The Nike Metcon 9 and Adidas Dropset Trainer 2 are not the most running-friendly cross-training shoes on the market. Both of these shoes have more of a lifting bias with their construction. In wet and rainy weather the upper fabric collected the water and began to weigh down the shoe more than other running shoes with a thinner uppers do.

The Solar line up while intended to be more run oriented over fashion based, there are some questionable aspects of the upper in the Solar Ride. If you have additional construction-related questions about these shoes and how they compare drop a comment below and I can help clarify accordingly. Nike Metcon 9 Vs Adidas Dropset Trainer 2 SizingThe Adidas Dropset Trainer 2 features a slightly wider toe box that is designed to be a little more anatomical in nature. This shoe’s fit has aligned well for my medium to slightly wider foot width. Reviewing a budget-friendly running shoe can be challenging at times. Knowing that there are other shoes made by the same company which may alleviate some of the issues seen in the shoe can alter the way you think about a shoe and rating it. This stitching at times made the midfoot feel incredibly tight on some runs. It required more adjusting than other shoes to find a fit that felt right in the midfoot. To assess the construction differences between the Nike Metcon 9 and Adidas Dropset Trainer 2, I’m going to break this section into different parts. This will hopefully make it much more digestible and concise. Midsole

For daily wear, neither of these shoes is really my favorite. They’ll work fine, but with stable cross-training shoes, I’ll typically try to limit their daily wear use. Price: It probably sounds obvious, but there are links to the price you pay and the quality of a product. Try and set your expectations for the quality based on your budget. You wouldn’t expect a Rolls-Royce for the price of a Fiesta so bear this in mind when shopping.

COMFORT FOR INDOOR CYCLISTS

The Nike Metcon 9 has done a good job, but I’m actually not the biggest fan of this shoe for heavy single-leg training. I find that there’s a little more roll in the forefoot of this shoe regarding medial stability and I’m curious if others will experience this. I also like that this shoe has a built-in cutout in the midsole for additional ventilation. If you’re training outdoors or in hotter climates, then the Dropset Trainer 2 should help keep your feet relatively cool.

Another thing to like about the Metcon 9 and Dropset Trainer 2 for lifting is that both shoes have a slightly wider toe box. This has been a really nice change to see implemented by both companies regarding stability. The Nike Metcon 9’s toe box has been widened compared to its predecessors and there’s also more upper volume in this shoe compared to shoes like the Metcon 7 and 8.

Reviews of Adidas Solar Blaze

When it comes to value for the money, I think the Adidas Dropset Trainer 2 has more value. This model has a greater performance range and its updates feel more like “upgrades” compared to the Metcon 9’s tweaks. The Nike Metcon 9 can definitely work for versatile training but their performance will be best for versatile workouts where you’ll be primarily on the forefoot. This has been a nice sizing change because it should make the Metcon 9 more comfortable for a wider range of foot anatomies. Note, I said “think” because both of these shoes are still new to the market and we need more data points on them to know where their shortcomings are. However, based on my session thus far, these shoes have held up well. When it comes to general strength work, both of these models should work for a wide range of lifters. In both of these shoes, you’re getting dual-density midsoles which give each model a fairly stable feel when lifting.