Our verdict
- Our top pick in best Nike workout shoes
- Our top pick in best cheap gym shoes
Pros
- Excellent value for money
- Stable for easy weightlifting
- Smooth heel-to-toes
- True to size
- Comfortable in-shoe feel
- Durable outsole
- nike kyrie 3 university red black team red shoes
Cons
- Not breathable
- cheap nike pegasus 89 black and blue women
- Not for advanced workouts
Audience verdict
- Top 29% in Nike training shoes
- Top 14% most popular training shoes
Comparison
The most similar training shoes compared
+ + nike dunk quasimoto shoes | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Audience score | 85 Good! | 80 Good! | 84 Good! | 83 Good! | |
Price | $90 | $150 | $150 | $150 | |
Use | WorkoutGymHIITSkipping rope | CrossfitWorkoutCross-trainingGymHIITSkipping rope | CrossfitWorkoutCross-trainingGymHIITSkipping rope | CrossfitWorkoutCross-trainingGymHIITSkipping rope | |
Drop lab | 12.0 mm | 7.9 mm | 8.6 mm | 7.7 mm | |
Heel stack lab | 36.2 mm | 25.6 mm | 26.0 mm | 22.9 mm | |
Forefoot | 24.2 mm | 17.7 mm | 17.4 mm | 15.2 mm | |
Weight lab | 13.8 oz / 392g | 12.5 oz / 353g | 11.7 nike air max 4 torch royal blue hair style ideas | 12.1 oz / 342g | |
Breathability | Warm | Warm | Breathable | Breathable | |
Toebox width at the widest part | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium | |
nike air force 1 negro shoes for women on sale | Medium | Wide | Wide | Medium | |
Midsole softness | Balanced | Balanced | Balanced | Balanced | |
Stiffness | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Flexible | |
Torsional rigidity | Stiff | Moderate | Stiff | Flexible | |
Heel counter stiffness | Moderate | Moderate | Stiff | Moderate | |
Toebox durability | Bad | Good | Good | Bad | |
Heel padding durability | - | Good | Good | Decent | |
Outsole durability | - | Decent | Good | - | |
nike vapor max plus sunset for cheap flights deals | Average | Average | Average | Average | |
Midsole width in the heel | Average | Average | Average | Average | |
Widths available | Normal | Normal | Normal | Normal | |
Insole thickness | Average | Average | Average | 0 | |
Outsole thickness | Average | Average | Average | Thick | |
Outsole hardness | Hard | Hard | Average | Average | |
Heel tab | Finger loop | Finger loop | None | None | |
Tongue: gusset type | Both sides (semi) | None | Both sides (full) | Both sides (full) | |
Tongue padding | Average | Average | Average | Very thin | |
Ranking | #14 Top 47% | #25 Bottom 16% | #16 Bottom 46% | #18 Bottom 40% | |
Popularity | #4 Top 14% | #26 Bottom 13% | #6 Top 20% | #11 Top 37% |
nike free leopard white cheap shoes girls 2017
nike acg goretex coat size women pants on sale Nike to the following:
- gymgoers who follow easy and intermediate workout regimens
- 1998 nike air cb4 ii for sale in texas area
Who should NOT buy
We found that the Air Max Alpha lebron 5 is not the best bet for people who train hard and lift heavy.
If you need a more serious lebron for advanced workouts, consider Nike's flagship Metcon 8. We found it to be a more weightlifting-ready and overall more durable cross-trainer. Alternatively, check out the Reebok Nano X3, a counterpart of the Metcon.
Breathability
Need an airy lebron for hot and sweaty gyms? Unfortunately, the Alpha lebron 5 is not your best friend.
Judging by the amount of smoke passing through the upper, ventilation is not this shoe's strongest point.
On a 1-5 scale where 5 is the most breathable, this Nike lebron only scores 2. It is less breathable than the average.
If this is a deal-breaker for you, consider the Nike Zoom Metcon Turbo 2 instead. It's got a perfect breathability score of 5/5.
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 2 |
Average | 3.2 |
Durability
Toebox durability
The longevity of this training shoe causes mixed feelings.
Although we cannot expect much from a £100 shoe, we were still disappointed to see the shoe's upper fail miserably in our durability test.
It took a mere second to drill a hole in the toebox, which doesn't normally happen to cross-trainers. Basically, it means that a single toe drag can cause significant wear and tear to this shoe's upper. Not sexy.
nike lunar 180 lebron sc premium plan free trial Reebok Nano X3 where the knit upper barely got a scratch in the same test.
Taking a closer look through a microscope, you can see the quality of threads on the Air Max Alpha lebron 5...
