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If you follow my reviews of sneakers here at Athlon Sports, you know what a big fan I am of the While on Earth brand.
After reviewing each of the previous two shoes the company offered me in exchange for my honest reviews, each became a workout staple. I wear While on Earth’s Move Trainers as my everyday workout sneakers, and their Rhythm Runners as my post-workout walking shoes.
So when I received the brand-new CMC, aka the newly released signature training shoe of San Francisco 49ers star and While on Earth co-founder Christian McCaffrey, I was sure I would immediately love them.
But that’s not what happened at all. I totally hated them.
Why I Originally Hated the CMC
When I first tried to put them on my feet, they felt way too snug.
Picture this. You’re arguably the strongest and most handsome commerce writer at Athlon Sports. Your feet measure a men’s 10.5, but they’re also wide, so you always just order a men’s 11. That size always fits, and I’m so used to them by now that it would be weird to do anything else.
But these CMC trainers? They just felt so tight!
I loosened the laces on them, but even then they still appeared to be comically snug. I even thought my feet looked weird in them, like the shoe was about to explode just by me walking in them.
However, your favorite commerce writer takes his job seriously, so I bravely trotted them outside for my workout. I remember thinking there was no way I would be able to last my full workout in them.
Then, it happened.
About one round into working the heavy bag during my warm-up, the shoes suddenly fit.
It was almost like magic.
Why I Love the CMC
I don’t even really know how to describe how it happened. All I know is that they felt and looked (even to my wife) way too snug for my feet, and then suddenly they were not.
Like, how does that even happen?
Lo and behold, the answer might be right there in the description.
While on Earth says, “The CMC is a refined trainer engineered for control, stability, and explosive effort. We created the ultimate locked-in fit to carry you from heavy strength work to your quickest, most explosive movements without sacrificing comfort.”
Locked in.
That’s exactly it, and not in a way that feels too confining or even like it needs a long break-in period.
Once I moved around in these for literally less than three minutes, they conformed to my feet.
CMC Training Shoes, $160 at While on Earth
While on Earth says the CMC “provides stability, versatility, and comfort across a wide range of movements, whether you’re training to perform better in your sport or simply training to feel your best.”
The company also says McCaffrey “meticulously worked” with its engineering team to make sure the shoe could handle the demands of his training regimen, with hundreds of hours of testing taking place over the course of a year.
The result? A sneaker I totally hated at first that somehow became my new favorite training shoe.
If you try them on and think they’re too tight, don’t panic. My experience shows that they can conform to your feet in surprisingly short order.
Key Features of the CMC
- External heel counter: Provides a locked-in fit for explosive movements
- Angled heel tab: Designed to ease pressure on the Achilles
- Mid-foot plate: Supportive TPU plate minimizes torsion during lateral movements and explosive workouts
- Fully integrated lining: Plush foam sockliner cushions every step from the first wear
- Durable and breathable: Nylon upper is built for heavy reps and long days
- Rubberized toe cap: Reinforced toe and forefoot add protection and durability
- Anatomical last: Designed for a natural, comfortable and secure fit
- Ground-contact outsole: Multi-directional rubber outsole provides grip and traction across multiple surfaces and movements
- 10mm heel-to-toe drop: Provides a higher heel-to-toe offset for a supportive training feel
McCaffrey: ‘I Have Total Confidence in Our Final Product’
Speaking via press release, McCaffrey’s comments, combined with my previous experiences with While on Earth, make me think I probably should have trusted the company’s work even when the CMC initially felt too snug on my feet.
“From the early days of joining While on Earth, I knew I wanted to create a shoe that could keep up with how I train. The CMC offers the stability and control I need to train explosively, without sacrificing comfort and versatility beyond the gym. Years of training can take a toll on the body, and my footwear needs to be durable enough to handle everything I put it through. I have personally tested this shoe for countless hours over the past year, and I have total confidence in our final product.”
Lesson learned.
