The NOBULL Court Trainer is designed for tackling CrossFit workouts and cross-training sessions while delivering a strong performance for court sports. As an avid pickleball player, I was super excited to put these NOBULL shoes to the test.
The NOBULL Court Trainer has some similarities to the NOBULL Trainer+, but differentiates itself in some pretty big ways, especially for the court sport-focused athlete and lifter.
If you’re someone who wants an “all-in-one” style shoe for CrossFit, cross-training, and pickleball or tennis, then I think you’ll really enjoy the NOBULL Court Trainer. Their performance has been subtly surprising and this model has steadily grown on me.
In this NOBULL Court Trainer review, I’m going to discuss a variety of topics to help you decide if this shoe is a good fit for your training needs and wants.
Contents
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Who Should Invest In the NOBULL Court Trainer?
The NOBULL Court Trainer has been a subtly surprising shoe in regard to its performance. I think this shoe will resonate really well with a particular niche audience that needs one shoe for their training and court sports.
For example, I really appreciate how this model performs in the gym for heavy lifting, CrossFit, and pickleball. I think if you’re on the market for a strong performing “all-in-one” shoe for cross-training and court sports, then this model delivers.
The midsole is stable and fairly responsive and the herringbone tread pattern provides nice traction for multi-directional activity on different surfaces. I also like the medial outsole wrap and toe bumper for durability and explosive push-off purposes.
While I really like this shoe and think it delivers for its niche audience, I don’t think it will be the best cross-training shoe for everyone. For example, if you need a more general trainer, then you could explore other models that have lower price points and more general features.
NOBULL Court Trainer
$139
Best For
- Recreational Lifting
- CrossFit Workouts
- Court Sports
- Walking and Daily Wear
- Multi-Directional Training
Falls Short
- For Breathability
- For Longer Runs
NOBULL Court Trainer Pros
Over the course of my training, reviewing, and gaming in the NOBULL Court Trainer, I’ve found multiple pros to like about this model.
- Great Model for Blending Cross-Training and Court Sports
- Durable Outsole and Upper for Training and Sports
- Midsole and Design Feed Well Into Multi-Directional Activities
The first aspect to like about the NOBULL Court Trainer — and this was something that took me by surprise, too — was how well this model did for the niche-focused activities it’s designed to accommodate.
There are not a ton of cross-training shoes on the market that can withstand the demands of CrossFit, heavy lifting, and court sports, but this model stood up to the tasks really well. There are three reasons why I like the Court Trainer’s performance.
First, the midsole is stable, yet responsive enough for sports and jumping. You can lift heavy in this shoe, then wear them to play tennis or pickleball and they’ll feel pretty good for your training and gaming session.
Second, the herringbone tread pattern on this model does a really good job at gripping different surfaces and facilitating strong push-offs for lateral, forward, and backward movement. Third and lastly, the upper helps lock the feet down so you never run into foot overhang.
Another thing to like about this model is its overall durability. For lateral and multi-directional testing, I’ll often use pickleball as means to assess how different cross-training shoes do with handling the stress of explosive bouts of training in different directions.
The upper in the Court Trainer is great for preventing stress rips and tears and the outsole is thick enough to withstand the stress of really digging the toes into the ground. If you need an “all-in-one” style shoe for your training and court sports, then this shoe and its durability are a really good bet.
The last pro and thing to like with the Court Trainer is its midsole construction and overall design. The midsole has a more “athletic feel” to it, which is nice for activities where you’re on your forefoot a lot.
I also like the boot and heel counter in this model as it helps provide a nice locked-down fit and feel with this shoe. The padded tongue is also a nice touch to prevent tongue and lace bite, which is something I experienced in the NOBULL Mesh Runner.
NOBULL Court Trainer Cons
For their niche uses in the gym and on the court, I’ve really enjoyed the NOBULL Court Trainer. However, there are a couple of cons to note about this model.
- Can Feel a Little Clunky for Purely HIIT-Focused Training
- They Can Run Fairly Warm
The first potential drawback to note with the Court Trainer is that they can feel a little heavy for HIIT workouts. While they’re great on the court and for multi-directional activities, I think they can feel a tad heavy for certain forms of HIIT training.
For example, in my sprint and plyometric-focused sessions, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the thicker midsole in this model and I noticed this most when I was starting to fatigue. Granted, I personally like lower-profile and cleat-like shoes for these sessions, so that’s worth noting as that definitely influences my interpretations of this model.
I think if you’re a court sport athlete tackling accessory workouts that have HIIT-focused work and some sprints baked in, then you’ll likely enjoy this model. For the pure HIIT-focused individual though, you may want to look into more HIIT-focused shoes.
