Details
Brand
Nike
Heel To Toe Drop
11mm
Breathability
7.9/10
Latest Version
Lunar Eclipse 6
Terrain
Road
Type
Stability
Key Features
• Nike Lunar Eclipse 4• Blue Ribbon Sports 1000 highly durable outsole• Flexible Ringed Traction Pad on the Outsole• Nike Lunarlon Midsole• Dynamic Support System• Evolved Flywire Lacing System
Upper
The upper is where this shoe really shows off its ability to be both lightweight and breathable. The upper is mostly made of mesh aside from a hard plastic outer heel clip that extends from the back of the shoe into the arch area. A transparent mesh is located at the midsection of the shoe exposing a strategically placed Flywire lace locking system mounted directly into the midsole. The upper feels very secure without being overly snug or restrictive.
Midsole
The midsole has received the same treatment as the past 3 models. It’s constructed of Nike comfortable Lunarlon foam. The midsole material does better than other foam due to the initial responsiveness and great impact absorption right out of the box. The midsole foam sits layered around a denser foam that allows for stability in the heel region when your foot comes in contact with the ground and begins to roll in its naturally inclined direction.;The Dynamic Support System can be found in heel area of the midsole. Whether walking, running, or standing, the Dynamic Support System keeps your foot in place while still promoting the natural flexible movement.
Outsole
Keeping things consistent, Nike hasn’t changed the material on the outsole, the Nike Bue Ribbon Sports 1000 material. The most noticeable difference on the outsole begins with the overall pattern in the forefront of the shoe, being remodeled from what was once waffled to an updated triple ringed pattern.;The texture of the outsole has changed but the successful “midsole to outsole drop” formula remains intact, giving the user the responsiveness needed as their foot touches the road. The almost oval grooves in the forefront enhance the flexibility to a level not previously seen before on any Nike Lunar Eclipse shoe. Towards the rear of the shoe, you will find BRS 1000 divided into sections for excellent grip in addition to flexible impact absorption when your heel strikes the ground.
Breathability
Breathability is superior thanks to the thin mesh midsection that’s responsible for allowing amazing circulation to cool your foot. Your foot will have no trouble staying dry in the Nike Lunar Eclipse 4. The forefront region of the upper is made from a perforated mesh, while the midsection has even smaller perforated mesh material to allow even cooler air to pass, ensuring your feet don’t overheat.
Comfort
The Lunar Eclipse 4 is an outstanding shoe when it comes to comfort. Lunarlon is a great material, not only for its qualities of being a lightweight and absorbing impact, but also for its amazing ability to provide great comfort. From the moment you slide your foot into the shoe, you notice the comfort of the Lunarlon cushioning. The shoe hugs your foot without suffocating it, providing the proper amount of padding. The Lunar Eclipse line lives up to it’s reputation as a delightfully cushy shoe.
Style
This shoe has a very sleek profile and can easily fall under the category of a more stylish running shoe. The entire shoe is very easy on the eyes with most color variations available being two-toned with complimenting color schemes or monochromatic in theme. The majority of running shoes have a reputation for putting functionality first as a priority rather than overall appearance. The Nike Lunar Eclipse 4 manages to find a nice balance between style and functionality.
Durability
The overall durability of the shoe falls right above average but still faces some common problems due to the design aspects in certain areas of the shoe. Nike Lunarlon foam is an amazing material with an excellent responsive “spring” step and comfort, but after miles and miles of absorbing impact, foam will eventually lose it’s “spring” that it once had right out of the box. On the other hand, the durable outsole is an achievement to be marveled at. The outsole is made up of Blue Ribbon Sports 1000 carbonized rubber that will last for what seems to almost be a lifetime.
Protection
The most visually noticeable protective piece on this shoe is located at the rear of the shoe. A hard plastic clip sits on the outside region of the shoe and provides stability, support, and the protection of your foot as it rolls. This inner padding of the shoe protects your foot from actually rubbing against the hard plastic outer heel clip in the back.
Responsiveness
Responsiveness for this shoe is exactly everything you would expect right out of the box, nothing short of amazing. The Lunarlon midsole experiences a drop to the outsole forefront region of the shoe that allows your foot to make sense of the road beneath you. The actual Nike Lunarlon foam itself is a very different foam from other more common foams available on the market like phylon. However, Lunarlon isn’t perfect. The foam is springy and responsive initially, allowing minimal effort and energy transfer while propelling yourself to your next step. The glory of the responsiveness fades overtime as the durability of the foam deteriorates after miles of absorbing impact. The return of energy begins to be one sided once the shoes are heavily utilized.
Support
This shoe is willing to go the extra mile to support you. The Dynamic Support System is everything a casual runner would desire in a shoe. The outer heel clip will keep your foot sturdily in place as your standing, walking, or running. The amazing aspect of the technology incorporated in the shoe is that you’re not required to overthink anything to make sure that your shoes are doing their job of supporting you correctly, just run and the Nike Lunar Eclipse 4 will take care of the rest.
Terrain
This shoe is meant for the road. Every detail in the design of this shoe was meant to tackle the road and every obstacle you may encounter on the terrain. The rear outsole region provides amazing grip and the forefront outsole region enables good traction for fast movement and impact absorption on the concrete. Unfortunately, the shoe does not do well on wet surfaces.
Price
The price for this shoe isn’t off the charts when it comes to being expensive, but at the same time, official retail price for the shoe falls above the $100 mark. You can find these shoes right at and under $100.
Drop
The heel to toe drop for the Nike Lunar Eclipse 4 falls at a fair 11 millimeters. The earlier versions of the Lunar Eclipse had a very high drop due to a heavily padded heel, but with Nike’s technological advances, the fourth version of this shoe was able to keep a stable and well padded heel and lose the overall height.
Stability
Successful stability is a slogan that these sneakers stand on. These sneakers are extremely stable and aid in correcting, as well as mitigating any over pronation experienced by the user. Nike understands what makes a great stability shoe and has applied that knowledge to the Nike Lunar Eclipse 4. The rear section of the shoe is a powerhouse in padding and stability with an additional hard plastic heel clip to keep your foot properly aligned if your foot attempts to roll too far inwards.
Flexibility
From the flexibility of the outsole all the way up to the upper, this shoe allows your foot the freedom it needs to move. The mesh material on the upper ensure that your foot is properly cradled without being to restricted.
Traction
The look of the outsole has changed somewhat drastically, going from waffle pattern to ovular flex grip rings, but the traction genuinely remains in tact, if not better. The design of the outsole has improved flexibility to a level that allows great traction from any angle a runner may encounter on a run. The traction is best taken advantage of on dry surfaces as opposed to wet where the shoe loses a significantly noticeable amount of traction.
Bottom Line
The Nike Lunar Eclipse 4 was designed to be a daily runner. The entire shoe has been dissected and discussed discovering different strengths and weaknesses pertaining to this particular model. The Lunar Eclipse 4 is an provides excellent comfort, using technology to provide stability and keep it lightweight all while avoiding certain stigmas associated with stability running shoes. If you’re seeking a shoe that’s reliable, and delivers on exactly what it says it will do, then definitely consider the Nike Lunar Eclipse 4.
