Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3 Review | Best Budget-Friendly Nike Trainer?

The Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3 is one of the newest budget-friendly trainers from Nike. This shoe features Nike’s signature Renew midsole construction, and it’s boasted to be a good trainer for tackling class workouts and HIIT sessions.

As someone who loves budget-friendly training shoes, I was super interested to see how the Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3 performed.

Personally, I’ve found that budget-friendly shoes can go either way with their performance, so I kept this in mind as I tested them. As a whole, I was a big fan of the Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3s and how they performed compared to other cross-training shoes that I’ve reviewed, especially for their price.

Who Should Invest In the Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3?

The Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3 is a good option for anyone who is looking for a shoe to tackle class workouts, HIIT sessions, and casual resistance training workouts. For the price of $75 USD, this shoe delivers fairly consistent performance and it also works well for shorter runs and day-to-day wear.

The Nike Renew midsole is responsive yet supportive enough for lighter training, so recreational athletes will benefit from this model. This model does fall short for heavy lifting and CrossFit, but for the price and the construction offered, this shoe delivers a strong performance for a budget-friendly training shoe.

Pros

Throughout my testing, I found three key details and construction features to like about the Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3.

1. Budget-Friendly Price
2. Nike Renew Midsole
3. Lightweight and Athletic Fit

The first and biggest pro is the price point of this shoe. For $75 USD, I think this price is fair for what this shoe offers in regard to its construction and performance. Plus, you can often find this model on sale for less than the asking price through other retail outlets and on Nike’s website.

If you can find this model in the colorway you like and you plan to use it for daily wear or more casual training, then I think their price point is fair and a good investment.

Another pro with this model is the Nike Renew midsole. Nike Renew midsoles are constructed with dual-density foam and I found the midsole in this model to provide a nice blend of responsiveness and stability. I thought the midsole supported my HIIT sessions, plyometrics, and other agility-focused workouts well.

In addition, you can also train lighter in this model and the midsole does an okay job at supporting lighter training sessions. I’d suggest capping your loading to about 225-275 lbs in this shoe to limit occasions of compression. If you’re training lighter than that threshold, then I think you’ll enjoy the stability you get with this model.

The final pro(s) that come along with this model is how lightweight it is and its athletic fit. For my size 10 model, this shoe has a weight of 10 oz which is on the lighter side for training shoes that fall into the same category as the Renew Retaliation TR 3.

On top of its lighter-weight construction, I also like how this model fits as a whole. It has a more narrow to neutral build and I found it to have a nice athletic fit and feel to it when training. You can wear it for longer workouts and sessions without it feeling heavy or like a burden to wear.

Cons

As a whole, I like the Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3, but like with most budget-friendly models, there are a few areas of limitation with this shoe.

1. Not Great for Heavy Lifting and CrossFit
2. Toe Box May Be Too Narrow for Some

The first drawback to this model is that it’s not going to be your best option for more serious lifting and CrossFit. This model has a lower threshold in which the midsole starts to compress, so if you want a Nike training shoe for lifting, I’d suggest checking out the Nike Metcon 7 or 6.

Outside of lifting, this model will also be limited when it comes to CrossFit-focused training. The mesh upper is durable for casual training and classes, but it’s not built for heavy abrasion resistance, so if you are on the market for Nike CrossFit shoes, then I’d suggest looking into some of my favorite Nike trainers.

While I like the fit and feel of the Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3, I could see the slightly narrower forefoot being a turnoff for athletes and lifters with wider feet. I found that it took about a week to truly break in this shoe so it does feel a bit better over time, however, this model’s toe box isn’t the widest if you’re looking for a shoe to accommodate wide feet.

Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3 Performance

To help you decide if the Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3 is right for you, I’ve broken the performance section into three parts including lifting, versatile training, and shorter runs/daily wear.

Lifting

If you plan to lift in the Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3s, you’ll likely find your stability a bit limited. I started to notice the midsole compressing in this model when working with loads around 225 lbs and 275 lbs. To be honest, I somewhat expected this for this model, and I don’t think it’s necessarily a turnoff.

This shoe is marketed and discussed as a class-focused model, so it makes sense it’s not a phenomenal model for heavier training. If you want this model for lighter training or even high-velocity workouts that you’re keeping light though, then you should be plenty fine in this model.

Versatile Training

For athletic-focused training, agility, plyometrics, and HIIT sessions I really enjoyed this model. It’s lightweight and has a mesh upper that breathes really well for both indoor and outdoor sessions. If you’re tackling longer sessions or classes with a bunch of people around you, then you should find that this model keeps the feet fairly cool.

I like the Nike Renew midsole and the blend of responsiveness and stability it provides for different forms of training. When jumping, this midsole provides a nice base to jump from and it has enough cushion for supporting sessions where you’re jumping a ton.

Basically, you’re not going to feel beat up in this model when absorbing different types of jumps during landing phases.

The outsole is also a nice perk of this model due to its traction. For multi-directional training, this model should provide you a nice base to cut and drive forward, laterally, and backward from.

Shorter Runs and Daily Wear

If you plan to tackle shorter runs in this model, then you should be fairly safe to do so. The Nike Renew midsole doesn’t beat the feet up, so for runs between 1-3 miles, you should find this model to be fairly comfortable.

On a daily wear basis, this model should serve you pretty well. It’s comfortable and has a bit of arch support so you can easily wear it all day without it feeling like a burden to have on the feet. There’s enough cushion for taking longer walks, running errands, and doing things like yardwork.

Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3 Sizing

Most lifters and athletes should be safe going true-to-size in the Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3. This shoe’s length is true and it has a more narrow-to-neutral last and width construction.

That being said, if you have a wider foot, then you may want to go up a half size, but for the vast majority of lifters and athletes, true-to-size will be the call.

Price Breakdown

For the new Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3, you can expect to pay around $75 USD. Personally, I think this price is pretty fair for what this shoe has to offer. I’d compare this model to something like the Reebok Flashfilm Train 2.0 or the Reebok Nanoflex TR which have similar price points and functionalities.

As for shopping around for this model, I’d suggest looking into different retailers to see if you can find this model on sale. I’ve found that this model is often marked down depending on where you look.

Construction Details

If you’re interested in the construction details for the Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3, I’ve laid some of the most aspects below. For a visual breakdown of this shoe’s construction skip to 6:54 in my video review above!

• Heel-to-Toe Drop: 4mm
• Weight: 10 oz (size 10 model)
• Removable Insole: No. However, it’s only a light layer of adhesive, so you can technically remove it fairly easily.
• Mesh Upper With Synthetic Overlays
• Nike Renew Midsole
• Rubber Outsole
• External Heel Tab
• Arch Sole Construction

If you have any questions about this shoe’s construction drop a comment below or reach out to me personally.

Takeaway Thoughts

For the price, I like the construction and performance that accompany the Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3. This model works best for classes, HIIT workouts, and more athletic-focused training.

There are limitations with this model’s construction in the gym but for the price, I think this model delivers a performance that aligns well with how it’s marketed.

If you have any questions about this model, drop a comment below or reach out to me personally via Instagram (@jake_boly).