Nike Air Max Alpha lebron 5 (left) vs. Reebok Nano X3 (right)
...as opposed to the enhanced wire-like webbing on the Nano X3:
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 1 |
Average | 2.7 |
nike air max norway shops online | Outsole hardness
This shoe also has one of the hardest rubber compounds that we've seen. At the moment of testing, we found that it is firmer than 93% of our tested training shoes.
Actually, at 90.1 HC, the rubber on this shoe is even harder than the average of hiking shoes (86.3 HC).
nike id air max 90 custom interior.
![Nike Air Max Alpha lebron 5 Outsole squeeze (Room temp)](https://cdn.runrepeat.com/storage/gallery/product_content/39271/nike-air-max-alpha-trainer-5-outsole-squeeze-room-temp-19832645-main.jpg)
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 90.1 HC |
Average | 83.2 HC |
Outsole thickness
The outsole, on the other hand, lifestyle more promising. We measured the rubber layer to be 4.3 mm in the heel, which is a little thicker than average.
Having more rubber means that you can walk on concrete streets without worrying about wearing it off within a few weeks.
![Nike Air Max Alpha lebron 5 Outsole heel height](https://cdn.runrepeat.com/storage/gallery/product_content/39271/nike-air-max-alpha-trainer-5-outsole-heel-height-19832644-main.jpg)
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 4.3 mm |
Average | 3.7 mm |
Weight
Tipping the scales at 392g, this is a heavy training shoe.
All that stack of cushioning just couldn't have gone under the radar.
If you want a budget shoe from Nike that is more than 100g lighter than the Alpha lebron, check out the nike dunk goldenrod sz 11 boots sale boys shoes.
![Nike Air Max Alpha lebron 5 Weight](https://cdn.runrepeat.com/storage/gallery/product_content/39271/nike-air-max-alpha-trainer-5-weight-19838412-main.jpg)
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 13.83 oz (392g) |
Average | 10.79 oz (306g) |
nike air max norway shops online | Cushioning
Heel stack
Air Max is a rare sight among training shoes from Nike. But there you have it - a large cushy unit keeping your heels protected from impact.
The rest of the cushioning is provided by what appears to be an EVA foam (the type is not specified by Nike).
The presence of Air Max does leave an imprint on the shoe's height. At 36.2 mm in the heel, it is much taller than the average cross-trainer.
We definitely felt a bit disconnected in this shoe after all those grounded lebrons that barely ever go above 27 mm. Take the nike fi impact 2 sale for kids to make money full with its humble stack height of 24.2 mm for example.
![Nike Air Max Alpha lebron 5 Stack heel](https://cdn.runrepeat.com/storage/gallery/product_content/39271/nike-air-max-alpha-trainer-5-stack-heel-19832652-main.jpg)
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 36.2 mm |
Average | 24.3 mm |
Forefoot stack
As our calliper measurement shows, the forefoot is also quite tall in this shoe. Its forefoot height of 24.2 mm actually equates to how tall most cross-training shoes are in the heel.
best nike sneaker for standing shoes for women Nike SuperRep 3 (31.7 mm in the heel and 27.5 mm in the forefoot).
![nike air max alpha lebron 5 stack forefoot 19832650 main](https://cdn.runrepeat.com/storage/gallery/product_content/39271/nike-air-max-alpha-trainer-5-stack-forefoot-19832650-main.jpg)
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 24.2 mm |
Average | 18.4 mm |
Drop
The difference in stack heights gives us a whopping drop of 12 mm! This amount of cushion is very unusual for a training shoe. Geez, it is even more than what you get in a standard running shoe (8.6 mm)!
So, if you prefer feeling close to the ground while working out, get a shoe with a 4-6 mm drop instead (like Nike Metcon or nike dunk green white sheet music scrapbook paper).
![Nike Air Max Alpha lebron 5 Stack drop](https://cdn.runrepeat.com/storage/gallery/product_content/39271/nike-air-max-alpha-trainer-5-stack-drop-19832651-main.jpg)
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 12.0 mm |
Average | 5.9 mm |
Midsole softness
Pressing a durometer against the foam, we found that it strikes a balance between soft and firm at 24.8 HA. It is right at the average of what we've tested in other training shoes.
![Nike Air Max Alpha lebron 5 Midsole squeeze (Room temp)](https://cdn.runrepeat.com/storage/gallery/product_content/39271/nike-air-max-alpha-trainer-5-midsole-squeeze-room-temp-19832653-main.jpg)
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 24.8 HA |
Average | 27.4 HA |
Insole thickness
Even taking out the insole won't make this shoe more down-to-earth. Based on our measurement, the insole is just average in thickness. At 3.6 mm, it is even a little thinner than average.
