NOBULL Outwork review

For more than 10 years, the NOBULL Outwork caters to athletes who:

• rely on a grounded, low-stack base for lifting and Crossfit
• value unbeatable durability (and are willing to pay a higher price for it)
• prefer clean, minimal-looking trainers

If high-impact cardio, plyometrics, and running are a major part of your training routine, you're gonna need a shoe with much higher shock absorption. The NOBULL Drive Ripstop is a better hybrid shoe from the same brand that's versatile enough for treadmill, cardio, and lifting.

The Drive also offers a more accommodating fit and better breathability than the Outwork.

Among other brands, the Nike Free Metcon 6 and the On Cloudpulse proved to be well-rounded for both moderate lifting and conditioning.

The NOBULL Outwork is a low-profile, grounded trainer that's all about stability and a foot-to-floor connection. It's just a raw and no-frills trainer that doesn't prioritize cushioning.

Its below-average shock absorption readings of 66 SA in the heel and 51 SA in the forefoot confirm that the Outwork is not as protective as its NOBULL Outwork Edge counterpart (82 SA and 71 SA, respectively) or as most other cross-trainers, for that matter.

But the Outwork doesn't feel completely flat and dull underfoot. It proved to be decently responsive for moderate plyometric and cardio work. The shoe's energy return is only slightly below average, at 50% in the heel and 53% in the forefoot.

The NOBULL Outwork's stack height is so low that it falls right into our minimalist trainer category. With a caliper reading of 15.6 mm, it is almost 10 mm lower than the average.

However, our forefoot stack reading differs from the brand's official stats.

Measuring all shoes at the same points (12% and 75% of the shoe's inner length) for consistency, we recorded 15.3 mm rather than the claimed 11 mm at the ball of the foot.

This discrepancy also resulted in a heel-to-toe drop of 0.3 mm rather than the promised 4 mm.

This nearly zero-drop offset requires proper squatting technique and a flexible Achilles. So, beginner athletes may want to start with the NOBULL Outwork Edge (4.8 mm) or the NOBULL Drive Ripstop (4.8 mm) instead.

And if you're coming from a higher-drop trainer (6-10 mm), your feet and ankles will likely need some time to adapt to the new offset.

The Outwork features a moderately firm Phylon (EVA) midsole foam with a medium-range durometer reading of 25.5 HA.

But given the shoe's low stack height, compression is not a concern, even when lifting heavy.

You've got to enjoy snug-fitting trainers if you're planning to get the NOBULL Outwork...Because this is one of the slimmest gel molds we've ever taken out of a training shoe!

Even the width between its most extended points showed an unusually low caliper reading of 90.0 mm. This narrows the shoe's target audience to athletes with narrow and medium-to-narrow foot shapes for sure.

We couldn't help but notice the mold's unusual shape either. Both tilted and tapered, it narrows to just 68.6 mm at the big toe, confirming the Outwork's overall slim fit.

The shoe's toebox height of only 25.1 mm is not particularly spacious either.

But at least it's not too low to press aggressively against the toes and toenails.

The Outwork's circular pattern is different from the herringbone treading used on the NOBULL Outwork Edge, but luckily, both designs provide excellent traction for gym workouts!

Showing a decent coefficient of friction (0.25) in our forefoot grip test, the Outwork promises no slippage on plywood boxes, hardwood, or rubber flooring, and even on polished concrete. However, it's better to tread lightly on wet and sweaty spots.

The circular treading of the NOBULL Outwork is recessed (cut into the sole as opposed to protruding outwards), creating a smoother surface for better contact with the floor.

The midfoot portion of the shoe's outsole also extends up the midsole to form protective flanges for rope climbs.

Our stiffness test showed that it takes a moderate force of 10.8N to bend this NOBULL shoe by 30 degrees.

This is the right amount of forefoot flexibility for planks, lunges, and jumps, as well as commuting, coaching, and simply walking around.

Tipping the scales at 9.7 oz (275g), the NOBULL Outwork makes it into our lightweight training shoe category.

An ounce lighter than the average cross-trainer, the shoe doesn't feel chunky at all, and its minimal silhouette also makes it feel more streamlined.

NOBULL's SuperFabric is unbeatable for abrasion resistance, but it seriously lags in breathability.

Pumping smoke into the shoe's toebox, we saw ZERO billows passing through the fabric on the other side!

The shoe's upper material is so dense that light couldn't even pass through its pores in our transparency test. There are large perforations on the shoe's tongue, but they barely make any difference.

But it all starts to make sense when we take a closer look at the fabric through our microscope. The tight weaves are reinforced with dense knobs to make the textile truly bulletproof.

Alas, it is also quite suffocating during intense, sweaty workouts, earning the Outwork the lowest breathability score: 1/5.

The low and moderately firm platform of this NOBULL trainer makes it inherently stable without any additional stabilizing components.

The shoe feels amazingly planted and grounded for stationary strength training, and its low (practically zero) drop really shines for deadlifts.

A low-stack shoe like the NOBULL Outwork doesn't require high torsional rigidity to prevent the foot from wobbling or sliding off the sole.

That's why we are not worried about being able to twist the shoe quite effortlessly in our manual test. We rated its stiffness at a moderate 3/5.

The same logic applies to the shoe's heel counter stiffness: thin-soled shoes don't need greater stiffness to stabilize the heel and ankle.

With a low stiffness score of 2/5, the Outwork's heel counter has just enough structure and padding to support the rearfoot. But it's not too rigid to aggravate the Achilles or make the shoe too heel-heavy.

The grounded base of this NOBULL shoe allows it to get away with slightly narrower midsole dimensions as well.

But the widest part of its midsole in the forefoot doesn't stray away that far from the average at 107.8 mm. It even has a small outrigger to stabilize lateral movement.

The heel, on the other hand, is quite narrow at only 78.5 mm. Although we never felt stability was compromised here, some athletes may prefer a broader heel base to feel steadier under heavy loads and during near-maximal reps.

The SuperFabric is simply unbeatable...It's nearly impossible to wear a hole in this bombproof material, even during rope climbs!

Testing its wear resistance with a sandpaper-tipped Dremel looked more like brushing the dust off the shoe. With not a sign of wear, the NOBULL Outwork received our maximum toebox durability score - 5/5!

Bonus: The somewhat slippery nature of knobs also makes the SuperFabric much easier to clean. Even the white colorway!

As soft and fluffy as it seems, the lining inside the collar also proved to be amazingly durable! Completely immune to sandpaper, the shoe's heel padding earned the highest durability rating of 5/5.

And as for the Outwork's rubber outsole, a moderate dent of 1.2 mm showed that its durability is just standard for the training shoe category.

Its 4.1 mm outsole thickness also looks reassuring for long-term durability.

The Outwork's moderately thick insole (3.4 mm) adds a touch of underfoot padding.

Even though it is easily removable, it can be tricky to replace with a custom orthotic, considering this NOBULL shoe's forefoot shape and narrow fit.

The brand logo on the sides and back of the shoe turned out to be reflective in our dark room test.

The shoe's tongue padding is on the thin side at 3.7 mm, but it effectively buffers lace pressure.

The NOBULL Outwork is free of pull tabs or finger loops.

The lack of tongue gussets didn't cause any issues for us personally, but some people might experience tongue shifting during intense side-to-side movements.

The NOBULL Outwork's retail price has caught up to that of flagship cross-trainers like the Nike Metcons and Reebok Nanos. However, considering that the Outwork's design and features remained practically unchanged since its initial release as the NOBULL Trainer in 2015, we can't say that it's priced reasonably compared to the new designs and technologies that the competition has to offer.