TYR CXT-FLOW Performance Review

Ever since TYR dropped its original CXT-1 Trainer and proved it could run with – if not outrun – the legacy brands in the training shoe category, we’ve been interested to see what the company does next. We’ve also cited the TYR CXT-2 as one of the best training shoes currently available.

But now, TYR has diversified its product line and released a (relatively) more budget-friendly trainer in the TYR CXT-FLOW, following in the footsteps of shoes like the Under Armour Project Rock BSR series and the Reebok Nano Gym.

Is the TYR CXT-FLOW another hit from one of the fastest-rising brands in training shoes, or does “budget-friendly” mean questionable performance in this case? The WearTesters team has the answers below.

Please note that while we were sent pairs of the TYR CXT-FLOW, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.

How do the Authors Train?

Arune Singh (age 43, 5’11”, 210lbs): Trains daily with functional fitness programming provided by Deadboys Fitness, founded by Colby “Seth Rollins” Lopez and Josh Gallegos, along with logging 30-40 miles of running per week. He also has a medical history of Sleep Apnea and Myasthenia Gravis, meaning Arune’s focus is on lean muscle mass.

Drew Whitcomb (age 42, 6’6″ 195lbs): Trains daily with a focus on running, strength training, and mobility. He writes the majority of our running shoe reviews and runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and his growing affinity for long-distance races. He regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races. His strength training and mobility regimen center around maintaining flexibility and lifting heavy to build power as a counterbalance to all the running he’s doing. His number one focus is staying injury-free so he can keep up the sweet gig of reviewing shoes for a living.

What is the TYR CXT-FLOW?

TYR describes it as:

“This cross-trainer combines bold, simple aesthetics with anatomically athletic contours to deliver a shoe that feels as fluid as it looks. Perfectly crafted for athletes, it blends power, stability, and extreme comfort with cutting-edge features to elevate every movement.”

Training

Arune: If there’s one thing that has distinguished TYR from so many other brands, it‘s the performance – specifically the stable base, the energy return from the midsole, and the training versatility.

Unfortunately…the TYR CXT-FLOW really didn’t meet my expectations in any of those areas.

The challenges with this shoe were apparent from my feeble attempts to get it on my foot (more on that to come), followed by the unstable feeling underfoot. This shoe makes my feet want to roll up onto my toes, which isn’t great when you’re trying to get a solid base on the ground for complex lifts like cleans and snatches.

This won’t be an issue if you’re more machine-focused (think leg presses or leg curl machines), but it negatively affected my functional fitness regimen full of dumbbell or kettlebell work.

That said, this shoe performs better with bodyweight work like pushups, burpees, and even lunges where you’re not balancing additional equipment. It’s not my first choice, but in a world of the Project Rock BSR 4 (which I enjoyed) or Saucony Freedom Crossport (which was solid), I can more so see this being the shoe folks might enjoy for their HIIT classes.

But personally, I don’t think I’ve ever been this meh about a TYR shoe. What did you think, Drew?

Drew: The TYR CXT-FLOW is a completely serviceable lifting shoe but feels more like a basketball shoe than a cross training shoe. It works for lifting, but the drop feels like more than the stated 4mm, and the shoe’s cut is weirdly high. 

The high cut made me wear higher-cut socks to avoid hotspots and simply seemed unnecessary. It just got in the way when doing side-to-side agility drills and made the shoe feel a bit clunky.

I didn’t love squats or deadlifts in the CXT-FLOW, but found it fine for almost everything else in the gym. The heel stability would have been sufficient for those exercises, but the sensation that the CXT-FLOW was putting me on my toes made both of those bigger leg lifts feel like I was rocking forward and thus deterred me from lifting as heavy as usual.

The CXT-FLOW is aimed at a more casual gym-goer than TYR’s previous efforts, and that customer will largely be happy with the performance. But longtime TYR fans will find the CXT-FLOW doesn’t measure up to the standards they’re used to from the CXT-2 (or the original).

Cardio

Arune: TYR markets the CXT-FLOW as an “all-around training shoe” so my expectations were high for this category – even though cardio performance is always questionable with trainers.

However, even with the TYR CXT-FLOW naturally rolling me forward onto my toes – the kind of motion I’d want in a running shoe – it never felt comfortable in my cardio testing.

Running felt awkward as the midsole felt too firm, and I couldn’t effectively adjust my gait to the shoe. There are certainly worse training shoes for running – I’m looking at you, Nike Metcon 9 – but that doesn’t make this an experience I’d want to repeat.

That midsole stiffness also made rowing a pain for me as I couldn’t properly bend my foot to get up on my toes.

Overall, another miss for me…any better for you, Drew?

Drew: This is another reason the TYR CXT-FLOW felt like a basketball shoe. The midsole feels as if there’s a torsional bar inside that curtails flexibility. I don’t think there is a torsional plate; instead, this lack of flexibility results from the midfoot’s solid rubber outsole that wraps up the lateral and medial sides.

