7 Best Nike Sneakers in 2026

How we test Nike sneakers

Our testing process is unbiased and transparent. Here's how we go about it: 

• We purchase all the Nike sneakers with our money. We do not have promotional contracts with the brands or brand ambassadors. We value honesty and standardized testing more than free stuff.
• We wear-test Nike sneakers both indoors and outdoors. We do so until we completely understand their comfort, durability, and looks, among other features.
• We go the extra mile by dissecting the sneakers into pieces and measuring over 30 parameters. Thanks to this lab data, all our experiences are backed up by numbers. 
• We publish the reviews, including our lab data. This allows you to easily compare Nike sneakers and find the one that delivers what you need.

As of 2025, Nike was valued at 29.4 billion U.S. dollars. A giant in the sneaker industry, Nike has been doing well, and a part of that success is surely attributed to their sneaker lines, many of which have been on the market for years, with new releases keeping the classic style and appeal, and changing only minor things. 

Here, we won’t analyze each sneaker model or line separately, but we will look at all of them by analyzing the features: durability, breathability, toebox width, shock absorption, and so on. 

A I R : the most recognizable Nike sneaker feature

Nike Air technology is seen as pressurized air bags placed in the soles.

They are lightweight and a recognizable part of the Nike cushioning system. 

Air Max pockets are often visible and they are larger than Nike Air. Based on our lab data, on average, sneakers with larger air pockets offer higher shock absorption.

Zoom Air is usually found in performance shoes, and these pockets are reinforced with tight fibers, which improve the overall explosiveness. 

Shock absorption and energy return of Nike sneakers

These terms might sound too technical if you’re looking for Nike sneakers to put on the shelf for your social media posts, or if you care more about styling than functionality. However, if you often spend the whole day in the same pair of sneakers and, especially if you’re active throughout the day, shock absorption and energy return are very important. 

In the video above, you can see how we test shock absorption and energy return of Nike sneakers (ASTM F1976-13 methodology). 

Shock absorption is THE feature to look for if you prioritize comfort. This is because it explains how good the midsole is at dampening the impact; every time your leg hits the ground, the midsole has to deal with the impact forces, or your legs will do it. Compare walking in high-stacked cushioned sneakers and barefoot. You can’t stomp and heel strike while barefoot; that’s why the midsole comes between your legs and the ground. 

The higher the shock absorption, the better, because it means the sneakers will be comfortable for prolong periods of time, not just straight out of the box. The same applies to energy return, the higher the better, if you’re quite active when wearing the sneakers. 

Energy return tells us how much energy is returned and not dissipated as heat or spent on deformation. The highest energy return is found in race running shoes because runners need the most explosive rides on the competition day. We don’t recommend sneakers with very low energy return or shock absorption. 

Comfort in Nike sneakers 

While on the topic of comfort, next to shock absorption, we have to talk about 3 more things: midsole softness, insole thickness, and tongue thickness. All of these can be deal breakers for many, depending on the values. 

While we always recommend looking at shock absorption for comfort levels, midsole softness is still important for many, as they may want to stray away from overly plush foams or very firm platforms. 

Midsole softness is measured in the midsole. What also affects the overall comfort and softness is the insole. 

And finally, the thickness of the tongue may make your instep sweat more but it can also prevent a lace bite, which is why it is also here, under Comfort. 

When it comes to travel and comfort, many opet for Nike Motiva. Although technically a walking shoe and not a sneaker, it might be worth checking out! It’s worth noting that it has above-average shock absorption and energy return!

Do Nike sneakers run small?

Depends on the model. We list the section Size in every review we publish if there are enough votes. These votes are added by people like you who wore the sneaker and shared their impressions. However, if you’re not sure which size to get, unless stated otherwise in our reviews, we recommend using Nike size chart. 

If you have specific needs, like a wider or a higher toebox, look at our fit lab test results. We basically make a gel mold of the Nike sneaker’s interiors which allows us to accurately measure the width of the sneaker, the width of the toebox, and the height of the toebox. 

These 3 measurements are great when you know where you need some extra space. You can, for example, easily look for less pointy toeboxes (look for smaller differences between the width and the toebox width).

Keep in mind that all of these measurements are done on sneakers bought in US 9, regular width. 

