We are excited to announce that the OESH La Vida’s are not only a great all-around shoe but are highly touted as the perfect shoes for CrossFit!
Phyllis Dockeray, an experienced CrossFit OESHer and founder of Nationwide Machinery, sums it up:
“They are perfect for all the deadlifts, snatches, and other exercises where we tend to want to lean forward…the shoes force you to keep the correct form. I love them.”
With a full range of activities and movements from strength training to running to jumping and much more, we know you need a versatile shoe, which OESH La Vida is, in every aspect. Unlike any other athletic shoe, the La Vida design is based on science. Specifically it is based on biomechanical studies of a number of activities that you commonly perform in CrossFit. Stable for weightlifting and lightweight for running and jumping, La Vida maximizes not just your performance, but most importantly, the exercise benefits you get from each and every activity.
We love that the experts in CrossFit recommend footwear that is precisely in line with OESH’s over-riding philosophy on how athletic shoes should be made. OESH’s designs are the result of years of peer-reviewed research of the effects of footwear on biomechanics. Experts in CrossFit recognize the results of this research, recommending footwear with four important features that we couldn’t agree more with: flexibility, durability, weight, and heel to toe drop.
Flexibility is a significant factor because you need to have available to you, the full capabilities of your foot for strength, stability, and safety. This means not just having a flexible sole and upper, but having a fit that allows all parts of your foot to move naturally. OESH La Vida’s unique dynamic fit with ample forefoot room and a wide toe-box allow full expansion of your foot with weight-bearing activities. Unlike most other shoes, there is no built-in arch support or curvatures along the sides of the sole, all of which impede foot function. Not only do these extraneous features limit flexibility of the foot, they alter forces upward from the foot, which place undue strain on joints. As far as the sole goes, OESH La Vida’s uniquely responsive sole flexes like no other sole in the world. It is designed so as not to “cushion” impact but rather respond to your body weight when forces are at their maximum, working with, rather than against, your body.
Along with the flexibility, the ultimate CrossFit shoe needs to be durable. This is where other training shoes fall short. Foam cushioning in most training shoes quickly breaks down and alters one’s biomechanics, which increases risk for injury. In contrast, the OESH La Vida’s unique carbon fiber composite sole provides the same responsiveness on day 1 as on day 100. Not only is the sole consistently responsive, it has fantastic grip and resistance. An added bonus is that the sole is non-marking.
Weight is another essential factor because you want a lightweight shoe for running and jumping along with maximum breathability. The OESH La Vida is extremely lightweight while the mesh outer helps keep your feet stay cool.
Finally, the most important component is the heel to toe drop. As stated in another blog post (Most Running Shoes Are Actually High-Heeled!), most training shoes have a substantial difference between the heel height and the forefoot height. The ultimate CrossFit shoe should have a zero difference heel drop so there is no increase between the heel height and forefoot height, offering an entirely flat sole. Since you will be completing your WOD’s as quickly as possible, this lets you become completely aware of your body positioning as the flat sole encourages the distribution of your weight and eliminates the chance of the force moving to your toes, which can cause instability. Even heavily advertised CrossFit shoes such as the Reebok CrossFit Nano has a 4mm drop as well as excessive foam cushion, which interferes with awareness of your body positioning. Furthermore, landing with a low, flat sole creates a firm and stable landing, maximizing lateral stability and minimizing risk of ankle injuries.
All in all, the OESH La Vida is the best shoe for CrossFit. Thoroughly researched based, with its unique responsive and perfectly flat sole, flexibility, durability and breathability, there really is no better option.
