LALO is relatively new to the EU market. Founded by former Navy Seals LALO first specialized in creating amphibic boots with a passive draining function. But more on LALO boots in a later review.

After the great success of their tactical line they did a logical step. Creating athletic footwear. There are many manufacturers that jumped on the „Crossfit-Spartan-TacFit“ train these days. But I saw myself returning to Reebok, Salomon or Adidas, as all the time, as ALL of the tactical athletic shoes where just gym fashion for your typical 511 customer.

When you talk about athletic footwear that isnt focused on style, but on performance you will soon realise that there isn’t one athletic shoe to rule them all. Shoes have to be tailored to a specific exercise. With the Bloodbird LALO created a shoe for modern military fitness training, based on a efficient mix of calisthenics and weightlifting.

Starting with the sole, the shoe is very flat and grippy, it almost looks like a sandal with its low profile. The low profile design helps to keep balance. We did many box jump and balance exercises and even combatives with the blood bird and it design really wasn’t in the way.

When lifting heavy weights, you are better off with some shoes that support your ankles. The bloodbird feature a laced support system on the left and the right side of the shoe that really reinforce joints. Also the heels are made of a harder material to support you when doing snatches or deadlifts.

The toe caps are reinforced with superfabric to enhance the life expectation of your shoes. You also have some room left for your toes.

As with all LALO Athletic shoes, the Bloodbird feature little padding, so don’t expect them to become your favorite everyday sneaker, as this isn’t simply what they were designed for. But the little padding keeps them lightweight, stable and prevents bad smells.

I said before that this is a gym shoe and not a running shoe, but if your workout includes a short 2km run the Bloodbirds will do well! The Bloodbird also breathes very well as the upper of the shoe is made of a very thin mesh material, which is just strategically reinforced.

After testing LALOs „WOD shoes“ for over 8 weeks I finally feel like I can give a statement about this product: With the Bloodbird, LALO managed to be the first „tactical“ company to create a serious athletic shoe and not just tacticool sneakers. I would definitely encourage anyone to add those shoes to their list of potential workout shoes.

You can get the Bloodbird from our friends at S4 Supplies.

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