Did you know the Nike offers 83 different styles of running shoes? Most of you probably don’t have the time (or money or energy) to test them all yourself. No worries. That’s where we come in. We’ve recruited a team of trialers to give you the inside scoop on a variety of Nike running shoe styles available to you. Each month, different runners- male, female, tall, small, young, old (and more!)- will trial different Nike models and give you the lowdown on the pros, the cons and everything in-between.

Do you have additional questions about Nike running shoes? Ask an expert here!

WOMEN’S NIKE AIR SPAN+ 5

Trialer: I am female who runs approximately 10 miles per week on a variety of surfaces (road, treadmill, trails, etc.)

What three features are most important for you in a running shoe?
1) arch support
2) breathability
3) lightweight

What were your initial thoughts after trying it on? Too tight? Too loose? Just right? The forefoot fit is a little bit wide, but not really an issue. The length seems to run true to size, while the heel fit is great- just the right fit and support for my heel. The overall fit is truly awesome! I often get blisters in shoes because of my low arches – after several runs, these shoes are still going strong for me, supporting and fitting in the right places to make my runs actually enjoyable.

What did you think of the fit and feel after your first run? After several runs? My first run went off without a hitch – I did 4 miles on the road and the shoes felt like an extension of my foot – completely natural. Several runs later, I still adore the fit and continue not to notice the shoes – they feel like a great compliment to my feet when I run.

Is the cushioning adequate? In the right places? The cushioning is good – not too much that it feels squishy, but it’s comfortable.

What about stability? Did the shoe provide enough? Too much? The shoes are stable and supportive. I think the shoes could have a little bit more support, though the shoe does a good job of not going overboard on the foot bridge.

What is your favorite feature of the shoe? The support and that it works well for my low arches / imperfect feet.

Is there something you would change about it? More support and better colors would be nice.

How does it compare to the shoe you normally run in? It’s very comparable to my other shoes, but actually more lightweight which gives my run that much more of a push.

Would you recommend this shoe to a fellow runner or friend? Definitely, I love them!

Buy the Women’s Nike Air Span+ 5 at NikeStore.com.

WOMEN’S NIKE AIR ZOOM ELITE+ 4

Trialer: I am female and run approximately 15 miles per week, mainly on the street and paved running paths.

What three features are most important for you in a running shoe? 

Cushioning, perfect fit (shoe hugs foot), lightweight.

What were your initial thoughts after trying it on? My initial thought was that the shoe was nice and light, and had support and cushioning without adding weight. However, I also felt that the shoe was a bit tight/stiff in the forefoot. I would have liked it to feel more flexible. In general, I thought the shoe felt a little hard. Still, the shoe is very proportional, and my size generally fits right in all places.



What did you think of the fit and feel after your first run? After several runs? After the first few runs, the shoe did become more flexible, which helped because I was initially concerned about that. The fit and feel is still right. The shoe had a ‘bouncey’ feel, which I like.

Is the cushioning adequate? In the right places? 
In terms of support, the shoe has a good amount of support, but it does feel slightly hard to me.

What about stability? 
The shoe provides a good amount of support. I pronate just a bit, and this was a perfect amount of support for me.

What is your favorite feature of the shoe? 
 
How lightweight it is.

Is there something you would change about it? I would prefer the shoe to feel a bit more soft/cushy.

How does it compare to the shoe you normally run in? The shoes I normally run in are heavier and feel as though they have more cushion throughout the shoe.

Would you recommend this shoe to a fellow runner or friend? 



I would definitely recommend the shoe, and point out that the shoe will become more flexible, and mold to your foot after a few runs.

Find out more about the Women’s Nike Air Zoom Elite+ 4 on NikeStore.com.

MEN’S NIKE SHOX EXPERIENCE+

Trialer: I am male and run approximately 15 miles per week, mainly on the road.

What three features are most important for you in a running shoe?
1. Comfort
2. Plus Enabled
3. Look

What were your initial thoughts after trying it on? I was surprised at how well they fit. I have a year-old pair of 10½ Shox that don’t fit nearly as well. Forefoot fit is excellent, length is perfect, I can’t complain about the heel fit and as for overall fit, I have to say ‘well done’.

What did you think of the fit and feel after your first run? After several runs? The fit to my foot felt really good. My knees, on the other hand, hurt a little bit. I’m going to give a non-Shox variety of shoe a try.