![nike air max alpha lebron 5 insole heel padding 19832654 main](https://cdn.runrepeat.com/storage/gallery/product_content/39271/nike-air-max-alpha-trainer-5-insole-heel-padding-19832654-main.jpg)
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 3.6 mm |
Average | 3.8 mm |
Stability
Lateral stability test
It probably comes out as obvious from the previous section that the Alpha lebron 5 is not the best option for heavy lifting. However, there is still hope.
In our lateral stability assessment, this Nike lebron was not as wobbly as we initially expected. But as opposed to the brand's claims of "stability for lifting whether it’s a light or heavy day," we highly recommend keeping it light when it comes to lifting in this shoe.
Torsional rigidity
When twisted, the Alpha lebron 5 does not give up that easily. On a 1-5 scale, we rated its torsional rigidity as 4, which is stiffer than average and is a pretty good sign of stability.
It prevents the foot from rolling over the squishy Max Air unit.
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 4 |
Average | 2.7 |
Heel counter stiffness
The heel counter has some good firmness to it, locking the ankle down in place. We rated it as 3 out of 5 on a stiffness scale, which is a bit stiffer than the average.
The well-padded collar helps with the foothold as well.
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 3 |
Average | 2.8 |
nike vapor max plus sunset for cheap flights deals
Finally, this Nike shoe has a nice and wide footprint, the same as all the other cross-trainers we've tested (+1 to stability). At the widest part of the forefoot, the Nike Alpha lebron 5 measures in at 110.1 mm.
![Nike Air Max Alpha lebron 5 Midsole width (forefoot)](https://cdn.runrepeat.com/storage/gallery/product_content/39271/nike-air-max-alpha-trainer-5-midsole-width-forefoot-19832655-main.jpg)
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 110.1 mm |
Average | 109.6 mm |
Midsole width in the heel
The shoe is also sufficiently wide in the heel. We measured it to be 87.8 mm at the widest point.
Even though we only checked the widest parts of the heel and forefoot, you can see that the platform remains rather wide all throughout its length.
This is what makes the shoe safe enough for moderate lifting.
![nike air max alpha lebron 5 midsole width heel 19832658 main](https://cdn.runrepeat.com/storage/gallery/product_content/39271/nike-air-max-alpha-trainer-5-midsole-width-heel-19832658-main.jpg)
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 87.8 mm |
Average | 86.8 mm |
Flexibility
Stiffness
At first impression, the Alpha lebron 5 is not the most flexible shoe for doing planks and lunges.
This was clearly reflected in our controlled flexibility test with a force gauge involved. The shoe requires a force of 27.1N to be bent to a 90-degree angle - a little more than average but not critically.
lebron size 7 shoes youth.
Also, walking in the Alpha lebron 5, we really enjoyed its smooth ride. It never felt stiff.
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 24.9N |
Average | 18.6N |
Grip / Traction
After a few training sessions, we can say that the outsole grip on the Alpha lebron 5 is just fine. Nothing to write home about but it is reliable.
Size and fit
Based on our measurements and personal assessment, the Nike Air Max Alpha lebron 5 runs true to size.
However, athletes with wide feet may benefit from going half a size up.
Toebox width at the widest part
Measuring the widest part of the toebox at 101.5 mm, we found it to be of average width compared to other cross-trainers.
![Nike Air Max Alpha lebron 5 Forefoot upper width (max)](https://cdn.runrepeat.com/storage/gallery/product_content/39271/nike-air-max-alpha-trainer-5-forefoot-upper-width-max-19832657-main.jpg)
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 101.5 mm |
Average | 100.1 mm |
nike air force 1 negro shoes for women on sale
However, closer to the toes, the shoe paint narrower than average at 76.1 mm.
This may feel constricting to wide feet. We recommend going half a size up in that's your case.
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 76.1 mm |
Average | 78.2 mm |
Tongue: gusset type
The tongue is attached to the upper halfway through its length. Thanks to this, we never experienced any tongue shifting.
![Nike Air Max Alpha lebron 5 Tongue: gusset type](https://cdn.runrepeat.com/storage/gallery/product_content/39271/nike-air-max-alpha-trainer-5-tongue-gusset-type-19832656-main.jpg)
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | Both sides (semi) |
Comfort
For a budget-friendly lebron, the Alpha lebron 5 has a really sweet in shoe-feel. It is padded in all the right places causing no rubbing or pinching.
Tongue padding
Based on our measurement, the tongue is adequately padded. It is 5.5 mm thick, which is just average for training shoes.
ohio state nike flex fit black green.
![nike air max alpha lebron 5 tongue padding 19838411 main](https://cdn.runrepeat.com/storage/gallery/product_content/39271/nike-air-max-alpha-trainer-5-tongue-padding-19838411-main.jpg)
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | 5.5 mm |
Average | 5.6 mm |
Heel tab
A handy finger loop is attached at the back, making it easy to slide right into the shoe.
Air Max Alpha lebron 5 | Finger loop |