I’m going to go with the updating format for the Nike Metcon 1, as I did when I wrote the Nano 4.0 review. Keep checking back for review updates!
First impressions 01/22/15:
The moment we’ve all been waiting for has arrived. I’ll try not to put too much fluff into this review but what can I say, I’m pretty freaking excited about these shoes; as I know most of us are. Really big thanks to Nike for coming through with not only a pair of shoes, but Nike Pro Combat gear to go with it. They’ve been really making a big push into functional fitness and it shoes all over social media. This is a very good thing to consumers, as it gives a bit of urgency to all other manufacturers to come up with fresh new ideas for their equipment. Nike’s a giant player in the shoe game and I’m happy to say that they’ve arrived in the playing field of functional fitness.
The first thing I noticed when I opened the box the shoes came in, were how much more awesome they look in real life. Not saying they were bad in pictures, but the original blue/orange/white colorway left something to be desired. I much rather prefer this volt/black/grey color and I’m looking forward to some more I’ve seen online. Everything from the upper to the laces oozes premium. Construction is top notch as you would come to expect from Nike; this is obviously one of the most important things for a functional fitness shoe since we thrash these things. Flywire construction on the sides leads to a locked down fit when you cinch the laces up. The outsole is striking with the hexagon patterns, probably functional for climbing rope with it’s “sticky rubber”, but I’m going to avoid that for a bit.
Upon putting my feet into the shoe, the first thing I noticed is that they’re not narrow at all; a big concern of mine having previously owned Nike training shoes. The heel to toe drop feels similar to Nano’s, but the outsole seems to be a little bit taller so you you might feel a little further from the ground. These shoes have a dense outsole, they were made to squat and you’ll know it the moment you put them on; there isn’t much give when it comes to pressing into the Metcons. Nike also seems to have gone with a more running-like profile with the more pointed toe-box; which is fine for me because my toes always jam into the front of Nano’s. Speaking of which, the toe-box is spacious and if you’ve got a bunion like mine, you’re going to be totally comfortable in these shoes. Sizing guidelines, these should be sized normally as they fit more true to size. Mine are size 10 and my normal size is 9.5, there’s a little room and it’s fine but I think I would do better in a 9.5.
Fit and finish is TOP NOTCH.
Durability however, remains unknown.
Update 1/23/15:
First workout in the books, it wasn’t so much a heavy workout but it was a long one and it pretty much had a little of everything in it. 100 Wall balls, 80 cal row, 60 burpees, 40 pull-ups, 20 front squats (supposed to be back squats but my tricep is bum right now); if there was ever a workout to test a shoe, this would be it. I think the added drop of the Metcon1’s helped stay stable doing the wall balls, but nothing too crazy to write home about. The shoes handled all the movements without a hitch, which is exactly what you’d want from a performance shoe. Surprisingly enough, the movement I noticed the shoes the most on were the burpees, these shoes were made for them! The forefoot has a good amount of flexibility but also gives you a kind of spring to bounce up onto your feet from. I’ve always preferred doing my oly lifts and squatting in normal shoes, and that dense heel hardly gives at all when you’re moving weight. Paired it with the drop of these shoes and you’ll be less inclined to have to switch over to your oly shoes in between workouts.
I can’t wait to squat heavy with these shoes. Very impressive so far.
Update 1/26/15:
No squat test update today, but actually the very last thing that I would voluntarily do: running. For science! Admittedly I’m not the best or most efficient runner in the world; I would actually rather do any form of exercise other than running. Running sucks. Anyways, that’s just me, I know some people love it, so to each their own.
I took the Metcon’s on about a 4 mile run, which is a long distance for me. I mentioned before that the Metcons’ have more of a running profile opposed to Nano’s and I’m going to stick with that assertion. Are they a better runner? Yes, but don’t expect anything vastly different than what you’re going to experience in your Nano’s. The pointed toe and flex grooves in the forefoot lead to a more natural running step. The differences end there. Since the sole is so dense, running long distances is still uncomfortable like the Reebok’s, but doable. The majority of the path I ran on today was concrete with a little bit of dirt mixed in. By the 3rd mile my plantar facia was aching. If you currently wear Nano’s to run, you’ll be used to this feeling. If you were hoping for a better running shoe than that, I’m going to say that the Metcon’s are, but only slightly. That’s still a win for the Metcons though.
Update 1/26/15: SIZING!!!
