Reebok Nano X5 review: A formidable training shoe with almost no weaknesses

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Reebok Nano X5: Two-Minute Review

Reebok's famed Nano gym shoe is back for 2025, and the company has promised big things for the "Official Shoe of Fitness" this year.

Sporting shades of the legacy design of previous Nanos, the X5 delivers a new DUALRESPONSE Midsole and a Decoupled Metasplit Outsole, designed to give this year's edition greater flexibility and runnability over previous years.

At its heart, though, the X5 is still the brilliant stable lifting platform of its forebears, and after a whole month of using it in the gym, I can heartily recommend it as one of the best gym shoes of 2025.

Out of the box, the X5 silhouette really impresses. The colorway reviewed here is the White/Black/Energy Red version, and I have to say it's a real head-turner. I absolutely love the style and form, as well as the shape. The Energy Red and turquoise blend on the sole is vibrant and striking, and all the small details on the shoe are really impressive.

There's plastic to complement the Flexweave upper, but this feels like a really premium shoe built to last. As a more sturdy lifting shoe, it definitely feels more robust than my current everyday shoe, the Nike Free Metcon 5.

In terms of fit and comfort, the X5 again really impresses. It definitely doesn't boast the glove/sock-like hug of Nike's Metcon, but it's still extremely comfortable to wear. I've suffered from absolutely no foot fatigue or blisters while wearing them, and they're very comfortable and sturdy underfoot.

There's a huge amount of space in the toe box, so even wearers with wider feet will find them comfortable and roomy. This also lends them to running and more explosive exercises, although for reasons I'll come to, this isn't their primary purpose.

My one reservation about the fit comes from a slightly loose-fitting collar around the ankle. The X5 comes with an extra eyelet alongside the tongue that isn't laced up out of the box. In this configuration, I felt there was a bit too much play around my ankle. You'll definitely want to lace up through the eyelet, which gives the shoe a much more snug fit.

When it comes to workout performance, I was blown away by the overall stability and sturdiness of the Nano X5. Reebok has really nailed the base with the new midsole, which offers brilliant poise underfoot for strength training. During squats, deadlifts, shoulder presses, and all manner of dumbbell and cable work the X5 offers excellent support with no overcompression or wobble. Despite this, there's enough forgiveness in the sole to give you some responsiveness underfoot during workouts. It's really a perfect blend.

The heel-to-toe-drop is listed as 7mm, which is more pronounced than Nike's Free Metcon 5 and around the same as the newer 6. It feels about right, and I didn't ever get the sense that the shoe was trying to rock me forward onto my forefoot. This is crucial for stability during lifts. That same stability also really lends these shoes to stretching and mobility work, I was again really impressed by how sturdy these shoes were, and these are definitely my new go-to for pliability.

The Nano X5's sturdiness and stability carry over well into some more explosive moves but are also a limiting factor when it comes to agility and movement. While I can see this being a decent CrossFit shoe, it feels too hefty underfoot to lend itself to plyometrics and running. These will do just fine if you want to do a quick five-minute jog on the treadmill to start a workout, but it's not a running shoe and doesn't perform as well as the Free Metcons over any kind of distance.

While the Nano X5 isn't the beefy weightlifting platform of say, the Adidas Dropset range, it's definitely on the firmer side, which is why it excels for strength training. The Nano X5 would work well for movements like box jumps or pushing a sled up and down your local gym, but I'd have more reservations about any agility work.

Any weak spots I've mentioned here are definitely nitpicks, however. The Reebok Nano X5 is an almost perfect training shoe, as long as you know what you're getting into. There are more forgiving shoes out there, and this definitely isn't a shoe for hybrid training, quick changes of direction, or agility.

Reebok Nano X5: Price and availability

• $150/£125/ (AUS pricing and availability tbc)
• Unisex and women's options
• Six colors of each

Launching January 24, 2025, the Reebok Nano X5 is available at Reebok.com at the price of $150 in the U.S. and select other retailers. UK customers can expect to pay £125, while Australia pricing and availability is yet to be confirmed by Reebok.

The Nano X5 comes in a unisex and women's option, with a slightly different set of six colors for each. The model reviewed here is the White/Black/Energy Red colorway.

I've found the X5 to fit true-to-size, with plenty of room in the toe box, so I wouldn't worry about sizing up or down.

Reebok Nano X5: Specifications

Reebok Nano X5: Scorecard

Reebok Nano X5: Should I buy?

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How I tested

I used the Reebok Nano X5 as my primary gym for a whole month between December 2024 and January 2025. I conducted over 20 workouts, mainly strength-based, but also stretching and pliability work, interval training, and some running.

First reviewed: January 2025