When you’re coming to bootcamp, I would generally suggest you wear an older pair of trainers, but not a pair that are falling apart at the seams. I would steer away from wearing a pair that you’re particularly fond of. I wouldn’t recommend a bright, shiny pair of new white trainers! Perhaps a pair of older running shoes or trainers that you’ve had for a couple of years, and that are still in pretty good nick condition.
I know a lot of people will wear old trail running shoes. There are basically trainers that have grip that’s specially designed for running across mud, rocks, woodland trails and that kind of thing. They’re really good for bootcamps. They can cost a lot so I wouldn’t bother buying a new pair when starting your journey with a bootcamp, although I do still think they’re really worth wearing.
If you can find a pair of grippy trainers then yes, wear them. Old smooth-soled trainers will be fine to use when it’s dry, although are quite often a bit of a problem when it’s wet, either from rain or dew, and especially when it’s been snowing. Quite simply, those flat soles will not grip very well and you could find yourself slipping and sliding all over the place! And that means you could get injured, not good.
In a nutshell, try and find an old pair of trainers with some decent grip that you don’t mind getting pretty dirty. And it’s as simple as that.
Once you’ve fallen in love with bootcamp, you’ll find yourself wanting an upgrade but don’t buy first – try out bootcamp and see if you like it!