The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission.
I was among the first in the world to try the R.A.D One V2 training shoe – here are my first impressions
I loved R.A.D’s first gym shoe, but the R.A.D One V2 manages to top its impressive predecessor
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.When a film is universally adored, a sequel is almost inevitable, but it’s a risky game. How can an echo of the original possibly live up to its predecessor’s success?
Performance footwear brand R.A.D faced a similar challenge. Bursting onto the gym trainer scene in 2022, it’s inaugural launch (the R.A.D One) was beloved by the global CrossFit community and beyond – to give its popularity some scale, a friend of mine owns upwards of eight pairs. Now its replacement, the R.A.D One V2, has the unenviable task of matching these achievements.
Shortly before the shoe’s reveal on Tuesday, 14 January, the brand sent a select few people (including yours truly) a pair to take for a spin. I was nervous to do so, given how much I loved the original, but still slipped them on and headed to the gym to put them through their paces. After two comprehensive gym sessions, here are my first impressions on what might be the world’s best gym shoe – depending on what you’re training for.
R.A.D One vs R.A.D One V2 - what’s changed?
A huge part of the R.A.D One’s appeal was that it performed like a gym shoe, but it didn’t look like one – it’s one of the few trainers I’d wear for both heavy leg days and trips into town. As such, style was always going to be an important factor here.
Taking it out of the box, my first thought was that the shoe had more of a statement design than the R.A.D One. The main difference is a new wave-shaped rubber wrap which rises around the midfoot and heel. While the mesh and suede-like upper remains fairly similar, the toe area has been reinforced with a smoother plastic-like material, which I found protected it from scuffs during wall walks and burpees.
The design grew on me over the course of my first session in the shoe, but I’d be less likely to wear it outside the gym as it’s a little too eye-catching for my liking. This is all subjective, however.
Other new additions, according to R.A.D, include added foam around the collar and tongue and an anatomical sockliner for extra comfort. The brand has also used Japanese microfibre in the upper to “add a touch of old-school luxury and unbeatable durability”, along with a performance power mesh to “provide optimal foot containment and breathability”.
But perhaps the biggest change, spec-wise, is the reimagined SwellFoam BIO EVA midsole, which has been overhauled to “increase cushioning for long training sessions and all-day wear”.
I’m always sceptical of the jargon around gym shoes, and prefer taking a more hands-on approach to testing them. So I laced up the R.A.D One V2 and got to work.
Read more: Stanley Tucci got into the ‘best shape of his life’ at 63 with this training method
The R.A.D One V2 - my first thoughts
The shoe’s added foam around the collar and tongue, along with other elements of the redesigned upper, promise out-the-box comfort. For this reason, I was slightly concerned when I slipped the V2 on for the first time and found it felt a bit stiffer and less yielding than its predecessor, particularly in the new reinforced section over the big toe. But after wearing them around the house for as little as 30 minutes, they settled in nicely.
Out of intrigue, I popped the new shoe on my right foot and the old version on my left, and found the former felt considerably more plush. While both versions fitted true-to-size and locked my heel firmly in place, the V2 also provided a bit more space around my forefoot. This allowed me to spread my toes for better balance, and felt more comfortable on the whole.
Now it was time to train in the shoe. A glance at my programming for the next couple of days showed a decent cocktail of CrossFit and strength training staples, including plyos, Olympic lifting, heavy squats and varied WODs containing gymnastics, dumbbell work and deadlifts. Given the limited time I had before launch day, this felt like a pretty comprehensive test.
First up: clean and jerks, which transitioned straight into some squats. My only real complaint with the R.A.D One was its stability. The shoe was fairly solid on this front, but fell short of the rivals like the Inov8 f-lite max and Strike MVMNT haze trainer. I can’t say for sure whether it’s the re-engineered TPU heel clip or the outsole, which appears marginally wider than the original, but the R.A.D One V2 fixes this.
Despite the springier midsole, there was no unwanted compression under the heel during sets of barbell back squats at weights north of 100kg, and I felt incredibly secure in the catch position of both cleans and jerks.
The shoe also felt more supportive than its predecessor during WODs, particularly during lateral movements like burpees over bar, with the raised rubber around the midfoot holding my feet firmly in place.
Next came the WOD – two alternating AMRAPs of wall balls, bar muscle-ups and double-unders, then dumbbell cleans, walking lunges and burpees over dumbbells. This was where the original R.A.D One excelled; its lively ride, natural fit and nimble feel allow you to float through workouts.
The R.A.D One V2 actually came in slightly heavier on my scales (396g for a UK size 10, up from 368g). However, the bouncier midsole meant that, unlike other heftier training shoes such as the Puma fuse 3.0 and Under Armour tribase reign 6, I didn’t notice the extra few grams. The midsole also kept me comfortable through the repeated bounding needed for double-unders, yet felt sturdy and stable when I was chucking fairly heavy dumbbells around, offering decent ground feel. The shoe even performed well during a few short (400m) runs, which I tagged on the end to see how it fared.
One final point is that V2 feels a little larger on the foot than the R.A.D One, but not to the point of clunkiness like the Nike Metcon 9. Overall, it was a joy to wear with no obvious weaknesses.
Read more: 19 best men’s gym bags for carrying all your workout kit
The verdict:
R.A.D served itself a poisoned chalice by making its first launch so hard to top. But as far as I can tell from my early encounters with the V2, the brand has managed it.
As with everything R.A.D touches, the shoe looks good (although I’m still partial to the more understated stylings of its predecessor). However, it’s the V2’s performance that really impresses.
It maintains the natural fit and nimble feel that made the R.A.D One so popular, while adding improved stability, lateral support and some extra space around the forefoot to allow your toes to splay for balance. I also predict the raised rubber wrap around the midfoot and reinforced upper above the toes will bump up the V2’s longevity credentials by protecting it from rope climbs and wall walks.
The sum of these parts is a shoe that’s stable, supportive, stylish and comfortable. These attributes make it ideal for gym-goers of all ilks, whether you’re a CrossFit fan, exercise class regular or simply someone looking to lift weights.
All in all, from the evidence I’ve gathered over two sessions with the shoe, I think the brand has outdone itself, which takes some doing. For this reason, I reckon the R.A.D One V2 is set to sweep the functional fitness world, and meet the feet of fitness fans across the globe.
The R.A.D One V2 officially drops on January 24th. I tested the lime colourway, however, the brand plans to release a new colourway every month throughout 2025 in its signature hype-drop style. The shoes will be available exclusively at rad-global.com and we’ll be updating this piece with a link to buy as soon as they drop.