Nike Metcon 6 Shoe Review

Here’s our review of the Nike Metcon 6 – the newest CrossFit style training shoe from Nike for 2020.

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Side Quarter Right — It’s here! Nike has released the regular edition Nike Metcon 6. This training shoe looks HOT, but keeps you COOL – read on to find out how.

What’s new with this shoe as compared to the Nike Metcon 5?

Not that much – but that’s OK because the Nike Metcon 5 was really, really good.

Nike Metcon 6 Versus Nike Metcon 5 Side by Side — The Nike Metcon 6 is a lot like the Nike Metcon 5 (the black shoe in the background) – with one BIG difference.

Read on to find out what the changes and improvements are.

Spoiler alert: The Nike Metcon 6 was our top pick of the Best CrossFit Shoes for 2020.

Here’s some of the styles we are going to look at:

Nike Metcon 6 Men's Available now is the launch colorway of the Men's Nike Metcon 6. What's new? The upper is super-breathable - and this shoe looks HOT!

Click To See Price (Rogue Fitness)

Nike Metcon 6 Men's Also available in Black/Anthracite/Metallic Silver.

Click To See Price (Rogue Fitness)

Nike Metcon 6 Women's Available now is the launch colorway of the Women's Nike Metcon 6.

Click to See Price (Rogue Fitness)

Nike Metcon 6 FlyEase (Black/White/Light Solar Flare Heather) Nike brings FlyEase to the Metcon shoe line for the first time ever.

Click to See Price (Road Runner Sports)

Nike Metcon 6 - Men's (LT Smoke Gray/DK Smoke Gray/Summit White) Nike Metcon 6 - Men's

Click to See Price (Road Runner Sports)

Nike Metcon 6 - Men's (White/Black/Gum Dark Brown/Gray Fog) Nike Metcon 6 - Men's

Click to See Price (Road Runner Sport)

Nike Metcon 6 Shoe Review – Video Review on our YouTube Channel

Why read when you can watch? Check out this video from our YouTube channel:

Nike Metcon 6 Shoe Review – Overview

Let’s go through an overview of the Nike Metcon 6.

This is one of 2 launch colorways for Men – it’s technically called “Black/Limelight/Gum Medium Brown/Limelight” but I’m calling it the Nike Metcon 6 camo.

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Side 2 of 3 — The Nike Metcon 6 Camo – one of two color options available at launch for Men. It looks HOT!

It might look hot, but it is going to keep you cool.

This shoe has an all-new upper, and it’s very breathable. Nike claims it is 18% more breathable than the Nike Metcon 5.

How is this feat performed?

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Upper — Here’s a closeup of the upper on the Nike Metcon 6.

The upper has very large perforations in it – so big that the sun shines through.

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Breathable Upper — Looking inside the shoe you can see the sunlight up in the toe area.

So, the breathable upper is the big difference from last year’s Nike Metcon 5.

But to be honest, Nike put so many great performance features into the Nike Metcon 5 I’m glad they didn’t mess with success.

Let’s review those great performance features.

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Midsole and Hyperlift — What’s on the inside? A dual density drop-in midsole is made from two different kinds of foam – one firm (heel) one squishy (forefoot). This gives you cushion where you need it.

The removable midsole of the shoe (that’s the part between the outsole and your foot – is made from 2 kinds of foam.

The heel is stable and firm – so you can squat, deadlift, clean, snatch on a firm foundation.

The forefoot of the midsole is a much more cushioned foam – and that’s great for sprints, jump rope, box jumps, and more.

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Midsole Cushion — Nike has included some durometer stats on the midsole. The forefoot is more cushioned.

What’s the heel to toe drop? I think it is 4 mm, but that’s not a published number.

(I’m basing that on the fact that most of the shoe seems to be unchanged from last year’s Nike Metcon 5.

The Hyperlifts are back too. These small, firm, drop-in wedges can give you an additional 8mm of heel to toe drop (for a total of 12) in the Men’s shoe and an extra 6 (for a total of 10mm) in the women’s shoe.

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Midsole drop-in — The hyperlift goes under the midsole – and when it’s in place it gives you more heel raise. Great for squats, thrusters, and pistols.

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Sole — Here’s the all-rubber outsole. It’s crazy tough. The forefoot rubber is stickier for better traction. You can see the color has changed a bit already . The heel is firm rubber – for heavy weight lifting.

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Side View — From the side you can see the rope wrap. This is where the tough rubber sole wraps up around the shoe. Great for grip on rope climbs, and it’s super tough too. This ensures the friction from the rope doesn’t destroy the upper.

