Nike MC Trainer 3 Review | Step In a Great Direction for This Line

Let me start this article by addressing Nike directly. Thank you for making this model a bit wider and tweaking the heel so it’s not as blocky for plyometrics and cross-training — it’s about time.

I’ve always felt like the MC Trainer was one of those fringe-budget trainers. It’s so close to being awesome but failed due to odd construction tweaks. For example, the original MC Trainer was decent, but then they released the MC Trainer 2 and added that odd strap and sharp heel.

The MC Trainer 3 has been a nice breath of fresh air and feels 10x better than the two did. I’ve deadlifted north of 400 lbs in these and pushed them in a wide range of cross-training workouts, and I’ve been pleasantly pleased with them.

They still have a few cons that come along with them, but for my friends who want to spend around $80 or less on trainers and have been thinking about these, you can progress confidently because they’re much better in the gym.

Training Stats In This Shoe

Lifting Sessions Logged: 16	Cross-Training Sessions Logged: 12	Total Miles Logged (Walking and Running): 12
Max Deadlift Performed In These: 415 lbs	Fave Exercises In These: Sled Pushes/Pulls, Box Jumps	Running: Broken up into 400-1,000 meter intervals
Max Barbell Lunge Performed In These: 195	Least Favorite In These: Skater Strides/Broad Jumps	Walking: 1-2 Mile dog walks around my neighborhood
Max Power Clean In These: 185	Are They Good for Classes: Average

Who Should Buy This Shoe?

1. The budget shopper who also wants quality. For $80, these are a solid investment, especially when looking at their materials and structure. They don’t feel “cheap” like other budget trainers from Nike (cough cough, Legends Essential).
2. You like to vary your training. This shoe works best for strength work blended with some cross-training. If you like to squat and deadlift, then jump or condition, you’ll be happy with these.
3. You’ve been a fan of the MC Trainers; however, you’ve always wished they had more width. The upper volume is much better in these — relatively speaking — and the toe box width, so they should work up to about an E, maybe EE-width.

Who Shouldn’t Buy This Shoe? And Alternatives

1. Flat feet stay away. These have a pretty pronounced arch, and you’ll notice that when training. I have regular arches, and I notice it pressing a bit into my feet. If you can’t stand arch support but want a Nike trainer, look into the Free Metcon 6 or Metcon 9. They feel less aggressive.
2. You like to run a lot in your workouts. If you’re someone who likes to tack on a mile or two pre and post-workout, I’d pass on these. I’ve run short intervals in them, and they’ve worked, but can feel a little dense. I’d suggest the Air Zoom TR 1 or Free Metcon models for a slight running bias.
3. You have a wider foot. If you pride yourself on having a toe box room and a spacious fit in your shoes, then you’ll want to pass on these. As mentioned above, these can work for E and maybe EE-width feet if we’re pushing it, but they don’t deliver that much width for EE+ feet.

Specs to Know

• Heel-to-Toe Drop: 4mm, allegedly (feels like 4mm)
• Weight: 10.15 oz (.36 kg/.8 lb for my size 10)
• Removable Insole: No, held in with light adhesive

How These Size and Feel

• Width: Medium/Wide(ish)
• Narrower Feet Sizing: True to Size
• Wider Feet Sizing: True to Size, 2E+ width feet pass on them
• Flatter Feet Sizing: These have some arch to them.
• Relative Sizing: Go with your normal Adidas, Puma, and Reebok sizes.

My Advice: For narrow, medium, and E-width feet, go true to size in these. Size them similar to your other Nike shoes. If you have EE+ width feet or flat feet, pass on them. I think they’ll be uncomfortable for you.

My Video Review, See Them In Action

If you have questions about this shoe and if they’re right for your training, please reach out here, on Youtube or via social media. Share some details about how you train and tell me about your foot anatomy.

Performance Assessment

For the MC Trainer 3, I pushed these shoes in three primary areas. I tested them for lifting, cross-training, and short runs, as that’s how most people will be training in these.