Whoa, almost totally forgot about this topic, and it’s probably my most asked question.
“How should I size my Metcon’s?”
After that, immediately comes, “Are they true to size?”. I don’t even know what true to size means anymore, or what brand it’s in reference to. I’m just going to list a bunch of shoes, and how you should size accordingly. I ordered a size 10 Metcon, but should have gotten size 9.5. UPDATED: I got my hands on a pair of 9.5’s, they’re initially snug but they did break in and now fit perfectly.
- Reebok CrossFit Nano U-Form/2.0 (my size 9) – Half size up, possibly the same if your U-Form/2.0’s are snug.
- Reebok CrossFit Nano 3.0/4.0 (9.5) – Size the same.
- Reebok CrossFit Lite TR (9) – Half size up.
- Inov-8 195/240 (9) – Half size up.
- Nike Romaleos (9) – Half size up.
- Nike Free Run 1.0 (9.5) – Same size.
- Nike Roshe (9.5) – Same size.
- Nike Free Trainer 5.0 (9.5) – Same size.
- Nike Free Trainer 3.0 (9.5) – Same size.
- Nike Air Force 1 (9.5) – Same size.
- Converse Chuck Taylor (9) – Half size up.
I think I’ve pretty much covered all the bases right here. Nike shoes are iffy as they can be on the narrow side, I’ve had to size certain shoes up just to fit but as a rule of thumb, go with the same size shoe you have. As always, feel free to drop me a comment or e-mail if you guys have any other questions regarding sizing and how I came to these conclusions.
Update 1/26/15:
Did some powerlifting today. Got to about my 90% of my 1RM deadlift without many problems other than my form getting crappy. That dense sole paired with the Flywire construction really makes you feel locked down in place. You’re not going to miss your powerlifting shoes if that’s your thing; although they are a bit lower to the ground. Going back to the whole thing about the Metcon’s having a bigger drop than Nano’s, well according to Rogue’s specs, they don’t. They have the same 4mm drop. but I’m thinking the drop-off might just be a little more steep. The shoes feel the similar, but there’s definitely a different feel between them. Maybe the Nike’s really are taller, like I mentioned previously. Adding on to that, the Nike’s are 11.2 oz, which is a couple oz heavier than the Nano’s. You don’t really feel that weight when the shoe is on, but you’ll notice it if you have one of each in your hands. I’m starting to warm up to running in these, the WOD today called for a little bit of running; they definitely handle a bit better than Nano’s. Tomorrow I plan to hit those squats I’ve been talking about and I’ll have a conclusion for you guys by the end of the week. Stay tuned!
1/31/15:
One more quick update because I feel this needs to be said and might be the strongest suit of the Metcon’s. Continuing the powerlifting thing, but not limited to, I’m furthering the conclusion that these shoes stay very planted to the ground. I was able to hit a 30lb sumo deadlift PR at 515 in my Metcon’s. Usually I avoid sumo because I have tight hips and a weak butt so I tend to roll into the instep of my foot in Nano’s and even the CF Lite power shoes.
Update 1/29/15: Power Cleans and Squats
As promised, my squat day has finally arrived. I warmed up with some light power cleans; hang and cycling them. This is probably the best area that the Metcon 1’s perform in: Olympic lifting. Never did I feel bogged down by the weight of the shoe. The shoes were very responsive, have very good power delivery and the landing platform is stable. These shoes definitely live up to the name “Metcon”, as you won’t be needing anything else for them. A huge plus, as I personally, try to not use my Oly shoes for much anymore. If you’re a dedicated weightlifter, then there’s probably no substitute for your Romaleos. From CrossFitter’s view point, this shoe is almost all you’ll ever need. (Mat Fraiser clean and jerked 365 at the KCECC!)
Squatting in the shoes yielded similar results. If you’re a “flat-shoe” squatter, you’ll be right at home with the Metcon’s. The heel has virtually no give and is stable, despite it’s slightly taller than Nano nature. That being said, the squatting feel and performance is on par with Nano’s. There will be people in the world that are going to like the Nano’s better, but the same could be said with the Nike’s. Either way, you can’t lose. both shoes feel fine and you won’t miss a beat if squatting in normal shoes is your thing.
