5.11 Tactical PT-R Inure Runner – Our Review

I’ll admit that for years, I never really put too much time into seeking out 5.11 Tactical training shoes.

I mean, I think their bags are okay, they have some nice boots, and they have the most comfortable weight vest of all time, but actual workout shoes? Can’t say I ever put the two together.

After a previous attempt with the company’s A/T Trainers, I decided to work up my courage and to try again with one of their newest workout shoe offerings: the PT-R Inure Runners.

Would these prove to be as underwhelming as my previous experience? No…nowhere close.

Have I found my new favorite training shoes? Also…false.

If you’re thinking about getting yourself a pair, read on…that is if you want to know more about my completely “okay” experience with these bad boys.

CrossFit

It may seem a little odd to begin a review for a “runner” shoe with discussing how well it holds up in CrossFit workouts, but if you look at much of the marketing for these shoes, “dynamic” activity is certainly emphasized.

…and for this type of work…they’re okay. Not great and certainly not my favorite training shoes, but they’re not bad.

Off the bat, those who are more accustomed to shoes like the GORUCK Ballistic Trainers will appreciate the similar (8mm) heel drop. This is a little bit higher than that ~4-6mm heel drop that many “functional fitness” shoes all seemed to adopt in the 2010s, but is more in line with what a number of shoes are actually moving towards.

I find that it provides a decent mix of “groundedness” when I need to establish significant connection with floor for heavy lifts (specifically things like deadlifts) while not being so low that running or lifts where I want a bit more leverage (like squats or Oly lifts (sorta)) are compromised.

(We’ll speak more to this in the next section, but this “compromise” goes both ways)

I also can appreciate how not overbuilt the Inure Runners feel. All around, the shoes don’t feel like they have a bunch of superfluous material and kinda give me Reebok NanoFlex TR 2.0 vibes. Granted, a downside to this is that they don’t feel all that supportive during lateral movements and when landing (either on top of a plyo box or when coming down off a box).

This less-than-ideal support also makes Olympic lifts feel a bit dicier as there is zero feedback at all when catching a snatch or a clean and hitting the top of a jerk feels a little awkward.

In contrast, I really don’t mind these for gymnastics movements as the Inure Runners’ lightness ensures that there isn’t superfluous weight when performing things like pull-ups, muscle-ups, or handstand pushups. On the other hand, I am sure that these will get pretty shredded, pretty quickly from rope climb clamps (guess I’m sticking to legless as long as I can!)

Overall, I think you can definitely do significantly worse with your CrossFit shoe choices, but be mindful that the PT-R Inure Runners do have a number of weaknesses as functional training shoes. I can’t see them ever becoming my primary CrossFit shoes and, if other shoes got damaged or otherwise unusable, I would need to make some adjustments training in these.

CrossFit: 75

General Training

So, the Inure Runners may not be the best shoes for CrossFit, but as far as “General Training” is concerned (this includes things like basic circuit training at a globo gym, pick-up games, and, most importantly, running) they fair a bit better.

I think it’s important to address the shoes’ most important feature first as “runner” is literally in their name. Are they actually decent running shoes…well, remember in the previous section how I mentioned that the “heel drop” compromise goes both ways? Well, if you’ve done any type of serious running and aren’t in the minimalist camp, you’re likely accustomed to larger drops.

8 millimeters…likely ain’t it.

Now, I don’t find these to be “bad” shoes to run in by any means. Even compared to the aforementioned Ballistic Trainers (and their matching 8mm drop) these fare much better on longer and shorter jaunts. However, I don’t think they really live up to their “runner” monicker…there’s just something too awkward about that heel drop and how my foot strikes in them.

Moving past this, for circuit training and less dynamic activity, the Inure Runners are perfectly serviceable footwear options and are arguably good options. Activities that don’t require as much lateral stability or bounding are easily executed in these while their “groundedness” provides more “stationary” stability than other, more heavily padded and overbuilt options.

Assuming your backyard soccer games and Y.M.C.A. 3-on-3s aren’t too intense, these should be perfectly fine. The soles of the shoe are neither perfectly flat nor are they lugged. As such, grip isn’t ideal in either setting, but is sufficient for either activity.

General Training: 85

Construction & Materials

Like many training shoes today, the Inure Runners are largely comprised of a combination of EVA foam (both compressed, CEVA in the midsole and the more traditional variety) as well as a heavy dose of polyurethane (again with some components, particularly in the upper materials being thermoplastic polyurethane with the insole being more standard polyurethane).

To be honest, I find polyurethane to be a rather cheap-feeling material and, despite it being a rather supportive material, I personally don’t like the general feel of it.

The outsole is comprised of a rather thing piece of rubber which makes sense considering the shoes’ 8-millimeter heel drop…a number that is a bit smaller than what is common in many popular running shoes.

I don’t really find the Inure Runners’ materials to be all that impressive, but I wouldn’t say they feel nearly as cheap as the likes of the first iteration of the company’s A/T Trainers. Still, I don’t find them to be overly appealing.

Construction & Materials: 80

Price

Like most of 5.11 Tactical’s shoes (and like a lot of the company’s gear in general), the Inure Runners’ price score is more difficult to classify. There is seemingly always at least a pair or two that is steeply discounted which leads us to actually give them a higher score in this category than we “should”.

That being said, the discounted price (currently between ~$50-60) is pretty decent, especially for a respectable training shoe. On the other hand, the “everyday price” range of between $125-140 causes us to pause a bit. This is by no means an outlandish price, but puts these shoes more in the “normal” range for training shoes as opposed to being “budget” or “affordable”.

