Nike Epic React 2

Name: Nike Epic React 2
Brand: Nike
Rating: 4.6 (16 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 7.9 oz · 10mm drop · 28/18mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock.

How it ranks

The Nike Epic React 2 is one of the strongest 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 17 runner reviews and 1 other rated shoe in the Epic React product line.

Excellent

93/100

Overall

Excellent 93

Appearance

Exceptional 98

Cushioning

Excellent 95

Comfort

Good 83

Durability

Decent 79

Value

Decent 79

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

91/100

High 91

What runners say

“Very well-cushioned trainer considering its exceedingly light weight”

5/5 Full review came from the Nike Epic React

“The flap that replaced the tongue would get bunched up and uncomfortable when tied tight”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Under Armour Charged Bandit 3

“Version 2 seems to have a little firmer ride, and also carries a beefed-up outsole to improve durability”

5/5 Full review came from the Nike Epic React

“The thin tongue is just flyknit material, and a little cushioning here, especially on longer runs, would be nice”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 19

“Fairly durable (can probably get more than 300 miles before they start to deteriorate)”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 19

“Still very comfortable to run in and the tread material is still intact”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Under Armour Charged Bandit 3

“Soft without being mushy, light and comfortable”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

“It's very slippery with not that great of traction”

4/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 12

“The tread is a little slippery on wet trail conditions”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

“The bottom soles wear out really fast”

5/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike LunarGlide 8

Prefer this shoe over another

59% 13/22

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

At 7.9 oz, reviewers call it light and well cushioned.
Reviewers say it feels best when picking up the pace.
Appearance rates 4.8 out of 5, the strongest dimension here.

Cons

Three reviewers report the outsole wearing away sooner than expected, and durability is the weakest dimension at 4.2 out of 5.
Two reviewers find the tread slippery on wet ground.
Three reviewers find the thin tongue or the stiff heel irritating early on.

Epic React 2 rates 93. 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 This shoe

2019 · 17 reviews

93 Excellent

91 Confidence
Epic React

2018 · 28 reviews

68 Below average

92 Confidence

Reader Ratings

17 ratings

5/5 11

4/5 6

3/5 0

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 7.9 oz
Release: 2019 Q1
MSRP: $150
Stack Height: 28mm heel - 18mm toe
Drop Height: 10mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Overall good shoe.... Very long-lasting and comfortable.

4/5

Overall

Overall, the Epic React Flyknit 2 is one of the nicest pairs of running shoes I have owned. I have put around 400-ish miles on them, and they are still very comfortable to run in and the tread material is still intact. These shoes are very good for both distance runners and sprinters, as I have done fast 200's as well as 10 mile runs in these shoes with no problems. It is also a very attractive shoe, especially for the purchase price ($75). One area that leaves something to be desired is the tongue-or lack thereof. When I first bought these shoes, the flap that replaced the tongue would get bunched up and uncomfortable when I tied the shoes tight, and it took awhile for the shoe to adjust to my foot size. Also, the back of the shoe is very rigid and caused some discomfort for me, but this irritation has subdued. I plan to purchase these shoes again in the future.

Anonymous runner · Dec 28, 2019

40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Under Armour Charged Bandit 3

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 2/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

A pleasant surprise

5/5

Overall

I got back to running after a break of almost 5 years. I decided to get something proven, as I did not want to spend too much time researching all the available technologies on the market. I got the Nike Air Pegasus 35. They seemed a bit dull and slow, so I decided to try something else. Despite the fact that React is supposed to be in the leisure category, it was the successor of Lunarlon, a cushioning technology I prefered back in the day. The result - I love the shoes! I don't care if they are as durable (look great after roughly 40k) - they simply perform! I get better training times regardless of distance (between 1 and 6k) and condition.

gmv030 · Sep 10, 2019

came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Nike really nailed it with the Epic React 2

5/5

Overall

Until recently, Nike shoes were always too narrow or, if I tried a wide-width, too ill-fitting. The Epic React Flyknit 2 fits true to size (the previous model ran a little small), is super cushioned, fairly durable (can probably get more than 300 miles before they start to deteriorate), and are great for a range of runs/races. The one criticism (other than the cost), is the thin tongue. It is just flyknit material, and a little cushioning here, especially on longer runs, would be nice.

Anonymous runner · Aug 12, 2019

30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 19

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 4/5

Minor changes from version 1

5/5

Overall

Very similar to the first version of the Epic React Flyknit. Version 2 seems to have a little firmer ride, and also carries a beefed-up outsole to improve durability. The heel counter is a little thicker and made of a more rigid plastic material and the fit seems ever-so-slightly wider than version 1's. I've packed a lot more miles than I originally expected on the first generation Epic React Flyknit, and at first glance, the second version is built to last even longer. All in all, this is a very well-cushioned trainer considering its exceedingly light weight. My size 11 version 1 weight 8.6 oz, size 11 in version 2 is 9.1 oz - so these are a bit heavier.

Anonymous runner · Jul 23, 2019

came from the Nike Epic React

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

A handsome running shoes!

4/5

Overall

Very well-cushioned and I felt like i’m walking on clouds in them! The top knit part of the shoes hugs my feet snugly and comfortably although at times, I do a lil’ insecure bcoz it’s juz so lightweight compared to the bottom part of the shoes (despite it not being heavy either, it’s juz relatively). The heel collar is a lil’ high and had caused abrasion on the back of my heels when I wore low cut socks.

Anonymous runner · Jul 20, 2019

10 mpw came from the Under Armour Speedform Apollo 2