TYR CXT-2 Trainer Review

Performance Assessment

To assess the TYR CXT-2 Trainer’s performance, I made a point to push this shoe hard in three verticals. I tested this shoe for various CrossFit WODs, heavier lifting, and for general cross-training — think athletic-style training.

My goals revolved around testing to see if they fixed the mixed durability issue in CrossFit, assessing where this shoe’s Surge NRG midsole stability thresholds exist, and if it’s comfortable for conditioning and jumping.

	Test Thresholds	TF2 Rating
Deadlift	500 x 3	8.8/10
CrossFit	Fran, DT, and Rope Climbs	9/10
Box Jumps/Jump Rope	30-sec bouts / 36″ Inch Height	8/10
1-Mile run	Curved Treadmill	7.5/10

Surge NRG Foam Is Stable for Heavy Lifts

The CXT-2 Trainer is definitely a model that I’d say has a lifting bias with its construction. I thought the CXT-1 did a good job for heavy lifting, so I’m not necessarily surprised the CXT-2 delivered on this front as well.

For my lifting tests, I used these shoes for a plethora of strength workouts, but some notable lifts hit in these include 500 lb deadlifts, 405 lb speed trap bar deadlifts, 275 lb front squats, and 205 lb deficit reverse lunges.

In all of these lifts, I never had glaring issues with stability, and I was impressed with this shoe’s ability to help the foot remain planted when doing heavy single-leg work. The Surge NRG Foam has a denser feeling, and there’s not so much toe spring that you feel pitched forward in these.

The wider construction is also nice for accommodating a bit more toe splay in these, and while these do have some arch, I didn’t find it overly offputting when squatting and deadlifting. For context, I have a normal arch height.

I did have a bit of a concern with the TYRTac outsole because, in my initial tests, I was having some slip issues with it on turf, but for lifting, it was never an issue. I made sure to test things like sumo deadlifts, an exercise where you’ll always notice slippage, on rubber gym floors and wooden platforms — no problems for lifting.

Bombproof for CrossFit and Strong Overall for Cross-Training

If there’s one quality-of-life update with this shoe, we should tip our hats to it. It’s the TPU wrap covering the midsole around the midfoot and heel. This update was MUCH needed as the rubber in the CXT-1 often caught on ropes and broke. Me and my community had this issue.

In every CrossFit WOD I’ve thrown at these, they’ve been stellar. The midsole is bouncy enough to keep them stable yet comfortable for barbell cycling and things like walking lunges and kettlebell snatches.

I also like that the TPU wrap doesn’t take away from the bite you get on rope climbs and that it promotes slide when doing handstand push-ups. I know, I know, I sound overly positive here — I’m just always happy when a company listens to durability feedback and implements positive changes.

At the end of the day, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with the CXT-2 for CrossFit if they fit your foot anatomy and you were a fan of models like the Reebok Nano 9 and X, AKA heavier and more dense trainers.

For cross-training, I’ve also been pretty impressed with the CXT-2. The good with this shoe revolves around its midsole, upper security, and ankle construction. The tongue gusset and blend of upper materials in this shoe do a good job of locking the foot down.

I’ve been happy with their performance when testing this shoe’s spillover for things like skater strides and lateral box jumps. There’s enough of a sidewall in this model to really dig into the lateral forefoot and midfoot.

My one concern with this shoe for cross-training for some athletes is their performance on turf for heavy sled pushes. When pushing 5-6 plates, I noticed that I had a little slip in these, so I made a point to thoroughly test this to get a full picture of what was going on.

First, I replicated the test on different turfs, and what I noticed was that newer turfs gripped a bit better than older turfs in gyms. Second, the YouTube community discussed how sometimes outsole stickiness can vary when there’s a coating, like in my red colorway.

Third, I asked my friends who bought these for their feedback, and they reported that they had a minimal slip in different colorways. All that to say, I wouldn’t stress this detail too much, and if you are a heavy sled athlete, then cop a different colorway than the red one featured here.

Okay for Running, Meh for All-Day Wear

As you could probably expect, the CXT-2 Trainer was just “okay” for running. It’s not going to be your CrossFit-focused model that also feels good for a 5k run or more hybrid-focused sessions.

For WODs, where I programmed 800-meter bouts, and for my workouts, where I was doing curved treadmill 400s and 1-mile cooldowns, this shoe got the job done, though. It just wouldn’t be the shoe that I call the most comfortable for running.

If you do want a shoe that can excel for CrossFit and more running, then I’d look into something like the Inov8 F Fly. I’ve enjoyed those as a bridge-style hybrid shoe. Outside of that model, when in doubt, get a true running shoe if you’re logging good miles.

For walking and all-day comfort, the CXT-2 isn’t my favorite trainer for tackling this. When wearing this shoe for long durations or for walking the pup 3+ miles, I don’t love the lower tongue gusset on this model.

These features are great for training, but I like to wear my training shoes a little looser when I’m rocking them casually, and I notice that my feet don’t get the same room to breathe in these as in other models.

If I’m traveling and my feet all day, I’ll typically reach for the Haze Trainer if I’m only bringing one training shoe with me or a barefoot shoe if I want more room to let the dogs breathe.

Construction Details

Midsole

• This model features TYR’s Surge NRG Foam midsole. It’s a medium-density foam that doesn’t compress super easily by touch and when loaded.
• There’s a rubber/TPU wrap that now encloses the midfoot and heel. The CXT-1’s midfoot outsole wrap would sometimes break with rope climbs, so this was a nice tweak.
• The stack height in this shoe is what I would call moderate. Think Metcon and Nano stack height.

Outsole

• The rubber on this shoe’s outsole is built with the TYRTac component, which is now becoming a norm for TYR’s training-focused shoes. There’s an extended outsole wrap over the toe and midfoot.
• This rubber has a decent grip overall, but I do worry that some of the translucent outsoles may be lacking on certain turf surfaces (as mentioned above).
• The tread profile is pretty low on this shoe, but I haven’t noticed any glaring durability issues regarding outsole fading.

Upper

• There’s a light internal toe guard that helps give this shoe’s toe extra protection. This was nice when doing toes-to-bar and accidentally kicking the bar a little too hard.
• There’s a chainlink mesh/knit that runs from the forefoot into the midfoot, and thus far, it’s done a good job with abrasion resistance. Typically, chainlink meshes do a good job of durability.
• The boot has a bit of cushion and structure to it, which helps add to this shoe’s ankle support. I don’t think the padding is so aggressive that there will be a ton of rubber issues for many.

Laces and Tongue

• There are 5 core eyelets on this shoe, and the three middle eyelets utilize loop eyelets, which are great for giving you a nice, even locked-down fit.
• The tongue is built with a padded mesh, and there’s a gusset and two additional tongue loops for security. This tongue never moves, which is great, but for high-volume feet, it may feel a little snug at times.
• I do think the tongue’s thickness could be brought down a little bit to award you more space, but that’s a nitpick that I have from my OCD shoe reviewer eye.

Final Thoughts: Would I Get Again?

I would.

The CXT-2 Trainer has been one of my favorite training shoes of 2024. I’m super stoked TYR implemented a lot of the changes they did, too, because it’s made this shoe a stronger performer and more durable.

Plus, I haven’t seen a ton of CrossFit athletes or lifters have many major issues with this model as well, which is a good sign that they work for a wide range of needs.

If you have additional questions about this model and if it makes sense for your training/foot anatomy, drop a comment below or reach out via Instagram!