There’s a bunch of options when it comes to choosing the right shoe for you to sweat in, and we’ve tried a fair few of them, but when Nike gave us the chance to road test their new Metcon DSX Flyknits, we couldn’t resist. I mean, how pretty are they? But do they stack up to their reputation? We wanted to find out. Oh and just a disclaimer, that not us in the image above – we were a lot less stylish and a lot more sweaty.
But why are the right shoes important for the right exercise? And does it reeeeaaaally matter? We asked Nike trainer Steph B for her opinion. “Basically, when you’re equipped with the right gear, you will perform better. To train at your hardest/fastest/strongest you don’t want distractions. So, if you’re wearing the right shoes, that’s one thing you don’t need to worry about and you can focus on your performance.”
Fair point. So what does she think of the new Nike Metcon DSX Flyknits? “The Metcon DSX Flyknits are a marriage between stability and flexibility. The stable base to launch from (or keep you grounded) with the comfort of Flyknit technology, I don’t even notice I am wearing them. So light, comfortable and badass!!”
So with that resounding praise we headed off to wear our new trainers for two intense workouts; one HIT class and one gym class. There was a tonne of strength exercises, some short sprinting, lots of stretches and some rowing machine to top it all off. The verdict? They are pretty damn great. And here’s why:
1. They support your ankle: We loved that they have a reinforced heal which makes your feet feel supported, even when you’re pushing them hard.
2. They grip hard: The sole is one continuous piece, with great tread. We were doing planks on medicine balls and our feet did not budge. At all.
3. They breathe: Well, more accurately, the Flyknit over your toes is flexible and it lets in airflow. We worked out on a 35 degree day and this little touch was a godsend.
4. They are multi-taskers: Love Crossfit but also distant running? Like weight lifting but also tabata? These guys have you covered.
5. They are pretty as hell: Yes, we know it shouldn’t matter. Yes, we know it’s about the performance. But these little feet homes are on-trend and they go with everything in our fitness wardrobe.
Would we buy some? Yep. Have we already started talking to our friends about them? Yep.
So as Nike say, Stop Exercising/ Start Training!*
* We had to ask Steph to explain that, btw. In her words, it means “a bold statement that empowers us to train like an athlete. When we think of exercise, we tend to think of a mindless, repetitive action that’s a bit of a chore. When we think training, we think of purpose driven drills and movement tailored towards achieving a specific goal.” Nice!
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