While you don’t need as much cushioning in a cross-trainer as you do in a running shoe for long distances, you still need some shock-absorbing foam to get you through movements without pain in your joints. Cross-training shoes, on the other hand, have less cushioning than traditional running shoes. Depending on the workouts you’re performing, you may not be logging that many miles in your shoes, but you shouldn’t underestimate the beating your feet and shoes are taking when doing exercises like weight training and jumping.