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Laces and Flywire — The Nike Metcon 6 has laces and Flywire. The Flywire are the small threads that loop around the base of the laces. These help ensure a nice, locked in fit through the midfoot.

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Upper Closeup 2 — Here’s another closeup of the midfoot area and the Flywire.

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Collar Closeup — The collar is low, as it was last year. My only complaint here is that once you add in those hyperlifts, I get a slight sensation of heel slippage.

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Heel Closeup 2 — The big Metcon M on the heel looks good. The heel clip at the bottom (shiny) is tough TPU plastic with a minimal edge – for low drag on HSPUs.

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Sunshine through the upper — One more photo of the sunglight shining through the large perforations of the upper.

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Side Left — THe NIke Metcon 6 looks good and carries forward all my favorite parts of the Nike Metcon 5. The breathable upper is a nice change too – I workout in Florida – in a garage with no A/C.

Nike Metcon 6 Shoe Sizing

The Nike Metcon shoes are somewhat narrow in the toe area.

I wear a Men’s Size 11 (US) in all my Nike running shoes, and in most shoes from Reebok, UA, Adidas, etc.

But for the Nike Metcon 6 i went 1/2 size up.

Why? Because just like it’s predecessor (the Nike Metcon 5) it’s a bit tight and cramped up in the toe area.

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Side Quarter — Go 1/2 size up on the Nike Metcon 6 – the toebox is a bit narrow and cramped.

As such they are tiny bit long, but I’d rather have shoes that are slightly too long than slightly too narrow.

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.

Therefore, I’m recommending you go 1/2 size up on the Nike Metcon 6.

Having said that, if you have the Nike Metcon 5 and you are OK with the fit and feel – get the same size.

As we’ll discuss shortly, they are basically the same.

Nike Metcon 6 X aka What the Metcon aka Metcon Knows

Nike just dropped a crazy new colorway known as the Nike Metcon 6 X.

Nike Metcon 6 X - What The Metcon — The Nike Metcon 6 X is the wildest CrossFit shoe for 2020 – there’s no doubt about that.

It’s also been referred to as the “What the Metcon?!” or the “Metcon Knows” edition.

It’s an amalgamation of styles from Metcon shoe history.

It’s a unique looking shoe to say the least!

Nike Metcon 6 X translucent outsole — They brought back the translucent outsole from last year’s Mat Fraser Special Edition.

If you want to see more, check out our full review of the Nike Metcon 6 X.

Nike Metcon 6 Versus Nike Metcon 5

Nike Metcon 6 Versus Nike Metcon 5 Upper — In contrast, the upper of the Metcon 6 has holes that you can see through (yes, really).

Nike Metcon 6 Versus Nike Metcon 5 Breathable versus not — Metcon 6 let’s the light shine through (see it in the toe area?). The 5’s upper is two layers, and quite dense – no sunlight shines in. Nike says the 6 is 18% more breathable – but I’m guessing it might be much more than that.

Nike Metcon 6 Versus Nike Metcon 5 Sole to Sole — Beyond the upper, everything else is carried over unchanged from the Metcon 5. The all-rubber, flat, super grippy outsole is still there. Same shape, same diamond wide heel, flex grooves, etc.

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.

As such, I believe the 6 is the same 4 mm heel to toe drop that the Nike Metcon 5 is.

Nike Metcon 6 Versus Nike Metcon 5 Side by Side 3 — 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.

Nike Metcon 6 Versus Nike Metcon 5 Side by Side 2 — 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.

How about sizing?

Well, it’s the same shape and size as the prior shoe – so I’m recommending to go 1/2 size up to get comfort in the toe area.

My normal size of 11 is just too cramped in this shoe.

(I wear an 11 in just about every other Nike shoe – and shoes from other brands like Reebok, UA, etc.)

Nike Metcon 6 Versus Nike Metcon 5 Heel to Heel — 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.

Nike Metcon 6 FlyEase Review

For the first time ever, Nike brings FlyEase technology to the Metcon line of shoes.

How does it work?

It’s like the regular Metcon 6 but it has a collapsible heel.

Nike Metcon 6 FlyEase Collapsible Heel — The plastic support is labeled "step". It’s very flexible and will pop back into place.

You use one foot to compress the heel (where it is labeled “Step”), then slide the other foot in.

It’s just as easy to take the shoe off – all without using your hands.

What’s the tradeoff?

