Nike REACT ....INSTANT GO

[Nipsey3000]

i see they are doing the limited iD crap again witht these

 

[gwizzle]

 

[kalien34]

Does anybody know when will this color be released? It looks sooooooo dope!

 

[strictlystyles]

Made these IDs, still on the fence about which one to get. The top 2 are my favorite. Really leaning towards the red pair

bruh get them sonic the hedgehogs at the bottom. dont think i aint catch that lol

how can i buy those, are they nikeid or a collab?

these come out on the 10th. run club Id. i might be down fro a pair of the polka dot ones.

 

[noblekane]

nah b i been looking at work blues all day. they aint have no 12 or 12.5 restocked.

make me sick cuz i been waiting now the anthracite flyknit is sold out

ima be furious if **** dont get restocked

 

[noblekane]

for those that want to see the run club ids available may 10

https://news.nike.com/footwear/nike-epic-react-flyknit-id

the polka dot ones have a white upper right?

they better replenish ****ing sizes man. no reason id sizes should be sold out

 

[strictlystyles]

nah b i been looking at work blues all day. they aint have no 12 or 12.5 restocked.

make me sick cuz i been waiting now the anthracite flyknit is sold out

ima be furious if **** dont get restocked

i meant to post that last night but i forgot and auto sent thats why i deleted it. you could have copped too but i fell asleep. sizes were up but it could have been a gltich or something. i refreshed just to make sure. sizes int he red came back too.

 

[us3less]

TL;DR - After giving it a few runs and some casual wears including one directly after a run, the new React foam has pleasantly surprised me with how well-rounded the cushion is, and for what it has to offer, it's a NECESSARY update to the cushioning I've stayed away from: Lunarlon. I can't give a recommendation after a few runs, but I definitely can say that it's worth a try for running!

Alright, I wanted to give you guys my impression and thoughts on the shoes. I know I'm super late, but I'll explain as I go. I'll break this all up into 3 main categories, 'cause let's face it... there are only 3 things about this shoe that matters most: the Flyknit upper, the React midsole, the React outsole, and some comparisons. By the way, I did not proofread this, so I apologize for typos and errors, haha.

BEFORE THE FIRST RUN
- Previous shoe: the Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4% @ 230 miles (yes, they can go above 150 miles)
- Sizing: 1/2 size up in a size 9
- Weight: under z
- Stride & strike: neutral & primarily midfoot/forefoot
- Distance tested: 3.16 miles (5K+ average) @ 8:36/mi, 8:34/mi., and 8:46/mi.

THE FLYKNIT
The upper is definitely snug to begin with, especially on the first day of casual wear, but after running in it, it stretches out nicely. Despite going 1/2 size up, the extra space didn't bother me as much, but it was a bit problematic whenever I had to make 90-degree turns around the blocks. It's also nice to run with a shoe that doesn't have Flywire, BUT I feel like having Flywire on it could be beneficial. The heel cup works well and is strong to keep the heels locked in.

REACT & THE CUSHIONING
Let's face it; the Epic React is all about the new React foam. Let me explain what's up first... Since the unveiling of the shoes, I've been HIGHLY skeptical of React. I've grown to dislike and become disappointed with Lunarlon, because it's WAY too soft, damn near unresponsive, and bottoms out way too fast. Most importantly, it failed to protect my knees from feeling pain, especially about a mile to a mile and a half into my runs. This didn't just apply to running; this also applied to basketball. The LunarEclipse, the LunarGlides, Kobe 8, Lunar Hyperdunks, and I think there was one more... they've never worked. In addition, I've been running in the Vaporfly 4%, where the shoe's made to set up for running efficiency, and it's been amazing! However, I decided to give it a shot after many months. I wore them casually first, and I thought it felt good... a bit better than the LunarEpic. It wasn't until I decided to run when I felt the difference. I usually start off slow before I pick up the pace, so whenever I do that, I start off heel-striking for a bit (I don't know why) before I switch it up, and I felt that responsiveness on the back of my shoes. I thought to myself, "wow, they weren't kidding." Then I noticed how firm and soft it was at the same time as I continued to run. It was great, and the forefoot cushioning felt low to the ground and padded well at the same time. The plastic heel cup in the back works well, I guess, although I don't think it was necessary for me and my stride/strike. The great thing about running in these and wearing these casually was how the foam doesn't bug your feet when I went to work in them after running in them, because it continued to feel very soft. I gave it that "24-hour reset" break, and wore it again to find out that the foam had reset itself to how it felt like when it was brand new (significantly firm). I personally thought that was great.

