Best Trail Running Nike Shoes: Nike Zegama 2

Trail running requires grit but it helps to have a softer side. We’re talking mentality but the Zegama literally has both—a big base of ZoomX midsole foam makes this shoe one of the comfiest in Nike’s lineup, and Vibram rubber brings the best grip in the biz to its 4mm lugs. Comfort and stability, which also happen to be two traits to channel inwardly when you’re miles from the nearest road (a built-in debris gaiter and breathable, supportive upper help with this, trust us). Speaking of roads, while the Zegama is versatile enough to take on all but the most technical trails, you might find yourself wearing it casually around town too.

Best Road-to-Trail Nike Running Shoes: Nike Pegasus Trail 5

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Pros

• Soft feel on all surfaces
• Doesn’t feel bad on pavement for a trail shoe

Cons

• Shallow lugs may not be right for all trails

First thing first: This is not the Pegasus 41 with extra tread on the outsole. It’s a totally different shoe with some similarities and the same spirit of the famed winged horse, a spirit that wants to go (almost) anywhere at whatever speed you’d like. “Almost” because the Pegasus Trail 5 is not an overly technical trail running shoe; its lugs are shallow at 3.5mm and there’s no toe bumper. But those lugs are fully capable of taking on smoother trails and forest roads, and the shoe doesn’t feel half bad on pavement either so you can run to the trailhead and skip parking. ReactX foam in the midsole gives it a soft feel on all surfaces (softer than previous versions) and improved outsole rubber will almost make you forget there’s no yellow Vibram logo down there.

Best Nike Shoes for Post Runs: Nike x Hyperice Hyperboot

No, you won’t be running in the Nike x Hyperice Hyperboots, but if you are a runner and have almost a grand burning a hole in your pocket, we think these are a pair of shoes that should find a place into your footwear rotation. We did a full review on these compression boots already, but the TL;DR is that they use compression and heat to aid in the recovery process after a long session of working out on your feet, whether it’s because you ran, played tennis, or just spent a lot of hours putting the dogs to work. What we love about these shoes is that unlike other compression boots, you can walk in the Hyperboots so you don’t need to be immobile while your feet are getting the TLC they need. If peak physical performance is the goal, then the Hyperboots might be the secret to getting there.

Features of a Nike Shoe

Upper Materials: Flyknit was a major innovation for Nike when it first came out. Made of strong yet lightweight fibers, it allowed Nike to build zoned support into its running shoe uppers and reduce overall weight. Flyknit comes in different forms—the Vaporfly’s upper is quite rigid while the InfinityRN 4’s is soft and stretchy—but it’s always in a one-piece, sock-like design. Steamed and stretched, Flyknit becomes Atomknit, a lighter upper material found in Nike’s premium race shoes like the Alphafly. Many other Nike running shoes use engineered mesh, a shoe upper material that’s widely used across the industry.

Proprietary Foams: Much of running feel comes down to the foam, and Nike’s midsoles have enough fast-sounding names it’s easy to get confused. Starting from the top of the line, ZoomX is the company’s lightest, softest, and most responsive foam. To get technical, it’s a polyether block amide (PEBA) material originally used in the aerospace industry, but now it powers Nike’s top-tier racers like the Vaporfly and Alphafly.

Next up is ReactX, the latest version of Nike’s React foam, which is made of an injection-molded combination of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). According to Nike, ReactX provides 13% more energy return and has a 43% smaller carbon footprint than the old formula. It provides a nice balance of softness and responsiveness and you’ll find it in daily drivers like the Pegasus 41 and InfinityRN 4.