Our verdict

The Pulse has this versatile sporty aesthetic that is crazy trendy nowadays. We found it actually matches most of our casual outfits, adding a really cool laidback vibe. The best part is that, even though we wore this shoe all day every day, our feet stayed comfortable thanks to its Air soft cushioning and padded interiors. Nevertheless, all this cushioning equals a really high drop that some people might not find comfy at all. So, if possible, try this Nike Air Max on before you buy it!

Pros

  • All-day comfort
  • Wonderful Air cushioning
  • Bouncy midsole
  • Versatile aesthetic for casual days
  • Trendy sporty vibe
  • Foot-hugging design
  • Durable waffle outsole
  • No break-in needed

Cons

  • Heavier than average
  • Not for running
  • Some people might not like its high drop

Audience verdict

89
Good!

Who should buy

Let this new Air Max pair make your entire wardrobe fall in love if:

  • You're looking for a really trendy and comfortable sneaker to show off all day long.
  • You're an Air Max lover and you just can't get enough of its sporty vibe and Air technology.
  • You need a casual pair of shoes that looks great with pretty much anything.

Nike Air Max Pulse_outdoor_01

Who should NOT buy

If you're an Air Max lover and you're looking for a lightweight model, the Pulse might not be exactly what you need. This shoe is on the heavier side, and if you're used to sneakers that feel like a couple of feathers, your feet might unhappily notice it. As an alternative, the Nike Air Max DN is on the lighter side, and it has a similar clean vibe; on the other hand, the Nike Air Max SC is also pretty feathery itself, and way cheaper!

Also, despite its aesthetics, the Pulse is definitely not a running model! As shoe experts, we can't recommend anything else but pairs that have been specifically designed with this sport in mind. Click here and have a look at our catalog!

Nike Air Max Pulse-pieces

Cushioning

Heel stack

This shoe has an absolutely massive Air unit at the heel. Just look at that!

Nike Air Max Pulse Heel stack-1

Once we had cut this AM in half, our caliper could access the materials easily, opening wide to some crazy 36.0 mm. This result is a whole 18% higher than average, which really is a lot.

During our wear tests, apart from feeling the incredible comfort of this Air unit, we also enjoyed the extra inches it offered us. Cool, comfy, and extra confident, that's how we felt!

Nike Air Max Pulse_outdoor_013

Test results
Air Max Pulse 36.0 mm
Average 29.7 mm
Compared to 81 sneakers
Number of shoes
16.9 mm
Heel stack
50.5 mm

Forefoot stack

Our toes also enjoyed some extra protection from the ground thanks to this Nike's higher-than-average forefoot stack.

Nike Air Max Pulse Forefoot stack-1

Our caliper returned 21.2 mm, and we really couldn't be happier. The comfort of this pair is unparalleled!

Test results
Air Max Pulse 21.2 mm
Average 18.8 mm
Compared to 81 sneakers
Number of shoes
9.7 mm
Forefoot stack
28.3 mm

Drop

Our caliper didn't lie when it measured the crazy high heel stack of this Air Max. And as the Pulse doesn't have an Air unit in the forefoot, this area is, inevitably, lower.

Nike Air Max Pulse Drop-1

With a skyscraper of a drop that reaches 14.8 mm, we can see how this shoe might not be everyone's cup of tea.

Following our own experience during our wear tests, the Pulse felt delightfully comfortable underfoot. We enjoyed every single step, and the Air unit just felt right. As we're used to testing loads and loads of different shoes, the high drop of this pair didn't bother us at all. But we know there will be some people who won't find it as appealing. Even with the height boost and all!

Nike Air Max Pulse_outdoor_09

Test results
Air Max Pulse 14.8 mm
Average 10.9 mm
Compared to 81 sneakers
Number of shoes
3.5 mm
Drop
17.2 mm

Midsole softness

Note: a low durometer measurement equals a soft material, whereas a high measurement means it's firm.

It looks like we can't stop talking about the wonderful Air unit of the Pulse, but hear us out: the comfort levels double up thanks to its soft midsole!

Nike Air Max Pulse Midsole softness-1

Our durometer returned 21.9 HA, which is way lower than average. The all-day comfort is the real deal here! And we enjoyed this softness non-stop even if we had to run errands from sunrise to sunset.