REACT & THE OUTSOLE
Ah, here's the debate. I'll make it short and sweet. The outsole is designed to have "smudged" areas on where a lot of runners strike and push off. Despite that, I gave it 10 miles with a mix of flat clean concrete and rock pebble surfaces. It is SO NOT made for anything else but concrete/road surfaces. If you try to run on trail or sand, you're going to need the Odyssey React if anything. Cosmetically, it isn't the best as I've noticed the beginning of fraying on the bottom, BUT I think we all have to understand that there's a difference between cosmetic durability and performance durability. I can't say much about the performance durability, but what I can say is that the cosmetic damages will do nothing to how the foam performs. In a nutshell, I'm telling people to stop OVERREACTING about it.

COMPARING THE EPIC REACTS...
- To the VaporFly 4% (ZoomX): Low to the ground compared to the VF's high-off-the-ground feeling; firmer and less responsive, but no carbon fiber plate to enhance responsiveness & running efficiency.
- To the Pegasus 31 (Zoom Air): I know, it's so outdated with this... Very similar with the 10mm drop and low-to-the-ground profile, less snappy, more cushioned/plush, softer.
- To the Zoom Vomero 11 (Zoom Air + Lunarlon carrier): Very similar OVERALL; cushioning set-up is reminiscent with the relatively-firmer Lunar carrier compared to the newer ones.
- To the VaporMax (Standalone Max Air): Less responsive; lower to the ground; seamless foam vs. gapped Air units for flexibility.

QUICK CONCLUSION + PICTURES
I'm seeing myself wearing the shoes a lot now and I'm really really liking it! It's definitely a great shoe to run in for 3 miles and casually as well, especially for days where I don't feel like going fast. Personally, running in the Epic Reacts turns the shoes into something else compared to wearing them casually, but I still think it's gonna be difficult to top my VaporFly 4%s. One thing for sure is that it is definitely a nice shoe to rotate with for days where I want to do a slower recovery run. I don't have much else to say since I didn't run that many miles in them to give a fully thorough review, but this may be enough to tell you guys what's up. Anyway, here are some pictures for those who want to see pictures, haha.

Oh yeah, no popping in my pair I've been wearing.

I got the pink pair, too!

 

[slowchemical88]

Cherry Blossom for the lady.

 

[strictlystyles]

this is the pair i ordered on thursday wit my voucher.
when i decided on the red outsole i forgot to change the midsole to white and i think it looks bad but eh whatever. hopefully it looks aight in person.

 

[georgek]

this is the pair i ordered on thursday wit my voucher.
when i decided on the red outsole i forgot to change the midsole to white and i think it looks bad but eh whatever. hopefully it looks aight in person.

Look good to me!

 

[georgek]

I slept too long on that $110 deal. Ended up getting greys for $160 shipped. Retail would be $165 with tax for me and I haven’t seen the greys in my size available for a while so I bit. I originally thought they’d sit and I’d be able scoop whenever so I’m happy to secure them. Going to be my summer beaters.

I know. I missed out on the black as well after hesitating. But just to plain for me anyway. But should of got for work

 

[strictlystyles]

I know. I missed out on the black as well after hesitating. But just to plain for me anyway. But should of got for work

i was pissed i bought something for 200 bucks 9 mins before the coupon went live

 

[gwizzle]

this is the pair i ordered on thursday wit my voucher.
when i decided on the red outsole i forgot to change the midsole to white and i think it looks bad but eh whatever. hopefully it looks aight in person.

