Our Score: 4 out of 5 
Price: £64.99 (TBC)

Review by Sam Alvarez

PROS

1.  Stability provided in the arch.
2.  Design and muted colours.
3.  Flexible and responsive.


CONS

1.  Need longer laces.
2.  Too much cushioning to run fast over shorter distances.
3.  Not available from store.nike.com/Running. Difficult to find!


DETAILS & FEATURES

• This shoe is a replacement for the Nike Run Avant. 

• Ideal for under-pronators to mild over-pronators

• Lunarlon cushioning (made up of a soft yet resilient foam core encased within a supportive foam carrier) delivers a soft, bouncy ride and responsive shock absorption.

• Dynamic Support kicks in to provide the stability you need. 

• This model has a more robust heel counter than its predecessor for an improved fit around the heel. 

• Has deep flex grooves to enhance flexibility for a smooth, efficient stride.

• Weight: 225g (women's size 5.5)

• Inside the breathable mesh upper is an inner sleeve, or bootie, that wraps around the foot for a snug, breathable feel and easy on and off.

• Nike+ ready (i.e. can use Nike’s unique GPS/interactive tools to measure your runs and plan training).

• Provides the comfort, fit, and cushioning of a daily distance trainer blended with the lightweight responsiveness of a fast-paced tempo shoe.

User Review by Sam Alvarez

These shoes were very comfortable: not too wide, not too narrow. I wear size five in normal shoes but tested size six and this gave me a little extra space (for hot feet). 

What I liked best was the support. The arch of the shoe was high and so the middle of my foot felt supported. I don’t like trainers that feel too flat, as they don’t feel good for the calf muscles!

I’m very much a forefoot runner, mostly running up on my toes for speed and efficiency. And these shoes provided great cushioning in the forefoot area. This was particularly important for me as I’m recovering from several stress fractures in that area.

I have quite wide feet at the front and some shoes are too tight in the toe box, but I found these were just right.

I wore them at an early season cross-country race, when the conditions were very dry. They were amazing. I really noticed how flexible they felt on and responded well to the change in running style as I went uphill. They felt like ballet shoes moulded to my feet and I wasn’t even aware I was wearing the shoes.

I also tried them on a long road run. Again, they felt like a solid shoe. There was plenty of spring and support as I ran uphill. I would definitely race a hilly 10k, half marathon and full marathon in these shoes. 

For a shorter speed session I found the shoes were very responsive. However, I didn’t run as fast as when I wore racing flats at another session later in the week. 

It’s great that the shoe is lightweight but supportive at the same time. But I would opt to wear these for tempo runs or longer distance races. They were almost as lightweight as race trainers, but not as light as racing flats – and certainly not as heavy as other shoes with support and stability.

There was good grip with lots of little ‘knobbles’, not big lugs like trail shoes, but they were great on wet roads providing good grip. 

I really like the look of the shoe. I prefer neutral, muted colours and the style wasn’t too loud and ‘in your face’ like some shoes. Being a lightweight shoe, the shape was elegant.

The laces could do with being a bit longer. I don’t like to pull my laces too tight. I want to leave room for my feet to move around, expand etc. I like there to be enough laces left to tuck them back through the laces along the length of the top of shoe so that they are not sticking out.

I tend to roll out onto the outside of the front of my feet, but not in these shoes. I flew in them. I love them and will wear them for most sessions and races (especially whilst still getting over the nightmare of multiple stress fractures in the forefoot!)


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