Digging into the shoe a little bit deeper in my quest to find out what really makes it feel different, I sought to take out the insole. With a little bit of pulling, it comes right out, no glue or anything. Underneath it you’ll find a very thin layer of foam/insulation before the hard outsole. The actual insole though, might be the achilles heel (pun intended), of the Metcon’s. If you’ve ever taken out the insole of the Nano’s, you’d know that its a very thin layer of foam to keep the Nano’s minimal, but doesn’t lend much to actual arch support. On the Metcon’s, it’s the complete opposite; the insole measures almost 3/4″ to a full inch thick; there’s where the added height comes from. Like I said, the insole is very dense and not as compressible as you would expect from something so thick; it does give a bit more of arch support. I’m sure after wearing them down for a few months you’ll sink in a bit more too. If you planned on getting these shoes and using them with the insoles out, I would probably size down as you’re going to open the shoe up considerably.
Conclusion/Value:
I hold no allegiance to Nike, nor do I to Reebok. I’m just a guy that like’s technology, equipment and what they can do for our sport.
The Nike Metcon 1’s are Nike’s first actual foray into the functional fitness shoe segment, and they’re a damn strong one at that. They hit the mark on almost every level and don’t leave much to be desired (more colorway’s please). I’ll sacrifice a bit of my comfort running for better lifting traits any day. They don’t only look good in the gym, I wouldn’t be ashamed to wear these out and about on the town either. While they’re a little bit taller, which you get used to pretty quick, they’re every bit as stable as the best functional fitness shoes in the game. If you don’t like that last bit, take the soles out and replace them with something thinner. (Arch mobility insoles work great.)
Honestly, the best feature of the Nike Metcon 1 really is the fact that it is made by Nike. Let’s be honest, we all grew up wanting Nike’s, not Reeboks, and maybe L.A. Gears. Props to Reebok for having the balls to be the first to sponsor CrossFit and come up with an actual shoe built ground up specifically for CrossFit. They’ve pushed the engineering of CrossFit shoes to where they are today, so you’ve got to give them a lot of respect for that. At the same time though, they’ve been in the game for a while now, and really all people want is something different. Nike coming into the playing field is just that, paired with the name, they’re undeniably going to rip a chunk of marketshare away from Reebok. Not even a signature Rich Froning shoe is going to stop that from happening (Nice try/how much more expensive can these shoes get?!).
Truth is, the Nike Metcon’s don’t do anything exceptionally better or worse than the Nano 4.0’s do. A lot of people will still prefer their Nano’s over the Metcon’s; that’s all good and dandy. A giant like Nike coming into the game just means that the technology that goes into both shoe brands (and smaller brands) increases. For the consumer, that’s awesome. Granted, a lot of globo-gym’ers are going to pick up on “our” shoes, but hey, they need functional shoes too. For me, I think the Nike’s are awesome shoes and probably are going to be my main shoe of choice, but I’ll continue to wear Nano’s too. The Metcon’s do everything I need them to do, they look great, and they’re here to freshen up the functional kicks game. They retail at $120, which is your standard training shoe price; in my opinion, that’s always been a lot to pay for some training shoes. I’m sure in time, competition will drive shoe prices downwards.
Let’s just hope Nike comes up with some kind of trainer program discount soon.
In closing, I’ll leave you with this picture that sums up Nike making functional shoes…
Cant wait to read more!!
What are the soles like? are they squishy like you’d usually expect from a nike? if you could compare them to a shoe what would most simular to? ie: inov8, reebok nanos…
Theyre HARD. I would say hard like Nanos with the drop of maybe inov-8 240s.
Any expectation that these babies will be hard to find or sell out online? I’ve never had to purchase a shoe on launch day, but want these bad. Don’t know how you’d know that answer but figured it’s worth an ask.
Thanks for the review. I’ve been using new balance zero drops with the vibram sole for metcons, and innov8 lifters for lifting for the last year. Excited to have something that I might be able to use moreso for both, and as a soccer player for life, I’ve always loved the way nikes fit me. Plus, they look great.
Hey Luke, like you said, I don’t know if I can comment on how available they’re going to be at launch but Roadrunnersports has them for preorder. Nike, Rogue and Finishline will have them at launch as well as NikeTown retail stores.
I too was once all about zero drop, and from time to time I still like it. You won’t be disappointed in the Nikes, but it will take some getting used to from your zero drop shoes. Thanks for reading!
Wow. Sold out in Nike.com
Glad I was on my computer at 9:00 this morning when they launched to place my order.