For me, running-based cardio was a non-starter. The ka-clunk of each footfall on the treadmill was both annoying and uncomfortable. The exercise bike worked fine, but the stair stepper was a chore. My arch wanted more flexibility to really dig in and push off my toes.

Jump roping was fine, but side-to-side agility and ladder drills were balky. Doable, not ideal.

Again, I’m back to the TYR CXT-FLOW targeting a more casual gym-goer that doesn’t hit a lot of cardio. It’ll work for them, depending on what form of cardio they prefer.

Comfort

Arune: Sorry TYR folks, I’m not going to be much more positive here, as getting my Hobbit feet into these shoes has been a pain no matter how I loosened the laces or prayed to my Viltrumite overlords [Editor’s Note: …solid Invincible reference].

Once I got my feet in, it’s not that the TYR CXT-FLOW was technically too small…it was just uncomfortable. My feet ached from every angle, and even with full toe splay I felt like there was no way for my foot to ever fully relax with the constant pressure on it.

Drew: I didn’t have the same experience Arune did with my average-width feet. I could get in and out with no issue but found I did have to break in the TYR CXT-FLOW as the whole build is stiff out of the box (again with the basketball shoe comparison).

The toebox is wider to allow full toe splay, and I found the mesh tongue comfy. But the biggest discomfort for me was the weirdly high collar. It’s at an awkward height that’s above a low but below a mid… In other words, they’re the perfect height to slice into my bony ankles. Problematically, this part of the shoe didn’t ever break in, so I was relegated to long socks…not my preference for cross training in an often overly warm gym.

But I did keep going back to the CXT-FLOW hoping I’d like it more. The materials and look are great…more on the aesthetics later.

Fit

Arune: Even with the complaints above, I do think my standard men’s 9.5 was the right size for me. But the TYR CXT-FLOW just isn’t made for even slightly-wide-footers like I am.

Drew: I agree with Arune that wide-footers should largely avoid the TYR CXT-FLOW unless they can find a way to try it on first. Lengthwise, the CXT-FLOW fits true-to-size, and there is wiggle room in the toebox – assuming you have an average or narrow foot.

Aesthetics

Arune: Is this the shoe I’ll wear to Erewhon when I finally introduce Drew to the wonders of the Hailey Bieber smoothie and sea moss? How’s that for SEO, Boss?

Drew: My future LA trip becoming SEO-fodder was not on my bingo card for this review. 

[Editor’s Note: Nevertheless, we’re all anxiously awaiting this long overdue outing that I’m assuming will play out in a fashion akin to a modern buddy comedy in which one character shows the other the wonders of overpriced health food only to discover himself that true health could be found within (and with a cheaper price tag) all along…]

Arune: All jokes aside, this is exactly the kind of shoe I’d expect to see around LA. The TYR CXT-FLOW has some New Balance retro runner vibes that are definitely in with younger crowds (my god, I sound old).

[Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, you do qualify as “old” in this context, but who am I to talk?]

I got the White/Gum colorway, and it’s incredibly versatile – the grey-ish overlays also add some nice personality.

Overall, the shoe looks a bit too bulbous for my taste, but I think a lot of folks will dig it.

Drew: The TYR CXT-FLOW features some solid synthetic leather and nubuck (which may be real…) alongside an open-celled mesh that all combines nicely to give it a 90s casual or basketball shoe-type look. That look is IN. Old guys like Arune might not understand [Editor’s Note: *cough…Aren’t you two basically the same age…? *cough], but this is exactly what people these days want to see.

And it’s why I kept hoping I could eke out better performance from the shoe. It’s wearable in the gym and around town and just looks fun.

Is the TYR CXT-FLOW worth $120-$130?

Arune: Not for me, no.

This is a budget shoe, and I don’t expect it to be the same as the TYR CXT-2; but ultimately this shoe didn’t work for me in any area.

Drew: The $120 or $130 price point (colorway dependent) of the TYR CXT-FLOW will be worth it to a casual gym-goer who wants 90s styling on a cross training shoe that can easily live both inside and outside of the gym. They’ll also need to not be bothered by the too-stiff collar. But for anyone who is a good fit for that use case profile, they’re getting a value that’s similar to what they paid.

TYR CXT-FLOW Final Verdict

Arune: This is a rare miss from TYR for me, and ultimately the TYR CXT-FLOW isn’t a shoe that excelled in any area for my purposes.

That’s not something I have ever said about a TYR shoe. So I’m hopeful the next iteration of this will address the myriad of issues because making TYR shoes more accessible is a great thing given their historically good performance.

Drew: The TYR CXT-FLOW could be better in quite a few ways but will still find an audience with some casual gym-goers who want this shoe most for its casual appeal. 

I like that TYR created a budget training shoe, and I hope they stick with it. Gym fees are skyrocketing lately which forces hard choices. With some tweaks, the CXT-FLOW could be the best budget training shoe on the market and appeal to anyone that lifts weights on a budget.