TYR DLTA-1 High Trainer Performance Review

If you’ve been reading our performance reviews here at WearTesters over the last year, you’ll notice we’ve been big fans of nearly every one of TYR’s new footwear releases, from the CXT-2 Trainer to the Valkyrie Elite Carbon Runner. Hell, TYR’s Lifters have even been such a hit that they attracted the attention of noted men’s sartorial publication GQ.

And for those of you who go to a gym outside your home to workout, you’ve probably noticed a whole lotta people wearing Nike high-tops, from the Blazer to Air Jordan 1s – shoes that we expect to be recommended by the aforementioned GQ for date night.

Certainly high-top trainers aren’t new to the training world – from Converse, to work boots, to NoBull – but when TYR releases a new model, it gets our attention. Enter the TYR DLTA-1 High Trainer.

But are these another hit from TYR that you’ll want to add to your gym rotation, or are you going to stick with a different high-top for the gym?

Luckily, TYR sent the WearTesters crew a couple of pairs of the DLTA-1 to test, but the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.

Please note that while TYR sent us pairs of the DLTA-1, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.

How does the Author 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.

What is the TYR DLTA-1 High Trainer?

TYR describes it as follows:

“Where timeless style meets modern performance. Designed for those who demand both fashion and function, this high-profile classic silhouette is crafted from premium leather, offering a luxurious feel and lasting durability. TYRTAC™ outsole ensures superior grip, making it perfect for any activity. Whether you’re hitting the gym or stepping out in style, the DLTA-1 High Trainer is your ultimate companion.”

Training

I must confess that with one exception – the Under Armour Project Rock Delta – I’ve never been a fan of wearing high-top trainers in the gym. While the Delta was really great for all the CrossFit training I was doing at the time, I find that wearing anything higher than a mid-top shoe in the gym makes me far too conscious of what I’m wearing and feels very restrictive. 

I’ve tried working out in Air Jordan 1s – mids and highs – and never really enjoyed them (though I do get the appeal). You get traction “so good it’ll pop your hip out” (™ Chris Chase) and really great groundfeel for all your lifts.

You’ll hear me say this a lot [Editor’s Note: Arune, this is a written review, so no one can hear you], but the DLTA-1 feels just like an Air Jordan 1 High. Yes, the traction pattern on the sole and the leather panels are very different, but switching between the shoes was eerily similar. TYR does seem to have a wider and more accommodating fit. I’m not saying true wide-footers will love this, but I have a 50/50 chance a standard Jordan 1 will be too narrow on one of my feet; whereas I had full toe splay in the DLTA-1.

That means I really enjoyed lifting in these shoes, with really good stability on lower-body lifts – from deep kettlebell squats, to deadlifts, to even the oft-deservedly-cursed-out Bulgarian split squats. If you’ve lifted in a Jordan 1, you know the feeling.

The upper construction, which TYR describes as a “Premium Leather Upper” [Editor’s Note: not quite sure ‘premium’ is the right word], is quite accommodating when bending your foot – something that isn’t always the case with some other high-tops that are meant more for fashion than performance. That makes the DLTA-1 pretty decent for explosive movements like jumping alternating lunges, burpees, and even staying in a fixed position during pushups.

While this isn’t the type of shoe I’d choose to train in, TYR has done a great job creating a premium high-top that performs well for your lifting needs.

Cardio

Do not use this for cardio.

[Editor’s Note: You sound like Drew in most of these cross training reviews.]

Can you run in the DLTA-1? Sure, but that’s also technically true of any footwear. But why would you want to? It’s like running in a Jordan 1 – which is doable but not the choice you’d make – for comfort or the price.

Similarly, this shoe does not have the fit (namely, a snug heel) or the flex in the forefoot needed to be great for rowing either.

Yes, you could use this on an airbike or for shadow boxing as I did, but I think there are a lot better options out there.

Not sure this is “perfect for any activity” as advertised, but I also don’t think that’s what most folks expect from a high-top trainer like this one that’s so clearly modeled after an old-school basketball shoe.

Comfort

Do you like how the Nike Air Jordan 1, Air Ship, or Blazer feel on-foot?

Then this is for you.

But, like I mentioned, I also found the fit of the DLTA-1 more accommodating than many Nike shoes, with a much wider toebox in particular (one of the things I love about TYR shoes in general).

Fit

While I’ve compared the DLTA-1 to a number of Nike shoes, don’t get it twisted. This has the same great fit you’ve come to expect from TYR.

I went with my standard size (men’s 9.5), and it was nearly a perfect fit: lots of room for toe splay, minor heel slippage, but it could’ve accommodated an even slightly wider version of my foot.

Aesthetics

Like I said about comfort, you’ll see the visual DNA of the trendiest Nike shoes in the DLTA-1.

This is a shoe you can truly wear from the gym, to the grocery store, to even a business-casual dinner because it looks like a premium Nike Air Jordan 1 (though the nerd in me feels like it’s more an Air Ship than anything else).

The clean Black and White colorway is classic, the wing emblems are increasingly iconic for TYR without feeling in your face, and the additional branding is subtle.

Honestly, the TYR DLTA-1 is simply a cool shoe.

Is the TYR DLTA-1 High Trainer worth $160?

Absolutely.

This isn’t a shoe for your cardio needs, but if you need something to wear to the gym for your lifting and then for the rest of the day, then, well, this can’t be beat (unless we’re talking about an Air Jordan 1 – which has SRPs over $200 in many cases these days).

If you want a do-it-all shoe, then this isn’t it; but if you’ve been rocking Blazers or Js in the gym…this is well worth the look.

TYR DLTA-1 High Trainer Final Verdict

TYR remains one of the hottest training shoe brands in recent memory and shows no signs of slowing down, as the TYR DLTA-1 is an excellent training shoe alternative for anyone training in Nike high-tops.
This isn’t a shoe for anyone looking for an alternative to the TYR CXT-2, Nike Metcon or Reebok Nano, but it doesn’t try to be. And you’ll probably enjoy adding the DLTA-1 to your everyday shoe rotation.