High Traction Shoe Soles

January 18, 2019 4:17 PM

I need exercise footwear that will not slip when standing stationary on a finished concrete floor. These shoes would be worn while doing stationary TRX strap excersizes.
posted by Raybun to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (9 answers total)

Best answer: I'm not familiar with the specific needs of the type of exercises you describe, but the best traction of any shoe I've ever worn, bar none, is the Merrell Trail Glove 4.

I work on pitched roofs; traction is literally a matter of life and death to me. I can walk up to a 42° pitch in those things. I've never found another piece of footwear that comes close, and believe me I've looked. (Actually, Cougar Paws could do a 45° pitch, but then one time the soles just peeled right off without warning and I slid six fucking feet. Don't buy those.) They are amazing, and super comfortable and well made, as well.

Look no farther, they will stick like glue.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:04 PM on January 18, 2019 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The

Thanks. Forgot to mention my 13EEE feet. Am checking if any of their published sizes are equivalent.
posted by Raybun at 6:26 PM on January 18, 2019

Merrils do not do wide, you'd be better off with New Balance. Any gym shoe should be decent. They are made for that, traction will not be an issue.
posted by sanka at 6:34 PM on January 18, 2019

That's odd, in the hiking shoes world Merrell is one of the few brands that does do wide sizes.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:37 PM on January 18, 2019

One thing you could try is giving the bottoms of your shoes a quick spritz of hairspray before you work out. It will make them tacky and sticky.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 7:07 PM on January 18, 2019

Trust me, I am a 14 EEE. Can I add more E's? Merrell does not do wides, even if they say they do. They are not wide. I have a pair of 14W and they are tearing them selves apart at the seams where my little toe is. On both shoes.

New Balance my man.
posted by sanka at 8:18 PM on January 18, 2019

I wear Asics religiously for all sorts of gym activities, though it's been many a moon since I used TRX (reminds me to get back into it, it's really good exercise.) I do not know how wide Asics gets though.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 8:46 PM on January 18, 2019

Apparently asics go as high as 4E
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 9:18 PM on January 18, 2019

Best answer: Skechers McAllen work shoes are the grippiest I've found, especially for wet surfaces. Others in that category have the same sole.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 10:05 PM on January 18, 2019