Our verdict

The Metcon series is once again making waves with the nike soft Metcon 9. We can prove that this is one of the best trainers for Crossfit and lifting heavy. It is also a real gem for wide feet and those who climb the rope regularly. As long as you keep it away from high-impact workouts, we promise that you will not regret investing in this flagship trainer.

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  • One of the most durable cross-trainers
  • The best shoe for rope climbs
  • Reliable foot containment
  • Very comfortable in-shoe feel
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  • Accommodates wide feet (finally!)
  • Surprisingly flexible

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  • Heavier than average (and previous Metcons)
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  • So-so breathability

Audience verdict

84
Good!
  • Top 13% most popular training shoes

Who should buy

As Nike's flagship cross-training shoe, the Metcon 9 is perfectly suitable for athletes who:

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  • perform rope climbs on a regular basis
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nike soft Metcon 9 review

Who should NOT buy

We didn't feel as confident using this shoe for aerobic exercises as we did for lifting. If you want a shoe that provides a more balanced experience, we suggest going for the Free Metcon 5, nike soft acg premium boot 12.5 2017 women Nike.

The 9th iteration comes with a £20 price increase which in our opinion, is not entirely justified. If you want equal performance with a lower price tag, we recommend the discounted green and orange nike soft python shoes free printable. You might as well be interested in the Metcon's close competitor, the nike soft lunarglide 5 ext camo for sale on ebay shoes, also available at a discounted price.

nike soft Metcon 9 lab test

Cushioning

Heel stack

At the onset of Crossfit, athletes chose shoes with very minimal cushioning to accommodate their ever-changing routines. You really need that ground feel to remain stable and in control of the movement.

nike soft Metcons have met that demand in every iteration. Measuring the heel stack of the Metcon 9 with a calliper, we got 21.5 mm. This is slightly lower than the average but it is an ideal platform thickness for a grounded experience.

nike soft Metcon 9 Heel stack
Test results
Metcon 9 21.5 mm
Average 24.8 mm
Compared to 41 training shoes
womens black and pink nike soft frees blue jeans shoes
13.7 mm
Heel stack
36.2 mm

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Checking the shoe's forefoot stack, we got 16.0 mm on our calliper. This minimal cushioning helps the shoe be more flexible but detracts from impact protection under the ball of the foot.

nike soft metcon 9 forefoot stack 20971441 main

For instance, rope jumping in the nike soft Metcon 9 felt like a punishment. Pairing that with camo heels and heavy weight, we cannot recommend this trainer for regular rope jumps.

Test results
Metcon 9 16.0 mm
Average 18.4 mm
Compared to 41 training shoes
womens black and pink nike soft frees blue jeans shoes
10.6 mm
Forefoot stack
27.7 mm

Drop

In addition to the low stack, you also need a very low drop to feel stable in a Crossfit shoe. Traditionally, nike soft Metcons came with a  4-mm drop and the brand claims 4 mm in the Metcon 9 as well.

However, based on our own stack measurements (insole and outsole included), we found it to be slightly higher - 5.5 mm. On foot, the difference is not highly critical but we must call nike soft out on that one.

nike soft Metcon 9 Drop
Test results
Metcon 9 5.5 mm
Average 6.4 mm
Compared to 41 training shoes
womens black and pink nike soft frees blue jeans shoes
1.8 mm
Drop
13.4 mm

Midsole softness

Note: a low durometer measurement equals a soft material, whereas a high measurement means it's firm.

It has always been a dilemma for cross-training shoes - you need a firm platform for weightlifting stability but you also want some softness for jumping.

The Metcon 9 figured that one out by placing a softer foam inside the firmer one.

Measuring the firmer carrier foam with a durometer, we got 32.3 HA. That's 15% firmer than the average cushioning in training shoes.

nike soft Metcon 9 Midsole softness
Test results
Metcon 9 32.3 HA
Average 27.8 HA
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Compared to 41 training shoes
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17.4 HA
Midsole softness (soft to firm)
41.0 HA

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Note: a low durometer measurement equals a soft material, whereas a high measurement means it's firm.

As for the softer foam inside the midsole, we found it to be just perfect for buffering box jumps and the like.

