5.11 Tactical A/T Trainer – Our Review

5.11 Tactical…the brand before the brand…

If you’ve been paying attention to CrossFit for the last, I don’t know, six months or so, you’ve certainly come across some mentioning of GORUCK, whether in discussions of gear, partnerships, or apparel.

At this point, its assumed that if there is a CrossFit Games, Semi-finals, etc. event involving a heavy weighted bag or vest of any type, it’s made by GORUCK or Rogue.

…but there was a time in the not-so-distant past when 5.11 Tactical provided this stuff (vests):

Maybe you were around for this and maybe you weren’t.

That being said, even if you fall into the latter group, there is a really good chance you’ve heard of the brand before…especially if you happen to fall into the early-to-mid stage Gen X (or older!) demographic.

Don’t believe me? In the month I’m writing this (Se[tember 2024), if you spend ~$200, they’ll send you this monstrosity that Hank Hill wouldn’t be caught dead in:

I also think it’s important to note that this whole “spend money, getting a grilling apron) has been going on for at least 3 months at this point…so…yeah…

…anyways (and I promise I’m not picking on 5.11 Tactical) the company has a lot more going on for it than novelty aprons and stuff like that. As you can probably surmise from the name, they’re about all things outdoors with an emphasis on footwear, bags, apparel, and accessories (…this sounds familiar…)

As I’m always “chasing the dragon”, trying to find something to replicate, or even surpass, the experience I had when I slipped on my first pair of Ballistic Trainers, I figured I’d give 5.11’s A/T Trainers a try.

They predate the Ballistic Trainers by a few years and they’re billed as adding “comfort and substantially increased agility, flexibility, and durability to your cross training, functional fitness and heavy workouts.”

So they gotta be good…

…right?

Ehhh…we’ll get to that…

“Pure” Rucking

I’m going to bet that a substantial portion of people checking out 5.11 Tactical’s gear are at least interested in rucking, hiking, or moving under load for an extended period of time. If this wasn’t the case, why would I be greeted with this graphic on their “About” page?

With this in mind, I’m going to assume that a lot of you are looking for a rucking sneaker because either:

• This is what you expect from 5.11 Tactical in a general sense
• You sought out the A/T Trainers specifically for this purpose due to their “ATLAS” (All Terrain Load Assistance System) technology

If this is you…I hate to say that after all of that buildup, I don’t really have good news or bad news for you.

These are better for rucking (in this case, we’re specifically talking about on terrain) than most everyday sneakers…but they sure as heck ain’t serious rucking shoes.

For one, the bottom lacks any serious type of tread, cleat, lug…whatever you want to call it. Granted, this is present to a degree (which is one of the main reasons why I would consider these to be at a higher rucking level than most other sneakers), but I haven’t experienced any significant amount of traction on uneven terrain.

I don’t find there to be an overabundance of lateral stabilization, either; if I catch my foot on something, it’s pretty much going to keep moving in that direction, possibly resulting in a rolled ankle (thankfully, I haven’t experienced any significant “rollage” in my use).

Obviously, the low-top design opens up more of the foot and lower leg to abuse, although this alone doesn’t preclude it from being a good rucking shoe.

I don’t think the outer materials are terrible and they do a decent job of withstanding dirt, mud, etc., but the odd “sheen”-like material does make this material a bit more difficult to treat/clean than some more subtle (and higher-quality) materials.

The touted “ATLAS” system is a thing…like, it’s not just some interesting-sounding B.S. term they used for the marketing. When you’re on stable ground, you can definitely feel that the shoes absorb the weight (to include added weight) with each step. For guys like me who have trouble “putting on the brakes” when going downhill, this is a yuge benefit.

Unfortunately, the system isn’t overly sophisticated and doesn’t accommodate unlevel terrain all that well. Even in long-ish grass (no rocks, mud, or other obstacles), I can feel the entire bottom of the “system” shifting under my foot with each step. So while it’s absorbing the load, I’m pretty much having to rebalance myself with every step.

At the end of the day, “LAS” (Load Assistance System) would be a better name for this aspect of the shoe…the “AT” portion doesn’t hold true in my experience.

