Why You Should Buy The GoRuck Ballistic Trainer (Full Review by Average CrossFitter) Vlog 5

[@texasjmd]

I’m currently using Altra HIIT XT shoes. They have been great. Zero drop and wide toe box. These have held up great for many years of heavy lifting, WODs, shuttle runs, sled pushes, etc. I need new shoes now. The problem is Altra changed ownership. The replacement for my shoe is the Altra Solstice XT2, but so many people have posted bad reviews about them falling apart after not much use. The sole starts separating for many people. Seems quality control and durability have gone down for Altra since the company was sold. These Go Rucks look pretty good, but I’m concerned with the 8mm drop. I’m also interested in the Xero 360 shoe.

[@Justin-Castles]

It's so annoying when companies change a product that you love! I wouldn't worry about the 8mm drop at all, you put them on and don't even think about it. When you find a shoe you love, buy 5 pairs of them! Good luck on your shoe hunt, let us know what you decide!

[@glassmw9823]

I loved Altras, and was severely disappointed when I read they had sold out to NorthFace a while back :(

[@texasjmd]

@ yeah. I’ve moved on to GoRuck shoes

[@glassmw9823]

@@texasjmd I’m jumping in myself, the water looks nice. I’ve still got some Xero shoes I wear, which are some good minimal, wide toe box shoes, but I’m not sure how they’d hold up with rucking and extra weight

[@texasjmd]

@ I tried the Xero 360 as well. It was good for some things, but overall I thought the GoRuck was better and more stable. There is another shoe called Savage 1 by the brand Born Primitive. It looks good as well, but I haven’t tried it yet. It’s a little flatter than GoRuck. 4mm drop vs 8 mm for the GoRuck.

[@111wash]

Thank you for your time and sharing your thoughts. I am an overweight old dude who is proudly a new gym rat. The question is do you think these are good for walking as they would be for the gym. Thanks.

[@Justin-Castles]

I would recommend the Rough Runners more for walking, if you have any ankle or knee trouble at all. That being said, I have been travelling for 9 weeks doing lots of walking in the Ballistic Trainers every day and have had no problems. Let us know which ones you decide on!

[@diverbelow27]

Love the review. I have the metcon 9 and the GoRucks. Both good choice for crossfits/workouts, both bad in my view for running. ( beside the casual warm up ). My Go Rucks feels like sleepers as they are so confortable. The Metcon feels ok, but the heel is hard. The only thing bothering me with GoRucks is the look, or the lack of. That shoe looks sad...it is efficient, but still they could have made them more attractive

[@Justin-Castles]

I love the look of them, but everyone is different. Hopefully the next release they do has something for you! Otherwise RAD, TYR, Reebok seem to have a bit more colour if thats what you are looking for!

[@jocolombo]

Oh no......Im gonna have to check these out now !!!!!!

[@Justin-Castles]

More shoes is always better!

[@Huus.billie]

Hi, thank's for the video ;) is there a relatable difference between the runner and ballistics in term of toe box width ?? i prefer to have the 10mm drop but i want to be sure the toe box is also wide enough on the runners, because in day to day life i wear barefoot and now i like to have wide to box shoes for crossfit. thank's in advance.

[@philippang07]

Keep it up! Good vid. Curious for rucking 30 lbs on longer distances past 15km on asphalt, concrete pavement, tarmac roads predominantly with some trails, would the Mackalls be better than the Ballistic Trainers? I don't gym. Key differences between Ballistic Trainers vs the Rough Runners.....?

[@Justin-Castles]

Thanks so much for the kind words Phillip! For that style of rucking I think the Rough Runners would be the best choice. The Ballistic trainers have less support and less cushioning which might be a bit fatiguing for tarmac rucking. They would also have less grip on trails. I haven't tried the Mackalls, but I think they would be overkill for what you need, big lugs on the sole and a firmer upper compared to the Rough Runners. Hope this helps, let me know what you end up choosing :)

[@philippang07]

Thank you for your reply. Just added a hip belt to my Rucker 3.0 to try. Gonna get the RRs as you suggested. Do also like the Mackalls for trails / all round use. Will get a pair of those too. I think the Ballistic Trainers are very comfortable stable shoes from feedback and will eventually get a pair much later just to try them. But I don’t gym; more callisthenics. Olive Green-gum. 😍 Keep posting good vids! Cheers

[@MatthewCampbell-jl9oh]

I want to run 5km on a treadmill and then go lift weights.... Is this shoe my best option? Im a classic overthinker and tend to rely on strangers advice for these things!

[@Justin-Castles]

Haha I'm an over thinker too! A few questions that might help are: What sort of lifts are you doing and how heavy will you be lifting? And how experienced are you at running, would you get sore after running a 5km or is that easy peasy for you? This might help figure out if the ballistic trainer will be ok or if you would be better with a firmer running show like the Ruck Runner.

[@BrianMyers7]

I like them for workouts, running not so much.. just me.

[@Justin-Castles]

Thanks for the comment, what shoes do you like to run in? I think Rough Runners are better for lots of running, but compared to other CrossFit shoes I prefer to run in the Ballistic Trainers.