Nobull Adds Turf Trainer, NFL Deal

Fitness footwear brand Nobull inked a deal with the NFL as the official training partner for the NFL combine. So, it follows that a brand partnering with a growing lineup of hundreds of current NFL athletes adds to its roster of Trainer styles, now with the new Turf Trainer, launching in both a low and high version.

Born in 2015 in Boston from two Reebok veterans focused on CrossFit, Nobull has quickly expanded beyond gym-only footwear. The brand added running, trail running, cycling and golf shoes to the lineup. But the Nobull Trainer remained the flagship silhouette, expanding to a Trainer 2.0, and then in 2022 with the addition of the Trainer+ with greater midsole cushioning and the Trainer Court, designed for use on tennis and basketball surfaces. The latest is the launch of the Nobull Turf Trainer with an outsole designed for football drills and CrossFit competitions taking place on both artificial turf and natural grass.

“The midsole and outsole are completely new,” says Mike Kirtley, Nobull vice president of footwear design, “while the (drop) heights may be consistent, and the platform is completely consistent. We are building trust with the consumer and not wanting to make changes just to say we make changes.”

That means plenty about the new Turf Trainer remains the same, even with key differences.

“It is the same upper as the Trainer+,” he says. “It is very deliberate. We are looking to build equity and consistency, so when you buy a Trainer or Trainer+ and like the fit, you know your size and how it performs. We want to keep the same level of consistency.”

Built on the same last with the same 4-millimeter heel to toe drop, there are still key changes underfoot to the Turf Trainer. The overall height is lower to the ground than the Trainer 2.0, reaching a heel height of 20 mm and a toe height of 16 mm. Still, Nobull uses the same foam, same durometer (hardness) as the Trainer, with the only difference being in the height and the slight geometry changes that brings. “We are really trying to make that step-in feel consistent,” Kirtley says.

The outsole provides the major change. The Trainer comes ready for the turf with a “super luggy outsole,” covered in 7 mm to 10 mm lugs, even wrapping the sidewall at a 45-degree angle. “No matter the motion, you have traction, bite or good push off,” Kirtley says. “We have the traction elements all the way around the shoe.”

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Nobull, with design leadership based in Stowe, Vermont, and the larger design team working out of Boston, relied on its philosophy of keeping things simple—hence the brand name—and went with naturally multidirectional circular lugs, fine-tuning the number and height of the lugs based on computer modeling.

Each new use case of the Trainer comes with a purpose. Nobull, rooted in CrossFit, was finding that athletes involved in competitions were often sent to artificial turf for pushing and pulling of sleds, among other events. Athletes would then switch to soccer cleats or trail running shoes. Pair the desire to be the solution for all CrossFit needs with the brand’s growing presence in the NFL—Nobull has agreements with the league, the New England Patriots and a mix of players, including New England quarterback Mac Jones—and creating something for the turf was the logical extension to the Trainer line.

By lowering the midsole height, it provides more stability on the uneven surface. “It is a trainer that can leave the gym environment and be more sport-specific, whether football or CrossFit,” Kirtley says. “Versatility was key but maintaining performance on that specific surface with a fit and feel across the entire franchise.”

Borrowing learnings from the Nobull golf shoe, the team designed for artificial turf first. “Our belief is that by solving for that, you definitely solve grass well,” Kirtley says. “And so that was the right place to start for us.” d in that the CrossFit competitions typically happen on artificial turf, as do most football workouts, and they had their largest use case to work with.

By partnering with the NFL, Kirtley says the access to elite level athletes offers an enormous asset for designers. “We take that feedback really seriously and lean into that,” he says. “We believe if we are solving their problems and making products that meet their demand, it will translate well to (all) customers.”

“As the official combine training partner of the NFL, and with relationships with athletes like Mac Jones and Bryce Young, Nobull is expanding our definition of training,” says Todd Meleney, CMO. “With the launch of new products like the Turf Trainer, we can continue to provide our community of customers, partners and athletes with new ways to train in any environment and on any surface.”

With the Trainer line seeing such a focus, expect a few more additions in the future. Already more of the silhouettes have a high-top version and the Court Trainer will soon get a mid-top. While there may be other surfaces to explore, now with the gym, court and turf dialed in, Kirtley says Nobull will start solving for differing climate conditions and environments, whether quick-drying and breathable options or waterproof and insulated solutions.

First though, Nobull will hit the turf with the launch of the Turf Trainer.