Test results
Air Max Pulse 21.9 HA
Average 29.2 HA
We use an average of four tests. The photo shows one of those tests.
Compared to 64 sneakers
Number of shoes
15.0 HA
Midsole softness (soft to firm)
46.4 HA

Insole thickness

Most likely to reduce the overall weight, Nike went for an insole that's thinner than average.

Nike Air Max Pulse Insole thickness-1

At 3.9 mm, the brand understood (just as we did) that with the wonderful comfort this shoe provides underfoot, there's no need to go for a crazy thick insole. And it saved some oz too!

Test results
Air Max Pulse 3.9 mm
Average 5.1 mm
Compared to 81 sneakers
Number of shoes
3.1 mm
Insole thickness
11.5 mm

Size and fit

Size

Nike Air Max Pulse is true to size (186 votes).

With a 2.6 on our 1 to 5 size scale, the Pulse might fit slightly smaller.

Owners of this shoe, how does this shoe fit?

1 size small ½ size small True to size ½ size large 1 size large
Compared to 97 sneakers
Number of shoes
½ size small
Slightly small
True to size
Slightly large
½ size large

Toebox width - widest part

Our caliper had to open up to some solid 100.7 mm to measure this shoe's toebox width at the widest part.

Nike Air Max Pulse Toebox width - widest part-1

This means it's wider than average, and our standard-sized feet enjoyed this more relaxed fit from morning to evening. But the best part of it all is that the Pulse has these padded and comfy interiors that, thanks to the extra space, didn't make our feet feel cramped!

Test results
Air Max Pulse 100.7 mm
Average 98.9 mm
Compared to 81 sneakers
Number of shoes
91.3 mm
Toebox width - widest part
105.3 mm

Toebox width - big toe

After all this time, Nike has earned a well-justified reputation for designing shoes with a pointy toebox. But lately, there's been a very welcomed shift in this trend. And we're all up for it!

Nike Air Max Pulse Toebox width - big toe-1

Our caliper marked 76.6 mm, which is slightly wider than average. It's not like we felt we had plenty of space to move our toes around, but we felt comfortable even after hours of walking.

And talking about space and comfort! The vertical volume and the stretchy mesh of the Pulse felt just right.

Test results
Air Max Pulse 76.6 mm
Average 75.0 mm
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
65.7 mm
Toebox width - big toe
83.0 mm

Stability

Lateral stability test

Don't let its mesh upper fool you: the Pulse's lateral stability is pretty solid!

As you can see, this shoe's structure didn't let our ankles play around more than they should. This was really helpful when our feet started getting tired after a whole day walking around town.

Nike Air Max Pulse_outdoor_08

Torsional rigidity

The solid lateral stability of this Nike pair comes hand-in-hand with a crazy high torsional rigidity. Just look at that!

A wall. A barrier. A dam. A barricade. A block! And anything in between. The Pulse didn't let our fingers play around, as its high lateral walls hugged the upper tightly.

Nike Air Max Pulse_outdoor_010

Test results
Air Max Pulse 5
Average 3.5
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Torsional rigidity
5

Heel counter stiffness

It looks like the Pulse is all about big things, and its rubberized heel reinforcement works as clear evidence of such fact!

If this was Miley Cyrus' song, our thumb would definitely not be a wrecking ball. We couldn't even dream of making the solidly structured heel of this Air Max bend. So, yeah, we gave it a perfect 5/5 on our heel counter stiffness test.

Nike Air Max Pulse_outdoor_018

Test results
Air Max Pulse 5
Average 3.2
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Heel counter stiffness
5

Midsole width - forefoot

We're happy to tell you that this Nike's midsole is wider than average, which equals a more stable ride!

Nike Air Max Pulse Midsole width - forefoot-1

Our caliper marked 109.7 mm, so our feet had a spacious platform to land on each and every step.

Test results
Air Max Pulse 109.7 mm
Average 108.5 mm
Compared to 81 sneakers
Number of shoes
95.1 mm
Midsole width - forefoot
121.0 mm

Midsole width - heel

Now the heel takes this "I'm wider than you" experience to a whole new level.

Nike Air Max Pulse Midsole width - heel-1

At 92.9 mm, this area is a solid 10% wider than what we see in most sneakers!