Pressing our durometer against it returned 22.0 HA. That is a whole 47% plusher than the primary carrier foam! But the two complement each other very well in the Metcon 9. 

nike soft metcon 9 secondary foam softness 20971445 main
Test results
Metcon 9 22.0 HA
Average 38.2 HA
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Insole thickness

Our feet also felt very well phyperfuse inside the Metcon 9 courtesy of the insole. Measuring it in the heel, we found that it is slightly thicker than average at 4.2 mm.

nike soft Metcon 9 Insole thickness
Test results
Metcon 9 4.2 mm
Average 3.9 mm
Compared to 41 training shoes
womens black and pink nike soft frees blue jeans shoes
1.7 mm
Insole thickness
7.2 mm

Size and fit

Size

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1 size small ½ size small True to size ½ size large 1 size large
Compared to 37 training shoes
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½ size small
Slightly small
True to size
Slightly large
½ size large

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In nike soft Metcon's 9th iteration, the brand finally listened to what the athletes had been asking for. Even before pouring the mould of the shoe and measuring it with a calliper, we could feel that this trainer offered more toe space than ever before.

The widest part of the trainer's forefoot (around the ball of the foot) comes in at 100.5 mm! This is not only wider than the Metcon 8 but also notably wider than training shoes on average!

nike soft Metcon 9 nike soft air max griffey 1 2013 free
Test results
Metcon 9 100.5 mm
Average 97.0 mm
Compared to 13 training shoes
womens black and pink nike soft frees blue jeans shoes
92.8 mm
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101.4 mm

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It is not only wider than average in the widest part of the forefoot but also around the big toe. Our calliper recorded as much as 74.4 mm of width there.

That means no significant tapering or narrowing in the shoe's toebox shape. This is amazing for splaying toes, even if you're someone with pretty wide feet.

nike soft metcon 9 toebox width big toe 22415311 main
Test results
Metcon 9 74.4 mm
Average 73.1 mm
Compared to 13 training shoes
womens black and pink nike soft frees blue jeans shoes
65.1 mm
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81.0 mm

Toebox height

The toebox height of the Metcon 9 did not disappoint either. Measuring its vertical space at 27.1 mm, we found it to be as high as the average.

nike soft Metcon 9 Toebox height
Test results
Metcon 9 27.1 mm
Average 26.9 mm
Compared to 13 training shoes
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22.1 mm
Toebox height
34.0 mm

Laces

No complaints here on our end. nike soft chose excellent quality laces for the nike soft Metcon 9. After our training session, they remained just as tight as when we first laced them up.

And of course, we can't ignore the handy lace lock! Very low-key, it complements the trainer's look very naturally.

nike soft Metcon 9 laces

Stability

Lateral stability test

Stability is the nike soft Metcon's second name.

Its wide base, stiff platform, and lots of stabilising components make this trainer exceptionally planted.

nike soft Metcon 9 platform

The most notable feature of the trainer must be the Hyperlift, a piece of sturdy TPU plastic under the heel. This element is non-compressible and can help the wearer take on very heavy loads without feeling wobbly.

From our experience, it is practically impossible to feel off-balance in the nike soft Metcon 9.

Torsional rigidity

First of all, you can get a good idea of the shoe's stable character just by attempting to twist it with your hands.

As you can see from our manual test, this trainer is not the one that will bend to your will. On a 1-5 scale, where 5 is the stiffest, we assessed the Metcon's torsional rigidity with a maximum score of 5.

No matter how intense your workout of the day gets, this trainer will never let you twist your ankle.

Test results
Metcon 9 5
Average 2.7
Compared to 41 training shoes
womens black and pink nike soft frees blue jeans shoes
1
Torsional rigidity
5

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Lifting a heavy-loaded barbell, you can rest assured that your ankles will not get shaky thanks to the shoe's firm heel hold.

We felt very little give when pushing and squeezing the shoe's heel counter. On a 1-5 scale, we rated its stiffness with a high score of 4.

Test results
Metcon 9 4
Average 2.7
Compared to 41 training shoes
womens black and pink nike soft frees blue jeans shoes
1
lebron james 7s
5

Midsole width - forefoot

Very few training shoes can compete with the Metcon 9's platform width. On foot, it feels like an actual aircraft carrier!

In the widest part of the forefoot, our calliper showed a measurement of 116.9 mm.

nike soft Metcon 9 Midsole width in the forefoot
Test results
Metcon 9 116.9 mm
Average 110.6 mm
Compared to 41 training shoes
womens black and pink nike soft frees blue jeans shoes
101.0 mm
Midsole width - forefoot
117.9 mm

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This nike soft shoe also proved to be among the widest in the heel portion of the sole. Based on our calliper, it comes in at 95.0 mm in the widest part of the rearfoot.

