Nike Epic React

Name: Nike Epic React
Brand: Nike
Rating: 4.4 (28 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 7.8 oz · 10mm drop · 28/18mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Nike Epic React 2 replaced it

How it ranks

The Nike Epic React ranks below most daily trainers in our data. Looks and cushioning are its strongest sub-ratings. Value scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 28 runner reviews and 1 other rated shoe in the Epic React product line.

Below average

68/100

Overall

Below average 68

Appearance

Exceptional 99

Cushioning

Exceptional 97

Comfort

Decent 79

Durability

Below average 70

Value

Below average 61

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 will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

92/100

High 92

What runners say

“Rubber on outside of heel cup will absolutely shred some people's heels.”

3/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas adizero Boston 6

“If you get heel lift, you'll probably get achilles blisters because the heel is not very padded.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Sayonara 4

“Flyknit stitching can aggravate skin near achilles when new—use glide or lip socks until broken in.”

4/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Ultra Boost ST (Stability)

“Material is both cushioned and firm, protecting legs without feeling like running on pillows.”

5/5 Full review 80 mpw training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Sonic

“After hundreds of miles, no breakdown in upper and cushioning hasn't diminished.”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw came from the Nike LunarGlide 8

“Foam breaks down after 100 miles; rubber only on toe and heel.”

2/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

“After 120 miles each, don't show signs of wear and feel as bouncy as day one.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Launch 5

“Foam flattens after 3 weeks at 65 MPW.”

3/5 Full review 65 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35

“Cushioning unlike anything else—better version of that foam type.”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Levitate

“Perfect for tempo runs and track sessions—very easy to run fast in.”

4/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Ultra Boost ST (Stability)

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 Sep 14.

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 on 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 on sale, and value is its lowest-rated dimension at 3.8 out of 5.

Epic React rates 68. This shoe has high certainty. See how we rate shoes.

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.

Rating

40 60 80 100

68 2018 93 2019

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Epic React 2

2019 · 17 reviews

93 Excellent

91 Confidence
Epic React This shoe

2018 · 28 reviews

68 Below average

92 Confidence

Reader Ratings

28 ratings

5/5 16

4/5 7

3/5 4

2/5 1

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 7.8 oz
Release: 2018 Q1
MSRP: $160
Stack Height: 28mm heel - 18mm toe
Drop Height: 10mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Best shoe ever. For 3 weeks.

3/5

Overall

First run was fantastic. The foam was amazing, best foam I'd ever run in. It lasted about 3 weeks at 65 MPW. Then the foam is pretty flat and below average. Very poor durability, so not worth buying. It's not good for workouts, because it doesn't roll forward enough, it's not structured for speed.

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

Speedy Shoe

5/5

Overall

The Epic React is in my rotation for all types of runs, but I find myself gravitating to this one for tempo work. The shoe feels light and fast. It has the sock fit of some of the Nike line, which I find to be really comfortable once it's worked in. The shoe can actually feel a little sharp around the ankle, creating some hot spots early on. I've also found that it's easy to tighten the shoelaces too much, which can create some soreness on the top of the foot. Once again, the shoe feels very light but has plenty of cushioning on the sole to support me for longer runs. I can see this as a good marathon shoe for those people who don't want to wear flats. This is my second pair; the sole seems to wear down quickly. Durability would be an issue for me if the shoe were more expensive, but it's fairly easy to find on sale for less than $100. The colorways also make the Epic React a cool looking shoe. I would definitely recommend it.

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

Good for short runs and feeling fast, not my go to for anything over 5 miles.

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

An incredible amount of spring in the shoe makes this the most comfortable shoe I've ever worn. Pretty lightweight but has lasted me several hundred miles already.

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

I’ve run in Nike since late ‘70s. Ran D1 XC and Track. These are best ever yet. Perfect blend of support, cushioning and feather like weight. These are simply “fast feeling” shoes. Worn them for hundreds of miles and still show no signs of breaking down in the upper and the cushioning has not diminished. I have a few pair that I alternate between running and walking. I recommend these in strongest possible terms.

Anonymous runner · Jul 20, 2019

50 mpw came from the Nike LunarGlide 8