A couple of weeks ago I got the Nike LunarEpic Flyknit iD running shoes as a gift. It was an amazing gift too. From when I first saw Sanya Richards-Ross debut them on her Instagram account I was intrigued by the running shoe.
Mainly because it didn’t look any other running shoe I’d ever seen before. It looked more like a basketball shoe than a running shoe. Needless to say, I was excited about getting my feet into them and hitting the pavement.
Earlier this month I took them out on the road last week and I was super impressed. My shoes came with an extra insole which I didn’t wear because I liked the way they felt without them. The first thing I noticed when I put the shoe on was the snug fit around the toe box and the heel counter.
The next thing I noticed was the support around the ankle was actually an elastic piece stitched to the shoe. The support around the ankle seemed sufficient for running. I didn’t feel comfortable in its support if I were to step off a curb wrong. Also, I normally run in mid length socks so the ankle sleeve wasn’t an issue. If you run in ankle or no show socks sweat around your ankle may get uncomfortable.
When I actually started running I noticed how light the shoe was which surprised me because they felt heavier. Compared to my Nike Zoom Pegasus 32 (9.7oz) these are only (8.75oz). The traction on the LunarEpic has a lasered outsole that grips like grips pavement really well. I had no issues with slippage.
When I started my run it was sunny and about halfway through my run it started raining (wouldn’t be Portland otherwise). The contact with the pavement remained true throughout my run.
Turning corners while running through downtown was my only critique of this shoe. I felt some slippage in the upper as I bent tight corners. This isn’t the worst thing ever but I noticed that I had to slow down a little bit on really tight 90 degree turns.
Other than that the only other drawback to the shoe is the cost. The LunarEpic Flyknits retail for $175. I might have waited longer to buy them if they weren’t given to me because I try not to spend more than $125 for running shoes.
Have you tried this shoe? What are your thoughts? Let’s keep the conversation going on twitter or instagram!
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