Is the cushioning adequate? In the right places? So far as I know, yes.

What about stability? Did the shoe provide enough? Too much? To my foot, yes. I’m not so sure about my knees.

What is your favorite feature of the shoe? The way they look.

Is there something you would change about it? No.

How does it compare to the shoe you normally run in? It’s the same shoe I started running in.

Would you recommend this shoe to a fellow runner or friend? Because of the knee issue, no, but this could be due to a pronation issue.

Check out the Men’s Nike Shox Experience+ on NikeStore.com.

WOMEN’S NIKE AIR ZOOM STRUCTURE TRIAX+ 11

Trialer: I am a female who runs approximately 35-40 miles per week, mainly on roads and soft trails.

What three features are most important for you in a running shoe? Stability, complete comfort, durability.

What were your initial thoughts after trying it on? The shoe felt wonderful. Snug, but not too tight and soooo light! I loved it from the outset.

What did you think of the fit and feel after your first run? After several runs? After my first run, I was astonished at how light the shoe felt, but also how much stability it offered. I’ll admit I was a bit hesitant though; I was afraid the lightweight aspect would end up causing an injury. After several runs however, I was hooked. The shoe seemed to “form” to my foot and offer cushioning and stability in all the right places.

Is the cushioning adequate? In the right places? 
The cushioning feels fantastic. Not too much, not too little…just right!

What about stability? Stability is really important to me, so this was the thing I was most critical of, yet no complaints here! Perfect.

What is your favorite feature of the shoe? Soooo light, yet great stability.

Is there something you would change about it? Not really.

How does it compare to the shoe you normally run in? The shoes I normally run in are much heavier/bulkier.

Would you recommend this shoe to a fellow runner or friend? I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this shoe to a runner looking for a lightweight shoe with excellent stability.

Learn more about the Women’s Air Zoom Structure Triax+ 11 at NikeStore.com.

MEN’S NIKE AIR ZOOM SKYLON

Trialer: I am male who runs approximately 12-15 miles per week, mainly on the road.

What three features are most important for you in a running shoe? Cushioning, lightweight, support.

What were your initial thoughts after trying it on? I thought the forefoot fit, the length and the heel fit were all good. Overall, I thought the shoe was comfy. It had that “like a glove” fit right out of the box. My feet never had to adjust, and I never felt a difference between brand new and broken-in.

What did you think of the fit and feel after your first run? After several runs? After my first run, they felt really supportive and structured, a definite upgrade from my previous running shoes. While light, they still feel meaty enough to provide proper support even for longer distances.

After several runs, the above is still true, except that I noted some physical ailments while training that may/not be attributed to the shoes. My left hip became tender after 5K or more as well as the lateral portions of my knees. Oddly enough, my previous running shoes never gave me these ailments. Could have more to do with the fit or the terrain than the actual architecture or craftsmanship of the shoe itself.

Is the cushioning adequate? In the right places? Cushioning felt really substantial. After running 5 miles+, though, I noticed that the cushioning directly under the balls of my feet felt somewhat swollen and was a little uncomfortable. The padding seemed to slightly dig into the balls of my feet, but never enough to keep me from running.

What about stability? Did the shoe provide enough? Too much? The shoes were stable without being restrictive. The balance of stability to the extremely flexible “Free”-style running sole was a great mix for me.

What is your favorite feature of the shoe? Probably the balance between the stability and flexibility of the sole, as mentioned above.

Is there something you would change about it? The issue with perhaps too much cushioning in the footbed at the balls of the feet could be resolved to increase comfort for longer distances.

How does it compare to the shoe you normally run in? Provides a lot more support, added weight in the right places, increased comfort, and has a more organic fit. Less style than my other pair of running shoes, but where it loses in fashion it gains in performance.

Would you recommend this shoe to a fellow runner or friend? Yes, though I would suggest that he/she make sure to get a proper fit and test them out for a few miles to see if the same hip/knee problems developed. I expect those ailments for me had more to do with more training and/or the terrain, but I would caution a friend of these problems as they caused me days of soreness after 10K runs.

Check out the Men’s Nike Air Zoom Skylon on NikeStore.com.

Do you have additional questions about Nike running shoes? Ask an expert here!