Every year, there is a company that whines about not being able to steal the thunder from Reebok at the Crossfit Games. But this one was kind of surprising. When the biggest shoe company in the world is crying for attention, heads turn. Let me give you a bit of the back story.

Reebok’s contract in 2010

Reebok signed a 10-year contract with Crossfit in 2010, so they are halfway through it. I don’t know all the details, but most relevant is that Reebok has the exclusive rights for competitor gear at the Crossfit Games. Athletes must wear Reebok apparel, and that’s the point of contention.

Let’s talk about what Reebok bought. Keep in mind that in 2010 there were about 1000 affiliates — today there are well over 11,000. And just a few years before, athletes were competing on a dirt patch in Aromas, CA. (BTW, Lisbeth Darsh tells wonderful stories about the evolution of Regionals and how the Games came to be.)

But let’s be clear: at the time, Nike barely knew Crossfit existed. So I think it’s kind of funny that they are complaining about not being able throw a couple thousand dollars at the Games and pretending they care about what we do.

Metcon is a cute shoe

Look, don’t get me wrong. I think the Metcon is a pretty shoe. But the Nano has benefited from years of development. It took Reebok a few years to produce its first version, and it was pretty clear that the priority was going to be function over form. It was a rugged shoe, not a pretty shoe.

So if you are the type to stand in line for the Air Jordan 116s, the Metcon might be for you. But if you want a good-looking shoe that can take a beating, the Nano should be your choice. Mine have run two Tough Mudders and six Murphs. I just pulled 435 pounds in my Nano 5.0s (in that link is a pick of the Nano Pump).

The bottom line is that we already have an all-purpose shoe that is far better than anything Nike dreamt up in the last 18 months.

Also, women WOD

Apparently Nike forgot this fact, since they neglected to make a women’s Metcon. Again, I think it’s funny that they are pretending they care about us when around 60% of crossfitters are women.

Whose call do you think Phil Knight answers?

Lebron James is on Line 1, Michael Jordan is on Line 2, and Greg Glassman is on Line 3. Yeah, me too. Greg’s going to be listening to hold music for a while.

Let me tell you about Reebok One. It’s on the campus in Canton, MA, and it’s like Crossfit Disneyland. Anything you can dream up to make WODs better, it’s there. When employees show up at Nike, I guarantee you Crossfit doesn’t enter their minds.

Greg Glassman won’t be waiting on hold for the CEO of Reebok.

Where was Nike when we needed soldiers?

When I started Eat To Perform, there weren’t a lot of people lining up to have my back, but Reebok was there very early on. Most partners tend to want to limit their downside. Not Reebok. When we do challenges or promos, we’ll ask Reebok for a little something. I can’t tell you how many times they’ve come back and offered something much grander than I could dream up (and let me tell you, I dream big).

So when the Metcon came out, there was a lot of buzz about the shoe. Make no mistake about it — I left money on the table. Even though I have a pretty close relationship with Reebok, they wouldn’t have begrudged me making a deal with Nike. That’s just business. But from my perspective, it’s hard to forget who had my back when no one else did. That applies to regional events and competitions throughout our sport. Nike didn’t know any of us existed in the beginning, and other than their interest in a handful of top athletes, I’d say that’s still the case.

What’s my point? It’s simple. Reebok helped build this house. Now Nike wants to come in and pretend they’re being slighted because one Trojan horse can’t wear their gear during the Games. Please. Get out of here with that noise and go back to your fashion shows. We’re over here grinding it out, and if you really cared, where were you when this thing was being built? Because Reebok was in the trenches with all of us.