Overall, you can certainly do worse with your rucking shoes, and I would say they are actually better suited for certain aspects of this task than certain shoes from a certain “the rucking company”…but you can do a bit better.

“Pure” Rucking: 80

“Speed” Rucking

When we’re talking about “speed” rucking, we’re really interested in how a shoe, boot, etc. performs when the terrain is nice (sidewalk, not-messed-up street, treadmill, Air Runner) and you’re getting your “ruck run” (or, in all likelihood, your “ruck shuffle”) on.

This is actually more of my preferred style of rucking and how I put in the vast majority of my miles while testing the A/T Trainers.

As mentioned in the previous section, the “ATLAS” system is a legit benefit of the shoe, although it falls flat on uneven terrain. On paved roads and other types of good, even terrain, though…it’s pretty good.

There are a few sections of my preferred rucking routes where I usually have to slow down a bit on my descent for fear of losing control. I have been much better able to manage these portions with confidence as a result of this system. Add in that the shoes feel a tad bit lighter than most other rucking shoes and these seem like they could be contenders in this category.

…”could be” is the operative phrase…

Unfortunately, I find it difficult to even “ruck shuffle” in these as moving with any type of speed (faster than a “determined walk”) feels awkward and unsustainable. This is true even without additional load. I’m not sure if this is related to the ATLAS system or what, but it is incredibly hard to rebound out of each step in these. It’s like the shoes absorb the weight…and then they die.

“Speed” in a (somewhat) relative term and I think a 4 MPH pace under load is decently fast for most people. More importantly, it is a pace that most people should be able to comfortably keep in the A/T trainers. Any faster speeds…might be trouble.

If you’re content with staying at or under 4 MPH and sticking to good-to-excellent terrain for your ruck outings, these could actually be a pretty solid option for you.

“Speed” Rucking: 85

“Dynamic” Rucking

You remember how I quoted the 5.11 Tactical website’s description of the A/T’s “cross training” capabilities earlier (“…substantially increased agility, flexibility, and durability…” and whatnot)? Truth be told, testing this aspect was my main reason for giving these a try.

…and…they’re not terrible…but they’re not much better than that.

Right off the bat, the fit is weird. Don’t get me wrong; I have the right size (as evidenced by having only a small amount of room at the front of my shoe), but no matter how much I tighten them, they always feel loose in the back. This isn’t really a problem when I’m wearing thicker, rucking/hiking socks, but in my normal training socks, I notice a huge difference in feel.

Moving on, the heel drop is a bit steeper than just about any “traditional” CrossFit shoe (other than maybe the GORUCK Ballistic Trainer) offerings and the shoe itself just feels like more of a traditional, run-of-the-mill “sneaker”.

Remember that minor tread we discussed earlier? Well, it comes back to (slightly) haunt you during metcons when you’re wearing these, especially if you’re doing any kind of barbell work that requires stability…which is, like, every CrossFit barbell movement (“grounded” feeling on heavy deadlifts, feet resetting on Olympic lifts, feet resetting when barbell cycling, etc.)

I have found that doing certain odd-object movements, such as working with sandbags on light terrain, is doable, but these only make an appearance every 2 or 3 weeks in my training program. As you might imagine after my comments on “speed” rucking…well…you had better pray that you’re WOD doesn’t include any running!

If you’re a proponent of regular “train with sand” sessions out in the back yard, these might be an option for you. For anything other type of “dynamic” movement…pass.

“Dynamic” Rucking: 65

General Training

I know 5.11 Tactical might want to try to run with some of its competitors in the fields of “functional fitness” shoes, “rucking” shoes, or…whatever is in between…

…but they just can’t…and they don’t with the A/T Trainer.

This isn’t the end of the world, especially when considering the perpetual discount that the shoe seems to garner (even the “everyday price” isn’t so bad, as we’ll discuss in a later section) and if you view it in the gaze of being a general training shoe, you’ll probably appreciate it a bit more.

When we say “general training” we’re talking moving from machine to machine at the gym, doing some light jogging on the treadmill, running around for some (light) pick-up sports, and even wearing during the aforementioned “master of the grill” or “just grilling” ventures.

These activities are best facilitated with an actual training shoe (which puts the A/T Trainer in a category ahead of…ahem…”ath-leisure” shoes), but don’t require you break the bank on some speciality shoe in order to perform them.