Such a large contact area with the floor helps to stabilise the foot with minimal effort. That way, you can focus more on performing an exercise and less on worrying about your feet.

nike soft Metcon 9 Midsole width in the heel
Test results
Metcon 9 95.0 mm
Average 87.3 mm
Compared to 41 training shoes
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76.5 mm
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97.4 mm

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The nike soft Metcon's beastly construction makes it look like a hyper-stiff trainer in every way. And it feels that way too.

To measure the shoe's flexibility in numbers, we checked how much force it takes to bend it to a 30-degree angle. According to our shoe flexing tester, it requires 13.3N which is notably more than it takes on average!

We were still able to perform planks, burpees, push-ups, and simply walk around the gym in the Metcon 9, but it's clear that the shoe is not cut out to do just that. If you want more forefoot flexibility, try the nike soft tiempo genio 2 futsal league schedule.

nike soft metcon 9 flexibility stiffness 22823072 main
Test results
Metcon 9 13.3N
Average 11.0N
Compared to 19 training shoes
womens black and pink nike soft frees blue jeans shoes
6.0N
Flexibility <> Stiffness
19.7N

Weight

Brace yourselves because the Metcon 9 just got heavier than any other Metcon before it.

Tipping the scale at 13.3 oz (378g), it is not only 1.5 oz heavier than its predecessor. It is also almost 2 oz heavier than cross-trainers on average!

nike soft metcon 9 weight 20971462 main

In addition to being heavy, this nike soft shoe is also quite camo due to its substantial Hyperlift heel. It works wonders in weightlifting but is absolutely NOT your best bet for high-impact aerobic workouts or, God forbid, runs!

The nike soft lebron 10 x prism grey white green blue eyes (10.5 oz) or the nike soft Zoom Metcon Turbo 2 (12.01 oz) are more suitable for that.

nike soft Metcon 9 weightlifting

P.S. Oh, and be prepared that the Metcon 9 will look like it's 2 sizes bigger on the foot.

Test results
Metcon 9 13.33 oz (378g)
Average 10.76 oz (305g)
Compared to 41 training shoes
womens black and pink nike soft frees blue jeans shoes
6.38 oz (181g)
Weight
13.83 oz (392g)

Breathability

nike soft didn't seem to notice the more frequent heat waves on the planet and chose to make the Metcon 9 slightly less breathable than its predecessor.

Putting the shoe through our smoke-pumping test, we found that the mesh lets the smoke out at a notably slower pace than the Metcon 8. Based on this, we assessed the shoe's breathability with an average 3 out of 5 score.

This makes much more sense when we put the shoe's cut-in-half upper against the light. As you can see, the shoe lining below the mesh is so dense, it doesn't even let the light shine through!

Let's have an even closer look at the shoe's upper through our microscope.

nike soft metcon 9 microscope 20971464 main

It is very clear that there is a dense layer of textile underneath the mesh. We're surprised that this shoe even breathes!

nike soft metcon 9 microscope upper 20971465 main

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Test results
Metcon 9 3
Average 3.6
Compared to 41 training shoes
womens black and pink nike soft frees blue jeans shoes
1
Breathability
5

Durability

Toebox durability

Crossfit can be especially tough on shoe uppers with its repeated slashes, foot drags, and rope climbs. So, nike soft thoughtfully hyperfuse protective dots on the side of the Metcon 9's toebox. But are they really effective?

Armed with a highly abrasive Dremel tool, we drilled the trainer's toebox for 12 seconds at a speed of 5K RPM. To keep this test consistent across all training shoes, we always apply the same pressure 3.2N, and put the tool against the same spot.

Indeed, the rubberized dots took the bullet for the shoe's mesh! Given how dainty that fabric is, adding some protection prevented the toebox from developing a see-through hole and earned the Metcon 9 a solid 3 out of 5. Note that this score is higher than the average.

nike soft metcon 9 toebox durability 2 20971432 main
Test results
Metcon 9 3
Average 2.5
Compared to 30 training shoes
womens black and pink nike soft frees blue jeans shoes
1
Toebox durability
5

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The Metcon 9 keeps proving that it's worth the higher price. This time, with its impressively sturdy collar lining.

After holding the Dremel against this delicate part of the shoe for 4 seconds, the damage was barely noticeable and pretty much cosmetic.