Nike Metcon 6 FlyEase Versus Nike Metcon 6 — 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.

The FlyEase version of the shoe feels quite loose in the heel.

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.

FlyEase works exactly as described by Nike, just consider whether you really need this capability – because you are going to sacrifice a little bit of secure fit for it.

Closeup of FlyEase — Close-up of the FlyEase heel.

Can You Lift Weights in the Nike Metcon 6?

Yes, you can lift weights in the Nike Metcon 6.

The heel is firm and stable.

Heavy squats (barbell), front squats, back squats, cleans, jerks, snatches – you can do it all.

In fact, the heel is so firm and dense, these shoes make a “clip-clop” sound when you walk – Just like Oly lifters! (But not nearly as loud).

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.

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?

Can you run in the Nike Metcon 6?

Yes.

You can run in these, but remember that the heel (which is firm, stable) doesn’t have much cushion.

If you are a heel striker you are going to get more jarring impact because of this.

There’s more cushion in the forefoot, but even then I’d call it a moderately cushioned shoe.

Overall, these are OK for SHORT runs – think CrossFit WOD style running like 400m, 800m, etc.

I wouldn’t recommend these for a 5K and certainly not for running on a daily basis.

What do I recommend for running? Get real running shoes.

Nike Metcon 6 Versus Reebok Nano X

Let’s compare the Nike Metcon 6 to the other big CrossFit shoe for 2020 – the Reebok Nano X.

Nike Metcon 6 Versus Reebok Nano X outsole to outsole — The Reebok Nano X uses the same split-outsole that was on the Reebok Nano 9. Flat, all-rubber, and tons of grip. The Nike Metcon 6 also carries forward the outsole from the 5. Both are good, but the Metcon 6 has more rope climbing potential – I think.

Nike Metcon 6 Versus Reebok Nano X Heel comparison — Looking around the heel we can see that the collar is much higher on the Reebok. It’s also got a lot of padding. The Reebok feels bulkier because of this.

Nike Metcon 6 Versus Reebok Nano X Width 1 of 1 — From here you can see that the Nano X is taller, but more importantly – look at the toe area – it’s much wider. This is a very comfortable shoe for those with wider feet.

Nike Metcon 6 Versus Reebok Nano X Toe to Toe — One more shot of the width difference – because that’s a big deal – if you need it. The Reebok is a Men’s Size 11, the Nike is an 11.5

Nike Metcon 6 Versus Reebok Nano X Breathable upper — Here’s the other big difference – the upper on the Nano X is very stretchy and comfortable, but not as breathable as the Nike. Here you can see the sunlight shining through the Metcon 6, but not through the upper of the Nano X. The flip side of this is that walking in dewy grass in the Nike means your socks are wet.

Nike Metcon 6 Versus Reebok Nano X Side by Side 2 of 2 — 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.

Nike Metcon 6 Men’s Updated

To supply higher intensity to your workout, the all-purpose cross-training shoe now added two more different sets of colors – LT Smoke Gray/DK Smoke Gray/Summit White and White/Black/Gum Dark Brown/Gray Fog. They give you the same comfort, support, grip, stability, and breathability but a different look.

Nike Metcon 6 Men LT Smoke Gray / DK Smoke Gray / Summit White quarter view left pair

From CrossFit to jump rope and sprints to the rock wall, Nike Metcon 6 is a superior training shoe that delivers well across a series of activities. Metcon 6’s standout feature is its improved airflow that conquers all the difficulties of different kinds of workouts.

Nike Metcon 6 Men White / Black / Gum Dark Brown / Gray Fog quarter view left pair

Nike Metcon 6 Shoe Review – In Summary

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Side Front — Nike Metcon 6 Camo

Photo Credits

Some product photos on this page are property of Nike.

This website is not affiliated or associated with CrossFit, Inc. CrossFit is a registered trademark of CrossFit, Inc.

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Side 1 of 3 — Nike Metcon 6 Training Shoe for CrossFit

Affiliate Disclaimer

We are an affiliate of Rogue Fitness and others that sell this shoe. If you buy the Metcon 6 after clicking the links in this article, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us to bring you in-depth information and content on these great training shoes.

Nike Metcon 6 Camo - Left Single — Nike Metcon 6

Tim

Tim is the founder of FitAtMidlife.com – an avid gym rat for 30+ years, he’s a reviewer of many, many shoes – and founder of the Speed Bag Gathering – the world’s only gathering of speed bag punching enthusiasts. See more gym reviews at Tim’s YouTube channel.