The Six Minute Mile Holiday Gift Guide
Don’t stress about shopping for your running-obsessed friends and family members—or yourself, wink wink!—we’ve got you covered with the gifts runners want and the gifts runners need.
The Six Minute Mile staff are running fanatics—we eat, breathe, write, and dream all about it. Regrettably, we have to spend the majority of our day not running (these newsletters won’t write themselves, after all). Most of the time, we’re at the office, doing chores, hitting the gym, coaching our kids on the lacrosse field, and so on. We need footwear that can handle whatever challenges come our way, and NOBULL says they can deliver. This week, the SMM team put it to the test.
Our max-cushioned running-specific shoes are perfect for the road, track and trails, but the towering stack height makes them feel like you’re walking on stilts. Cross-training activities like lifting require sure-footedness, responsive feedback, and stability. Exercises like squats, lunges, and splits demand much more use of the heels of our feet to stay balanced and generate strength. Just like you shouldn’t run a marathon in track spikes, you shouldn’t work out or lift in high-stack trainers. The SMM team flung off our beloved running shoes and held ourselves accountable, smashing our lower body workouts. NO SKIPPING leg day, NO EXCUSES, and NO BULL!
NOBULL, the latest partner to join the SMM herd, makes shoes to give athletes of all levels the tools they need to work out with confidence. NOBULL’s name is exactly what you’re thinking; No BS and NO EXCUSES. Cofounder Marcus Wilson says, “The name reflects our brand’s approach to everything from product design to marketing to content creation—everything you need, and nothing that you don’t.”
Six Minute Mile follows the same creed. The writers and reviewers deliver readers real, fluff-free thoughts on gear and training ideas. Following our shared no-nonsense policy, NOBULL wanted the SMM team’s raw review of a top-selling model: the Outwork Edge. We dove into this review with the understanding that NOBULL wasn’t going to replace our 5-mile/10k tempo trainers. Our goal for this review? Analyzing how the Outwork Edge performs in a variety of cross-training workouts and everyday activities. Let’s dive in!
Sean: Right out of the box, the shoe immediately gives off a down-to-business vibe, especially in the all-black colorway I tested. You can feel the quality of the materials. The upper is incredibly tough, and the shoe has a reassuring heft and firmness.
Kyle: The Outwork Edge has a bold and tough look. The all-around bumps of the shoe give it a strong shell, protecting your foot from bumps, jams, and stubs. Visually, the bumps make it look like they’re covered in Ostrich Skin!
Price: $149 ($50 off for first-time buyers with this link)
Weight: 13.13 oz / 372g (Men’s 9)
Stack Height: 19.5mm (Heel), 15.5mm (Forefoot)
Drop: 4mm
Midsole Foam: Phylon EVA
Upper: Liquid Ceramic
Outsole: High-Carbon Rubber
Sean: The shoe runs a bit large. For reference, I usually wear a 11.5 for running shoes, and that’s what I went with for my Outwork Edge. I could have gone down a half-size to an 11. The fit is secure, but with a roomy toe box that allows your feet to splay naturally during lifts, improving stability.
Kyle: I went a half size down and they fit perfectly. I knew I wouldn’t be doing much running in these, so I went true to size. Having a full fit feel is great for squats or lunges. With little drop, I love the total response you feel in every step you take. That total feel is pretty much a must for any leg exercise I’m doing.
Upper: The star of the show is the Liquid Ceramic upper. It’s an exceptionally durable material designed to resist abrasion, giving you confidence against scrapes from ropes or equipment. The thick padding around the ankle and toe box is a double-edged sword; it offers excellent protection from a stubbed toe or a dropped weight, but it does pose a potential issue for breathability on hotter days.
Midsole: The Phylon EVA midsole provides a firm and stable platform. When testing them in a kettlebell circuit with deadlifts, squats, and clean and jerks, this firmness was just right. Compared to the squishy, unstable feel of a running shoe, the Outwork Edge provides the solid ground contact you need for both safety and efficiency. It features a modest amount of arch support, which many will appreciate.
Outsole: The outsole is made of high-carbon rubber with a deep herringbone traction pattern. It feels rigid and stable, providing an excellent grip on gym floors and rubber mats. This solid base is exactly what you want when you’re focused on planting your feet and moving weight.
Sean: This is where the Outwork Edge truly defines itself. For lifting, the base is fantastic. Its firmness allows you to push off and explode during dynamic moves like box jumps without wasting any energy in squishy foam. For strength training, the relatively low stack height and solid platform are a significant improvement over typical sneakers.
They are more versatile than traditional weightlifting shoes, which are often too rigid and clunky for anything besides a heavy squat or clean. While the Outwork Edge lacks the elevated heel that gives dedicated lifters improved ankle mobility for deep squats, it’s more than stable enough for most heavy lifting and far more comfortable for general gym use.
The shoe’s one weak spot is running. During my warm-ups, they felt a bit clunky. While fine for short shuttles or a brief jog to the gym, they are not flexible enough for longer runs.
Kyle: I used the Outwork Edge for a few leg workout sessions. Squats, calf raises, lunges: you name it, I tried it, and the Edge felt great every step. If you try doing these movements in a pair of your double-stack cloud-cushioned running shoes, you’ll shake like a leaf! Not only that, but you want to feel the ground when lifting weights. With a firm midsole, you can accurately gauge how much force is needed in a rep. If the point of doing leg workouts is to prevent running injuries, then why would you risk injury from lifting in the wrong shoes? Bonus points, because they performed amazingly as backup golf shoes! The herringbone traction pattern was actually great for digging into the grass and dirt.
Pros:
Cons:
Sean: The NOBULL Outwork Edge successfully carves out its niche as a jack-of-all-trades for the serious gym enthusiast. It’s a true hybrid, confidently blending the stability of a lifter with the versatility needed for a dynamic, fast-paced workout.
It won’t replace a specialized shoe for a competitive powerlifter. However, for the vast majority of people who go to the gym to get stronger, fitter, and more athletic, the Outwork Edge is a fantastic investment. If your workouts are varied and intense, and you want one shoe that can handle it all with stability and durability, this is it. It’s the Swiss Army knife your gym bag has been waiting for.
Kyle: I love the Outwork Edge. For one, they look more stylish and professional than most workout shoes. They border on casual and sporty, but the solid black look gives you versatility with outfits.
Performance-wise, it smashed every test I gave it. No one loves leg day, but if you’re going to do it, crush it with the right tools. The Outwork Edge is the tool you need to power through with confidence, regardless of what the day throws at you!