The second drawback that I could others have with this model is that they do run fairly hot, especially if you’re wearing them all day with thicker socks. Even as I write these, I’m tempted to take my feet out of the Court Trainers and let them breathe.
The SuperFabric upper in this model is super durable, but it’s not the most breathable. If you plan to wear this model all day or for longer sessions, then I’d suggest rocking thinner athletic socks or thin no-show socks to increase the breathability of these shoes.
For workouts and games of tennis and pickleball, I don’t think this will be the biggest issue since you’ll be moving so much and only wearing them for a limited time, but for all-day wear — beware.
Performance
To break down the performance of the NOBULL Court Trainer, I’m going to discuss how this shoe does in a variety of settings. More specifically, I’m going to discuss the Court Trainer’s performance for CrossFit, lifting, versatile training, and court sports.
This way, you can hopefully better contextualize if this shoe is a good fit for the context of your training wants and needs.
Testing the NOBULL Court Trainer for CrossFit and Lifting
In the context of lifting, I’ve really enjoyed the performance of the NOBULL Court Trainer. I think for general strength work this shoe works really well and the midsole and outsole provide a nice level of stability.
For heavier sets, I felt locked down in this shoe and didn’t notice any glaring issues with compression and for light sets, this shoe moves pretty well once broken in. Note, that this model takes a week or so to fully break-in due to its thicker midsole and outsole.
Must Read: NOBULL Trainer+ Vs NOBULL Trainer | Is the Newer Shoe Really Better?
Once broken in, this shoe gives you more in the gym. For cross-training sessions, I’ve really enjoyed the herringbone tread pattern on this model’s outsole. It’s less thick and clunky compared to the NOBULL Trainer+ and grips different gym surfaces well.
For CrossFit, I also like the Court Trainer and its performance. More specifically, I like that this shoe delivers similar levels of durability as the original NOBULL Trainer which has proven to be a good model for CrossFit in regard to durability.
The SuperFabric upper did a good job at resisting abrasion and showing signs of wear when doing burpees and this model’s midsole and outsole do an okay job for rope climbs, similar to most of the NOBULL cross-training shoes.
My only drawback in the context of CrossFit and heavy lifting with this shoe is that it does have a fairly high stack height, so that may interfere with niche performance asks like max deadlifts where you’ll want less stack height with your shoes.
Testing the NOBULL Court Trainer for Versatile Training
For versatile training including things like HIIT, plyometrics, and athletic-focused work, the Court Trainer does a pretty good job. Personally, I find that this shoe can be a little hit or miss for this style of training based on how you want to use them.
The main two things to like about this shoe’s performance for versatile training are its performance for multi-directional work and how the upper really locks down the foot for security and stress rip prevention.
If you’re someone who’s regularly tackling lateral explosive work or doing things like sled pushes and you’re a court sport-focused athlete, then I think you’ll enjoy how this shoe’s midsole and outsole interact with your training environment.
Additionally, the SuperFabric upper and overall shoe security is good in this model so you never really have issues with foot overhang or the upper giving out and showing signs of stress tears and rips.
That all being said, I do think this shoe could fall short for anyone that wants a model solely for things like plyometrics, HIIT workouts, and classes. This model can feel a tad clunky at times, which could be a drawback for those that want something lighter in weight.
Testing the NOBULL Court Trainer for Court Sports (Tennis and Pickleball)
In regard to court sports, I’ve primarily tested this shoe for pickleball as that’s my court sport of choice. Using this shoe in that training context is what helped me appreciate the construction of the Court Trainer.
Author’s Note: Ignore the khakis in my pickleball shots. I was wearing and testing them for an athletic pants video when I got media for this review. I do NOT regularly game in khakis and I’ll probably update these images soon because the khaki shots are severely bothering me, LOL.
I’m regularly wearing my cross-training shoes to play pickleball and their performances are not equal by any means. Generally, I’ll have cross-training shoes fall short in this context due to their lacking upper durability and ability to support explosive multi-directional work.
The Court Trainer does a good job at ticking both of these boxes with its upper, midsole, and outsole. If you are in the performance niche of needing a model that you can wear for CrossFit, heavy training sessions, and to play your sport, then I think you’ll enjoy this shoe.
While I don’t think the warmth of this shoe will be a major issue for most if they’re only wearing them for a few games, it could be problematic if you’re having a marathon session in hot weather.
