Nike first introduced the Metcon training shoe three years ago, made for the intended use of cross training, or in other words, CrossFit.
Nike announced the new iteration of its Metcon category on December 13, in a continuing effort to market to CrossFit users without using the declarative name itself (which is currently under lock by competing sportswear brand Reebok).
Reebok teamed with NFL defensive end J.J. Watt for its most recent CrossFit/ weight training shoe, however Nike decided to look to basketball stars Kyrie Irving and Skylar Diggins (pictured above) to sport the new Metcon kicks, which the swoosh said are “designed for athletes… who balance strength drills and cardio.” The company also said its new line of Metcon footwear will support high intensity training for athletes like Mat Fraser and Sara Sigmundsdóttir.
All shoes in the family, however, share the same crucial features— which just so happen to be similar to the footwear required for CrossFit. This of course could be coincidence, as the shoes seem well suited for TRX suspension training. But the latter as a focus for development is unlikely, as TRX makes its training-specific shoes through Under Armour.
These features include a firm rubber and external heel counter for stability, sticky rubber in the forefoot for traction, and a low-profile heel clip.
The Nike Metcon 3 releases via NIKEiD on December 19, and inline from January 6 at nike.com.
Photo courtesy Nike