Test results
Air Max Pulse 92.9 mm
Average 83.2 mm
Compared to 81 sneakers
Number of shoes
67.7 mm
Midsole width - heel
103.1 mm

Flexibility / Stiffness

Despite its incredibly stiff heel and higher-than-high torsional rigidity, our force gauge stated we only needed 23.5N to bend the Pulse all the way up to 90 degrees.

This result is pretty much average, which means that walking around town in this Nike felt fantastic. Even with its wall-like structure, this pair bent alongside our feet effortlessly.

Nike Air Max Pulse_outdoor_07

Test results
Air Max Pulse 23.5N
Average 22.9N
We use an average of four tests. The video shows one of those tests.
Compared to 81 sneakers
Number of shoes
5.8N
Flexibility <> Stiffness
51.8N

Weight

During our wear tests, we felt this shoe was definitely not on the lighter side. It's not like its weight was super noticeable, as the Air cushioning gave us some bounce that would distract us from the actual weight, but... it just didn't feel like a couple of feathers.

Nike Air Max Pulse Weight-1

When we took it to our lab, our scale had a good explanation for all this. It marked 15.1 oz/428.0g, which is a whole 8% heavier than average. Even though that might not sound like much to you, trust us, every oz counts!

Nevertheless, this didn't mean that we found the Pulse uncomfortable or unwearable during our wear tests. It's just on the heavier side, and even though this fact itself regardless of the experience might be a breaking point for some, the Air unit energy balanced it out for us.

Test results
Air Max Pulse 15.10 oz (428g)
Average 13.86 oz (393g)
Compared to 81 sneakers
Number of shoes
8.50 oz (241g)
Weight
20.49 oz (581g)

Breathability

During our light test, we could see our LED shine through this Air Max's upper material pretty easily. This gave us high hopes, as it usually means there are ventilation holes ready to let the air come in and out!

But, following our experience... the game isn't finished until the final whistle, if you know what we mean. So we grabbed our smoke machine and kept it rolling.

You should've seen the disappointment painted all over our faces when we brokenheartedly looked at these sneakers' breathability duel. The ASICS Gel NYC (right) displayed a wonderful level of ventilation letting all the smoke out effortlessly. On the other hand, the Air Max Pulse... literally choked. In the video, you can see a couple of faint and really thin smoke columns, especially at the end, but this was clearly not enough for this shoe to earn more than a sad 1/5 on our breathability test.

Nike Air Max Pulse Breathability-3

Last but not least, our microscope showed us how dense the Pulse's upper material is. That's why we believe that more than one test has to be conducted: the results can be totally different!

Nike Air Max Pulse Breathability-4

As you can see, there are no ventilation holes at all!

Test results
Air Max Pulse 1
Average 3
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Breathability
5

Durability

Toebox durability

A low score on breathability usually comes with a high score on durability, but in this case... we were not that sure. And it wasn't just because of us getting our hopes crushed on the last test, it was more of a gut feel after having a look at the Pulse's upper.

At 5K RPM and with 3.2N of force, the Dremel went all out and tried to break this shoe's toebox. Even though it managed to destroy some layers, this Air Max kept it together until the very end, earning a 3/5 on our durability test.

Nike Air Max Pulse Toebox durability-2

Test results
Air Max Pulse 3
Average 3.8
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Toebox durability
5

Heel padding durability

We moved the tool all the way back to the heel to keep the drilling session up.

At the same 5K RPM and 3.2N of force, we could see white material flying around our lab from the very first moment the Dremel touched this shoe's heel padding. Consequently, and after having a good look at the messed up results, we decided to give it a 2/5 on this durability test.

Nike Air Max Pulse Heel padding durability-2

Test results
Air Max Pulse 2
Average 3.2
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Heel padding durability
5

Outsole hardness

In order to measure a shoe's outsole hardness, we need to take it to our lab and stick our durometer to it.

Nike Air Max Pulse Outsole hardness-1

As you can see, it returned 91.3 HC, which is a result higher than average. This usually means that the rubber compound used in the shoe focuses on being durable, and not so much on biting the floor.

Nike Air Max Pulse_outdoor_017

Test results
Air Max Pulse 91.3 HC
Average 85.4 HC
We use an average of four tests. The photo shows one of those tests.
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
76.1 HC
Outsole hardness
91.3 HC

Outsole durability

But our Dremel is the one that has to judge if the rubber is actually durable or not. With the same 3.2N of force but this time at 10K RPM, the tool went all in and tried to destroy the material during 22 seconds.

