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

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Reader review

5/5

Overall

Excellent shoe, great cushioning and response, but the fit of the upper feels a bit uncomfortable.

Anonymous runner · Oct 2, 2018

30 mpw training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 19

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

Epic React - Durability a small question but overall amazing feel!

5/5

Overall

The upper is like a sock, the only issue for some people is that it can be restrictive if you're foot is too wide. I've got an average sized foot and it fits me like a glove. The cushion is unlike anything else I've worn, the closest feelings being Brooks Levitate, Adidas SolarBoost, Saucony Freedom, but I think it's a better version of this type of foam.

Anonymous runner · Sep 21, 2018

25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Levitate

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

React Foam lives up to its name

4/5

Overall

Intrigued by Nike's latest foam and wanting to compare it with UltraBoost, I picked up the Nike Epic Flyknit React shoes in April and used them for a Ragnar Race and for Nike's own React 10K in Los Angeles. During training and racing, I found the shoes to be instantly comfortable and to feel very fast. The Flyknit stitching can aggravate your skin near your achilles when it's new so it's best to put glide on or wear socks that have a lip on the end until they're broken in. They have the feel of lightweight trainers but the durability for reasonably long runs. In terms of durability, the upper Flyknit still holds my foot just right after 3 months. The foam itself seems to feel about the same even after 150+ miles. The small pieces of rubber (especially the rear piece) have shown pretty decent wear. The shoe can be a little slippery when the bottoms get wet. The weight of the shoe is great and they're perfect for tempo runs, track sessions, and even races. They're very easy to "run fast" in.

groovc · Jul 17, 2018

35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Ultra Boost ST (Stability)

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

Nike Epic React Flyknit: Good for beat-up legs!

5/5

Overall

I picked up a pair of these after reading about the new "react" material in the shoe. This material is different than typical EVA shoes, different from Adidas Boost, and also significantly different from past Nike Lunar-X shoes. That is, the material is both cushioned and firm. It protects your legs, yet it does so without making it feel like you are running on pillows. I tend to prefer minimal shoes; I often train in so-called racing flats (e.g. Saucony Type A or Mizuno Wave Ekiden); so I wasn't sure if this would be too much shoe for me. But they have entered my regular rotation for days when I am otherwise feeling too beat-up. A nice addition to the Nike line-up!

thrasyllus · Jul 12, 2018

80 mpw training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Sonic