Metcon 10 Review: Nike’s Best Training Shoe Just Got Better

• Nike’s Metcon 10 delivers a lighter, more streamlined design with ReactX foam for stability, cushioning, and energy return.
• Tested at Sydney Swans HQ, the shoe proved versatile under heavy lifts, explosive sprints, and functional fitness movements.
• Athlete-driven insights from Nike’s Sports Research Lab shaped every detail, ensuring durability and performance for elite competitors and everyday gym-goers alike.

Last month, in Sydney’s Moore Park, one of the country’s elite sporting institutions played host to a training session like no other. But what else would you expect when Nike launches the latest iteration of one of its most-celebrated training footwear, the Nike Metcon 10.

The Sydney Swans HQ — a state-of-the-art complex with a fully equipped gym, soft mat recovery zones, and the same pitch the first team use for drills — was the backdrop, immediately setting the tone for the session ahead.

If I thought they were going to take it easy for the group of journalists who had gathered early on a Wednesday morning, I was mistaken.

Nike Trainer Shona Vertue led the warm-up, flanked by Swans stars Brodie Grundy and Taylor Adams, guiding us through dynamic stretches and mobility drills as we familiarised ourselves with our new kicks.

Finding myself in the company of professional athletes, I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to slack off at the back of the room. Unfortunately, they weren’t easing off, so neither were we.

Push-ups, burpees, lunges with kettlebells, sprints across the gym floor, the group, and more importantly, the Nike Metcon 10s, were put through its paces.

“It always comes back to listening to the voice of the athlete. That’s where innovation starts and ends for us.” Nike EKIN Michael “Osto” Osten told DMARGE.

“It’s about testing, trialling, improving, and looking for the best innovations. The training landscape has developed massively in the last few years—competitive, diverse, and constantly changing. We have to keep evolving our product to meet those challenges and solve problems for athletes.”

As someone who builds my week around training, whether running or in the gym, I’ve worn the Nike Metcon 9s before and loved them for their support and comfort. The first thing I noticed slipping into the Nike Metcon 10, though, was how much lighter and more streamlined they felt.

The engineered mesh upper breathes instantly, while the wider toe box lets your foot spread naturally under load.

That extra space came into play during lateral ski jumps, where every landing felt more controlled. Underfoot, the Hyperlift plate in the heel became immediately obvious — every drive anchored, every step deliberate.

“Stability is so important,'” Osto said. “So we think of that ReactX foam, it’s super lightweight, super soft and really responsive.”

“So really trying to help that athlete perform time and time again, that pressure going through their foot for things like box jumping, sprinting and all that kind of stuff. But it’s all about finding balance.”

Heavy Lifts and Dynamic Movement

Deadlifts, lunges, and squats followed, and the Nike Metcon 10 managed to balance the need for a strong foundation for lifting with enough give for quick movement.

You can feel it under load, yet when shifting laterally or moving quickly between exercises, the ReactX foam offers a responsive spring-back that keeps you moving cleanly.

The Nike Metcon 10 could also handle explosive movement impressively. Landings feel cushioned without being spongy, and energy returns quickly for the next jump. The flex grooves let the shoe adapt to every push-off. Even on the sweat-slicked floor, the traction held firm.

“Training is getting more intense,” Osto continued. “Even at the pointy end of athletes who use training as their sport. Across fit, functional fitness athletes, high-level strength and conditioning athletes, and everyday athletes, the diversity of movement is so intense.”

“Flexibility and stability are always evolving. It’s the job of the Nike Sport Research Lab and our design team to listen to the voice of the athlete and continually push the boundaries of innovation to make sure we’re meeting the needs of athletes globally.”

By the end of the session, the Metcon 10 had been tested in every conceivable gym scenario, and rather unsurprisingly, It didn’t falter once.

Inside, the Hyperlift plate, ReactX foam, and sticky traction combine to create one of the most versatile training shoes on the market. What impressed me most was how seamlessly these elements work together.

This is a training tool that feels considered at every level — the product of meticulous research, critical athlete feedback, and relentless testing.

“That’s the beauty of listening to athletes,”

Michael ‘Osto’ Osten, Nike EKIN

“Some can be super critical, but those in-depth insights can completely change the direction of a product.

“Running is a perfect example. When the Vaporfly came out, it was born from an athlete insight about protecting the body late in a marathon. The same applies to the Metcon: how do we support the athlete for lifting, but still make the shoe mobile enough for box jumps and sprints? It’s about covering all functions across diverse movements.”

Walking out of the Swans’ HQ, more than satisfied with fitting in an intense session before most people’s alarms had gone off, the improvements in Nike’s latest evolution were clear. The Nike Metcon 10 is a shoe born from insight, engineered for performance, and built to thrive in the unpredictability of real-world training — whether you’re an elite athlete or simply willing to put yourself under pressure.