The Definitive Guide to GORUCK Shoes

If you’ve been following the worlds of CrossFit and/or rucking over the last few years, you’ve probably read the names “Mackall”, “Rough Runner” and “Ballistic Trainer” before.

If you’re really into these worlds, you’ve actually probably read these names a lot.

Unfortunately, you can’t just drive over to your local Dick’s or Hibbett Sports or whatever, to investigate these strange, but intriguing footwear options.

Today, I’m removing the veil and shedding some light on all of the current GORUCK shoe offerings. The flagship Ballistic Trainers, niche Rough Runners, and workhorse Mackalls are all solid shoe options and I’ve enjoyed my experiences with all of them. Hopefully, you’ll be able to decide which option works best for you.

GORUCK Shoes Showdown: Ballistic Trainers vs. Rough Runners vs. Mackalls

The last few years have been big for GORUCK.

The rapidly growing brand has overseen an expansion into Europe, is on pace to host around 300 official fitness events in 2024, and was named the Official Apparel and Footwear Provider of the CrossFit Games.

These exciting developments have somewhat overshadowed the brand’s rapidly expanding gear, equipment, and apparel offerings. Although most probably associate the brand with heavy backpacks for walking around in the woods (well…at least they did before the CrossFit partnership) they have developed a nice little footwear collection.

At the moment, GORUCK’s non-boot footwear offerings are comprised of the Ballistic Trainers, the Rough Runners, and the Mackalls (my shoes in “cleaner” days below!)

Unlike many of our other “vs reviews” we’re not really trying to crown a “champion” out from these three. Each shoe is distinctive in both its design and purpose. As such, we’re attempting to provide you with greater insight into which shoe(s) might best fit your priorities and objectives from our first-hand experiences with all three.

The Ballistic Trainer, the current Official Shoe of the Rogue Invitational, is the “utility knife” shoe of the bunch. Not great at anything, it is nevertheless really good at just about everything. It has been become my everyday training shoe although, ironically, I spend the least amount of time rucking in my pair(s).

The Rough Runners are GORUCKs attempt at developing a running shoe. However, these aren’t engineered for your friendly neighborhood “fun run” 5k or for exclusive treadmill use; these have a bit more grit to them (even if they do look like the consummate “dad shoes”).

These are the closest things to dedicated running shoes I have purchased in years.

Finally, the Mackall shoes are GORUCK’s answer to boots for people (like me) who don’t really like to wear boots, particularly when they’re rucking or working out. The outsole lugs on these are actually more intense than the ones on many of the boots I own and these are the only actual shoes I trust for wear for ventures in deeper trails and on more dense terrain.

Those intros aside:

“Pure” Rucking

Despite GORUCK’s recent ascension to the heights of functional fitness fame, most people scoping out their shoes are likely doing so because they have some outdoor excursions planned and need to get their hands on appropriate footwear. Despite all three shoes coming out of a “rucking company”, there is a clear winner for this category.

Unlike most CrossFit/”functional fitness” shoes, the Ballistic Trainers have a more “reasonable” heel drop (8mm). This additional padding (if you can really call it that) make them better suited for rucking, particularly over longer distances and over more varied terrain, than other shoes in its class.

On the flip side, the completely flat, non-lugged shoe bottoms/outsoles provide little traction or grip, making it very difficult to traverse terrain or maintain footing when heading downhill (particularly on uneven pavement, I’ve almost tumbled walking down the cobblestone streets of Porto, Portugal during a GORUCK Ingress event) or in averse weather conditions. Additionally, the Cordura outer materials provide more protection and holds up better than any polyester blend or “flex weave”, but isn’t super resilient on the trail.

The Rough Runners aren’t the ideal rucking shoes or even trail running stalwarts. However, they do an excellent job of combining necessary elements of heel drop (10mm), resilient upper materials and outsole, and non-aggressive, but resilient bottom tread. These elements alone make them more suitable for rucking than most other general training shoes out there.

The Rough Runners’ construction isn’t going to hold up well in deeper, harsher terrain, but their ability to absorb impact, particularly under load, makes them ideal for “speed rucking” aka rucking fast aka when you want to get over with quickly types of outtings.

The Mackalls…now we’re talking!

The best way I can describe these bad boys is like having agile tanks on your feet. Where the Rough Runners feel light, the Mackalls feel heavy…like, in a good way.

The large (13.5mm) heel drop and denser, more compact outsole and upper materials, and decently aggressive outsole lugs give provide the impression that your feet are not only protected from the environment and elements, but are less likely to slip, roll, or catch. I’ve turned my ankle (one time, pretty badly) in my Rough Runners and in my Ballistic Trainers…but never in my Mackalls.

I think the only way my feet could feel more secure in my Mackalls is if they were in a mid-to-high top cut (which I’m not really a fan of). However, the trade-off is that these are the worst of the three for higher-speed rucking (especially on level, light terrain) and have the least utility for most functional, particularly indoor, fitness ventures.

