Nike Metcon 2 Review – Worth The Hype?
Nike Metcon 2 Review
Pros
- Great Flexibility
- Range of Colors to choose from
- Robust and durable
- Firm, supportive base for squats
Cons
- Heel clip is a 'gimmick'
Introduction to Nike Metcon 2
Welcome to our Nike Metcon 2 review. The Metcon’s are an athletic shoe designed for crossfit or other similar sport. They were released in January 2016 and have fast become one of Nike’s premier athlete shoes within their vast range. They are specifically ‘lifting’ shoes but don’t have the distinctive heel of traditional weightlifting shoes like the Adidas Powerlift 3.0 or the Inov-8 Fastlift and are therefore ideal for dynamic movements and exercise.
The Nike Metcon’s are stylish and come in over 10 designs and color schemes. The most Iconic color is the jet black above, but they come in really striking vibrant reds, oranges and blues as well.
Use of the Shoe
The Nike Metcon’s are designed with CrossFitters in mind, although it isn’t limited to that one sport, these shoes are great for tennis, general weightlifting or track and field events etc. Despite trying to appeal to the crossfit world, Nike isn’t an official of the sport and so cannot use the term in their shoes, unlike Reebok, who own shoes such as the reebok crossfit Compete and specific weight lifting shoes such as Reebok crossfit lifter plus 2.0.
As previously mentioned, the Nike Metcon 2 doesn’t have the raise heel (these ones are just 0.4cm) and they don’t have the weightlifting strap that. Consequently, they are not as good for squats as you cannot achieve the depth, which is the primary point Further reading: why use weight lifting shoes. Saying that, these shoes are a utility shoe, and are ideal for deadlifts with their flat, firm, yet grippy soles. Also, these shoes are incredibly durable and flexible, making them good for box jumps, outdoor use, rope climbs and general gym exercises.
Specs and Performance Review
The whole shoe is made out of synthetic leather which is thick and very durable. There’s a durable mesh top of the shoe, which is great for letting air in and out. The additional vents are well received too during sweaty, intense workouts.
Despite the durability and rigidness, the shoe is very light. The average weight is 330 grams/ 11.6 ounces. For more jargon, Nike uses ‘Nike Flywire‘ tech to increase stability. Read up on that if you’re interested. It’s hard to say what’s significant technology and what is there to sell.
If you love ropeclimbs, then like you’ll love the fact that like the Nano 5, the inner sole of the Metcon 2s have a rubber grip pattern that helps you grip the rope on the way up. That’s pretty neat. Again, it just highlights how Nike is targeting the Crossfit community.
Another unique feature of this shoe is something called the heel clip, I’m personally not a fan of this feature because it’s just ridiculously gimmicky. It’s a small plastic clip designed specifically for Handstand push-ups. Yep, another exercise that isn’t Cross-fit as such, but is certainly associated with Cross-fit training. And yes, that’s a ridiculous feature. When you do handstand push ups, your heels rub against the wall. Nike’s clip is supposed to make that easier, to what purpose I have no idea. Who thinks of ‘heel resistance’ when doing handstand push ups? Who tries to make exercise easier when the goal of exercise is for it to not be easy? I’m not sure I get this gimmick and it’s just outright annoying and totally put me off the shoe if I’m being totally honest.
I found the rubber sole to be very firm and tough, but the toe box much more flexible. Meaning that you can do deadlifts, and dynamic exercises comfortably but it’s pretty much like doing squats in normal shoes.
Style and Fit
The Nike Metcon 2 isn’t too dissimilar to its younger brother, the original Nike Metcon, but they did increase the padding of the shoe on the heel for extra comfort.
The Nike Metcon 2 are true to their size and suitable for standard feet width. Just buy your normal shoe size.
Final Verdict:
The Nike Metcon 2s are a ideal pick for general workouts and those who tend to be crossfit athletes. The shoe is light, durable and has some interesting unique features. But for actual weightlifting and those who do a lot of squats or Olympic lifting then I’d go with the Nike Romaleos 2 which is the better choice for powerlifters.
For those looking for a super durable, incredibly light training shoe then you can’t really fault the Metcons.
