Metcon 9 Review – Regular Metcon Or FlyEase Metcon?

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If you’re thinking about buying the Nike Metcon 9s then you need to watch this video. 

I tried both the regular and the FlyEase or the newly named ‘EasyOn’ version of the Metcons to see if there were any major differences. 

And you might not think it, but there is a slight difference between the two versions that I’ll get to in this video. 

I’ll also tell you what’s new in this version of the Metcon, what they’re like to workout in, and of course, whether you should buy them. 

Note: This is a full transcript from the review posted on the YouTube channel if you’d rather watch that, click here

So Before I Start… 

This review is my review, nobody from Nike has sent me these shoes and asked me to talk about them. 

All my own opinion.

I worked out in these shoes for two weeks which I think is enough time to form a solid opinion of a shoe.

I wouldn’t say I’m a Metcon fanboy at all,  the shoe in my opinion has had its ups and downs (Metcon Turbo) but I’d say that historically, they have been a good all-rounder as a gym shoe. 

I’ve tried several models of the Metcon, I still from time to time workout in my very old faithful Metcon 4s that I’ve had since day 1 and they have actually held up pretty well. 

The thing is, the Metcon in my opinion is no longer the best shoe in its category. 

In recent times, The Reebok Nano X3 has really impressed (link to my Reebok Nano X3 Review here), and also plugged some of the holes that the Metcons haven’t addressed in a few releases. 

I was very impressed with the X3s and I think a lot of people have been too, I’ve been seeing a lot of people wearing them around too.

So it’s a situation where I was even more excited to see what Nike will do with the next Metcon model. 

Will they introduce some new features to maybe make the shoe that little bit better? 

One of the things I felt that the Reebok Nano X3s had over the previous Metcons, (the Metcon 8) is comfort for longer distance running, if the new Metcon 9 fixes that problem, then I think they’re back in the game so to speak.

In order for me to get a complete idea of these models, and to leave no stone unturned, I bought both the traditional and the FlyEase or ‘EasyOn’ version of the Metcon 9.

The difference is simple, with the regular Metcons you have a regular lace-up shoe, but with the FlyEase version, you’re getting a compressible heel that gives you the ability to get them on and take them off without having to bend down and adjust them.

This is great for athletes who may have lower levels of mobility or disabilities that may make it harder for them to put on or take off shoes. I actually think this is a great idea. More brands should do things like this. 

First Impressions – Design

Now starting with the design of these shoes, to be honest, I actually like what they’ve done here.

The design isn’t grotesque or a massive jump from the previous model. I think they’ve gone a little more toned down—just a tiny bit. 

One of the major disappointments in the last release was that it felt like nothing much had changed from the previous version, but I feel that the upper design on these 9s is a significant change.

Just to let you know, the FlyEase currently comes in only this orange and black, hopefully, they bring out more colours of this model. Historically, they haven’t so I don’t expect them to have as big of a colour selection as the regular Metcons do.

But with the regular Metcons, you can also choose your own custom colours which I’m sure a lot of people will do too.

The Biggest Changes You’ll Notice

The biggest change you’ll notice is firstly the upper forefoot design looks very different.

It now has a mesh-like material that’s sitting on top of a regular upper if that makes sense. I can’t properly see the upper underneath without getting out a pair of scissors, but the two layers come together to give a stronger feeling, flexible and more breathable material which is good.

There are also some raised rubber stripes on the medial side of each shoe, I’m not 100% sure what these are for, my only guess would be that these help with rope climb. But whether they’re just a design choice I think they look pretty cool.

The base of the shoe is slightly wider and bigger, which should make you feel a little more stability when jumping off boxes or doing things like clean and jerks. 

The last thing is that they’ve made a change with the rope guard, this is a very welcome change. The rope guard on the previous models has been useless for a while, some people have also complained about it being worn down after an extended period. So Nike made it bigger, more durable and grippier to the touch.

With the rope guard feeling more grippy to the touch it initially gave me the hope that maybe Nike have actually listened to what a lot of people, including myself were complaining about with the previous versions of this shoe. 

The midsole foam also feels a little softer to the touch than the 8s did.

Apart from that, there isn’t a lot else different in the construction of the actual shoe, the heel drop of 4mm is the same too. 

At the first initial stage, I was very excited to try out the Metcon 9.

What are the Metcon 9 like to wear?

So let’s look at what the Metcon 9s were actually like to wear…

Starting with the regular version of the Metcon here in white,

Now wearing them they were comfortable, just as I expected. Apart from one small thing, for some reason, the upper in this section felt quite high and was rubbing a little into my ankle. On the FlyEase model, this wasn’t an issue for me.

I’m not sure if that’s down to a slight difference in the shoe structurally but it’s just something I experienced and was quite annoying that feeling of the shoe digging and rubbing into my ankle did irritate my skin a little. It was the same when I wore longer socks too.

