Nanoporous metal foams (NMFs) have been a long sought-after class of materials in the quest for high-surface-area conductive and catalytic materials. Herein we present an overview of newly developed synthetic strategies for producing NMFs along with an in-depth discussion of combustion synthesis as a versatile and scalable approach for the preparation of nanoporous, nanostructured metal foams. Current applications of NMFs prepared using combustion synthesis are also presented including hydrogen storage and catalysis.