Nike Free TR Fit Women's Shoe

The moment my feet flew out of my Reeboks while trying to jump in and out of plank position, I knew I had to change my shoes for Insanity.

Looking to get some cross trainers, I headed to Dick's Sporting Goods. They had about 8 or 9 different women's cross trainers, half of which were bulky and the other half which were the typical slim-looking Nike types. I tried on 2 different pairs of Nikes and decided to give Nike Free TR Fit a try.

Nike Free TR Fit

At around $85, I'm assuming these are called "Free" because they are extremely light and provide very little barrier between you and the ground. While I love how they fit almost like a glove, I am not too thrilled about the lack of shock absorption. I knew going into it that this would be the case, but I decided to see whether it was a good trade-off for now slipping around during In and Out abs.

The good news is that these shoes stay put! The bottoms are extremely pliable as you can see from the cut pattern. The opening and tongue tie closely around the ankle for minimum movement. Not too crazy about how they feel laterally. During suicide drills, I can feel the distinct point where the soles meet the sides of the shoes.

The slightly even less good news is that my arches were beginning to ache in the middle of the workout during Plyo. It may be that I need to adjust from the cushioned shoe to the more natural shoe. I've heard some people do Insanity barefoot. That's something I haven't tried, but I feel like this is close to it.

The slightly better news is that these are great during Cardio Recovery. The rubber soles are perfect for the deep lunges and other poses.

I was thinking of returning these and trying some other shoes, but the pros outweight the cons. Also, I really love the colors. I give these shoes a 7/10. I wonder how long they will withstand these workouts... but for now, they keep me from smashing my face.