Wondering what kit you need for CrossFit®? Shapesmiths have got you covered!
FOOTWEAR.
In short, if you wear the right shoes, you will lift more weight and move well. How? well, the running shoes, tennis pumps and sports fashion trainers you have on your feet often have huge padding and shock absorbing ‘tech’ built in.
For CrossFit®, rather than absorb force, you want to use the force that your body produces to help you move the weight/object you are lifting. The more force you can produce; the more weight you can move, due to the amount of ground reaction force you can produce. Newton’s third law of motion if you think back to science class.
So, what shoes do we recommend? Well, there are many all-round shoes for CrossFit®. NoBull, Nike Metcons & Reebok Nano’s are some of the best shoes on the market. They have a stiff, flat sole and durable outer.
Which one is the best? In all honesty everyone has an opinion on this, but… it is a lot to do with personal preference. Almost everyone’s feet have 52 bones and 66 joints between the pair, that are organised in a multitude of ways. Everyone has different preferences in colourway and look. SO, our advice is to get yourself to Whatever it Takes [Discount Code: ‘ShapesmithMember’] which has all of them in one place, Nike Town or a Reebok store. When there try them on and see what you like.
If that’s not possible right now, order a couple pairs online and try them on at home. Send back the pairs you don’t quite like.
What about Weightlifting Shoes? Great question. Weightlifting shoes are very handy for two main reasons.
1) If you have poor ankle mobility the wedge of the heel will allow you to get into a more UPRIGHT squat position, be that for the Overhead Squat, Back or Front Squat.
2) They can add some additional stability because they are very sturdy, have a midfoot strap to limit motion (if that is relevant to you) and increase the surface area of your feet.
Which ones should I choose?
Romaleos from Nike, Adidas do a whole range, NoBull old school lifters are beautiful. Inov8 make good WL shoes. Suitable for wider feet too.
For more in depth insight this is a pretty comprehensive article: https://barbend.com/ultimate-
Again, to a large degree it is personal preference. But if you consider points 1 & 2 that should inform your decision. The heel heights all vary, from shoe to shoe as do the strap location. They also come in many pretty colourways. But try and keep it to a what you need.
SKIPPING ROPES
If you’re still trying to master single and double unders it’s highly advisable to purchase a jump rope. Because everyone has different limb lengths, you are going to want a rope that you can customise to yourself. Our favourite customisable ropes come from SGF. What we like is that the handles last a very long time and they have a ‘RE-WIRING SERVICE’ that costs £5.50 which means you don’t need to buy a new expensive rope every time the wire gets wrecked.
Top Tip: DON’T WRECK YOUR ROPE. Skip on a non-abrasive surface. Avoid concrete as it will wreck your rope.
Again, totally shop around and find one that works for you, but an appropriately sized rope will definitely help you.
PULL-UP PROTECTION
Last but not least, if you are getting a handle on your pull ups it’s worthwhile investing in some gymnastics grips. These will help prevent tearing and help to keep your hands from getting too sore.
The ones from Victory Grips work really well on our slicker bars:
For our raw steel bars (Speal Bars) Bear Komplex grips work well!
Those three bits of kit will be an excellent investment in your CrossFit® journey and will last for a fair whack of time! So, get out there and see what works for you!