The outsole of the Metcon 4 is designed with traction in mind. How does the outsole of the Metcon 4 help you with climbing ropes or run faster? The answer is the tri-star pattern on the outsole. The tri-star pattern helps dig into the surface that an athlete is on. As a training shoe the Metcon 4 is designed to help an athlete in many cross-training activities. The outsole is made with flexible rubber that helps allow the athlete’s foot to move naturally. When choosing the perfect shoe to cross train, it’s important to consider what types of exercises one would do during a typical cross-training event. The Metcon 4’s forefoot is designed to be stickier with better traction to help when it becomes necessary to push a sled. The outsole is also designed to flex better to give the wearer the ultimate ability to dig deeper into the surface that they are on to get more traction. The outsole of the Metcon 4 has been designed with the cross trainer in mind and lives up to Nike’s long history of winning.

Support and comfort of any shoe can derive from the midsole. The midsole of the Nike Metcon 4 is what Nike would call a “drop-in” midsole which basically means that the heel of the shoe is firmer and the forefoot of the midsole is softer to give a more comfortable, supportive feel. The midsole is a memory foam construction also known as EVA. The midsole is where the stability of the Metcon 4 is. Stability is very important especially when much of cross training is sprinting, which demands the most stability from a shoe. The midsole is an “offset” design means that athletes who wear these shoes will have the ability to be more stable when lifting weights or lunging, or even climbing ropes. The Metcon 4 is for the serious athlete who demands a supportive and comfortable midsole that enhances the athlete’s natural athleticism. As many amateurs and professional athletes alike begin to cross train, the need for a shoe that can offer support and stability. No athlete wants to lose at anything and especially their balance, but not to fear because the midsole in the Metcon 4 is ready and able to give you the competitive advantage.

Comfort has been a constant struggle for shoe companies because it remains a moving target. To define it words like breathability and support come to mind. The Metcon 4 is designed to do both of that in its upper part of the shoe. How does the upper provide support? The Metcon 4 uses a technology called Flywire. Flywire is a technology that Nike developed many years ago which implements Vectran (a type of thread) thread sewn through certain key parts of the upper that prevent the foot from slipping thus giving support. What is Vectran? Vectran was developed by NASA as an extremely thin thread that is thinner than a human hair, yet the tensile strength is stronger than steel. Vectran within the upper is most noticeable when pushing a heavy sled or climbing a tall rope. The upper of the Metcon 4 also keeps the athlete’s feet cooler than other cross trainers as the upper is made from mesh. The mesh upper has many reviewers of this shoe raving about how cool it keeps their feet. The Metcon 4 has the perfect combination of support and breathability.

Support is a key component in comfort and as many athletes will tell you, without comfort, exercise is painful. Nike has married the support and comfort throughout the shoe. The midsole gives support to the athlete with the “drop-in” midsole design. As mentioned before, this is the support that is firm in the heel providing support with every heel strike and soft cushion support in the forefoot. The support of the Metcon 4 also comes in the outsole. The out sole provides support by being flexible to conform to the foot and the surrounding environment. The upper part of the shoe is supported by strategically placed Vectran Flywire threads in places where support is needed the most. Cross training is all about support and the Metcon 4 delivers support throughout the shoe and with great support comes great comfort. Many who have purchased this shoe have talked about the shoe giving great support even through side to side movement which makes them perfect for not only cross training but also racquetball and tennis. Lateral movements in these sports require adequate support. The Metcon 4 is the perfect supportive shoe for cross training, weight lifting, running, or even tennis.

The Metcon 4 is a shoe that combines good looks with a cool feeling. Many shoes nowadays brag about how cool they keep athletes’ feet, but why not let the wearers tell it. The reviewers of the Metcon 4 state unequivocally that they definitely noticed an increase in breathability from previous models. How does the breathability work on such a cool shoe? The air-mesh material of the Metcon 4 surround the upper and goes through to surround the heel and ankle. Mesh has long been used to keep feet cool and it does an effective job by allowing the warm air rise from the feet and dissipates out through the mesh. The Metcon 4 breathes well and can keep even the hottest foot cool. The main goal of any athletic shoe should be to keep your feet cool and the Metcon 4 addresses this need and then some. Many athletes are looking for a shoe that helps them perform better look for a shoe that can breathe. The Metcon 4 mesh envelopes the athletes’ feet and creates an environment where worrying about being too hot is of no concern.

