One thing you’ll realise straight away when doing a workout in the Metcon 6 is just how great the traction of the outsole is. Having so much rubber under your feet helps but the almost completely shape of the outsole also helps keeping your balance, even when you’re handing heavy weights. Not a bad thing when you have a fully-loaded barbell dangling over your head. When lifting weights a training shoe like this feels a world away from a running shoe, and is much more comfortable and safer on the joints. I like these without the hyperlifts for deadlifting – there’s no benefit to a heel raise with the deadlift. Can You Run In The Nike Metcon 6? That said these shoes don’t really have any heel raise (4mm) until you put in those hyperlifts – and then they’ve got 12mm of heel raise!.This is great for minimizing ankle flexion in the pistol squats, thrusters, and really anything that requires squatting. Both shoes have the same rope wrap (the part where that tough rubber outsole wraps up around the midfoot of the shoe). Shape, sizing, are unchanged.

It also doesn’t have a firm heel cup like in the regular edition shoe. How could it? You wouldn’t be able to collapse the heel to slide your foot in.

I’m basing that on the fact that most of the shoe seems to be unchanged from last year’s Nike Metcon 5. The only reason it didn’t get a full 10/10 was its performance during a run, even a short one, as part of a workout or warm-up. The Metcon 5 felt heavy and stiff when it came to moving through the running gait. Sizing advice is the same for both shoes. Because of the cramped toe box, I go 1/2 size up to get adequate width in the toe area. This was my same sizing for the Metcon 5. When we reviewed the Metcon 5 we loved the stability underfoot (especially when lifting weights) comfortable, wide fit, durability and general aesthetics of the shoe.

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy running in the Metcon 6… but I actually didn’t mind it. For short bursts (less than 5 minutes or so at a time, the Metcon 6 is more than fit for purpose.Changes in the heel are cosmetic only. The 6 has the big Metcon M and a different texture, but the TPU heel clip and relatively low collar are still present. The hyperlift goes under the midsole – and when it’s in place it gives you more heel raise. Great for squats, thrusters, and pistols. I didn’t include a picture, but the drop-in midsole and hyperlifts appear to be the same shape, material, and performance. There are just a few small cosmetic differences. The removable midsole of the shoe (that’s the part between the outsole and your foot – is made from 2 kinds of foam. But thankfully these were followed by some subtler designs, and also a custom design should you choose to pay a slight premium.

The Metcon 6 has only one standout competitor, the Nano X, which I scored a 10/10 in my review earlier this year. If I could give Metcon 6 half marks it would be a 9.5/10. You might feel the narrowness of the Nike Metcon shoes after a long day – that’s where it bothered me the most (a long day walking or on your feet can leave your feet slightly swelled. The heel feels quite loose in the FlyEase version of the shoe – that’s the tradeoff for the ability to put them on and take them off without using your hands. After testing the Metcon 5, the Reebok Nano X launched so I had been wearing that and these felt quite different. More on the comparison of the Nano X and the Metcon 6 here… The fit was true to size- I went ½ size smaller than my Nike running shoes and the width and length felt perfect.

For the first time ever, Nike brings FlyEase tech to the Metcon line. These have laces, but you really only have to tie them once. Overall both are great shoes for lifting weights. Neither is really great for running, but the Nike (like the 5 before it) feels to have a bit more cushion in the forefoot, thanks to that dual-density midsole. After testing these inserts a few times with the Metcon 5’s these weren’t something I ended up using as I didn’t notice much difference other than a looser heel fit. To draw a comparison I just prefer the feel on the foot from the higher heel cup and tongue of the Nano X, and prefer Reebok’s classic design and more subtle sole rope wrap. Let’s face the facts: the Nike Metcon 6 is a light update over the Metcon 5, at best. It is more breathable and has an updated topcoat that is supposed to be even more resilient than the one found in the Metcon 5. In my humble opinion, the Nike Metcon 6 should be called ‘Metcon 5 Mat Frazer Edition’, as this update is more to do with Nike collaborating with the ‘fittest man on earth’ as opposed to updating the product itself.