Could be the way I angle my feet, not sure. I will update the YouTube comments if it improves over time with more use.

As I said, they maintain the same 4mm heel drop as the previous so you won’t notice anything majorly different in the fit if you’re coming from a previous version. 

The FlyEase Metcon 9 gave a similar feel to the regular version, as I would expect them to but they were a little more comfortable to wear.

I think this is down to them being a little softer in the sole.

The softness makes them feel a little more comfortable to wear for longer periods

And that leads me to the biggest differences between the two that I noticed,

The FlyEase Metcon Vs Regular 

The biggest difference for me🤔

The FlyEase version felt like it had a little bit more room in it. 

Let me explain a little more because this might not apply to everybody,

When I normally buy Nike shoes, depending on the model, I either buy a UK size 12 or a 13. 

My absolute perfect size in Nike shoes would be a UK 12.5, but they don’t release that size in a lot of their shoes, so I sometimes have to try a 12 and a 13 to see which one feels better.

I said all that to say, even though both of these shoes are a size 12, the FlyEase version feels like it has more space. It actually feels more like a 12.5 while the regular Metcon feels like a strict 12.

I really don’t know if that’s something to do with the FlyEase construction, maybe they’ve allowed for more room in certain areas of the shoe because the heel entry puts different stresses on the shoe, I don’t know. But It was a difference that I’m actually cool with. 

I’m not sure if this sizing issue is present in every size or if it’s just an anomaly with the larger men’s sizes, but it’s just something worth noting that many people won’t be aware of. 

So if you want a bit more room, consider trying your size in the FlyEase version and see how they feel.

Working Out in the Metcon 9s

Working out in them, I have to say that nothing much seems to have changed, the sole feels a little wider than the previous model, but they didn’t feel any harder or softer to me. 

Having worked out in both the regular and the FlyEase versions, I would say that the FlyEase has a slight edge on the regular version. But that’s only because of the upper material rubbing problem that I mentioned earlier.

Running in them felt the same, they still aren’t great for longer distances. This is something that I had hoped to have improved. So If you’re someone who runs for longer distances in your workouts, it might be an idea to consider a different shoe altogether.

I had hoped that the softer feel would help them maybe feel a little more comfortable during longer runs, but it didn’t change much. 

It might feel a little softer when you’re maybe squatting heavier weights, but the difference really isn’t that big. 

Is The Rope Guard any Grippier?

I tried the rope guard out just to see if it actually grips rope better than the previous models did, and It does, but only by a little bit. 

It would have been cool if they went a little more radical with this rope guard design and changed the actual shape of the rope guard section itself because even though the rubber is a little grippier, I think there is still room for improvement on the overall rope guard section.

But it’s an improvement worth noting, if you don’t climb ropes in your workouts then it probably won’t even matter to you.

Are the Metcon 9 a Good Shoe?

The Metcon 9  in my opinion are a good shoe, and  I actually think that’s a problem. 

Let me explain,

Design-wise they have upgraded a few things like the rope guard being a little grippier and it’s a welcome change.

But I don’t feel like anything makes these a massive improvement over previous versions. 

I kind of wish Nike were a little more innovative and they tried new things with this shoe. 

I think when you look at some of the features that the competition is putting in their shoes, the Metcon 9 still feels like it could be better and bring it closer to being the ultimate all-rounder of a cross-training shoe.

Something I’ve always thought they should do is add zoom technology to the forefoot in the actual sole which could possibly make running in them for longer distances much better.

Let me know in the comments as well, If you’ve worn previous versions of the Metcon, and what features if any you wish to see in this newer model. 

I feel like that discomfort during longer distance running in this shoe and the previous versions have been quite a drawback and something that competing brands have picked up on.

Which One Would I go for, FlyEase or Regular?

Out of both of them, I personally prefer the FlyEase version. 

Why? Because they just felt a lot more comfortable.

But the thing that doesn’t do it for me is that when you compress the heel repeatedly to get in and out of them, it really creases and degrades the heel and makes them look more worn than they actually are.

Creases started to form in the heel of this shoe after just 2 days of compressing the heel to get in and out which is quite disappointing.

I know it’s just a small thing and it’s not something that I think will affect the fit or the performance of the shoe at all, but it’s worth mentioning. 

Just from an aesthetic standpoint, I don’t like my shoes looking more worn than they reasonably should.

But let me know in the comments, which one of these shoes looks like the more attractive choice to you, the FlyEase or the regular?

So that was my take on the Nike Metcon 9 a definite improvement, but I think there’s still some work to do. Hopefully, it was helpful to you.

So with that being said, thank you for watching and I’ll see you on the next one!

Author

Stuart Patrick

Stuart Patrick is a health and fitness lifestyle journalist who writes for ListedFit.com.

“I've spent a lot of time trying to get in shape and change my body and I realised there are so many untruths in the health and fitness industry that can slow down or stop your progress, so I share my knowledge and experience to help others to cut through the BS.”

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