RAD ONE Training Shoe Review | Great for CrossFit and Lifting?

The R.A.D ONE is the latest cross-training shoe to debut for tackling serious CrossFit and cross-training workouts. The RAD ONE is marketed as being a great “all-in-one” style cross-training shoe for things like CrossFit, lifting, and daily wear. R.A.D is a smaller and newer company that responsibly sources the materials they use in their shoes so I was stoked to put the RAD ONE to the test.

Over the course of my testing, I’ve been really impressed and happy with the R.A.D ONE. This shoe has easily supported deadlifts over 500 lbs and their midsole and outsole construction walk a really good line between versatility and stability. Truthfully, I think these shoes could be one of the best cross-training shoes in 2022.

In this R.A.D ONE review, I’m going to cover all of the key details that you need to know about these cross-training shoes before investing.

R.A.D ONE

$150

4.3

Stability

4.6

Versatility

4.5

Durability

4.0

Quality

4.4

Best For

• Heavy Lifting
• CrossFit Workouts
• Recreational Lifting
• HIIT Training
• Athletic-Focused Training

Falls Short

• For Cost-Efficiency
• For Wider Feet

Shop Rogue

Table of Contents▼

1. Who Should Buy the R.A.D ONE Training Shoes?
2. Who Shouldn't Buy the R.A.D ONE Training Shoes?
3. R.A.D ONE Pros
4. R.A.D ONE Cons
5. Performance
6. R.A.D ONE Sizing
7. Price Breakdown
8. Construction Details

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Who Should Buy the RAD ONE Training Shoes?

There are a couple of contexts where I think the RAD ONE training shoes will resonate really well for certain lifters and athletes.

1. You Want a Training Shoe Specifically for CrossFit

The R.A.D ONE training shoes are an awesome model for CrossFit, lifting, and athletic-focused training. This is one of the few cross-training shoes that perform really well in pretty much every gym setting. Plus, they don’t really have areas where they fall short in regard to durability.

Truthfully, I think the R.A.D ONE cross-training shoes will work for most lifters and athletes. Whether you’re a beginner or serious, this model will perform well for you and that’s due to its midsole, outsole, and upper construction.

2. You Want a Shoe That Has Good Responsiveness

The Swell Foam™ midsole provides a nice responsive yet stable base and the rubber outsole wraps over the midsole providing good durability and traction.

If you’ve been looking for a cross-training shoe that is somewhat of a “best of all worlds” style of shoe, then the R.A.D ONE is a good model to look into. Plus, they’re a smaller company that responsibly sources materials which is a nice added perk of these shoes.

Who Shouldn’t Buy the RAD ONE Training Shoes?

For the most part, the RAD ONE has been an exceptional training shoe, but there are a couple of contexts where I think you’ll want to pass on this model.

1. You Want a Training Shoe With More Toe Box Width

If you have a wider foot or like more room in your shoe’s toe box then you’ll want to pass on the RAD ONE. This model runs pretty snugly through the toe box and can feel limiting at times.

TYR VS RAD Toe Box Width

For example, I have a slightly wider foot and this shoe feels tight when wearing them with thicker socks so I’ll typically only wear them for my training sessions and then take them off after due to this.

2. You Like to Train Outdoor On Concrete

Another context where you may want to pass on the RAD ONE is if you train outdoors regularly on concrete. I’ve bought a few pair of RAD ONEs now and I had one pair rip at the base of the toe box while training outdoors.

The upper is great for gym workouts and it has a sleek appearance, however, it falls short of abrasion resistance on surfaces like concrete. If you want a cross-training shoe for outdoor workouts, look into models like the Reebok Nano X3 Adventure.

RAD ONE Pros

There’s a lot to like about the R.A.D One training shoes. Below are a few of my favorite pros and things to like about this model in regard to its performance and construction.

1. Great All-In-One Cross-Training Shoe

The first thing to like about the R.A.D ONE is that they’re a strong performer in a variety of settings. This is nice because it takes a lot of thinking for your shoe choice per the workout you’re tackling out of the equation. Not every cross-training shoe performs well for different niches of training like CrossFit, heavier lifting, and HIIT workouts, to name a few.

The R.A.D ONE will be a good shoe for your most serious CrossFit workouts, but also a great shoe for things like recreational lifting. Its midsole is stable yet responsive so they don’t beat your feet up when lifting or doing HIIT-style training, and their full rubber outsole increases its durability and traction in a variety of settings.

2. Good Outsole, Midsole, and Upper Durability

Another perk of the R.A.D ONE is the durability of its outsole, midsole, and upper construction. This model features a rubber outsole that extends around the whole base of the shoe and midsole.

This is awesome for preventing abrasion from things like rope climbs and concrete. Friction from these can cause foam midsoles to tear up pretty quickly.

With the ended rubber outsole and the upper construction that features strategic layering, I really like how this shoe is built. You can tell R.A.D spent a lot of time thinking about this shoe’s construction as a whole and about blind spots that can often cause cross-training shoes to break down relatively quickly.

3. Materials Are Responsibly Sourced

The third thing that I like about the R.A.D ONE is that despite R.A.D being a smaller company, they’re trying to source their materials more responsibly.

For example, their Swell Foam midsole is partially made with sugar cane and on their ethos page, they reference that they’re only going to improve on this front to make more responsibly sourced gear.

This is awesome to see from a smaller company and the fact that they’re so outright sharing this is nice for accountability. R.A.D is also a part of the 1% for the Planet initiative.

4. Nice Aesthetic and Low-Key Silhouette

The final thing to like about the R.A.D ONE is this shoe’s clean aesthetic and silhouette. Not every cross-training shoe looks really good, but both of the colorways of the R.A.D one are subtle, tasteful, and have a nice flow to them.