What makes a car go and what makes a person go? Traction. Traction on tires and traction outsoles can give the most passionate athlete the competitive advantage. The tread pattern on the Metcon 4 is a tristar pattern that gives a great bite in the concrete jungle. The forefoot is designed to be a sticky tread pattern that helps give the athlete a greater advantage when it comes to pushing heavy sleds. Traction is so crucial in cross training because many of the cross-training exercises are designed to improve another sport like running. What is a sticky rubber? Sticky Rubber was designed by Nike to improve the traction in the Metcon 4’s predecessor the Metcon 1. When athletes got a hold of this shoe, the results were in and Sticky Rubber was a hit. Sticky rubber grips the ground better because of its web-like design. On a smaller level, the rubber connects and grips the ground surface on a very small scale. Take that small gripping strength in a small area and multiply it all over the forefoot of the shoe. Whether you’re running your normal course or climbing a rope, the Metcon 4 is designed to improve your everyday work out and help you achieve your ideal race.

When Nike designs a shoe, they take the runner’s motion into consideration. Thinking about the natural motion that the foot goes through on a normal run, one can see how the Metcon 4 is a very flexible shoe. The flexibility factor of the shoe comes from the rubber outsole that flexes and bends with the athlete’s motion. The air mesh upper also flexes well. The Flywire Vectran thread that keeps upper supported, also has the ability to flex with the runner’s movement. Flexibility becomes a very important attribute when you think about the different exercises that many do to cross train. The forefoot of the Metcon 4 flexes to give the cross trainer the ability to push harder on the tips of their toes. The midsole, with its firm heel and soft and flexible forefoot, flexes with the natural shape of the foot. The main goal of any shoe is to provide comfort and protection. One of the best ways that shoe companies provide comfort is to be concerned with flexibility. Reviewers of the Metcon 4 were very satisfied with its ability to conform to individuals’ different feet. As Nike begins in this new century, the new focus of athlete comfort and being a full rounded shoe designer.

What would the longevity be on an upper echelon shoe be? When looking at the construction of the Metcon 4, the materials in the shoe are better than most shoes in its category. Rubber has remained the industry standard, but Nike improved it. By adding a tri star pattern, they’ve improved the durability of the shoe as well as the traction. NASA lent some of their technology in creating the Fly Wire technology which as mentioned before, is the Vectran which gives the Metcon 4 a tensile strength equivalent to steel. The durability of steel found in a pair of shoes may wow people but Nike athletes expect it from the company that gave us the swoosh. The six eyelet design which replaced the five eyelet design in previous Metcon shoes, dissipates the strain that laces can put on eyelets making them last longer. The Metcon 4 is a workhorse and will deliver to you the athlete whatever you put into it. The space-age technology makes this shoe a long-lasting shoe that an athlete will enjoy wearing for years to come.

The Metcon 4 is a shoe that is designed with both the amateur and professional athlete in mind. As Nike began its life as a sporting goods distributor turned shoe designer, the idea of helping athletes reach their full potential and taking them past it has never left their minds. As athletes continue to look for the next best thing and science continues to improve work out regimens, Nike will be a shoe company that will continue to improve their shoes. The Metcon 4 is the fourth edition of a long line of high-performance cross training shoes and it bears mentioning that it has quite the following. The outsole provides better traction than many in the industry with patented Sticky Rubber on the forefoot which provides runners and crosses trainers alike the ability to grip the ground better. The Flywire-infused upper gives the foot support and gives the shoe the durability to endure whatever the wearer can throw at it. The mesh upper that surrounds the heel give the wearer a feeling of a cool breeze while enduring the heat of the day or the sweat of a long workout. The Metcon 4 is the shoe that gives more than it takes.