For Lifting, They’re Not Bad!

• I tell you what, for $80 or less, these have been great for my strength training needs. I’ve pulled over 400 lbs in them, have used them on heavy leg presses (475+ lbs), and have yet to have issues with stability.
• These have a medium-density EVA foam midsole that does a good job resisting compression without feeling overly dense and too firm, like the heel of the Metcon 9.

• There’s a medium rubber material that also adds a little stability to this shoe’s midfoot. I like this for promoting a little more arch support when hitting single-leg exercises. If you traditionally enjoy this, too, then you’ll resonate with this feature.
• The upper is secure enough to lock the feet down when doing things like cleans and snatches. If you need a shoe for hypertrophy, strength, and power exercises, then you’ll be fine with these. I never had spillover issues during my 185 lb clean complexes.
• I also like the outsole tread on these and how much grip they have on different lifting surfaces. On turf, rubber gym floors, and wooden platforms, I never had slip issues in this model.

• Takeaway: Call me impressed for a shoe that costs between $60-80, depending on sales. For beginners and intermediates wanting a shoe for strength work, these will work just fine.

Decent for Cross-Training, Still a Little Snug

• For cross-training, the MC Trainer 3 is a good “athletic-style” shoe in the gym. It ticks a lot of boxes that you want for workouts, including plyometrics, things like jump rope, and multi-directional exercises.
• This shoe is actually mentioned as my favorite budget pick in my article discussing my favorite HIIT shoes. I included it in that list for its versatility across multiple exercises and class-style workouts.

• The upper security is good enough to lock the feet down when doing kettlebell flows, jump rope, and things like sled pushes, pulls, and lateral drags. Honestly, I’ve been surprised with this since most budget trainers tend to have more give with cheaper materials.
• My one complaint with this shoe is that due to its narrower toe box and upper volume, it can feel a little restrictive for things like skater strides. That’s why I also don’t recommend them for wider feet.
• If you like a more supportive midsole and arch for cross-training, then again, you’ll like this shoe. It rivals old Nike trainers that have that more “athlete” feel to them on the feet.

• Takeaway: It’s not going to be your plushest ride for cross-training workouts, but it’s good enough for most contexts, IMO. It’s also one of the most budget-friendly cross-training with a lifting bias model out there.

Not My Favorite for Running and Walking

• I found this shoe to be best-suited for short interval runs. I tested them for distances that ranged between 400-1000 meters, and in this threshold, they worked fine.
• I mostly liked them for this distance because you’ll primarily be on your forefoot when running faster paces, so the chunkier heel isn’t really a factor in this scenario. This is also why I don’t mind this shoe for classes that have short interval runs programmed.

• If you’re wanting to run more than a mile or two at a time in this shoe, I think you’ll likely find them to run pretty dense. If you’re a forefoot striker, then you’ll be better poised to be the anomaly here.
• For daily wear, I didn’t love this and that’s mostly due to its width. It’s comfortable enough to wear out and about for errands, but I personally enjoy having more forefoot and upper space when using trainers for all-day wear.
• If you want a Nike training shoe for wearing all day and being on your feet for coaching or working retail, for example, then I’d look into the Free Metcon models or even the Air Zoom TR 1.

• Takeaway: For short runs that are programmed in WODs and classes, these can work okay, just keep a forefoot strike and you’ll be more comfy in them. When it comes to all-day wear, they’re just okay — not the comfiest trainer I’ve worn.

Final Remarks: Would I Buy Again?

I would, but I would probably go with a better colorway.

These have been solid shoes for the price, and when building out this review, I kept their price in mind the whole time to reflect the score awarded to this shoe.

Are these the best overall training on the market? No, but for $60-80, they hold their really well for lifting and cross-training. Plus, if you’re a beginner just getting into the gym, these can be a failproof budget option, in my opinion.

If you have additional questions on this shoe, drop a comment below or reach out to me personally on social media!