Consumer Wisdom: Nike Free Metcon 3 Training Shoe

The Purchase: A Pair of Nike Free Metcon 3 Training Shoe

Over the past few years, I have gotten more into weight lifting. I often shifted from different forms of exercise; so, I always bought shoes that were generalized in function. For example, I wanted a shoe that would be comfortable to run in, play tennis in, and maybe a light hike. However, as I identified lifting as something I found a lot of joy in, I wanted something more tailored to that. Eventually, I bought the Metcon 5 training shoe. The sole was very thin and I found when I did my cardio workouts that it was not very kind to the arches of my feet. I realized I had over-committed to weight liftings' ideal shoes. Consequently, I started to look for a shoe that had more support but still was suggested for lifting and training. 

Metcon 5

After having a better understanding of what I wanted, I researched to find the match. This led me to the Nike Free Metcon 3 Training Shoe. My parents bought them for me as a holiday gift. We usually go on one trip as our collective gift; however, with COVID we stayed home and exchanged gifts in lieu of the circumstances.

Was the Nike Free Metcon 3 Training Shoes a "Wise Purchase?"

If you had asked me if this was wise prior to being introduced to the facets of consumer wisdom, I would have said it was absolutely a wise purchase. However, in retrospection, I would now say it was absolutely a wise purchase relative to me. Reading about the facets of consumer wisdom has expanded my sense of what is wise and what is not. I decided to analyze this purchase through the lens of each facet of consumer wisdom. 

Intentionality

For me, this was a very intentional purchase. As I discussed briefly before, I had made the wrong purchase initially when getting into weight lifting more. I bought a pair of shoes, the Metcon 5s,  that had very limited support. When I purchased those, I idealized weight lifting to an extreme. I did not consider how my cardio, albeit limited, would be impacted by the extremely flat shoes. So, the trait that resonated with me the most was "Reflects and learns from prior consumption choices and behaviors." I believe that this purchase was absolutely in reaction to a prior consumption choice. It was intentional in making sure that I had a pair of shoes that more accurately captured my exercise lifestyle. 

I think this purchase absolutely matches my lifestyle. I find a lot of happiness and stress relief from going to the gym; so, these shoes are very intentional in optimizing that experience. My time at the gym is supposed to make me happier; I was finding that my old shoes were causing problems and pain after the gym, causing stress from my source of stress relief. So, these shoes help me reach the lifestyle I want.

As far as personal resource management goes, I definitely yield to the fact that my parents bought these for me. Maybe a potential note is that I knew that those would be a big list item, so I asked for them with the understanding that these would be relatively it. But, I would not say this was something I considered very heavily- so maybe unwise of me. 

Contemplation

This was a choice that I contemplated over over the span of a few weeks. Again as stated above, retrospection of my past purchases was integral in identifying a shoe that was going to work for me. I also made sure to do my research on the shoes. I researched customer reviews, the top training shoes to the specifications I wanted,  and I also cross-compared to other similar shoes. When I narrowed in on these particular shoes, I made sure to go to the sporting goods store (a considerable drive away from my small town). I wanted to make sure that they felt comfortable and had the support I felt was missing from my last purchase. 

I would say that I utilized prudent reasoning, but I feel as though it could have been more in-depth than how far I went. I typically reside in the Nike pool of products. So, I feel like I could have done a more thorough analysis of other competitors. I really contemplated Nike products, not giving proper contemplation to other product providers. Something I will talk about in the openness facet shortly. 

Emotional Mastery

For me, I would say I did well relative to past purchases. I love buying shoes and clothes- and have certainly gone through adverse feelings, namely buyers remorse in the past. However, rather than idealize how I would exercise, I was honest with myself and understood that I needed a shoe that would expand outside of strict weightlifting. I spent a few weeks deciding on whether this was the right shoe: a very big exercise of patience on my end because I would usually go into the sporting goods store, think those look cute, feel okay for the five-minute try on, and then go for it. 

I love my shoes and this is a few months later; every time I put them on, I find a little bit of happiness. Moreover, I always notice the difference in my form and lack of pain when I am doing certain exercises. There is always the point that as I continue to do the same exercises, maybe it is that I am also improving in my abilities. But, I am still convinced the shoes have something to do with it.

Openness

 I would not consider this purchase an open purchase very much at all. I do not deviate very much when I look towards acquiring shoes. I burn through shoes so quickly and have injured myself from shoes that are worn out. So, buying sneakers second-hand admittedly is not something that I really have looked into very much at all. I also have not looked towards repairing shoes; again I am pretty averse to replicating my injury. But, I think I could be receptive to finding a shoe repair service for sneakers. 

Additionally, I looked at other brands besides Nike, but I knew that I would not purchase these. I am pretty brand loyal to Nike as far as shoes go. I feel like I could absolutely have picked a better, more sustainable company. But, I am a creature of habit. In that, I am not very wise at all. This would be my weakest performance in consumer wisdom. 

Transcendence

Honestly, I do not find this purchase to be incredibly transcendent. I like that Nike has dedicated itself to social justice issues and trying to create a more equitable tomorrow. However, that did not permeate into this decision very much at all. If anything the only thing that fits into the transcendence facet would be the compassion for myself. I find this purchase to be selfish- I did not really think of others when choosing this purchase. Reflecting on this purchase right now is a neat practice. In other purchases, I try to be as transcendent as possible. I never paid attention to how when it comes to sneakers, I really do not consider alternative options. I typically also buy, always from Nike, and never consider the ramifications of this purchase. I think this exercise is making me more cognizant of my consumption. How am I meaningfully sticking to my values if I am willing to sacrifice them for habit? 

In Conclusion

Overall, I really appreciated exploring my consumer wisdom. I think being more aware of what constitutes wise consumption, I have a lot to improve on. My score from the assessment we did indicates this too. I think the next time my shoes start to wear, maybe I will turn to see how to preserve their life. I also feel inclined to research more sustainability-focused brands. 

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