Black sole way better than white! Those will be nice

 

[Four by Six]

But just to plain for me anyway. But should of got for work

The problem with the black CW is both colors of the flyknit are black, so as the front fades to the back, you don't get the cool flyknit effect. They are literally just solid black. I like some of the newer black CWs, like Mafia, as the two blacks are slightly different, so you can see the flyknit fade.

I got my all blacks for work too, though the newer black CWs are very tempting.

 

[Four by Six]

i forgot to change the midsole to white and i think it looks bad but eh whatever. hopefully it looks aight in person.

I think it will look better with dark midsole! Awesome iD!

 

[georgek]

this is the pair i ordered on thursday wit my voucher.
when i decided on the red outsole i forgot to change the midsole to white and i think it looks bad but eh whatever. hopefully it looks aight in person.

I should’ve chosen the red outsole. My bottom is all black. I alway rush into stuff lol

 

[enigmatic jc]

Does the flyknit stretch out after a while on these?

 

[dmnwng]

Finally got my TB Odyssey React...

I also received another pair of the Black/Blue Epic Reacts, after I returned my first pair that popped. Let's see if this second pair pops...

I also ordered this...

 

[blackfrankwhite]

Kept it simple with the IDs. Mostly red components with gold heel clip and anthracite outsole.

Also gonna order these laces with the gold tip and gunmetal tips. Really hoping the gold will be close to the heel clip, if not I’ll just rock the gunmetal tips. Pops of anthracite in the laces along with matching gunmetal tips should really tie in with the outsole, heel tab, Flyknit logo on the lace cage. But oh boy if those gold tips match the heel clip it’ll be game over.

Now the worse part...waiting 4 weeks to see how it’ll actually look lol. That red upper about to be fire though.

 

[maverickdrinker]

Wish they had more gold accents for the IDs. Would like to make a black and gold pair

 

[noblekane]

still dont understand how they can run out of sizes whenit take a whole ****ing month to ship

 

[stayhydrated]

i'm very late, but anywhere I can still grab the OG colorways? Or will there be a rerelease?

 

[Four by Six]

Does the flyknit stretch out after a while on these?

In my experience with 3 pairs, yes the flyknit does stretch out a bit. All 3 pairs were painfully tight at first in the forefoot, so much so that I only wore my thinnest socks with them. After about a week of wear and/or 10-20 miles of running, they did get loose enough for cushioned socks. However, they were still a bit too snug for my tastes, so on my black pair I cut and removed the backing of the swoosh on the inside of the shoes. I found this is a strap that connects the forefoot to the heel cup. Removing it let the flyknit stretch a bit more, especially when putting on and taking off the shoe. I detailed where to make the cut in my REACT mod thread in the Sneaker Art section: https://niketalk.com/threads/epic-react-modifications-and-experiments.671801/ I've done 3 5K runs since the mod and they still feel great.

My opinion is that the flyknit has plenty of stretch. The problem is they covered all the flyknit with reinforcement panels that not only provide strength and lockdown, they also keep the flyknit from stretching. In fact there is so much flyknit covered in glue, they might as well have used flymesh material.

 

[jaynev]

In my experience with 3 pairs, yes the flyknit does stretch out a bit. All 3 pairs were painfully tight at first in the forefoot, so much so that I only wore my thinnest socks with them. After about a week of wear and/or 10-20 miles of running, they did get loose enough for cushioned socks. However, they were still a bit too snug for my tastes, so on my black pair I cut and removed the backing of the swoosh on the inside of the shoes. I found this is a strap that connects the forefoot to the heel cup. Removing it let the flyknit stretch a bit more, especially when putting on and taking off the shoe. I detailed where to make the cut in my REACT mod thread in the Sneaker Art section: https://niketalk.com/threads/epic-react-modifications-and-experiments.671801/ I've done 3 5K runs since the mod and they still feel great.

My opinion is that the flyknit has plenty of stretch. The problem is they covered all the flyknit with reinforcement panels that not only provide strength and lockdown, they also keep the flyknit from stretching. In fact there is so much flyknit covered in glue, they might as well have used flymesh material.

How difficult is it to removed the backing? I wouldn’t mind some additional stretch. And did this take away from stability while running?