Training Footwear

Person in black leggings doing lunges on a sandy beach with buildings and plants in the background.

TIA's TAKE ON BALLISTIC TRAINERS VS ROUGH RUNNERS

We live on our feet. We ruck, we run, we lift, we carry. We move a lot, and cannot afford to get injured due to cheap-ass footwear and we don't fall prey to the latest fashion trends. We're about performance and even after a long day, we need our feet to perform again tomorrow. These are our roots in Special Forces, where life is hard so we train harder and we're ready to throw weight on our backs and move at a moment's notice. We don't have ten different shoes for ten different activities. We have a few, and we choose which pair to wear based on which one feels good and the mission at hand. Our lives are versatile, and our shoes work for us.

Here's a down and dirty on how to choose between our training shoes: the Ballistics and the Rough Runners.

Person lunging outdoors with a backpack, while another stands in the background on a sunny day.

Ballistic Trainers™

FEELS LIKE // Sturdy training shoes, bombproof with 360 degrees of stability and support.

BUILT FOR // Sandbag and barbell training, and we wanted our feet to be comfortable in and out of the gym and the garage, back and forth from work, and at the bar after a long day.

GREAT FOR // Lifting with rucking/carry movements thrown in, rope climbs and all lateral movements (oddly, they make great pickleball shoes due to excellent lateral support).

NOT GREAT FOR // Running.

Shop Ballistic Trainers

A person in athletic wear runs outdoors on a gravel lot, with buildings and parked cars in the background.

Rough Runners™

FEELS LIKE // Running shoes, but are way more versatile.

BUILT FOR // Ruck running and long distance rucking on concrete (50 Milers) which require a TON of under foot support, and stability. Accidentally, we built a shoe that you can also lift and carry really heavy stuff in, because there's so much support and the heel won't cave like traditional running shoes. Notable people have told us it's the best CrossFit shoe ever built. That was not our intent, but we value their opinion, of course.

GREAT FOR // Every day all day wear, rucking on concrete and hard packed trails, and lifting heavy weight.

NOT GREAT FOR // Uneven, rocky terrain or rope climbs.

Shop Rough Runner

Filter

No products found

Use fewer filters or clear all

THE GORUCK PROMISE TO YOU

Woman in athletic gear carries a heavy backpack during an outdoor endurance event with others behind her.

UNCOMPROMISING PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

We start with the performance demands, not with what's already on the shelf. This process takes around 3 years to develop each and every style we build. And when we release it, it's right.

Close-up of a person in white running shoes and black leggings standing on a concrete path by water.

ALL DAY SUPPORT AND COMFORT

Building shoes that feel "supportive" when you first put them on is easy. But what matters to us is how your feet feel after you've been in your shoes all day, for all the miles. 3X Support for all 3 Arches in your foot.

A woman in athletic wear lifts a barbell in a gym with people watching in the background.

Tested by Elite Athletes & Special Forces Soldiers

The unifying belief amongst all the greats is that your footwear is the most important piece of gear you choose in terms of exceeding the physical demands of your sport. So choose wisely.

Bald man outdoors holding a black boot and its sole, with a barn and American flag in the background.

Shoedog + Head of Footwear

Paul Litchfield

Our Head of Footwear is Paul Litchfield hailing from Boston Massachusetts, a Shoedog with 35 years experience who has designed shoes that sold over a Billion pairs throughout his career. Our factory partner builds over 4 million pairs a month — they're proudest of ours because we never ask them to cut any corners on fabrics or construction quality.