I wouldn’t suggest any long runs in these and if you’re interested in getting into the Big 3 or any type of Oly lifting, I’d suggest you be careful.

…but for (preferably seated) bicep curls and sit-ups, you should be okay….

…should be…

Remember how I mentioned (a few times now) how the bottoms of some of these were slightly treaded? Well, this is nothing too significant, but you might run into a gym owner who catches on and calls you out for your “cleated” shoe bottoms.

…plus, it just feels…awkward on a normal floor.

Also, let me re-emphasize…no long runs! Fast walks, even downhill, sure…but running…just don’t.

General Training: 75

Construction & Materials

Now we’re coming to the sections where I can much more definitively discuss the A/T Trainers and can quit scratching my head trying to describe them.

Regarding materials…I mean…the shoes look like a big hunk of shiny plastic.

During the first 4 or 5 wears, I was really concerned that the ever-present squeaking noises that they made would force me to relegate these to non-tiled or similar floors (thankfully this noise (mostly) went away).

…and, in some ways, the shoes kind feel like a big hunk of shiny plastic on my feet. This is probably the reason why they always feel strangely loose in the back; it’s like my foot is slipping against mildly slimy plastic coating.

The bottom rubber isn’t overly hard and doesn’t give any real feeling of “durability”. It just feels cheap.

However, the ATLAS system, despite the AT part of its name being a bit of a misnomer, is a significant construction inclusion so it’s not like the shoe engineers/designers were just lazy and slapped together the cheapest shoe possible.

Maybe the entire shoe materials budget was pumped into the ATLAS system…?

While the shoes aren’t inherently uncomfortable, the extra knotting I have to do to get mine to (slightly) off-set the ever-present slipping does make my feet a bit sore, especially during the first few minutes of each ruck or workout.

Overall, I guess I shouldn’t really expect world-class materials from an inexpensive shoe…but that doesn’t mean that they’re magically “better”, or even “good value” for the price.

Construction & Materials: 65

Price

If you actually liked the A/T Trainer for its overall “training prowess”, you’ll love its price.

In most cases when I review shoes, I try to largely ignore sales prices when coming up with a definitive score for this area, mainly because that sale could end tomorrow. However, the “sale” price of the A/T Trainer kinda reminds of those “everyday sale” prices at Mexican tourist traps.

I don’t think that sale is ending anytime soon, but let’s give ourselves some buffer and call ’em $60 shoes.

You’re still not paying for a “true” cross-training shoe so it’s not like you’re getting some incredibly special deal at this price (at least relative to…ya know…actual CrossFit shoes), but it’s not easy to find legit training shoes of semi-decent construction and quality for under ~$80.

I would say that if you want a real “functional fitness” shoe, it’s definitely worth it to cough up the additional ~$10-20 to pick up something like the Nanoflex 2.0 (we discuss this shoe in the alternatives section below). However, if you’re really not looking to get that crazy in your workouts, these are a really inexpensive option and are probably capable for what you’re doing.

All of this being said, if you ever see these shoes selling for full price ($130!)…run.

Price: 95* (contingent on being able to get them at the extended sale price)

Customer Reviews

I feel like shoes (and a lot of other fitness products) suffer from “grade inflation”. As a former university professor, I know all about this practice (although you had to earn your grade in my classes more than most…one of the reasons why I’m a former university professor…slackers…)

What I mean by this is that every shoe seems to have some crazy-high “4.8/5 on Amazon” or “99 percent positive reviews!” You look at this and think, “yeah, I’m sure the shoes are good, but only one person out of 100 (or 4 out of 100 in the former case) doesn’t like them?”

Are the shoes that good to completely buck the law of averages? Probably not.

I provide this context because the A/T Trainers actually do kind of buck this trend, currently sporting a 4.3 out of 5 (cumulative) score (out of 81 reviews).

Either these reviewers are really honest and more realistic than any others or…people are a bit more critical of these bad boys than they are of, like, any other training shoe.

Speaking of these critical reviews, they all kind of read like this:

“Well made poor fit

I think even when sized properly they feel like they are going to slide off the heel of my foot makes them absolutely useless for training like I wanted.”