Even though there was dust flying everywhere, the final results were not really that bad. Our tread gauge returned 1.2 mm when we measured the dent's depth, which is just slightly higher than average.

Nike Air Max Pulse Outsole durability-2

Honestly, we were pretty happy about it, as it meant that the Pulse wouldn't give up on us any time soon.

Test results
Air Max Pulse 1.2 mm
Average 1.1 mm
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
0.0 mm
Outsole wear
2.0 mm

Outsole thickness

Our caliper returned 4.9 mm when we measured this shoe's outsole thickness.

Nike Air Max Pulse Outsole thickness-1

Despite not being as durable as the average of its category, we believe Nike went for a thinner piece of rubber in order to reduce the weight as much as possible. And honestly, in this case, we believe it was the right choice!

Nike Air Max Pulse_outdoor_015

Test results
Air Max Pulse 4.9 mm
Average 5.4 mm
Compared to 81 sneakers
Number of shoes
3.1 mm
Outsole thickness
8.6 mm

Misc

Grip / Traction

As this Air Max's official webpage states, it features the brand's iconic rubber waffle outsole.

Nike Air Max Pulse_outdoor_04

As you can see, this tread focuses on the forefoot and the hard wear areas of the mid and rearfoot. Not only did this help to reduce the overall weight of the shoe, it also contributed to the increase of its overall flexibility levels, just like the prominent cuts on the ball of the foot.

Nike Air Max Pulse_outdoor_05

Regarding performance, we're pretty happy with the Pulse's grip. It's nothing crazy, but it bit the floor consistently when we walked around town. All in all, it worked just fine during our wear tests, and that's exactly what we need.

Price

The Air Max line features multiple sneakers with a wide variety of prices. In this case, we believe the Pulse's cost comes from its massive Air technology at the heel, much like the AM 270, which has a similar design.

Nike Air Max Pulse_outdoor_012

Honestly, it's a price that follows the collection's standards, and taking into account this pair's super trendy style and incredibly comfortable cushioning, we do believe it's fair.

Test results
Air Max Pulse $150
Average $119
Compared to 108 sneakers
Number of shoes
$50
Price
$220

Reflective elements

The shiny Swoosh this shoe features at the heel is a really cool detail. Not just because of its clean vibe, but also because it makes this Nike pair safer when you're walking out at night.

Test results
Air Max Pulse Yes

Tongue padding

This AM has a thickly padded tongue that acts like a comfy pillow for our instep.

Nike Air Max Pulse Tongue padding-1

As you can see, it looks like an infinity, as there's a point of contact of the double layers right in the middle, more or less where you tie your shoes.

Nike Air Max Pulse_outdoor_019

Even though we really appreciated this design because of its comfort, when our caliper returned 10.1 mm, we thought it was a little bit too much. In other words, we believe the brand could have gone for a thinner tongue to reduce the overall weight of the Pulse, and still keep the same comfort levels.

Test results
Air Max Pulse 10.1 mm
Average 9.1 mm
Compared to 81 sneakers
Number of shoes
0.7 mm
Tongue padding
23.0 mm

Tongue: gusset type

Even though this also adds a couple of extra oz, we were happy to see a gusseted tongue on this Nike pair (especially if we take into account its price!).

Nike Air Max Pulse Tongue: gusset type-1

This added some extra surefootedness to our experience, which is something we always appreciate. The foot-hugging design of this shoe felt just right!

Nike Air Max Pulse_outdoor_020

Test results
Air Max Pulse Both sides (semi)

Heel tab

Instead of a heel tab, the Pulse keeps it retro with the color-blocking logo of the brand at the back.

Nike Air Max Pulse_outdoor_03

The gusseted tongue might make putting the shoe on without a heel tab slightly harder than it should be, but the fact that this detail shines in the dark makes up for it all!

Test results
Air Max Pulse None

Removable insole

The Pulse features a removable insole!

Nike Air Max Pulse Removable insole-1

This means that you can easily change it if you need or want to, which is always great news!

Nike Air Max Pulse Removable insole-2

Test results
Air Max Pulse Yes