One Friday, I woke up to a surprise: I received a package in the mail! Being deployed to Afghanistan, packages are always a welcome treat. Typically, they include some of my favorite snacks from home and a handwritten note from family or friends. This time, though, my box was filled with the new Inov8 Fast Lifts!

I was so excited to lift with my new shoes. I’ve tried a number of different shoes for CrossFit, including two different pairs of New Balance Minimus and a pair of Reebok Nano 2.0s. Each had their own distinct advantages, but as I started picking up heavier weights (and focusing more on Olympic lifts) I realised I needed a more specialised shoe.

During Olympic lifts – and in particular, squats and snatches – I could feel my CrossFit shoes wobbling and squishing under my weight. I would expend energy trying to balance myself under my less-than-stable foundation. Enter the Inov8 Fast Lift.

So there I was with the anticipation building about 14.2 and my new shoes. I popped them on, threw a barbell over my head, and squatted. Immediately I felt a substantial difference, not only in how deep I could squat, but how stable my core felt. Apparently it was noticeable to a casual observer, because my lifting partner commented on how solid I looked at the bottom of my squat – in particular, how much better my knees were tracking during my descent. And like that, all my fears– at least about my new shoes – were conquered.

Despite being so light, the Fastlift are extremely stable. The heel of the shoe is made up of what Inov8 refers to as Power-Truss technology. This feature is comprised of columns that do not create unnecessary weight, unlike the other solid wood or plastic soles of other lifting shoes. Inov8’s EHC (External Heel Cage) really does “cup” your heel to prevent your foot from lateral movement during a lift.

While the Power-Truss and EHC are extremely useful, by far my favorite feature of the Fastlift is the flexible toe. If you look at the shoe from the side, the toe is not completely flat – rather, it curls up at the tip allowing for more flexibility. Inov8 designed the shoe to be versatile enough for CrossFitters to perform WODs in – not just heavy lifts. While using these shoes during 14.2, I was able to knock out the overhead squats and transition smoothly to C2B pull-ups. I’m certain I could use these shoes to perform box jumps, burpees, and many other movements in a WOD.

My base of support felt very secure in these shoes; they hugged my feet, they stabilised my heel, and they allowed me to keep my core and upper body aligned during all the lifts I performed.

Inov8 has designed a great lifting shoe that is both fashionable and functional, and perfect for the CrossFitter who is trying to perfect their Olympic lifts – or kick some butt in their WOD!

These are now available at The WOD Life!!!