Our verdict

In our opinion, gymgoers on a budget will not be left wanting more with the navy blue nike air force women dress tops Alpha Trainer 5. This training shoe is aptly equipped with all the essentials for a moderate workout. What's more, we feel like it makes for great casual footwear thanks to its smooth steps and fun design. All in all, for £90, we consider it money well spent!

mizuno running apparel for women Pros

  • Excellent value for money
  • Stable for easy weightlifting
  • Smooth heel-to-toes
  • True to size
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  • Durable outsole
  • Very good looks

mizuno running apparel for women Cons

  • Not breathable
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Audience verdict

85
Good!
  • Top 3% most popular training shoes

mizuno running apparel for women | Who should buy

We can confidently recommend this training shoe from Nike pink and purple cheetah nike free runs women white:

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  • fitness enthusiasts who need training shoes that can also be worn casually

nike-air-max-alpha-trainer-5-review.JPG

Who should NOT buy

We found that the Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 is not the best bet for people who train hard and lift heavy.

If you need a more serious trainer for advanced workouts, consider Nike's flagship Metcon 8. We found it to be a more weightlifting-ready and overall more durable cross-trainer. Alternatively, check out the Reebok Nano X3, a counterpart of the Metcon.

nike air max alpha trainer 5 lab test

Cushioning

Heel stack

Air Max is a rare sight among training shoes from Nike. But there you have it - a large cushy unit keeping your heels protected from impact.

The rest of the cushioning is provided by what appears to be an EVA foam (the type is not specified by Nike).

The presence of Air Max does leave an imprint on the shoe's height. At 36.2 mm in the heel, it is much taller than the average cross-trainer.

We definitely felt a bit disconnected in this shoe after all those grounded trainers that barely ever go above 27 mm. Take the nike jordan 5 zebra blue cake designs for kids 5 with its humble stack height of 24.2 mm for example.

navy blue nike air force women dress tops Alpha Trainer 5 Stack heel
Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 36.2 mm
Average 24.8 mm
Compared to 41 training shoes
Number of shoes
13.7 mm
Heel stack
36.2 mm

Forefoot stack

As our calliper measurement shows, the forefoot is also quite tall in this shoe. Its forefoot height of 24.2 mm actually equates to how tall most cross-training shoes are in the heel.

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navy blue nike air force women dress tops Alpha Trainer 5 Stack forefoot
Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 24.2 mm
Average 18.4 mm
Compared to 41 training shoes
Number of shoes
10.6 mm
Forefoot stack
27.7 mm

Drop

The difference in stack heights gives us a whopping drop of 12 mm! This amount of cushion is very unusual for a training shoe. Geez, it is even more than what you get in a standard running shoe (8.6 mm)!

So, if you prefer feeling close to the ground while working out, get a shoe with a 4-6 mm drop instead (like Nike Metcon or nike jordan 5 zebra blue cake designs for kids).

navy blue nike air force women dress tops Alpha Trainer 5 Stack drop
Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 12.0 mm
Average 6.4 mm
Compared to 41 training shoes
Number of shoes
1.8 mm
Drop
13.4 mm

Midsole softness

Note: a low durometer measurement equals a soft material, whereas a high measurement means it's firm.

Pressing a durometer against the foam, we found that it strikes a balance between soft and firm at 24.8 HA. It is right at the average of what we've tested in other training shoes. 

nike air max alpha trainer 5 midsole squeeze room temp 19832653 main
Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 24.8 HA
Average 27.8 HA
We use an average of four tests. The photo shows one of those tests.
Compared to 41 training shoes
Number of shoes
17.4 HA
Midsole softness (soft to firm)
41.0 HA

Insole thickness

Even taking out the insole won't make this shoe more down-to-earth. Based on our measurement, the insole is just average in thickness. At 3.6 mm, it is even a little thinner than average.

navy blue nike air force women dress tops Alpha Trainer 5 Insole heel padding
Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 3.6 mm
Average 3.9 mm
Compared to 41 training shoes
Number of shoes
1.7 mm
Insole thickness
7.2 mm

mizuno running apparel for women | Size and fit

Based on our measurements and personal assessment, the navy blue nike air force women dress tops Alpha Trainer 5 runs true to size.