Nike sneakers with the best traction

Traction is never a trending topic for those who live in warm climates and wear sneakers in dry weather. However, if you do plan to wear sneakers in rain, snow, and especially on wet, slick surfaces like tiles or on cobblestone, we recommend paying attention to the traction lab tests and results. 

In our lab, we test the traction by pressing the sneaker using a force of 500N and at a 7-degree angle against the wet concrete slab. The test is done in so-called critical conditions, meaning the concrete is wet, because that’s what we actually care about: how the Nike sneakers grip in wet conditions. 

The result of this test is a dynamic coefficient of traction; the higher it is, the better. Overall, anything higher than 0.45 is considered great traction, which means the sneakers won’t slip on wet surfaces. 0.25-0.45 is moderate traction, superb in dry conditions, may slip in wet conditions. Lower than 0.25 is low traction, which means you should not wear those sneakers when it starts raining. 

Breathability of Nike sneakers: summer and winter picks

Sweaty feet are something to avoid, just like frozen toes. We’re here to make the distinction between the sneakers that are great for summer or great for winter.

We perform a breathability test by pumping smoke into the toebox. Looking at what happens allows us to assign a 1-5 breathability rating to each sneaker. A 1/5 rating is perfect for winter and 5/5 for summer. Anything in between can be easily tweaked with socks of different thicknesses or materials. 

To better understand different breathability ratings, we also look at the upper under the microscope. Usually, we notice whether the ventilation holes are real or fake, double layers, or an interesting, colorful combination of polyester threads. 

Leather: is it real or fake?

Investing in Nike sneakers sometimes costs a lot and most of us want to know what exactly we are paying for. When it comes to upper materials, we are curious about leather and suede: are they real or fake? 

This is how real leather burns (in Nike Air Force 1 07). It becomes dry, we can scratch it, and it smells like burnt hair 

Fake leather, on the other hand, used for this swoosh sign, bursts into flames abruptly and then becomes like a glue 

Note: Some Nike models feature a combination of real and fake materials. We note what the majority of the sneaker is made of.

Durability of Nike sneakers

While on the topic of materials, you may be thinking: “it doesn’t matter whether the leather is real or fake, but how durable it is.” Fortunately, this is exactly what we test! 

We use a Dremel to intentionally damage the toebox. The worse the damage, the less durable the toebox! We use a 1-5 rating scale and assign 5/5 only to very durable toeboxes (and 1/5 to very non-durable ones). 

Another durability test we perform is at the heel because it’s the part of the sneaker that often shows signs of premature wear and tear from people collapsing and squishing the heel when putting the shoe on (not using a shoe horn), heel slipping, or different heel shapes. 

Again, we assign a 1-5 durability rating, so you can find models that have the most durable heel areas easily. 

Last but not least, we test the durability of the outsole. We also use a dremel, but when it comes to assessing the damage, we don’t do it, because we have a tool (tire tread gauge) that measures the depth of the dent precisely. 

The damage can vary wildly! 

Height-boosting or ground feel? Stack height lab data 

Stack height tells us how cushioned sneakers are, and, looking at extremes, it can go 2 ways: offering significant height, which some may use as height-boosting features, or offering very little, which would classify the sneakers as minimalist. 

Nike isn’t really into the barefoot movement but there are a few low-to-the-ground models you can look at. 

The trouble with high-stacked Nike sneakers is that they can become quite heavy. The heavier the shoes, the higher the chances of experiencing foot/leg fatigue. So, weight is also important, which is why we cover it below. 

Finding lightweight Nike sneakers 

When wearing sneakers for a short period of time, some extra weight is not an issue. But, if you plan to rock them around the town, travel in them, or simply walk a lot, weight matters. When sneakers are made of leather or have a lot of padding, they are usually “evenly” heavy. But, when the midsole is thick and the upper is made of canvas, we usually experience them as “bottom heavy”. 

Finding cheap Nike sneakers

Finding good deals on Nike sneakers may be challenging. Fortunately, we made a dedicated Deals page which lists the best sneaker deals! 

Some Nike sneakers are budget-friendly from the moment they are released. But it always feels good to find a deal when it’s a pricey pair. For that, we can look at the MSRPs of Nike sneakers. MSRP is the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, or how much the sneakers cost once they are released. 

Where are Nike sneakers manufactured?

Nike sneakers tested in our lab were manufactured in Indonesia, Vietnam, and India.