Inov8 Bare XF Pro review: a well-grounded, newly-engineered shoe for the HYROX generation

If your current trainer doesn’t quite fit or feel right and you are looking for something comfortable and durable then the Inov8 Bare XF Pro is perfect for you. The design of the Pro features a lot of the winning characteristics that made me fall in love with the original.

I was more than excited to test the new updated version of the well-liked Inov8 Bare-XF CrossFit Trainer. The new model, sporting the same name but with the word PRO added  (Inov8 Bare-XF  PRO) had me excited because of how much I enjoy training in the older model.

Could they improve on the shoe which I had previously reviewed and described as “the best gym shoe I’ve tested”? What are these Pro features, and would they translate into a better training experience?

I took the shoes to the CrossFit box in Bude to test them out. I wanted to test how they performed under the barbell, in gymnastic movements and during the basic grunt work these trainers have to put up with on a day-to-day basis. I will critique their design and build quality, performance, the new features, and offer my thoughts from a user-experience perspective. 

Design and build quality

The design of the Pro features a lot of the winning characteristics that made me fall in love with the original. It has what Inov8 describe as their “NATURALFIT” shoe shape that contours the foot, locking at the heel and midfoot then widening at the toe-box to let toes splay and function naturally.

This is great news for those of us with wide feet, but it also makes the shoe super comfy when you’re running, as the wide toe box allows the toes to spread naturally helping with run feel and proprioception. 

They have also not changed the STICKYGRIP outsole rubber grips. I had always felt the grip was amazing, either when I was bouncing between boxes, doing wall walks, or pushing/pulling sleds.

The build quality is superb. The newer  version does feel more robust than the old one which lasted well in its own right. So, with the updates Inov8 have made to the durability of the shoe, I can only see the new pair taking you through even more workouts.   

Sacchetto Method

The first and most notable new feature is how the shoe has been made. Inov8 have used the ‘Sacchetto’ method (a traditional Italian footwear construction technique usually reserved for leather-lined shoes).

So instead of having a traditional insole like the older model, the inside of the Pro has the upper and lining stitched together forming more of a bag-like structure that wraps around the foot. The advantages of this are supreme flexibility and foot comfort.

Now when I googled ‘Sacchetto method’ it mentioned a “glove-like fit”, and I can attest to this, for when I slipped my foot into the Pro it did have a different feel to the older model, like it was giving my foot a little hug. 

Inov8 claims this will provide a “greater natural training experience”, which surprisingly I was slightly concerned about, as I felt the older model provided a better than “natural training experience”, one that made me more bouncy while feeling secure and grippy. 

The stretch knit tongue makes the Pro feel an even more comfortable and flexible shoe compared with its younger brother; I found there was less wiggle around the top and that annoying thing where the tongue goes off to the side – simply can’t happen in this latest model. 

More protection

The Pro has reinforced the roof of the big toe area which always takes a beating from burpees. With the growing rise of Hyrox athletes, burpee broad jumps are becoming a box favourite, so reinforcing this vulnerable zone is a smart move.

They have also pandered to the Cross Fitters by integrating hardened “ROPE-TEC” rubber to offer better protection from the, you guessed it, rope climbs. I felt especially sticky on the rope which I’d say is an improvement.    

In addition to all the improvements to flexibility and comfort, Inov8 have also worked to make the new model more stable than its predecessor. They have updated the material around the heel that is more durable and resistant to folding. I noticed this during my barbell test as when lifting under fatigue it was nice to feel locked in, well grounded and secure.

This same new material forms a web overlay to help stick the shoe to the foot, ensuring that the new Sacchetto Method design does support the foot as you go about your gruelling workout. 

Performance

The shoes performed very well at the box. They felt light when doing gymnastic movements, yet strong enough to abuse them when doing burpee box jumps or slam them into a wall during a wall walk.

Even just moving around the gym it is noticeable just how comfy the shoes are, they feel more like slippers than what you think gym shoes should be. But those slippers are working with your feet, increasing their strength and providing extra protection where you need it. 

When changing direction quickly like when I was pivoting off a box jump into a burpee, the trainer came into its own. It moved with my foot, twisting and rotating as needed.

It is so responsive and low-slung I could never imagine rolling an ankle in this shoe, which gives you the confidence to push yourself especially at the tail-end of a workout.  

The mesh upper and tongue allowed my feet to breathe more than in the traditional Barefoot XF which is definitely good news. One thing I have not mentioned yet is how the shoe felt: it just lacked that bit of the bounce that gave the original that point of difference between other top-of-the-range CrossFit trainers.

I remember when I first put on my pair of Barefoot XF trainers in the gym, I suddenly had the urge to attempt some gymnastics (a round-off or back somersault) despite not having done them in 10 years. They were so poppy they made me feel younger as if those jumping movements were still possible. The Barefoot XF-Pro – I am sad to say, despite all the new bells and whistles, and being a fantastic shoe, lacked this unique spring. 

With the new design I did feel exceptionally planted to the floor, however the little extra flex that the cushioning in the insole provided, that “boomerang technology” that made the shoe feel alive was missing for me.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the new Pro shoe and I can see myself wearing it for the majority of my workouts, especially those where there is heavy lifting  or “grunt work” with large volumes of burpees. But, for workouts that require more jumping, skipping, or running movements I would prefer to be in the older model. 

Final thoughts

The new trainer is a huge upgrade on paper, and, during testing, it performed very well too. If I were comparing  the Barefoot XF Pro to a different trainer, I am sure I would be hugely excited and raving about it to anyone who would listen.

However, as my baseline was the original Barefoot XF, I have to be critical and say I still prefer the original. If Inov8 could somehow bring the bounce back to the Pro then with all the new additions I think it may be difficult to create a better CrossFit/Hyrox trainer, full stop. 

So, should you try this trainer? Well if your current trainer doesn’t quite fit or feel right and you are looking for something comfortable and durable then 100%, this upgrade is perfect for you. Indeed, if your training is more weights focused, with less of the chipper-style workouts with box jumps and running, then look no further – you will undoubtedly love this trainer.

However, if you like to bounce in the gym and if you want to feel springy and lighter on your feet, then my recommendation would be to take the original Barefoot XF for a spin and see how you get on.