If you enjoy taking keeping fit, you’ll appreciate the comfort and support of cross trainers. The best cross training shoes for women are comfortable underfoot and can be worn all day long.
Not only do the best cross trainers offer comfort for all sporting activities, they also make sure that your ankle and heel are well supported – reducing the risk of injury. Here we take a look at the top ten cross trainers in the market. You’ll find an in-depth review of our top five shoes after the table.
Top 10 Women’s Cross Training Shoes Table
| Picture | Name | Features | Price | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. PUMA Women's Cell Riaze | Foam with rubber sole | $$$$ | 4.6 |
| 2. ASICS Women's GEL-Venture 5 | Gel with synthetic sole | $$ | 4.5 |
| 3. PUMA Women's Tazon 6 | Foam with rubber sole | $$ | 4.4 |
| 4. ASICS Women's GEL-Fit Sana | Gel with rubber sole | $$ | 4.3 |
| 5. Asics Womens GEL Noosa Tri 10 | Gel with rubber sole | $$$$ | 4.3 |
| 6. New Balance Women's 711 Mesh | Foam with synthetic sole | $$$ | 4.3 |
| 7. New Balance Women's WX608V4 | Foam with synthetic sole | $$$ | 4.3 |
| 8. Nike Womens TR Fit 4 | Foam with synthetic sole | $$$$ | 4.2 |
| 9. RYKA Women's Influence | Foam with rubber sole | $$ | 4.2 |
| 10. New Balance Women's WX811 | Foam with rubber sole | $ | 4.0 |
A Few Things to Consider
Consider carefully the exercises you will do most. This will determine the features you want in your shoe. If you’re just starting out with exercising, we suggest spending a few weeks working on a routine you like before making a buying decision.
Once you’ve got a routine and you know what exercises you’ll be focusing on such as running, cycling, walking or gym workouts. You can make the best buying decision that suits your exact needs.
Shoes with rubber soles are well suited to agility exercises, such as gym workouts and athletics. However, the high traction of the rubber will slow you down in races. Also, you’ll deplete your energy faster on long walks or runs, as it takes more effort to move your foot from the ground.
Synthetic soles don’t have the traction for agility exercises and using these for this of exercise increases your risks of injury. Whereas they are well suited to running, cycling and walking activities. The sole slips out underfoot which helps keep your body in motion and increases your momentum.
Buying Information
The best cross training shoes for women are well made, look great and suit all sporting occasions. Whether you’re riding your bike down the road, taking a long run after work to wind down or hitting the gym in your lunch hour. Cross trainers are designed to suit all types of physical activities.
There are a few things to keep in mind when comparing different shoes. Here we list the key points for you to consider before your next purchase:
- Cross trainers have either a rubber or synthetic sole. Rubber soles offer much more friction against all surfaces especially wet or slippery ones. But their high traction will slow you down when it comes to racing and speed tests.
- Synthetic soles don’t grip as much to surfaces so they can be seen as less secure underfoot. However the lower friction reduces the effort your legs need to exert to move your foot off the ground after a stride. Making for faster times and increased ability to race longer and harder.
- All of our top picks have either a foam or gel comfort lining. Foam linings are more rigid and mold to your feet the more you wear the shoe. This ensures a perfect fit after a few weeks of steady use. However foam offers less comfort than gel once the shoes are worn in.
- Gel comfort liners do not mold to your feet and instead offer long lasting comfort underfoot. Due to the high flexibility of the gel, soles may feel less stable and it’s more important to ensure laces are well tied. Gel does not breathe whereas foam does, and this may be a deciding factor if you perspire often.
- When you first try on your shoes they should feel a little too tight. As long as you can fit your foot into them and the sole of the shoe supports all of your foots sole, the shoes will stretch with use. This ensures a safe and secure foundation for all of your physical activities and reduces the risk of injuries.
5 Best Cross Training Shoes for Women Reviews
1. Cell Riaze
With a tough rubber sole and a synthetic liner these cross trainers are ideal for quick moving and stopping exercises such as high intensity gym workouts. The rubber sole ensures you always have plenty of grip on every surface. And the foam liner molds to your foot after a few weeks of use.
We found these shoes to be very comfortable, and the foam liner retained the majority of the comfort and support even after extended use. The upper body padding provided great support, and these shoes felt very comfortable underfoot.
The arch has great cushioning support and its clear PUMA have worked hard to make sure these shoes are great for outdoor running. These a great choice for wet weather runs. They may feel a bit tight and narrow, but this ensures a snug fit and great support. But women with wider than average feet may be better with a different shoe.
2. GEL-Venture 5
A great all round trainer with a synthetic sole. This is a fantastic running shoe and is well designed for long distance runs and field sports. The sole has some rubber in it which makes this a fantastic all-purpose shoe.
We had great traction in agility sports and found these shoes to be exceptionally comfortable for running. They offer great ankle, arch and heel support with very comfortable and secure upper padding.
These shoes have slightly stiffer side walls than other shoes we tested, and this ensures your foot has plenty of support for gym workouts, particularly weightlifting.
The colours are appealing. They make for a great looking shoe that can be sported in all occasions.
3. Tazon 6
A full rubber sole ensures absolute grip for agility sports and fast paced action. These shoes are fantastic for those who only run short distances or prefer more traction in their runs. The design is top notch with a stylish two colour theme.
The padding on the upper shoe is very comfortable and provides great support. Your arch is well supported and these feel stable underfoot. We found the shoes to be slightly too small for most feet so it’s a good idea to order about half a size larger than you normally would.
We found these shoes to be fantastic for working on your feet all day long, as the sole support is comfortable and these shoes are lightweight. The colour and design is vibrant and very stylish.
4. GEL-Fit Sana
With a half synthetic and half rubber sole this is a great all round shoe, made for all occasions. We found this shoe to perform well over long distance runs. It also performed well in the gym. It’s a lightweight trainer yet it offers great support and comfort with minimal padding.
The upper body of the shoe has the “MONO SOCK” fit system which lives up to its name. These shoes are snug as a sock. However the lack of side support lends this shoe to be less secure for weightlifting at the gym.
We found the shoes to be great for work outs. They’re more like bedroom slippers they are that light. And like the best cross training shoes for women these shoes are very easy to get in and out of.
5. GEL Noosa Tri 10
A full rubber sole makes these a great shoe for agility activities. The gel lining provides great long term support for your feet. We found these shoes to be outstanding running shoes as well despite the all rubber sole.
The shoe is lightweight and made to be comfortable. We wore them straight out of the box for an entire day without an issue. The design is very colorful and lively, making these a great addition to your wardrobe.