I wear my Mackalls when I ruck, especially in deeper woods, and when I have hill sprints programmed in outdoor, ruck/sandbag workouts…and that’s about it.

Ultimately, if you only care about “pure” rucking and never intend to get a little crazy with your ruck, the Ballistic Trainers should immediately be crossed off your list. They just don’t compare to the other two for these purposes.

Choosing between the Rough Runners and Mackalls, you have to ask yourself if you’re ever going to run, even at a slower pace, in your shoes. If the answer is “yes”, Rough Runners it is. Also, despite not being ideally suited for functional training, the Rough Runners are much more appropraite for these tasks than Mackalls are.

However…if you simply want to strap a heavy bag on your back, lace and get walking (possibly through the woods, on unimproved trails, or in other harsher conditions), the Mackalls are going to serve you best.

Winner: Mackalls

“Dynamic” Rucking and Functional Fitness

The fact that GORUCK’s products have been featured in events like the 2023 CrossFit Semifinals, multiple Rogue Challenges, and multiple CrossFit Games should provide an idea of how the brand has been positioning itself over the years. While their offerings are more than sufficient to satisfy any rucking purist, they’re not a one trick pony.

If you’ve ever come across an advertisement for or recap of an official GORUCK event, you probably realize that many of these events aren’t solely comprised of a leisurely stroll. The company has probably done more for the “use your backpack as a training implement” movement (if such a thing exists) than any other brand or guru.

Needless to say, GORUCK has capitalized on the footwear demands that such activities require.

In the category of dynamic rucking and functional fitness, the Ballistic Trainers are the undisputed champions. In my opinion, they are the champions of this category when compared to the Rough Runners and Mackalls as well as when compared to all of the other CrossFit/functional fitness shoes on the market.

They really are that good.

One could argue that the Ballistic Trainers, like many of their competitors, aren’t the best at workouts involving long-distance running and that even the outer Cordura material isn’t totally resistant to the accumulated effects of rope climbs.

However, for just about all other common functional fitness movements (to include exercises common to GORUCK events like Ruck swings, thrusters, and suitcase carries as well as all sandbag work) the Ballistic Trainers are up to the task.

The heel drop, which is higher than most CrossFit shoes, and overall construction is especially appropriate for beginners who are likely not accustomed to more minimalist-esque footwear. If you plan on wearing your shoes for any other type of double duty (besides distance running), Ballistic Trainers are the obvious choice.

The Rough Runners are surprisingly capable for dynamic rucking and related ventures and, in some cases, are actually superior to the Ballistic Trainers. For workouts involving longer-distance running and for athletes who are uncomfortable in shorter heel drops and completely flat soles, the Rough Runners are the play.

The exterior materials themselves are the weakest of the group, making them less capable of withstanding the rigors of this type of training over time and they definitely do not feel as stable as the Ballistic Trainers. GORUCK claims that the Rough Runners have the same EVA midsole, but it just doesn’t feel as stable to me, especially when absorbing the impact of higher loads on impact (ex. when catching a clean, jerk, or box jumping).

Those weaknesses aside, for the majority of lighter-weight dynamic rucking movements, particularly those found in GORUCK events, the Rough Runners are sufficient, albeit not overly impressive.

As “go-to” as my Mackall shoes are for pure rucking, I rarely lace them up for any type of CrossFit or functional fitness work. They simply aren’t designed for it.

Imagine performing a front squat in a heavier-than-normal pair of football cleats. In the best of times, this activity is uncomfortable and not advisable. In the worst of times, it would be downright dangerous.

Moving things outside, I think the Mackalls have a bit more utility, particularly when performing on grass or in the field (particularly if conditions are kinda crappy, it’s muddy, etc.). The outsole tread provides necessary traction and the shoes’ overall heavier size helps to maintain stability, particularly in largely stationary movements (ex. ruck swings). As mentioned above, they are great for normal-distance hill sprints.

Ultimately, the Mackalls (like the Rough Runners) do have their respective places in the dynamic rucking space, but their utility is vastly inferior to the Ballistic Trainers’.

Winner: Ballistic Trainers

General Training

When I think of “general training”, I think of workouts that lean towards machine work, bicep curls, pick-up basketball, and some medium-length runs on the treadmill or elliptical. There might be that odd set of Smith Machine squats thrown in, but…let’s not get too crazy!

If you lean towards this style of training (with a bit, or a lot, of rucking thrown in), one of GORUCK’s shoe offerings stands out for no other reason than they are (almost) legit running shoes.

The Ballistic Trainers work fine for me in most general training contexts, but I am also used to the lack of padding and heel drop that these types of shoes boast. They would likely be a bit too uncomfortable for casual gym use by more casual gym goers and their less-than-stellar distance (~over 400 meters) running capabilities limits their utility in this area.

