HYROX shoes and kit

Choosing HYROX shoes

HYROX asks a lot of one pair of shoes. You run 8 km on an indoor surface, push and pull heavy sleds, lunge 100 m, do burpee broad jumps and squat for wall balls. The ideal shoe is a compromise that handles all of these reasonably well.

• Grip: a rubber outsole with decent traction, so your feet do not slide on the sled push or the turns of the run.
• Moderate cushioning: enough to run 8 km comfortably, but not so much that you feel unstable.
• Stable platform: a reasonably wide base so lunges and wall ball squats feel solid.
• Secure fit: a heel that does not slip and a lacing system that holds your foot during lateral movements.
• Durability: sled pushes are hard on the front of the shoe.

What to avoid: very soft, high-stacked running shoes can feel great on the run but wobbly on lunges and slippery on the sleds. Flat, rigid lifting shoes are the opposite, excellent for squats but uncomfortable over 8 km. The guide to lifting shoes explains why those are best kept for the gym.

Many people end up racing in a versatile training shoe or a firmer, lower running shoe. Try a few pairs on a sled and in a set of lunges, not just on a treadmill in a shop. And buy them at least a month before the race so they have plenty of hard sessions behind them.

Clothing

Wear fitted, breathable clothing that stays in place. Loose shorts and baggy tops ride up during burpee broad jumps and get in the way of the sandbag on lunges. Many people race in fitted shorts or leggings and a vest or T-shirt.

Think about the specific stations. Your knees touch the floor on every lunge, so some people prefer leggings or longer shorts to protect the skin. The sandbag sits on your shoulders, so a top with thin straps or seams across the upper back may rub, so test it with a sandbag before race day. A supportive sports bra matters for the running and jumping.

Bring warm layers for before and after your wave. Large venues can feel cold while you wait, and you do not want to lose your warm-up standing around. The general advice in what to wear to the gym holds for training days too.

Gloves, knee sleeves and grip aids

These are the items people ask about most. Always check the current official HYROX rulebook before relying on any of them, because rules on what is permitted can change.

• Gloves: many athletes wear them for the sled pull, where the rope can be hard on the hands, and some for the farmers carry. Test them: some gloves reduce grip on kettlebell handles.
• Knee sleeves or pads: some people wear them for comfort on the lunges, where the back knee touches the floor on every rep. Make sure they do not slip on the run.
• Chalk and grip aids: check the rules for your event, and never try anything on race day that you have not used in training.

Watches and heart rate monitors

A watch is useful for two things: counting laps and checking your pacing. Set it up so you can see your current lap time and a lap count, and practise using the lap button in training so it becomes automatic.

If you use heart rate to pace, a chest strap tends to give more reliable readings than a wrist sensor during stations like the SkiErg, sled pull and wall balls, where your wrists are gripping and moving a lot. The guide to heart rate training for HYROX explains how to use the numbers.

Compression and recovery kit

Compression socks and tights are popular, and some people feel they help with recovery. The evidence is modest at best, but if you like them and they are comfortable, there is little harm. The guide to compression clothing looks at what it can and cannot do.

For recovery, the basics matter far more: a change of dry clothes, a drink, a proper meal and a decent night of sleep. Pack a spare top and socks for straight after the race, and something warm for the journey home.

If you are not sure what suits you, wear your race kit to a few hard sessions first. At Lycan Strength, the full-length turf sled track is a good place to check how your shoes grip under a heavy push before you rely on them in a race.