I don’t find the fit to be bad, but not overly good, either (that heel slide comment is right on, though). Count me in with the 3/5 crowd (which, to be fair, is over a point lower than the average!)

Customer Reviews Score: 86

Customer Service

I’ve never actually dealt with 5.11 Tactical’s personnel in the sales process, return process…nada. Because of this, I can’t really speak to or rate their overall customer service functioning.

What I will say is that the ordering process was smooth and I didn’t have any trouble receiving my order in a timely manner. Packaging is also really nice and everything I have ever ordered has been in pristine condition on arrival,

Customer Service Score: N/A

Who are 5.11 Tactical A/T Trainers Really For?

It’s actually pretty hard to put my finger on who would go out of their way to look for a sure like this. Not because the shoe is “bad”, per say, but because it is just so…average. Let’s see who might best appreciate it:

Those looking for an affordable “tactical” shoe

As we’ve discussed, this isn’t the most legit shoe for “tactical” or “functional fitness” work out there. However, it comes from a company with “Tactical” (for those who would shirk the more functional Nanoflex 2.0 TRs) in its name and it is a lot cheaper than all of the (better) alternatives.

…so yeah!

Those who (slowly) “speed” ruck

If you like to throw a heavy bag on your back and get walking (but not too fast) on paved roads while wearing appropriate rucking/hiking socks, the A/T Trainers can actually be a decent shoe.

The ATLAS system actually does a really good job of absorbing the impact of each step. It doesn’t do all that great of job of helping you rebound into the next one and easily gets thrown off balance on even mild terrain, but if you stay slow and stick to the streets…game on!

Not for those looking for functional “functional fitness” shoes

Look, these shoes aren’t that bad for training, rucking, whatever. You can definitely do a lot worse and in a pinch, I would have no problem wearing these for (most) workouts.

However, if you’re actually serious about your workouts, you should be serious enough to cough up another $40-80 to get a proper training shoe (for whatever discipline you’re into). I guarantee that this is an exceptionally small price to pay in relation to the benefits derived.

How we Reviewed the A/T Trainers

As much as I like to have the best possible shoes for my workouts (at least the shoes I prefer the most), I like to give every shoe I try a fair shake. In regards to the A/T Trainers, this involved putting them through CrossFit metcons and lifting sessions (although I never went heavy with them on Olympic lifts) as well as wearing them during a number of ruck outings (mainly on pavement, sometimes on easy terrain).

In the interest of full transparency and disclosure, I definitely selected workouts that I knew would be “easier” for me as ones where I trained in the A/T Trainers i.e. metcons that had movements that

• I’m good at
• Involved movements where I wasn’t overly concerned with possible hangups as a result of less-than-ideal footwear

I doubt that the shoes would be “better” for facilitating more complicated movements or movements that I struggle more with, but I can’t say for sure as I was reluctant to test to this degree.

ainy (light and moderately heavy), light snow accumulation, and indoor/controlled.

A/T Trainer Alternatives

There are a lot of alternative shoes I could suggest here, but I want to stay somewhat in the realm of, let’s say, “cross training” shoes. If you want a legit “functional fitness” shoe, go with the third option, a “good and cheap” CrossFit shoe, go with the second, a…better cross training shoe…then…PROTECT THIS HOUSE!

Frequently Asked Questions

Just in case you have some last-minute questions (possibly before actually clicking “buy”)…ask away!

The 5.11 Tactical A/T Trainers…if you must…

After reviewing the GORUCK Ballistic Trainers and the Born Primitive Savage 1s, I was really excited to continue my roll of…I don’t know what I should call them…”functional fitness” shoes from non-traditional brands.

I even had a grand idea of a post where I would review all 4 together, comparing and contrasting each.

Unfortunately, 5.11 Tactical’s affordable shoe offering doesn’t really hold a candle to its affordable boot offering, the A/T Mid-boot. If you’re looking for a legit and affordable rucking boot, that should on your shortlist…

…but, alas; we’re talking about training shoes…and the A/T Trainer is really only functional as a general, light cross-training shoe.

If you really want to get into CrossFit, spend just a little more to get an appropriate, entry-level shoe…but if you were really just buying them so you could hit that requisite spend for that apron…you do you, man…