I can run, pretty well I might add, in my Rough Runners. This fact alone sets them ahead of the other two “challengers”. Plus, the Rough Runners weak spots (less robust materials, less capable of withstanding impact) are likely never tested by those who mainly engage in general fitness training. As you probably could have surmised, these are your clear winners here.

As has been the case throughout our discussion, the Mackalls are always in the conversation when the workout moves outside and/or onto the field. However, I can’t really think of too many instances when I have engaged in less intense training exercises outside. I mean, even if you look like the guy below (me!), you probably don’t really need the Mackalls to maximize workout efficiency and comfort.

Whether you plan on running or not, the Rough Runners are still probably the best when it comes to this style of training. They feel the most, for lack of a better term, “familiar” while also being perfectly functional for this type of activity.

Winner: Rough Runners

Construction and Materials

When it comes to the upper and outer portions of each GORUCK shoe, the Rough Runners feel pretty pedestrian with the Mackalls not really doing that much better. The polyester mesh isn’t bad by any means, but it doesn’t really impress. In contrast, the Ballistic Trainers’ Cordura materials feel more resilient than the others’ and provide a very unique (in a good way) feeling.

Both the Ballistic Trainers and Mackalls sport a triple compound outsole while the Rough Runners only provide a dual compound outsole. This is very apparent both in feel as well as in practice (maybe I wouldn’t have rolled my lateral ankle had I not been in the Rough Runners!) although, in both cases, the rubber itself feels solid.

Other than these differences, the materials themselves are quite similar. I wouldn’t say that the GORUCK shoes feel like they are of the highest quality materials…but they’re pretty good.

Regarding actual shoe construction, it’s difficult to find significant faults in any. They are each designed with a specific task (or multiple tasks) in mind and each shoe is appropriately best-suited for these tasks. One could make the argument that the Rough Runners’ tasks are more “simplistic” than the other two, but this shouldn’t negate that they have been engineered well.

Overall, the Ballistic Trainers get a slight edge here, mainly because of the Cordura outer material. It feels a tad bit more “quality” than the Mackalls.

Winner: Ballistic Trainers

Price

If GORUCK shoes are one thing, they aren’t “budget” shoes. They’re not designed this way, they’re not marketed this way, and, in most cases, they’re not priced that way.

The good news? For better or worse, all of the GORUCK shoes run in a very narrow price range. Current prices (taken directly from GORUCK.com) top the Ballistic Trainers and Rough Runners out at $140 while the Mackalls will set you back $160. Personally, I don’t really consider the shoes at these prices to be considerably “good” or “bad” deals. They’re acceptable.

The takeaways here?

Ballistic Trainers and Rough Runners are the winners of the GORUCK shoes’ price war, but just barely.

Winner: Ballistic Trainers & Rough Runners

Overall Winner

According to our metrics, GORUCK’s Ballistic Trainer is the winner.

Like we said from the beginning, this “competition” was meant to be more of a showcase of the GORUCK shoe line than as a battle to the death.

Do you really care if the Ballistic Trainers are the “winners” if you never plan on performing a metcon in your shoes?

Probably not

If you exclusively ruck on paved roads, sidewalks, or even on the treadmill, are you really going to geek out on the Mackalls’ nicely-cleated outsole?

Probably not

If you’re interested in all types of rucking (“pure”, “speed”, “dynamic”…the list goes on!) might you even consider giving all three a try?

Why not? I mean…I did.

As much as I love my Ballistic Trainers, I’m glad I’ve got the other two in my arsenal for when their needs arise.

At the (extreme!) risk of sounding like a cliche soundbite, they’re all winners!

Our Testing Process

I’ve been looking forward to writing this review for months now.

During this time period, I’ve spent time each week in each pair of my GORUCK shoes (in most cases, a lot of time). I have also attempted to test each shoe in settings that I personally wouldn’t use them for to confirm how well they did (or did not) rise to the challenge presented.

In addition to my first-hand experiences with all of the shoes, I have also conducted research regarding more permanent, objective shoe attributes (ex. materials) while also staying abreast of important developments (ex. prices changes, GORUCK’s partnership with CrossFit).

Frequently Asked Questions

You still got GORUCK shoe questions? Thankfully, we still got answers!

Conclusion

It has been a lot of fun putting all of my GORUCK shoes to the test, whether during my first 12-mile ruck run/walk, while taking part in the 2024 CrossFit Open workouts, during a GORUCK Ingress event, or even during regular, boring training days.

I have also been intrigued by GORUCK’s developments over the last few years and especially since the beginning of 2024. Maybe they will explain their shoe offerings, adding a different “speciality” shoe to the mix.

As it is, their small, 3-shoe line-up is pretty well stacked and just about any rucking enthusiast should be able to find something that satisfies their personal preferences!