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 62

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

Nike Epic React Flyknit Review

5/5

Overall

When I first put these shoes on, I immediately knew they would be my next pair of shoes. They have loads of cushion and they keep me on my toes. When I run in them, it feels like running on a cloud. They are just so cushioned and soft on my feet compared to the shoe I wore last. I have worn them for maybe a month and my workouts have gotten exponentially better and faster. I think that with these shoes, my times can only go down. I haven't gotten to race in them yet but I am looking forward to my next race.

Anonymous runner · Jul 19, 2019

30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Energy Boost 3

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

Unwearable

3/5

Overall

Snug fit, soft and bouncy sole. It is possible that this shoe could have really been a good one. However, the rubber outing encompassing the the outside of the heel cup presents a major problem. These things will absolutely shred some peoples heels. I did 50ish miles in them before I could not take it any more. Seems like a form over function athleasure shoe which is something you really have to watch out with Nike lately. This is a big time try before you buy shoe. If you have to have a shoe with react foam in it, go with the Zoom Fly FK instead.

BurtReynoldsMustache · Jul 14, 2019

60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas adizero Boston 6

Comfort: 1/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 3/5

Truly Epic

5/5

Overall

I snagged these shoes for around $50, and they were very much worth it. The cushioning feels phenomenal during all paces and distances; it has a nice bouncy/springy feel, all while feeling soft and cushioned. However, it does get quite hot in the shoes (although that might be my fault for getting them in black) and their flyknit design makes them a little hard to get on. These are overall great shoes and I would highly recommend them, especially with the reduced prices now.

obsessedrunner · Jul 2, 2019

30 mpw came from the Brooks Ghost 11

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

A do-it-all type of shoe

5/5

Overall

The Nike Epic React is a fantastic daily trainer that is really responsive, lightweight, breathable and durable. The shoe features React Foam which gives it a springy yet we'll cushioned feel and weighs less than 9 oz. This shoe is excellent for runs ranging anywhere from 5k race pace to a slow recovery jog.

Anonymous runner · Jul 2, 2019

25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Beacon

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

Great option at the discount price

4/5

Overall

I grabbed these at the Nike Outlet for $90. I wouldn't pay a cent more, as I needed to mess with insoles to find something that would work (no such issue in Boost), and the exposed areas of the outsole look like they'll be gone completely by 200 miles. The bounce or response is nice, though. It's a fast shoe that would have been helped by a more substantive forefoot upper, instead of the Flyknit stuff that doesn't quite do it for me. That said, the way this shoe let my foot do its thing, instead of the Adidas Energy Boost saying "no, your foot will work like this" was nice. For straight runs where I want a bit of bounce, though, they'll do!

Anonymous runner · Jul 1, 2019

21 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Energy Boost 3