Hey wondering if you could provide a link to the shoe specifically the color scheme above. I found one similar but the green doesn’t look like the neon, highlighter effect these do. Was it these? even though the green doesn’t look like it on web
http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/pd/metcon-1-training-shoe/pid-10341391/pgid-1570046
THANKS
Hey James, that color way is dead stock now. It was sent to me as a test pair.
Hi, best write up on the web so far. Is the insole removable? I like to take it out on some shoes to eliminate the squish.
You can! I’m just about to update the review with that…
cool, What’s underneath? Is it just rubber or do you see typical stitching and construction stuff?
A thin layer of foam before the outsole and just typical construction/stitching stuff.
Is it useful without socks?
Or without insole?
Like the NB Minimus series?
It would probably be useable, just not comfortable, without the insoles. Without socks should be okay though I think these shoes were meant to be used with socks.
Thanks for the quick replies Joel, I’m using Bare XF 210’s right now, no insole, no socks so I’m really curious to see how the metcons feel. I’m stoked for this shoe as my 210’s are really disgusting. 🙂
210s are a true minimal shoe. I always wore socks with them, you might want to size down just in case. That insole takes up a lot of room.
good to know. I’m planning on just going to Nike Town on Sat to try them on. Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks Joel!
Ordered. Now I play the waiting game. It feels like Christmas! Thanks for the great review. Have you box jumped in them yet? That’s one thing I hate doing in my innov8 lifters when incorporated into a heavy workout.
I haven’t but I have just jumped around in them and they feel good. Gotta be better than lifters for box jumps.
what website did you use?
Nice review !!
Reblogged this on schwollo.com and commented:
I stumbled upon this review and blog . Great stuff !
If you end up throwing a later review on youtube, will you link it here? I would be interested in your review after a week of two of WODs with these shoes.
Good stuff man!
Yeah definitely. I was thinking of something like that!
How is the performance of the shoe with lateral movement/stability and quick pivots?
I haven’t really done anything with quick pivots or shuttle runs but going back to my sumo deadlift PR, the lateral stability is awesome, so I’m almost positive cutting shouldn’t be an issue either. The MetCon’s have very defined edges on the outsole, unlike the more rounded edges on Nano’s.
I picked up a pair by sheer luck while I was in Phoenix this past weeekend for work. Looking forward to WOD’ing in them this week! I like the heel and it feels more secure doing squats than the Nano’s. I’m happy to give a review if I can!
How do these compare with the Nanos when it comes to running..
I nomally get shin splints from running with the Nanos at longer distances..
The Metcons should be fine for the occasional mile, but since the insoles are as hard or even harder than Nanos, don’t expect those shin splints to go away. Sorry man.
Hi, Thanks for getting these reviews out so quickly. would you know whether they will have ladies Metcons? If so, any ideas about the release date; they are not on the nike site.
Good luck with your trainers!
Hey Astrid, as far as I know, they’re unisex shoes. The black and the blue/orange go down to size 4 men so that would be like a 5 womens? I’m sure there will be ladies variants out soon enough, but I don’t have a timeframe. Thanks for reading!
Mine came in the mail today. Gotta say, it’s a beautiful shoe. Nicely constructed, stitchless upper. The design details really elevate them past the nano series (Full disclaimer, never worn a Nano, only frowned at them). My go to shoe is the Bare XF 210, no insole…
As soon as I put them on, they felt tall, everything does after the XF 210 though. The foam did feel very firm though. My first instinct was to leave the insoles out, they felt good but maybe too roomy without them, but I decided to try a quick wod to test them out as designed.
3RFT
155 hang power snatches x10
Pullups x15
Box jumps x 20
FML. The shoes felt great on the box jumps. My landings got a little sloppy so the extra cushion was nice, but I have to say the shoes felt a little squishy on the HPS in the pull and at the top. There were more than a few instances when I caught the bar overhead and felt my feet mush around. I weigh 230lbs though and moving 155lbs dynamically, I’m not surprised the insole deflected a lot, and had a lot of give.
Eventually I took the insoles out and got after some squats. Went 135-225-315-405 (bailed but I got a sense for how they feel) and they were amazing. When you take the insoles out, as Joel mentioned, it’s just the rubber outsole with a thin foam layer, just like my beloved Bare XF 210. I probably wouldn’t squat really heavy with the insoles in. In fact probably won’t even put them back in. I just prefer the flat, dead feel of the rubber. The side sculpting is also much more stable than the XF 210.
