Reebok CrossFit Speed TR 2.0 Review

The original Reebok Speed TR was quite possibly one of the best shoes that Reebok has ever made, but it wasn’t always the same with the earlier models of the shoe. The first generation Speed was decent, but a little too soft and lacked any decent colorways. Then came along the Sprint TR, which might be the worst CrossFit shoe that was ever produced. It had some interesting features, looked okay, the midsole wasn’t cushioned too much like the Speed, but the platform was EXTREMELY narrow. The 2nd gen Speed TR brought back some of the Sprint features like the midfoot shank and multi-directional tread pattern but had some tricks of it’s own too, a flared outsole which provided a wider base for lifting without making the upper too wide, the “kipping klip” for handstand push-ups, and a new 3mm drop. The Speed TR actually became one of my go-to shoes, until the Nano 6.0 came out. I could go on and on about why I think the Nano 6.0 is the greatest training shoe of all time, but if you’ve been following my reviews, you’d already know that.

To be honest, I never really thought of the 2nd gen Speed TR as a “running” trainer, but more of a more narrow Nano 5, since they shared a lot of the same traits. Even though they were described with having an ultrasoft midsole, I thought they were just as good for lifting as Nano’s. What I really liked about the Speed’s was that the shape of the toe fit my feet better than the squarish Nano toe box. The major thing the Speed’s lacked was the Kevlar upper, which ultimately led to the shoes major downfall, it’s durability. I personally only had one blowout in all of my pairs, on my Team USA one’s no less, but that was enough for me to just stop using the shoes altogether since I didn’t want to ruin my 2016 Regionals or Murph variants. The monomesh upper just wasn’t robust enough to handle the rigors of CrossFit.

After the astounding fail that was the Nano 7, I was elated to hear of an updated Speed TR coming out this year. When I set my eyes on the shoe for the first time, feelings of elation rushed through my body as it looked like it could be the spiritual successor to the Nano 6.0 and the Nano 2.0, my favorite’s of the whole line-up. While not quite Nano 6.0 level, the Speed TR 2.0 still does not disappoint.

Looks/Construction:

Like I said, it looks like the Speed TR 2.0 was birthed from the Nano 2.0 and 6 with it’s very unassuming and familiar upper design. You can’t hate on the way the shoe looks, because it’s definitely on the safe side, which is totally fine in my book. We had way too many years of gaudy Reebok designs and CrossFit logos anyways. The lines are clean, the side only has the Reebok delta, and the heel counter has a small CrossFit logo – perfect.

The main change to the upper is the new Cordura fabric they’re using instead of the monomesh, which is still layered with the hotmelt overlay. The new Cordura fabric feels almost identical to the mesh in the Nano 6.0’s toe area which is extremely flexible and much more comfortable than the stiffer monomesh.  I thought the previous generation Speed had a comfortable upper, but it doesn’t even come close to the plush new 2.0’s. Keep in mind that although it’s more comfortable, there is also less structure to the shoe. Unlike the Nano 7.0’s TPU heel counter, the Speed 2.0 uses some kind of hotmelt overlay, that does a great job in holding your heel in place nonetheless. As with all Reebok CrossFit shoes, the build quality of the Speed TR 2.0 is top notch and feels like it should definitely cost more than the $100 they’re asking.

Fit:

Aside from the durability, I think the second biggest issue of the Speed TR was how it fit. It seems like they used a similar or maybe even the same last to base the 2.0 off of, because they fit similarly. Thanks to the new upper material, the 2.0’s feel a little more roomy inside. The 2.0’s are indeed slightly wider than the originals, but not as wide as Nano’s, or even close to. They still do run long in comparison to Nano’s, causing me to size down half, but even then I had a lot of space in to toe, so I went down another half and then it was too tight. At the end of the day, I stuck with the size 9.5 which left me with a little more than a thumb’s width distance from the front of the shoe. Though it’s a little loose, it’s still comfortable and at least my toes aren’t being crushed in front and with a little activity, my feet swell and fill the shoe up better.

There isn’t much in the way of arch support inside the shoe, so if you’re flat footed you’ll definitely appreciate this over Nano’s.

