Fashion, fitness, and sneakers. That’s what’s surrounding my life lately. They’re similar interests but individual on its own. Well, it’s about to mesh together beautifully, courtesy of the almighty swoosh. This cross convergence of genres executes through a new addition to the popular Nike Metcon sneaker, the Metcon DSX Flyknit. So, what you may ask, is a metcon? Metcon stands for metabolic conditioning. In simpler terms, it’s fast, constantly-varied, high-intensity workouts. Yes, it’s Crossfit. But, it’s also functional fitness, which is what I have been steadily moving towards since the last couple of years.
Nike’s infamous Metcon sneaker recently diversified into three sub-models – the updated Metcon 3, the Metcon DSX Flyknit, and the Metcon Repper. All three models were designed for the different ways on how you train. As mentioned above, I’ll be focussing on the DSX Flyknit because it represents in my eyes, fitness and fashion.
Nike’s flyknit finally arrives in a functional fitness shoe. Its definitely a first but naturally, I was skeptical on whether it could handle the abuse typically found with metcon-based WODs (workout of the day). Would it be durable to withstand rope climbs? How about oly-lifts? Did it have adequate support? As an athlete, I needed these answered. But as a self-confessed Nike fanboy, I just needed an excuse to lace up a pair!
So, here’s my first impressions. The DSX is light. Exactly what I expected since it received the flyknit treatment. It’s very comfortable and simply walking around my local gym convinced me this could easily serve double-duty as a lifestyle shoe. I ran through some mobility drills and warm ups and again, the DSX felt great.
About that performance. Well, full disclosure here. I didn’t get to subject it to something as arduous as the Murph WOD. However, I did go through some basic movements such as box jumps, wall-balls, burpees and bodyweight squats. Handled it all like a champ. In fact, it felt really good to be able to jump with something so light with flex. However, that all changed when I started doing movements such as dumbell squat cleans, especially in high-reps. You really notice the forefoot flex and the amount of give for lifts like that. With my Metcon 1, I had a lot of rigid stability and never noticed any flex under stress. I guess that’s the compromise once you move into flyknit territory. I wasn’t disappointed, just simply caught off-guard.
Nice little motivational easter egg on the sole – Get Stronger Everyday. Words to live by for every discipline.
So, million dollar question – are these the shoes for you? If you’re looking to smash oly-lifting PRs (personal records) or easily nail movements that require extreme stability and foot planting – no. You’ll have to put on your fave oly lifters for those goals. But, if you need a great overall Crossfit or functional fitness performer, the DSX will serve you well and even looks great on the foot. For now, I’ll be keeping the DSX within my training footwear rotation. However, for serious lifting, I’ll be getting myself into a pair of Metcon 3 eventually. By that time, I hope to have a comparison to report on later.
Want to see more? You can check out some bonus content on my my Instagram feed. The DSX should be trickling onto retail shelves or you may order at Nike online.
Twitter & Instagram: @therealdavidsoo
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