Details
Brand
Nike
Heel To Toe Drop
10 mm
Breathability
9/10
Latest Version
Yes
Terrain
Road
Type
Neutral
Key Features
• Flyknit technology • Sock style fit and one piece upper aids in support as well as breathability• The upper is made of a flexible, synthetic material• Flywire lacing that connects to the midsole and integrates with the laces to give you a secure, locked-down fit• 8.8 oz (Men’s size 10)• Smooth transitions • Lunarlon cushioning is a combination of soft and firm foam that helps absorb impact and creates a smooth heel-to-toe transition.• Lunarlon pads on the outsole provide cushioning in key areas of the lower sole• Offset/drop of 10mm
Upper
The upper of the LunarEpic Flyknit 2 is the area that sets this shoe apart from others. For starters, this shoes is most often referred to as a sock with a sole, and for a very good reason. The one piece design of the upper eliminates a separate tongue, which effectively eliminates having to adjust, and readjust your shoes as you run or workout. Is this a necessity? Of course not. Is it a nice addition to an already admirable shoe? Absolutely, and other buyers feel the same way. In fact even the most scrutinous reviews I’ve encountered were singing praises for the comfort and nigh indestructibility of the uppers.
Midsole
Nike’s gone through great pains to promote their Lunarlon soles. Besides the outsole, the midsole consists of two parts, the lightweight foam core which is designed to spread out the force of impact over the largest amount of area possible, and the “firmfoam” carrier, which supports the softer core so it it’ll spring back up into place. Again, reviews of the Flyknit 2 are mixed. Private buyers generally rave over the comfort of the sole, whereas professional sites tend to be a bit more critical of the overall lack of “spring”. Depending on what your preferences are this might be a positive, or a negative, but it’s worth noting that nobody was dreadfully upset with the soles.
Breathability
Similar to the previous generation of this shoe, the uppers are made out a knit fabric that is perforated in order to aid in the circulation of air when you run. Anybody that’s ever run in shoes with bad ventilation understands why this is such an important aspect of a shoe, and quite a few buyers have attributed their love of this shoe to the breathability of the knit upper.
Comfort
There hasn’t been a whole heck of a lot of disagreement on this topic, the LunarEpic Flyknit 2 is frequently thought of as one of the most comfortable shoes currently on the market. Even reviewers who find issues in the soles rave about the overall comfort of this shoe and that is directly attributed to the aforementioned one piece design, and the flywire lacing system that connects directly to the midsole.;There have been one or two murmurings about people feeling like their ankles are predisposed to rolling in these shoes, but those reviews aren’t the majority.
Style
Style when it comes to this shoe is kind of a wash, either you’re going to love them, or hate them. Quite a few people have mentioned that they feel like these shoes are essentially meant to be worn as show pieces for not-so-serious runners, and taking a look at some of the color variations might give that argument some credence. If you’re looking at these shoes you have to keep one thing in mind: “Am I ok with the “sock” style shoe?”, and “is there a color palette I like?”. If the answer to both of those questions is yes, then style shouldn’t be an issue.
Durability
If you’re looking at Amazon based reviews of this shoe, you’re going to see some troubling issues claiming the shoe’s soles wear out entirely too quickly considering the toughness of the upper. While I’m not one to discount the experience of other people, further probing and investigation of the claims of a short life span defeated themselves by providing detailed accounts of use. As an average, most of the runners who had durability issues claimed to have run a minimum 300 miles in the shoes, and as well all know (or should know), you kind of have to look at replacing shoes around the 300 to 400 mile mark in the name of health. Shin splints are a nightmare people, do the right thing.;Most other reviews praise the overall durability of these shoes with one exception: the flywire lacing. There have been a few reports on various sites claiming that the flywire lacing ripped where it connects to the midsole. This might be troubling to some customers, but instances of the issue on Nike website have shown that Nike is completely willing to replace the defective shoes with no real hassle, so provided you do the right thing and contact the company there shouldn’t be too much of an issue here.
Protection
I’ve read reviews of earlier generations of this shoe that warn against wearing Flyknit shoes in areas where sharp objects are a concern. While I can’t say I’d ever suggest running in an area where a piercing threat is evident, besides brambles and thorns on trails, there’s no data to suggest that these shoes are as fragile as their predecessors. In fact on more than one occasion they’ve been referred to as indestructible, and while I’m sure that’s a bit of a reach, there’s no reason to doubt the toughness of this shoe.
Responsiveness
This seems to be the one area that gets the most mixed reviews, and while there are plenty of reviews by people who love the responsiveness of the Lunarlon soles, there are equally as many reviews by people (some of which are professional reviewers) who claim that the shoes have an almost dead feeling. So how does this affect the way most people felt they ran? Simply put, some reviewers felt that they had trouble with forward momentum with this shoe, it absorbs too much energy and it gives too little in return to acceptably propel you forward.
Support
All in all people seem to love this shoe for its support As a sock style shoe it grips your feet from the moment you lace it up, and it’s not going to loosen up until you pry the things off at the end of your workout. While it is a low cut shoe, the “neck” of the upper extends up just enough to offer reasonable ankle support. For those of you who don’t like a snug fitting shoe, you may want to look elsewhere.
Terrain
Despite its lightweight, the LunarEpic series of shoes are generally looked at as an all terrain shoe due to the construction of their soles and the durability of the knit uppers, but there is one thing you have to keep in mind when you buy any Nike shoe with Lunarlon soles: these things have an almost uncanny way of picking up pebbles and small rocks. This shouldn’t be a big deal, looking at the soles of your shoes and making sure their clean ought to be part of your pre-run routine anyway, but there will be people who don’t do this, and the pebbles and stones may bug them.
Price
As with any Nike product, the price is directly tied to the name of the company. 140.00 dollars, while not entirely out of the range of affordability, will definitely put some people off especially if they don’t like the style of the shoes. Considering the positive reviews, and the push towards technological innovation, it might be worth dropping the money on these if you’re looking for something new or liked the older versions.
Drop
Just like the previous iteration of the Flyknit, this shoe features a 10mm drop, which might be an area of concern for those looking for burst, and speed. Just keep in mind that this is a very, very lightweight shoe, so the density of the drop shouldn’t affect overall speed that much.
Stability
The laser cut contours on the side of the shoe make a return, and continue to add a level of responsiveness to uneven terrain that is essential to preventing injury. Couple that with the firm grip provided by the Flyknit upper technology and you’ve got a shoe that provides just enough stability to prevent you from rolling your ankles while not feeling like their containing your foot. With that being said, there have been, and will be folks who’ll still think the Flyknit uppers are too snug, but that hasn’t been the overall response.
Flexibility
For a shoe that’s so highly touted for its firm support, most buyers loved the overall flex of these shoes. The synthetic material of the uppers allow for plenty of movement and the midsoles, while contested, have a pretty good record of allowing at least a moderate level of responsiveness that’ll aid in the flex of the shoe.
Traction
Traction is arguably one of the most important elements of any shoe, because without that we’re literally just spinning our proverbial wheels. Reviews of the Flyknit 2 have generally been great in this area, but one needs to considered the previously mentioned issue with embedded pebbles, and stones in the sole of the shoe. All in all this shoe shouldn’t give you any issues in regards to traction, just make sure to take a look at your sole before your runs.
Bottom Line
The bottom line on these shoes is that while there are some definite areas of concern for some runners, the overall impression left by the LunarEpic Low Flyknit 2’s is a positive one to say the least. Most people were impressed by the overall comfort of the shoe, as well as the general durability and that more than makes up for the potentially short lifespan, and the divisive issue over the responsiveness.