However, athletes with wide feet may benefit from going half a size up.

nike air max alpha trainer 5 fit

Size

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Owners of this shoe, how does this shoe fit?

1 size small ½ size small True to size ½ size large 1 size large
Compared to 37 training shoes
Number of shoes
½ size small
Slightly small
True to size
Slightly large
½ size large

Toebox width - widest part

Measuring the widest part of the toebox at 101.5 mm, we found it to be of average width compared to other cross-trainers.

navy blue nike air force women dress tops Alpha Trainer 5 Forefoot upper width (max)
Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 101.5 mm
Average 100.4 mm
Compared to 41 training shoes
Number of shoes
90.4 mm
Toebox width - widest part
108.5 mm

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However, closer to the toes, the shoe gets narrower than average at 76.1 mm.

This may feel constricting to wide feet. We recommend going half a size up in that's your case. 

Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 76.1 mm
Average 78.8 mm
Compared to 34 training shoes
Number of shoes
65.0 mm
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89.4 mm

Stability

Lateral stability test

It probably comes out as obvious from the previous section that the Alpha Trainer 5 is not the best option for heavy lifting. However, there is still hope.

In our lateral stability assessment, this Nike trainer was not as wobbly as we initially expected. But as opposed to the brand's claims of "stability for lifting whether it’s a light or heavy day," we highly recommend keeping it light when it comes to lifting in this shoe.

Torsional rigidity

When twisted, the Alpha Trainer 5 does not give up that easily. On a 1-5 scale, we rated its torsional rigidity as 4, which is stiffer than average and is a pretty good sign of stability.

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Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 4
Average 2.7
Compared to 41 training shoes
Number of shoes
1
Torsional rigidity
5

Heel counter stiffness

The heel counter has some good firmness to it, locking the ankle down in place. We rated it as 3 out of 5 on a stiffness scale, which is a bit stiffer than the average.

The well-padded collar helps with the foothold as well.

Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 3
Average 2.7
Compared to 41 training shoes
Number of shoes
1
Heel counter stiffness
5

Midsole width - forefoot

Finally, this Nike shoe has a nice and wide footprint, the same as all the other cross-trainers we've tested (+1 to stability). At the widest part of the forefoot, the Nike Alpha Trainer 5 measures in at 110.1 mm.

navy blue nike air force women dress tops Alpha Trainer 5 Midsole width (forefoot)
Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 110.1 mm
Average 110.6 mm
Compared to 41 training shoes
Number of shoes
101.0 mm
Midsole width - forefoot
117.9 mm

Midsole width - heel

The shoe is also sufficiently wide in the heel. We measured it to be 87.8 mm at the widest point.

Even though we only checked the widest parts of the heel and forefoot, you can see that the platform remains rather wide all throughout its length.

This is what makes the shoe safe enough for moderate lifting.

navy blue nike air force women dress tops Alpha Trainer 5 Midsole width (heel)
Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 87.8 mm
Average 87.3 mm
Compared to 41 training shoes
Number of shoes
76.5 mm
Midsole width - heel
97.4 mm

Flexibility / Stiffness

At first impression, the Alpha Trainer 5 is not the most flexible shoe for doing planks and lunges.

This was clearly reflected in our controlled flexibility test with a force gauge involved. The shoe requires a force of 27.1N to be bent to a 90-degree angle - a little more than average but not critically.

On the bright side, we can see how a few workouts can help to break in this stiffness.

Also, walking in the Alpha Trainer 5, we really enjoyed its smooth ride. It never felt stiff.

Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 24.9N
Average 17.8N
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Compared to 41 training shoes
Number of shoes
4.3N
Flexibility <> Stiffness
37.9N

Weight

Tipping the scales at 392g, this is a heavy training shoe.

All that stack of cushioning just couldn't have gone under the radar.

