Best shoe ever. For 3 weeks.
3/5
Overall
epicTCK · Oct 24, 2019
65 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 1/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 1/5
Nike Epic React
Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 7.2 oz · 28/18mm stack · 10mm drop
Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Nike Epic React 2 replaced it
How it ranks
The Nike Epic React trails most daily trainers in our data. Looks and cushioning are its strongest sub-ratings. Value scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 28 runner reviews and 1 other rated shoe in the Epic React product line.
Below average
Confidence
How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.
Confidence
97 Very high
Based on
The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.
- Brand rating
- Our ratings
- External ratings
What runners say
“Rubber on outside of heel cup will absolutely shred some people's heels.”
“If you get heel lift, you'll probably get achilles blisters because the heel is not very padded.”
“Flyknit stitching can aggravate skin near achilles when new—use glide or lip socks until broken in.”
“Material is both cushioned and firm, protecting legs without feeling like running on pillows.”
“After hundreds of miles, no breakdown in upper and cushioning hasn't diminished.”
“Foam breaks down after 100 miles; rubber only on toe and heel.”
“After 120 miles each, don't show signs of wear and feel as bouncy as day one.”
“Foam flattens after 3 weeks at 65 MPW.”
“Cushioning unlike anything else—better version of that foam type.”
“Perfect for tempo runs and track sessions—very easy to run fast in.”
“Exposed outsole areas likely gone by 200 miles.”
“Foam feels rock hard; can't feel the claimed energy return bounce.”
“Great heel-to-toe transition, smooth and effortless at any pace.”
“Cushioning feels phenomenal at all paces with nice bouncy/springy feel.”
“Packs enough cushioning to be a workhorse everyday trainer at a weight lighter than most lightweight trainers.”
“Soft outsole caused hotspots and less responsiveness than desired.”
“Perfect blend of support, cushioning, and feather-like weight.”
“Not good for workouts—doesn't roll forward enough, not structured for speed.”
“Can feel sharp around the ankle, creating hot spots early on.”
“Energy return is great and makes you feel light on your feet.”
“Flyknit upper makes feet cold in rain but cools in hot temps.”
Prefer this shoe over another
50% 14/28
Where to buy
No offers available
Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.
Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.
Pros
- Reviewers describe the React foam as bouncy and well cushioned, and rate cushioning 4.6 out of 5.
- Averaging 7.2 oz across the men's and women's builds, it is lighter than the 8.9 oz median for daily trainers for sale, and reviewers still find it cushioned for long runs.
- Reviewers use it for easy miles, tempo work and races.
Cons
- Several reviewers report the sparse outsole rubber wearing quickly, one seeing the exposed areas nearly gone by 200 miles.
- Several reviewers find the knit upper irritates the heel or Achilles, one giving up on the shoe after about 50 miles.
- It lists at $160, above the $150 median for daily trainers for sale, and value is its lowest-rated dimension at 3.8 out of 5.
Rating & Confidence vs. other shoes for sale
Each dot is one rated shoe for sale, placed by its rating and by how much evidence sits behind it. Shoes toward the top right are both well rated and well established.
Better Shoes Rating
Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Nike Epic React
Each dot is one version of the Epic React, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.
Release year
-
2019 · 17 reviews
86 Good
93 Confidence
-
Epic React This shoe
2018 · 28 reviews
69 Below average
97 Confidence
Specs & fit
Sizing and ride details at a glance.
- Weight
- 7.2 oz
- Men's / women's
- Men's 7.8 oz · Women's 6.6 oz
- Release
- 2018 Q1
- MSRP
- $160
- Stack
- 28/18mm
- Drop
- 10mm
Runner reviews
Speedy Shoe
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Aug 13, 2019
50 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 5/5
Great shoe but not the best
4/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 29, 2019
40 mpw came from the HOKA Clifton 3
- Comfort
- 3/5
- Cushioning
- 4/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 4/5
Nike Epic React
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 28, 2019
25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 17
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 4/5
Best ever by Nike and run Nike since 1977
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 20, 2019
50 mpw came from the Nike LunarGlide 8
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 5/5
Alternatives
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Compared to other shoes
See how this shoe compares to others like it.
Nike Epic React In Context
Reviewers Also Ran In
- Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34 3 runners
- Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35 2 runners
- adidas Energy Boost 3 2 runners