Plus, I think their silhouette is something to be desired and reflects a more classic training shoe look and feel.

R.A.D ONE Cons

As a whole, I’ve really enjoyed the R.A.D ONE and I have a hunch it’s going to be one of the best cross-training shoes that we see in 2022. There’s only really one drawback to this model.

1. Their Cost Is a Bit High

For the R.A.D ONE, you can expect to pay $150 USD. This price point is not new in the cross-training shoe scene by any means, however, it does make this model slightly more expensive than other cross-training shoes on the market. If you’re trying to spend as little as possible, then you may want to look into more budget-friendly training shoes.

Personally, I do think their price is worth it and I also like that they’re a smaller company trying to use better materials for their shoes. That being said though, there’s no way around the slightly higher price than you’ll pay for these shoes compared to others on the market.

Performance

To discuss and break down the performance of the R.A.D ONE training shoes, I’ll talk about how these shoes perform in different settings. Hopefully, this will help you contextualize if this model is right for you.

Testing the RAD ONE for CrossFit and Heavy Lifting

I think what I like most about the R.A.D ONE training shoes is that they’re solid performers for both CrossFit and heavier lifting. In the context of heavy lifting, I really enjoy the stability you get from this shoe’s Swell Foam midsole.

The fact that it’s also enclosed with the extended outsole wrap helps to feed into this shoe’s stability. Thus far, I’ve deadlifted over 500 lbs in this cross-training shoe and have squatted 385 lbs with no stability issues whatsoever.

If you like to train hard and heavy in your cross-training shoes, then I think you’ll enjoy the R.A.D ONE. For CrossFit, these shoes have also been really solid. They walk a good line between being versatile and stable. 

The outsole wrap is a nice touch for rope climb durability and the additional toe box layers help to prolong this shoe’s durability when you might be dragging your toes on things like burpees and gymnastic movements. There’s a reason these debuted at Wodapalooza, after all.

Testing the RAD ONE for HIIT, Classes, and Athletic Training

For classes, HIIT workouts, and athletic-focused training, I also think the R.A.D ONE is a hit. Generally, when you have cross-training that delivers good stability you’ll start to lose out on aspects like responsiveness.

I don’t think that’s really the case with the R.A.D ONE and I’ve really enjoyed these for this style of training. The outsole is great for multi-directional activity and the Swell Foam is an awesome addition for not leaving you feeling beat up after plyometrics.

I’ve even used these for pickleball to test their outsole traction and midsole responsiveness and comfort, and they performed well in that setting where I was making frequent cuts and digs.

Factor in the fairly breathable upper construction and I think you get a solid shoe for versatile training. For athletic and class-focused individuals, I think you’ll enjoy the versatility that comes with the R.A.D ONE.

Testing the RAD ONE for Shorter Runs and Daily Wear

For shorter runs, the R.A.D ONE is okay and they’re good for a casual mile or two. If you like tacking on light mileage before or after your workouts, I think this shoe will work.

However, if you’re doing 3+ miles in a session, then you may want to explore running shoes as they’ll be more tailored towards your needs and provide you with more comfort.

On a daily wear basis, this shoe is solid for two key reasons. First, they look aesthetic and clean. I like their overall appearance and I think you can get away with wearing them a bit more casually.

Second, the outsole adds a nice layer of durability to the outdoor elements. I like that it wraps the entirety of this shoe’s midsole.

RAD ONE Sizing

For the R.A.D ONE training shoes, some lifters should be safe going true to size. RAD has updated the sizing of this shoe to run a little more true in its length.

The width of this model is a little on the narrow side so if you have wider feet then you’ll want to pass on this shoe or size up a half-size. I have a medium to slightly wider foot width and I regularly find that this model runs too snug for my needs.

• R.A.D ONE Sizing Thoughts: For narrow and medium-width feet, so go true to size. For wider feet, size up a half-size or skip on this model.

If you have additional questions about the sizing of the R.A.D ONE, then reaching out to them would be a really good call. I can also try to help accordingly based on what you’re currently wearing.

Price Breakdown

The R.A.D ONE comes in at a price of $150 USD. This is similar to other cross-training shoes like the STR/KE MVMNT Haze Trainer and both of these models are two of the top performers on the market at the moment.

For how versatile and solid this shoe is, I think this price point is worth it. Plus, it’s nice supporting smaller brands that have really solid products as they build and grow.

R.A.D ONE

$150

4.3

Stability

4.6

Versatility

4.5

Durability

4.0

Quality

4.4

Best For

• Heavy Lifting
• CrossFit Workouts
• Recreational Lifting
• HIIT Training
• Athletic-Focused Training

Falls Short

• For Cost-Efficiency
• For Wider Feet

Shop Rogue

Construction Details

If you’re interested in the construction details for the R.A.D ONE, check out some of the major specs below. I’ve provided what I think are some of the biggest callouts that influence the durability and performance of this shoe.

• Heel-to-Toe Drop: 6mm
• Weight: 12.7 oz (for my size 10 model)
• Removable Insole: Yes
• Swell Foam Midsole
• Full Rubber Outsole
• Textile and Synthetic Upper
• Perforated Tongue
• Five Eyelets

If you have additional questions on the R.A.D ONE’s construction, drop a comment below and I can answer whatever you have accordingly. Also, make sure you check out R.A.D ONE video below for some construction visuals.

Takeaway Thoughts

I have been really impressed with the R.A.D ONE cross-training shoes. This model has been an exceptional performer for both my heaviest and my more versatile-focused training.

My only drawbacks with this shoe are their narrower fit and how they perform for outdoor athletic-focused sessions. These will not be the best wide-feet-friendly shoes on the market.

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