If you want a budget shoe from Nike that is more than 100g lighter than the Alpha Trainer, check out the Nike Legend Essential 2.

navy blue nike air force women dress tops Alpha Trainer 5 Weight
Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 13.83 oz (392g)
Average 10.76 oz (305g)
Compared to 41 training shoes
Number of shoes
6.38 oz (181g)
Weight
13.83 oz (392g)

Breathability

Need an airy trainer for hot and sweaty gyms? Unfortunately, the Alpha Trainer 5 is not your best friend.

Judging by the amount of smoke passing through the upper, ventilation is not this shoe's strongest point.

On a 1-5 scale where 5 is the most breathable, this Nike trainer only scores 2. It is less breathable than the average.

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Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 2
Average 3.6
Compared to 41 training shoes
Number of shoes
1
Breathability
5

Durability

Toebox durability

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Although we cannot expect much from a £90 shoe, we were still disappointed to see the shoe's upper fail miserably in our durability test.

It took a mere second to drill a hole in the toebox, which doesn't normally happen to cross-trainers. Basically, it means that a single toe drag can cause significant wear and tear to this shoe's upper. Not sexy.

We have seen shoes like the Reebok Nano X3 where the knit upper barely got a scratch in the same test.

nike-air-max-alpha-trainer-5-vs-reebok-nano-x3-dremel-durability-test.jpg

Taking a closer look through a microscope, you can see the quality of threads on the Air Max Alpha Trainer 5...

nike air max alpha trainer 5 microscope upper
navy blue nike air force women dress tops Alpha Trainer 5 (left) vs. Reebok Nano X3 (right)

...as opposed to the enhanced wire-like webbing on the Nano X3:

reebok-nano-x3-upper-under-microscope.JPG

Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 1
Average 2.5
Compared to 30 training shoes
Number of shoes
1
Toebox durability
5

Outsole hardness

This shoe also has one of the hardest rubber compounds that we've seen. At the moment of testing, we found that it is firmer than 93% of our tested training shoes.

Actually, at 90.1 HC, the rubber on this shoe is even harder than the average of hiking shoes (86.3 HC).

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navy blue nike air force women dress tops Alpha Trainer 5 Outsole squeeze (Room temp)
Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 90.1 HC
Average 83.0 HC
We use an average of four tests. The photo shows one of those tests.
Compared to 41 training shoes
Number of shoes
71.0 HC
Outsole hardness
94.5 HC

Outsole thickness

The outsole, on the other hand, looks more promising. We measured the rubber layer to be 4.3 mm in the heel, which is a little thicker than average.

Having more rubber means that you can walk on concrete streets without worrying about wearing it off within a few weeks.

navy blue nike air force women dress tops Alpha Trainer 5 Outsole heel height
Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 4.3 mm
Average 3.6 mm
Compared to 41 training shoes
Number of shoes
2.1 mm
Outsole thickness
5.1 mm

Misc

Grip / Traction

After a few training sessions, we can say that the outsole grip on the Alpha Trainer 5 is just fine. Nothing to write home about but it is reliable.

nike-air-max-alpha-trainer-5-outsole.JPG

Comfort

For a budget-friendly trainer, the Alpha Trainer 5 has a really sweet in shoe-feel. It is padded in all the right pro causing no rubbing or pinching.

Tongue padding

Based on our measurement, the tongue is adequately padded. It is 5.5 mm thick, which is just average for training shoes.

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nike air max alpha trainer 5 tongue padding 19838411 main
Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 5.5 mm
Average 5.4 mm
Compared to 41 training shoes
Number of shoes
1.0 mm
Tongue padding
10.4 mm

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The tongue is attached to the upper halfway through its length. Thanks to this, we never experienced any tongue shifting.

navy blue nike air force women dress tops Alpha Trainer 5 sonic hedgehog mens nike dunks 2017
Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 Both sides (semi)

Heel tab

A handy finger loop is attached at the back, making it easy to slide right into the shoe.

navy blue nike air force women dress tops Alpha Trainer 5 Heel tab

Test results
Air Max Alpha Trainer 5 Finger loop