The Nike LunarEpic Flyknit, with its singularly distinctive Flyknit collar, is one of the most unique running shoes to hit the market in a while. Here at Nikeblog, we’re like raccoons — drawn to shiny, eye-catching things, and not above digging through the trash for half a donut. Point being, the visuals sold me and I had to get my hands on a pair and give them a spin. Well, a handful of runs in, I’m sold.
This is pretty much as simple as reviews get. Pros? Everything. Over the course of a few five-mile runs, the LunarEpic Flyknit has delivered the most comfortable runs I can recall. As a pretty extreme forefoot-striker, cushioning up front is a pretty big selling point for me. The Zoom Pegasus 32, for example, while impressing right off the bat, eventually reared its less-cushioned forefoot and led me back to my beloved Lunarglide 6.
But the Nike LunarEpic Flyknit’s plush Lunarlon midsole consistently proves nearly as cushy and smooth in the forefoot as it is in the heel. The energy-return isn’t quite as responsive as Zoom Air, of course, but it’s not remotely a problem; much more strength than weakness. For a midsole this comfortable and protective, the snap-back’s fantastic.
The Flyknit collar, meanwhile, lives up to Nike’s not insignificant hype. In addition to the simple comforting nature of a proprioceptive wrap, the collar really secures your foot down into the shoe. The result makes the shoe feel like an extension of the ankle; the upper like a second skin. Even if I were to remove the laces, I can’t imagine performance suffering. That goes for stability and support, too; the Flyknit upper is offers plenty of both, and the Flywire, cradling the foot, superbly reinforces without impeding movement.
So, is there any downside? Not much that I’ve experienced so far. Well, you will definitely wind up picking some pebbles out of the outsole’s traction pattern. This is unavoidable. More importantly, at this point I cannot yet vouch for the durability of the outsole. So far, no problems, but the composition feels much closer to foam than harder rubber, so it’s possible the LunarEpic may start aging a few miles early. It’s also possible I’m worrying unnecessarily. The aforementioned Lunarglide 6 has a similarly softer outsole, and I’ve put hundreds of miles on my pair.
Final verdict: A. 9/10. However you want to quantify the grade, the Nike LunarEpic Flyknit is one of the most comfortable running shoes on the market, marrying together lightweight stability and stunning levels of impact-protection. At $175, the price is undoubtedly steep, but so far the LunarEpic has done everything possible to justify it. Side note: You can probably order a half-size smaller than usual.
Available now at retailers everywhere. Overseas, you can buy the LunarEpic Flyknit at JDSports.co.uk.