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Nike dropped its completely new Nike LunarEpic FlyKnit 2 ($160; nike.com) this week. What exactly are they really like? Pillow shoes.
I wish I could take credit for your amazing descriptor, but that is how Olympic Gold Medalist and track star English Garner described them to me, plus a select group of editors, before we hit the tread at Mile High Run Club in Nyc to put this new kick through its paces. (I am talking about that literally, because, well, we did a speed workout.) Garner noted that they are an immediate contrast to her typical footwear, track spikes: “Have any of all of you ever run a whole workout in spikes?” she asked. “It’s like running a workout in high heels; it hurts.”
While I have never run in track spikes, I have danced the night time away in incredibly uncomfortable heels, and I can tell you, this shoe is the opposite of that painful, foot-numbing feeling. Actually, when I first slipped them on, I thought to myself: “This must be what running on clouds seems like.” Seriously, they were that comfortable. That cushy feeling did not fade as I opened up my stride within this lightweight, neutral trainer either. And even in the midst of all that softness, my feet still felt supported.
A few other features that caught my eye:
I’m a sucker for any brightly-colored kick, so visually they’re up my alley. Which poppy two-tone upper is a fairly way to combat the wintertime blues.
Basically, the tongue is completely attached here, making top of the one single, seamless piece. This silhouette mimics ankle socks. (And that i love ankle socks.)
This tightly woven material offers a balanced combo of stretch and support, that is more than I’m able to say for some of the other knitted shoes I’ve tested in the past. Often the knit winds up pulling across the top of my foot, making them ache constantly. These, however, hug without crushing.
These babies can get pretty bendy because of those little slits on the sides of the midsole, which help provide a seamless heel foot transition. Translation: No stiff shoes here.
This pair has little laser cuts that are designed to assist with traction. Since I sported them on the treadmill, traction wasn’t an enormous concern for me; I’d need to take ’em outdoors to actually test that feature. But, if they are anything like the original LunarEpic, you realize those with that extended bit of fabric over the ankle which i tested last spring, I will tell you the traction is going to be on point. Also notewrothy: There are these pressure-mapped pods around the sole that offer targeted cushioning for any smooth ride. I think additionally they provide you with an extra spring in your step, since i felt unusually buoyant during my run.
One more thing, I also got to try out the Nike Zonal Strength tight ($150; nike.com), which launched last month. These bad boys have these built-in bands along the thighs and calves. Even though those bands form a very cool design, they’re there in excess of just decoration. Based on a Nike spokesperson at the wear-testing event, something we quite often ignore when running is the vibration in our muscles, and how the greater they vibrate, the quicker you exhaust them. The banding during these tights should compress the muscle to reduce vibration and fatigue. The concept: you are able to #runforever. OK, not really, but you often will operate a bit more time before your stems endure the stop sign.
To be honest, Let me sport these tights on the longer run before giving my final opinion. However, I will state that Used to do feel the extra pressure around my thighs, and that i had an excellent run at this event, despite the fact that Used to do quite a tough 5-mile tempo run yesterday. Could it have been a combo from the shoes and also the tights-or that energy gel I utterly before I hit the treadmill. (Hey, it had been an early morning event, I hadn’t eaten breakfast, and I needed a little bit of fuel. No judgment.)
Happy running!