This price actually outpaces the Inure Runners’ closest competitor (the GORUCK Rough Runners) which are, in our opinion, superior in pretty much every aspect. However, the discounted option is tough to compete with, even if size and color options are more limited.

Price: 90

Customer Reviews

The reviews of 5.11 Tactical shoes can conservatively be described to as “hit or miss”. Some like the Ranger 2.0s score pretty well, while others like the Maxgrip Trainers…not so hot.

The Inure Runners aren’t the biggest fan favorites, but they still score a solid A-…4.5-out-of-5 collective review score.

Granted, the sample size reviewing these shoes is pretty abysmal (only 10 total reviews across 3 different listings, to include the “mid” version which are undoubtedly a little different) so these data points aren’t that reliable.

Of the negative reviews, one makes the (seemingly obvious) conclusion that these are more of “track/field” shoes as opposed to “mountain running shoes”. A more critical review makes a more direct and somewhat ominous claim about what these shoes will do to you:

I’d like to think that I don’t stink (at least not more than I do now) so hopefully this isn’t true. With that being said, if you can overlook the Inure Runners’ stink potential, you’re left with a shoe with consistently high social proof.

Customer Reviews: 90

Customer Service

I know most people opt to order from Amazon, but in my personal experience, ordering directly from 5.11 Tactical has been a pretty straightforward and easy experience. Stuff shows up fast and I’ve never had to chase down a missing package or wonder where something is (I know a lot of this would be on the transit/logistics company, but whatever).

In the few instances where I’ve reached out with product questions, usually because a product description was a little thin (if you review gear listings on the company’s page…you understand) I’ve typically gotten a response in a little over 24 hours. Replies haven’t been overly detailed, but they’ve always answered my question clearly and without fluff or obvious copy-paste language.

I haven’t had to file a return or warranty claim (…yet), but 5.11 covers most items for a year. I’ve come across a few random comments about people complaining out them not being the best about honoring these claims, but not enough and nothing crazy enough to make me believe that there would be any problems when/if this occurs.

Overall, there really isn’t anything “flashy” with dealing with 5.11’s customer service personnel/team…but I prefer “subtle efficiency” more anyways…

Customer Service: 95

Who are the 5.11 Tactical PT-R Inure Runners Really For?

The Inure Runners probably aren’t going to be the show for everybody, but we can definitely think of some audiences who would greatly appreciate them. Let’s take a look at who should give them a closer look…and who is most likely to pass on them.

Those who want a semi-decent running shoe to do some general training in

The PT-R Inure Runners don’t have quite enough padding or a significant enough heel drop to be sought out by serious runners, but for those who are used to low or zero-drop shoes, running in them may feel more familiar. If you combine this with their ability to hold up perfectly well during more general training sessions, they make for a decent option.

Those looking for an inexpensive training shoe

As I mentioned before, the Inure Runners seems to pretty much be perpetually on sale. Considering that their deeply discounted price is even cheaper than pretty legit training shoes like the Reebok Nano Flex training shoes, they’re an attractive option, especially if you’re not super specialized in the type of training you do.

Not for those looking for a true running shoe or functional training shoe

I’ll admit that I think my PT-R Inure Runners look cooler (and slightly less “Dad shoe-esque”) than my GORUCK Rough Runners, but the latter shoes are superior in just about every way. The Rough Runners are my current go-to training shoes for general CrossFit and for longer, running workouts.

The Inure Runners wouldn’t be close to my first choice for either of these activities as a standalone shoe and would be pretty far down the list for combined workouts.

They’re a nice backup to have, but I can’t imagine a situation where they would be the primary choice for any of these more specialized purposes.

How we Reviewed the 5.11 Tactical PT-R Inure Runners

I was lucky to get a hold of my Inure Runners during the middle of summer when my CrossFit training program has more running than usual programmed (to take advantage of nicer weather). With more running metcons (usually at least one or two each week), I have had ample opportunity to put these to the test in the most…obvious way possible.

With that being said, I have also done a lot of work in these shoes that has not involved running-heavy metcons or workouts with running at all. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend them for most types of workouts, or for functional training in general, it was important for me to perform Olympic lifts, bodyweight movements, and gymnastics in them.

PT-R Inure Runner Alternatives

It’s a little hard to come up with apples-to-apples alternatives for the Rough Runners due to the fact that their purpose(s) is unique and because the shoe itself is unique. Because of this, each of the alternatives listed below favor a slightly different objective:

The PT-R Runner…a completely average and acceptable training shoe…

The Inure Runners are “solidly average” shoes.

Take this as you choose to as I am sure that there are people out there who have seriously high standards for their training shoes while others are always on the lookout for a serviceable shoe that happens to be quite affordable.

With that being said, I can’t help but constantly look at the Inure Runners in the context/”against” the GORUCK Rough Runners, mainly due to the similar names and “outdoor objectives” of each shoe’s parent company. If you’re at all familiar with the Rough Runners, and especially if you’re fond of them, be warned that there is little in common between these shoes.

…so does that make them “worse”? Not necessarily…

It’s always going to be hard to compete with the Inure Runners’ seemingly ever-present ~$55 sale price and for those who prefer a more “in between” heel drop, they could be an attractive option. However, I’m willing to pay a bit more for shoes that I really enjoy and after years of running in low(er) heel drop shoes, I’ve pretty much retired from that habit.

At the end of the day, though, there ain’t nothing wrong with “solidly average” training shoes…