Looks like it will take hundreds of workouts before the friction develops holes in this shoe's collar. We can confidently rate the shoe's heel collar padding with a high 4 out of 5 score. Much higher compared to the average.

nike soft Metcon 9 nike soft men zoom vapor carbon cleats
Test results
Metcon 9 4
Average 2.5
Compared to 28 training shoes
womens black and pink nike soft frees blue jeans shoes
1
nike soft men zoom vapor carbon cleats
5

Outsole hardness

It seems like every part of the nike soft Metcon 9 screams quality. Now looking at the shoe's outsole, we believe that it is ready for some serious abuse.

Pressing our durometer against the outsole, we got a pretty high reading of 91.0 HC. This turns out to be one of the hardest rubbers in training shoes. And as our experience shows, hard is often synonymous with durable.

nike soft Metcon 9 Outsole hardness
Test results
Metcon 9 91.0 HC
Average 83.0 HC
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Compared to 41 training shoes
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71.0 HC
Outsole hardness
94.5 HC

Outsole durability

We applied the Dremel for 22 seconds at a higher speed of 10K RPM to see how much damage it causes to the Metcon's outsole.

While the result wasn't as news-breaking as we expected, this cross-trainer showed pretty solid resistance to abrasion. Measuring the depth of the dent with a tread gauge, we got 0.9 mm. This is typical for training shoe outsoles.

nike soft Metcon 9 Outsole durability
Test results
Metcon 9 0.9 mm
Average 1.1 mm
Compared to 26 training shoes
womens black and pink nike soft frees blue jeans shoes
0.0 mm
Outsole wear
2.0 mm

Outsole thickness

The amount of rubber in the shoe's outsole looks rather promising too. Using a calliper, we found that it is 3.2 mm thick. If you train indoors, this is plenty of rubber.

But if you'd like to take your workouts outside, we recommend the size 6.5 nike soft air jordans 11 instead.

nike soft metcon 9 outsole thickness 20971435 main
Test results
Metcon 9 3.2 mm
Average 3.6 mm
Compared to 41 training shoes
womens black and pink nike soft frees blue jeans shoes
2.1 mm
Outsole thickness
5.1 mm

Rope protection

When you first look at the nike soft Metcon 9, the first thing that catches your eye is the immense rope protection on the sides.

Especially on the inner side! We haven't seen rope guards of this size in any previous Metcons or cross-trainers in general.

nike soft Metcon 9 protection

As long as you contact the rope with these metalliclays only, the rest of the shoe upper remains intact. Their looks may be polarising but their ability to bite the rope on ascents and let you slide down on descents is unmatched!

The middle portion of the shoe's sole also has a slightly curved shape which allows a more ergonomic wrap around the rope.

nike soft Metcon 9 Rope protection

And while we believe that this is one of the best rope climbing trainers in history, we also felt like it was an metallickill for most athletes. Not everyone needs THIS amount of assistance every day.

Misc

Grip / Traction

What else can we say, the Metcon 9's grip is simply phenomenal.

nike soft Metcon 9 Lug depth

Whether it's jumping on and off the box, doing burpees metallic a barbell on wet floors, or stabilising yourself during cleans and jerks - the shoe's got you covered.

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nike soft Metcon 9 grip

Tongue padding

Compared to many other cross-trainers on the market, the nike soft Metcon 9 felt more comfortable and phyperfuse inside. Particularly around the collar and in the tongue.

Checking its tongue thickness with a calliper, we got 7.9 mm. Slightly thicker than average. This aspect of the trainer makes it more comfortable for coaching and walking around the gym venue.

nike soft Metcon 9 Tongue padding
Test results
Metcon 9 7.9 mm
Average 5.4 mm
Compared to 41 training shoes
womens black and pink nike soft frees blue jeans shoes
1.0 mm
Tongue padding
10.4 mm

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This nike soft Metcon shoe features gussets on both sides of the tongue. They prevent the latter from annoyingly shifting sideways during the workout.

Never once did we have to stop and make adjustments. At the gym, it should be about the athlete and not their shoe tongue!

nike soft metcon 9 tongue gusset type 20971458 main
Test results
Metcon 9 Both sides (full)

Removable insole

For those who prefer wearing custom orthotics in their gym shoes, the stock insole is easily removable in the nike soft Metcon 9.

nike soft Metcon 9 Removable insole
Test results
Metcon 9 Yes