Alongside the Reebok Nano, the Nike Metcon line is one of the two most iconic shoes in CrossFit. When they were first released in 2015, the Metcons were considered a wider, more run-friendly shoe than the Nano. However, over the last decade of iterations, the Metcons have skewed toward stability and weightlifting, much to the dismay of many CrossFitters.
The Metcon 9 was practically a weightlifting shoe more closely akin to the extremely stiff Romaleos than the freewheeling early Metcon line. While I was a fan of the Metcon 9 (you can read my thoughts on it in our Best CrossFit Shoes buyers’ guide), I’ll be the first to admit that it’s built almost exclusively for lifting. With the new Nike Metcon 10 ($155), Nike is returning to its roots. It has removed a significant amount of the upper material to create a lighter, more flexible, and more versatile shoe, designed to excel in every modality.
In short: Two years after releasing the extremely stiff, stable, and controversial Metcon 9, Nike has seemingly responded to people’s complaints with the Metcon 10. The 10 is much more pared down, more flexible, and more comfortable overall. But it manages to do this without sacrificing the stability that Metcons are known for.
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Stable for lifting -
Excellent lace security -
Durable upper -
Sidewalls provide solid grip on rope climbs
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Not everyone will love the strong arch support -
Still not the best runner -
Heel cuff is fairly loose
Nike Metcon 10 Review
Brand Background
Over the years, Nike’s gym shoe brand has expanded from the original Metcon CrossFit shoes to the Free Metcon gym shoes and Romaleo lifting shoes. But after a decade of tweaks and changes, many felt that the Metcons were geared too much toward weightlifting.
The stiffness and stability were excellent, but at the cost of comfort and flexibility during running and plyometrics. With the lighter, more flexible Metcon 10, it appears that Nike has directly addressed those concerns.
How I Tested the Nike Metcon 10
I wore the Metcon 10s through 3 months of CrossFit and powerlifting training, 5 to 6 days a week. These workouts included squats with weights of up to 500 pounds, deadlifts exceeding 600 pounds, burpees, jumping lunges, kettlebell work, and every other movement that can appear in a CrossFit workout. Workouts also included running, ranging from shuttle runs to 400m sprints and runs of up to a mile in length.
What’s New
Visually, the Metcon 10 is much cleaner than its predecessor. Gone are the wraparound rope guards, the rubber-topped toe box, and the lifter-like heel. These are all indicative of the lighter weight and more flexible nature of the shoe.
When you put the shoe on, the most noticeable difference you’ll feel is the wider toe box and ankle cuff. The Metcon 9 felt just shy of too snug, but the Metcon 10 skews the other direction, feeling just shy of too loose. Given the choice between the two, I highly prefer the latter.
The Metcon 10 has a new midsole foam called ReactX foam, which feels more flexible and pliable than the 9. Also, it reworked the heel to provide a bit more give for heel-striking movements.
Shining Plyometrics
I’m not going to lie: I was a huge fan of the Metcon 9. While my workouts cover all the modalities that you’ll find in CrossFit, I enjoy lifting and tossing around heavy weight the most. And the super-stiff and stable 9s were perfect for it. They weren’t, however, great for jumping, running, plyometrics, and anything else that I’m not great at.
Which is where the Metcon 10 really shines. The new heel configuration and the flexible midsole are apparent as soon as you put the shoes on and start walking. Instead of the Metcon 9’s clomp-stomp (I need to trademark that phrase) sound, the Metcon 10 has a smooth heel-to-toe transition.
The wider toe box and ankle cuff are much more comfortable than the comparatively snug Metcon 9. They’re so comfortable, in fact, that they’ve become my new travel shoe — I can walk around an airport all day and still bang out a workout when I get to where I’m going.
Heavy Lift Stability
Considering how comfortable they are to walk in, I was concerned about how stable they would be during heavy lifts. I’m happy to report that during a power clean EMOM that builds up to 255 pounds, the shoes felt stable and locked in. The effect was similar during front squats, building up to 365 pounds. My feet never shifted in the shoes, which meant that all I had to think about was maintaining my front rack position.
The shoes really delivered during WODs that combined plyometrics and explosive movements. For example, one workout consisted of a combination of kettlebell swings, jumping lunges, and burpee box clear-overs.
The flexible forefoot allowed me to get into and out of the lunge position with ease, and the midsole was firm enough to provide leg drive during the kettlebell swings, but soft enough to cushion the landing from jumping over a 24-inch box.
Lastly, I need to mention the lacing system. The Velcro lace lock on the Metcon 9 was one of my favorite details of that shoe, but the hooks eventually started fraying the laces. For the Metcon 10, they added a pocket at the top of the tongue so you can tuck your laces in there. It provides the same security with a cleaner look and zero fray on the laces.
No Reps
Given how comfortable the shoes felt during walking, jumping, and lunging, I had high hopes for how they’d feel during runs. Unfortunately, I have to report that they’re … OK. For shuttle runs where I stayed mostly on my toes, they were flexible and felt good. But on 200m and 400m runs, where I would start heel-striking, the familiar clopping sound reared its ugly head.
As far as CrossFit shoes go, the Metcon 10 is actually one of the better shoes for running, a little clunkier than the Nano X5, but a bit smoother than the R.A.D One V2, but still, you’re not going to want to run more than a mile in these. And only once a year, when Murph comes around.
I’ve also heard complaints about the loose ankle cuff. People comment on the loose feeling, saying that it feels like the shoe might slip off. I’ve been using the shoe for months now, and while the heel cuff definitely feels loose, the shoe has never slipped or come close to falling off. I enjoy the looser feeling, but if that’s not for you, it’s something to consider.
Nike Metcon 10: Final Thoughts
While I was a fan of the Metcon 9, I’ll admit that it was clunky to walk and run in, and I can’t argue with people who said that it was overbuilt. Apparently, Nike couldn’t either, since the Metcon 10 is noticeably sleeker and lighter without sacrificing any stability. While they’re still not a great running shoe, they’re better than most CrossFit shoes out there.
The Nike Metcon 10 strikes an excellent balance between being pliable enough for bodyweight movements and stiff enough for moving heavy weights around. If you’re an old-school Metcon fan that misses the feel of the early iterations, the Nike Metcon 10 just might bring you back to the good old days.
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