Nike Men's Odyssey React 2 S Street Running Shoes

Product Information

Nike launched their React midsole in 2018 with Epic React Flyknit and Odyssey React (no Flyknit upper) as the stability version. Second time around, we have the latest upper added to the breakthrough midsole, in Odyssey React Flyknit 2. I don’t feel any discomfort on the top of my foot from snug laces but feel a slight lateral pinch if tying normally. The Odyssey is also more durable with increased rubber coverage on the outsole, but it’s less breathable. The outsole of the Odyssey React Shield has more rubber than the outsole of the Epic React, making it perfect in wet weather conditions. Storm Thread rubber are used for the Odyssey React Shield, which provides more traction on wet surfaces. It doesn’t only have rubber underneath the heel and forefoot, but there are two extra pieces of rubber underneath the ball of your foot extending towards the midfoot.

The biggest problem with the new upper design is the thin tongue. A careful balance must be found between a secure hold and laces digging into the top of my foot. Forced to choose, I’d run (another) marathon in Tempo, over Odyssey, because of the more minimal feel; stable touch; and soft, responsive midsole, the latter that both shoes share.Walking around in the long-awaited Odyssey 2, I first noted slight movement in the heel, which happens for me when I have to go up in size. The Nike Epic React 2 and the Odyssey React Shield are quite similar shoes. They have the same forefoot height of 18 mm, the same heel height of 28mm and thus also the same 10 mm drop. BUT, the Lunarlon foam compresses so fast that any shoe with React has an advantage toward longevity. What is Nike React foam similar to? Really it feels the most like their Lunarlon and kinda like an adidas Boost layer. The foam is covered by patches of rubber under the heel and larger pieces under the forefoot than Nike put in the Epic, which has proven to make the shoe more durable than the more expensive shoe.

After running 21 miles in them (over 3 days), my feet, knees, and heels started complaining in their tell-tale ways indicating low support; I was ready to blame the shoe’s less-than-robust heel counter—the support that holds a heel upright.Both shoes contain a full-length React midsole, which is my favorite foam from Nike. It fits slightly small and narrow, so definitely consider going up a half size. I don’t list the mid-grade heel counter as a “con” because the med-high arch makes up for it to counter my over-pronation caused by the loose ligaments in my feet (similar to the benefit from my custom inserts from Dr. Paul Coffin). We’ve written at length about Nike’s React foam, but the material still deserves to be mentioned for how it affects this shoe’s performance. After all, an upper that protects your feet from winter rain, wind, and snow is little without a midsole that you’ll enjoy running on. If you appreciate ample cushioning and a moderately responsive ride, instead of favoring an extreme amount of either foam or responsiveness, then this might well be a material that you’ll enjoy running on. The Nike Odyssey React Shield 2 for men is a weather-resistant running shoe with tough, on-trend techwear style looks, just the thing for crushing a few miles on a typical British rainy day. Shielding Your Feet I don’t think the Odyssey React Shield 2 was ever marketed to be a long-run or speed work shoe, but they don’t perform as such. I think the cushion is plenty for daily running, but anything entering double-digit mileage in a single run would lead to some aching feet.

React foam is very similar in feel and performance to its biggest competitor, Boost, except it’s lighter. Odyssey 2’s foam is more firm and has a 2mm higher drop. I prefer the feel of Odyssey 2 for speedwork, but the lighter weight of Odyssey React balances out this benefit. Both shoes have a wide, anchored tongue, which contributes to a secure feel (in all of Saucony’s ISOFIT lines). Saucony’s shoe is much more plush all-around, than Odyssey; l prefer the more streamlined, breathable, responsive, and (surprisingly) more stable Odyssey. Because if you Google the term, it mainly just shows you all the shoes in the Nike Shield line, but it doesn’t really give you any other products with this rating. There are ways to measure and describe how water repellent fabric is, but as far as I can tell, G.90 isn’t one of them. Upper of the Odyssey React Shiel Bottom line for me is that Nike React is lighter; adidas Boost has more substance to it: both offer excellent cushion and responsiveness.My arch is medium to medium-low, and my feet start to hurt if I wear Odyssey React all day for casual use. But I like the light, cushioned, responsiveness enough to still want to run in them. What really surprised me is how Odyssey’s extended internal arch provides a similar feel to Vongo’s Varus wedge midsole (higher medially). This arch also makes Odyssey feel more like Vongo’s low drop of 4mm despite a manufacturer’s statement of 10mm. The grip is a fair-weather friend that works well on smooth surfaces and in the rain until you happen upon a slight patch of mud—then all bets for traction are off! Nike Odyssey React Upper Info