials of this running shoe makes it feel like you’re running with almost nothing on your feet too. They’re also very breathable, making them comfortable for extended periods of time. I would recommend changing from these after a run into gym/training shoes like the Metcon 10’s because these running shoes can make you feel off balance for things involving balance e.g. lunges, skaters, single-legged hinges.

Trail shoes – Nike Pegasus Trail 5

I use these as my day-to-day walking shoes. I’ve also used them for hikes on trails that aren’t too steep. I haven’t tried them for trail running yet, but they definitely feel grippy enough to keep you stable on mud, rocks, and dry dirt trails. I would say they are the most comfortable of my shoes that I wear often outside of workouts.

I have a few other pairs of workout shoes and have tried a few others in the past that have needed replacing, but they’re no longer for sale anymore. More than anything I’d say trust your feet and what’s most comfortable for them. Always try on the shoes before you buy them to make sure you get the best fit and try a few simple exercise moves in the store. This will let you know if they’re a good fit for your workout types.

Also, check the outlet store if you can because you can save yourself quite a bit of money for the same quality workout shoe. I know I’ve found myself a bargain or two that way.

Disclaimer: While I may enjoy workout shoes made by Nike, I am not sponsored by them in any way to write this post. It’s simply a matter of preference based on experience. I have tried Under Armor, Vans, Adidas, Sketcher, and even Costco’s Kirkland brand shoes and none have worked for me in terms of comfort and practicality.