My sizes for reference:

• Speed TR – 9 (tight fit)
• Nano – 10
• Metcon – 9.5-10
• NoBull – 10
• Strike Mvmnt – 9.5
• Adidas – 9.5

Performance:

You should not think of the Speeds as running shoes.

As with the previous generation, the Speed TR’s are some of the best training shoes that Reebok makes. I might go as far to say that they’re the best that Reebok currently makes…

The Nano 7.0’s, Weave’s included, left a gaping hole in Reebok’s CrossFit footwear line-up. I still think the Weave’s are awesome looking and that there are no better shoes for lifting, but they’re still awful to run in and just plain uncomfortable for extended periods of wear. In my eyes, the Speed TR 2.0’s do a much better job encompassing the spirit of CrossFit in a shoe. There’s nothing you would think twice about doing with having the Speed 2.0’s on, including running!

Early on, people were hoping that the Speed 2.0’s would just be a current day Nano 6.0, which it is, kind of. Like the 6.0, you’ll want to do everything in the Speed 2.0’s because they just feel so capable on your feet. The platform has a more narrow, running like shape and doesn’t quite hold your foot in place like Nano’s, but I wouldn’t go as far to say that the Speed’s were unstable in any direction. Initially a few things led me to think the Speed 2.0’s were softer that it’s predecessor, but I was wrong, they’re as responsive, if not more. The midsole offers only a little bit of cushioning, but still airs more on the stability side, meaning it doesn’t compress very much at all, almost identical to the previous generation. Power delivery is on point, I wouldn’t think twice about going for any heavy lifts in these shoes.

What really seals the deal for the Speed 2.0’s is that they’re just extremely flexible and comfortable. You’ll genuinely want to do everything a WOD will throw at you in these shoes because of how they let you move your feet unhindered. Not only is the upper more plush and flexible, the outsole and midsole is more flexible as well, letting your feet move more naturally. The only non-flexible area is around the middle where the RopePro is, where there’s definitely a midfoot shank to help with propulsion. Speaking of the outsole, the compound and multi-directional tread pattern are more reminiscent of the Nano 7 than previous gen Speed. Which is a good thing, because that outsole pattern makes for some of the grippiest shoes on the planet, whether it be the ground or the rope.

Despite the name being what it is, the Speed 2.0’s wouldn’t be my first pick when it comes to run a marathon in, but I wouldn’t hesitate to strap these on to run the occasional mile or whatever distance comes my way in a WOD . Sure, they have a little more midsole cushioning, they’re extremely flexible, and have a midfoot shank, but they’re still training shoes at the end of the day and the platform is still fairly rigid. I personally like neutral running shoes anyways and I feel right at home with the 3mm drop. Best of all, the shoes are extremely lightweight, coming in at 8.5oz per shoe. These are definitely the best trainers to run in that Reebok has ever come out with, even besting the Nano 6.0.

Some other things to note – The heel counter actually does a pretty good job of keeping your heel in one spot. The Kipping Klip is a much larger piece of TPU that is rounded and does a much better job sliding up the wall than the previous gen Speed. The laces that come with the shoe are trash and repeatedly come untied, be prepared to double knot.

Value & Conclusion:

Like the previous gen, the Speed 2.0’s only cost $100! Making them a steal once again compared to Nano’s, maybe even more so this time around because they’re in my eyes, a better shoe. Durability is yet to be determined, the best indicator for that is how well Nano 6’s are holding up since they have the same mesh. I personally haven’t had any issues with that, so I’m going to say its safe to assume the Speed TR 2.0’s will be more durable than the predecessor. For those of you that only have money to spend on one pair of CrossFit shoes, these are the ones.

I like shoes that you can do everything in and since the Nano 6.0’s are out of production, the Reebok Speed TR 2.0’s are currently the best shoe in Reebok’s line-up. They can hang with Nano’s when it comes to lifting, but you won’t want to take them off when it comes to running as well. Hell, you probably just won’t want to take them off because they’re just so nice to wear! Any angst I had from the Nano 7.0’s is gone with the release of the Speed TR 2.0 – they’re one hell of a shoe.

Get your Reebok Speed TR 2.0’s here!

Road Runner Sports Black/Gum/Speckled Speed TR 2.0!