All in all, great shoe, definitely go a half size down if you plan on wearing them minimal without the insole.
Pm me; I’d like to see some pics with / without the insole in if you don’t mind.
Hey Joe!
Do you have a plan for an f-lite 235 test?
Or comparisons to the Metcon? 😉
Peter,
I would but I couldn’t give an accurate test. Inov-8 did send me a pair of 235’s for testing purposes, but I had to discontinue the wear test because they were slightly small for me and caused me foot pain. However, even though they’re small, I really do like the 235’s; probably the best shoe Inov-8 has ever put out!
Good to hear that!
Hope Inov8 can solve that. 🙂
Joel,
I’m having the same sizing issue with my Metcons. I should have ordered a 9 instead of a 9.5, since my Free Trainer 3.0s are 9.5.
Are you going to continue to use your Metcons as is or will you wait until you have ordered another pair in the correct size?
I already got another pair in a smaller size, it was snug at first but after a few days it’s perfect. I don’t regret sizing down one bit.
Damn. I was hoping that you would say that you were going to use the bigger size anyway.
Now I have an awesome pair of Metcons that I probably can’t use. Sigh. I will have to wait for a restock to get the right size.
Honestly Alan, they were perfectly useable in the bigger size too. They fit a little better now, but if I didn’t have the option to buy some new ones, I would have just used the bigger ones anyways. Wear em, love em, just lace em up tighter.
Thanks for the advice and your review. Awesome blog.
eBay them while they’re sold out everywhere.
What about BOX JUMPS? I feel like the structure of the shoe is a little more critical during box jumps.
Box jumps were fine for me. What about the structure do you think is critical for box jumps?
I have various types & styles of Crossfit shoes including Inov8, and Reebok. I feel like if the shoe has a little more heel to it my box jumps aren’t as fluid as with a flatter heel.
Hmmm. I think these shoes are fine, they’re plenty flat, just a bit taller. I’m quite the opposite though, I’m better at high repetition jumping with shoes that have a little support.
Toe is already peeling after one wod. I would wait for later designs hopefully they get design flaw fixed.
Ouch, I saw a pic on IG of this happening. Hopefully it’s a fluke for some of them. Mine seem okay after having them a month or so.
How would you compare this to Nike Free Trainer 3.0 which one would be the better choice
Metcon. No contest.
can’t wait to read more.
http://findnewkicks.com/
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considering these or the Inov8 F-lite 240s. any thoughts? I’ve got fastlift 335s for heavier lifts, but I’m looking for some stability for WODs (medium lifts, box jumps, DUs) and running. I’m 5’10” and about 225 so not huge, but not a small guy either and I love my bare xf-210, but damn my heels!
I would go metcon, the inov8s are slightly better running shoes but the metcons are more durable and overall better. Sounds like you need some cushioning too, metcons have more sole, but it’s dense and should be good enough. The 240s don’t quite have that much thickness to the sole. I liked the 210 too, so I know what you mean about your heels, not much buffer between your feet and the ground.
Hey, I saw that you did deadlifts in these. I just ordered a pair of Metcons and I should be getting them in on Tuesday. I used to deadlift in vibrams, but over the last year, I’ve only used my lite tr high tops to deadlift. I actually use my lite tr shoes to do almost everything, and I was about to purchase another pair since I really beat up my last pair, but I was wondering if you think I can replace them with the Metcons. I switched from nanos to the lite tr and now I only wear my nanos when I’m coaching, so I want to know if the Metcon might be able to replace the lite tr.
I pretty much did the same thing, but I pretty much just do everything in my Metcons now. I’ve been able to hit higher numbers on my deadlift in my Metcons, even though they’re a tad taller.
Thanks! I tend to come here when it comes to footwear because I have the same bunion issue as you do so I can’t get away with wearing just any pair of shoes.
halo sir.. i’ve just read your review about nike metcon. I got 1 pair shoes of nano 4.0 saiz 8 uk and already use the shoes for 1 year and half. the question i want to ask is, i’ve bought nike metcon 1 which is the size 8.5 uk . Its ok if i use the nike metcon size 8.5 or i have to use size 8 uk? sorry for my bad english.. hope you can understand it sir.. thank you.. (Hebron S,Malaysia)
The Metcons are overall, a bigger shoe than the Nano 4.0. They might be a bit larger than you expected because of this. I would recommend sizing the same as your Nano’s.