NOBULL Court Trainer Vs NOBULL Trainer
The NOBULL Court Trainer and NOBULL Trainer are both pretty different in regard to their construction, price, and performance. The main construction differences between the Court Trainer and normal NOBULL Trainer revolve around the midsole, outsole, tongue, and heel.
In the NOBULL Court Trainer, you get a thicker and lightweight EVA midsole compared to the slightly higher-density EVA used in the NOBULL Trainer. This brings up the stack height fairly significantly in the Court Trainer.
In addition, the Court Trainer features a thicker outsole with a herringbone tread pattern for durability and grip. This is different than the traditional outsole you get in the NOBULL Trainer which features a basic lug pattern.
The final two subtle and notable construction differences between these models include their tongues and boots. The Court Trainer’s tongue features more padding to prevent tongue and lace bite compared to the NOBULL Trainer.
The heel in the Court Trainer also features additional heel padding and a higher collar for ankle support and heel slip prevention. This feature gives the Court Trainer’s boot a much more rigid feeling.
Which Is Better: The Court Trainer is a great model for the court sport-focused athlete or the lifter and athlete that plans to use their shoes for more general recreational sports.
The NOBULL Trainer is a good pick for the person that wants a stable shoe for CrossFit and lifting that also wants to save a little money.
NOBULL Court Trainer
NOBULL Trainer
NOBULL Court Trainer Sizing
For most lifters and athletes, you should be safe going true to size in the Court Trainer. The NOBULL Court Trainer does run a little longer than the traditional NOBULL Trainer, but I don’t think it’s enough warranting most athletes and lifters to size down in this model.
That being said, if you wear NOBULL Trainers now, I think if you normally have a half-inch of room or more at the end of your toe box, then you’ll maybe want to size down a half size. However, this is one of the only occasions where I think sizing down would be the call.
- NOBULL Court Trainer Sizing Thoughts: True to size for most.
If you have additional sizing and fit questions about the NOBULL Court Trainer or how this model compares to other NOBULL Shoes, drop a comment below.
Price Breakdown
For the NOBULL Court Trainer, you can expect to pay $139 USD. This price point is similar to the NOBULL Trainer+ and $10 USD more than the original NOBULL Trainer.
Personally, I think if you’re primarily buying this model to use as a hybrid for training and court sports like tennis or pickleball, then that price is worth it. There aren’t a ton of niche hybrid models on the market for court sports and heavier training/CrossFit.
That being said, if you’re not into court sports or care about the niche construction features of this model for those sports, then you could likely save a little money by looking into the countless other cross-training shoes on the market.
NOBULL Court Trainer
$139
Best For
- Recreational Lifting
- CrossFit Workouts
- Court Sports
- Walking and Daily Wear
- Multi-Directional Training
Falls Short
- For Breathability
- For Longer Runs
Construction Details
Below, I’m going to list some of the key construction details to note about the NOBULL Court Trainer. These details help influence this shoe’s overall performance and durability.
- Heel-to-Toe Drop: 4mm
- Weight: 12.5 oz (for my size 10 model)
- Removable Insole: Yes
- EVA Foam Midsole
- Rubber Outsole With Herringbone Tread
- Midsole Designed for Stability and Multi-Directional Training
- Extended Medial Toe Wrap/Bumper
- SuperFabric Upper
- Perforated and Padded Tongue
- Increased Heel Counter and Padding
If you have additional questions on the NOBULL Court Trainer’s construction, drop a comment below and I can try to answer whatever you have.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q:Do the NOBULL Court Trainer fit true to size?
Q:Are the NOBULL Court Trainer good for tennis and pickleball?
Q:Can you do CrossFit in the NOBULL Court Trainer?
Takeaway Thoughts
Going into the NOBULL Court Trainer, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this model. After training in them and using them for multiple pickleball games, I have to say — I’m a fan.
I think this shoe captures a really interesting and niche market of athletes that like to train heavy, do CrossFit, and also play court sports and want one shoe for doing it all.
Outside of those niche uses, this model can feel a little clunky and heavy, so it may not be the best option for the more general lifter or HIIT-focused athlete.
If you have additional questions on the NOBULL Court Trainer, drop a comment below or reach out to me personally via Instagram (@jake_boly or @that_fit_friend).
I personally test every product featured on That Fit Friend using a regimen of training tests that I’ve developed over years of testing training gear. I buy the gear I test and may earn commissions on sales made through links on my site.
Hey Jake, do you have any other shoes you’d recommend for pickleball or is this your favorite? I’m mostly a Chuck Taylor All-Star lifter, but I’ve been trying to find something new for lifting and also interested in trying out pickleball this year.
Hit you back on IG!