I wouldn’t say these shoes felt marshmallowy soft, such as you’d expect with max-cushioned trainers. But additionally they didn’t feel like weightlifting shoes either—those are inclined to be stiffer, flatter to the bottom, and customarily not something you’d wish to spend numerous time in once you’re strength training. I’d consider the Cloudpulses cozy, but not likely to the purpose where I’d call it out. Rather, they were more like, put them on, lace them up, and forget that they’re on—which isn’t really a nasty feature in a shoe!
On the activity
I wore the Cloudpulse during three different gym sessions—two of which included some elliptical time—and a one-mile walk over the course of every week. I began my workouts with a fast mile on the elliptical to warm up, and I loved that I used to be capable of do that: Easy cardio helps my muscles feel more pliable for lifting heavier weights, but I often don’t do it since the stiff-bottomed weightlifting shoes I wear don’t feel great during all that repetitive motion. The Cloudpulse, then again, felt more flexible and cushioned, so the ten minutes flew by. (I enjoyed them a lot through the cardio that I wore them for a weekday walk, and so they felt cozy then too.)
These shoes even have an eight-millimeter heel drop (the difference in height of the froth between the heel and the toe), so that they’re not flat to the ground like traditional weightlifting shoes nor are they quite as high-drop as some maximalist trainers. As a result, I felt more grounded while doing heavy lower-body exercises like barbell deadlifts, split squats, sumo squats, and good mornings than I might if I wore trainers, but not as dialed in as I might with flat lifting shoes. When doing dynamic moves, like barbell reverse lunges, I appreciated the flexibleness of the Cloudpulse, which allowed me to dig my toe into the ground.
The Cloudpulse really shined during dynamic exercises that had me moving in all types of directions, reasonably than simply forwards and backwards or up and down. These shoes had very nice side-to-side stability, which was key for lateral step-ups and lunges, and a few pop for HIIT-based, explosive moves. They felt especially great during skater hops, where you would like each the steadiness to maintain your foot in line once you leap to the side, and energy return to get essentially the most out of your jumps.
Bottom line
The Cloudpulse is a snug cross-training gym shoe—and also you don’t feel the necessity to kick them off right after because they’re cushioned, supportive, and cute enough to wear through the remainder of your day too. They’re a solid option for a workout that has you doing a bit of of lots, once you need a not-too-specialized shoe that may take you thru each a part of it.
In particular, should you’re big on fitness classes like bootcamps or program your personal workouts in HIIT-based circuits, these is perhaps an awesome selection for you. When you’re doing exercises that have you ever jumping (say, box jumps, skater hops, or burpees), moving laterally (like curtsy lunges or monster walks), and even just cranking out plenty of reps for time, you would like a shoe that keeps you regular once you move but with enough cushion to maintain your joints comfortable.
If you’re into lifting heavy weights and looking out to construct max strength, these shoes don’t offer quite the reference to the ground that basically permits you to push through it (though they’re higher than typical trainers). I didn’t have any issues doing heavy upper-body moves (just like the overhead press), where you continue to need a solid foundation. But I did notice that my toes would lift off the ground doing good mornings, and I didn’t feel as secure as I’d like when doing heavy barbell deadlifts. For workouts which might be all about lower-body max strength, you most likely need a shoe that’s a bit of stiffer and flatter—but should you’re doing other things too, you may simply kick them off through the heavy stuff and luxuriate in the comfort of the Cloudpulse for every thing else.
