Just a few weeks ago, Nike debuted the Air Zoom SuperRep, a shoe that’s purpose-built to provide the necessary support during HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts. Having chosen to focus their efforts in recent years to servicing the gym-going crowd, we knew it was only a matter of time before Reebok entered the same space, too. Apparently, that happens now with the Reebok HIIT TR.
No, it doesn’t ape the weird-shaped sole that’s arguably the most visually notable element in Nike’s HIIT shoe. Instead, this looks more like a traditional sneaker, albeit with individual elements that will matter most when executing exercises like jump squats, burpees, and lunges, among other movements that have become a staple of HIIT workouts, making it a much better fit than the current crop of running shoes people tend to wear, which don’t really hold up to those kinds of dynamic movements.
The Reebok HIIT TR slips your feet inside a comfortable bootie that wraps it securely, ensuring it stays in place even during the most explosive action, so you can jump, slide, and chain complex movements at a fast pace without your foot ever slipping out of place. It’s surrounded by a mesh upper that’s fitted with a pillow of material around the collar, ensuring a locked-in fit that will keep your foot stable all throughout the course of a workout session.
It pairs that mesh upper with lightweight EVA foam cushioning, dispersing the impact every time you land on the floor, so you can stay upright while fluidly switching to the next movement. All that is fused to a flexible outsole with a decoupled bottom that’s cut from two different high-performance rubbers to provide an ideal amount of traction for maintaining grip in the sweatiest gym floors, while flex grooves on the forefoot provide much-needed rebound and some flexibility to let your feet bend when performing jumps, lunges, and other types of movement.
The Reebok HIIT TR also has an enhanced midfoot cage to provide the necessary support during the rapid and repeated stretching and contracting of your foot muscles, as well as zoned rubber wrap in high-contact areas, so your feet are shielded from heavy impact and hard contact, especially for those times when you slip and mess up while executing a movement. It has posting fins to deliver additional lightweight support, a tongue pull for easily slip-on wear, and a speckle design detail for added visual highlights.
How different is it from Reebok’s lineup of Crossfit-oriented shoes? We’re not entirely sure, since most of Crossfit’s movements literally mirror that of HIIT. As in, many folks who have been doing HIIT have probably been best served using those fitness-focused silhouettes, instead of trying to repurpose their running shoes to supports jumps and lunges. If you’ve tried the outfit’s Crossfit shoes, especially the much-lauded Nano 9 from this year, we imagine this will bring a lot of the same feel, which we honestly don’t mind.
The Reebok HIIT TR launches January 15, priced at $90.