Nike P-6000 review

Don't let this old running soul run away from you if you're looking for:

• A very comfortable pair with durable materials that won't hurt neither your feet nor your wallet.
• A soft and padded yet extremely breathable pal for your summer adventures.
• A trendy Y2K shoe with a retro-futuristic vibe that attracts all the looks.
• Sneakers with a running past that will work if things get sporty.

This shoe is incredibly versatile, and it mixes functionality and style, so we don't really have many negative points to address here. Even though these look like running shoes, they are still sneakers, though. Even though we can actually say you can run in this Nike pair after trying it ourselves during our wear tests, we believe you should have a look at our running shoes catalog if you want to take running seriously.

If you're not on a budget and you're looking for a shoe with a similar vibe and Nike technologies, the Nike Zoom Vomero 5 might be ideal. It features a large Zoom Air unit under the heel, making it one of the best Nike casual models for all-day wear. Also, the P-6000 is extremely breathable, scoring a 5/5 in our test. If you're looking for a shoe that you can wear in winter (and you don't want to be thinking about pairing it with warmer socks to compensate), we suggest you check our winter sneakers.

Having its roots in the old Nike Pegasus versions, we found that the P-6000 carries over some of the cushioning properties of these running shoes.

More specifically, the kick showed great shock attenuation with an above-average reading of 111 SA. It helped to take some of the impact off our feet, legs, and joints, especially during long hours of walking and standing.

However, the energy return of this Nike sneaker turned out to be only average.

Using specialized equipment and a globally recognized testing method, we recorded the shoe's energy return at a moderate 52%. This is not a bad result per se, but it means that the P-6000 has more of a static feel as opposed to a bouncy one.

At 29.7 mm, our caliper indicated that this Nike's heel stack is just about average.

We found this pretty interesting. The P-6000 doesn't have any technologies in its midsole, and it's not like its heel is the highest ever, yet our feet found this shoe incredibly comfortable. It feels super soft on foot:

Believe us, we could walk and walk..., and then walk some more! We're not gonna lie, we didn't expect this model to include all the brand's fancy stuff, it's a budget shoe after all. But we also didn't expect it to be THIS comfortable.

On the other hand, its forefoot stack is just a little high higher than average.

At 20.7 mm, our feet enjoyed a mix of cushioning and ground feel. We can't say we felt every pebble under our toes, but we also didn't feel unstable when we were walking around town.

Once we had the forefoot and heel stacks, we calculated this shoe's drop. At 9.0 mm, it's once again average, so our feet didn't feel anything different when went to the shops or on a night out.

Do you remember that we were saying this shoe doesn't have any specific technologies from the brand? You can see it better in this picture. We cut every single shoe that gets the VIP pass for our lab in half so we can check even the smallest details!

In this case, we can see a small plastic shank in the midfoot (that gray wave you can see following the black outsole). This added some extra support to the P-6000's ride, which is always super welcomed!

The softer foam of this shoe is one of the main reasons why our feet loved walking in it so much.

At 20.4 HA, our durometer indicated it's softer than average. Which translates into...? Right, you guessed it! Comfort!

But wait, wait. It's not just comfort! When we tried this shoe in our wear tests, we could even feel a little bit of bounce from it. With no Nike technologies around!

The comfort of the P-6000 is further amplified by a predictable medium-width fit.

Measuring the gel mold of the shoe's interiors confirmed that it is slightly wider than average at 93.9 mm in the metatarsal area (between the big toe and the pinkie). 

The shoe's rounded toebox shape also makes its more accommodating for long hours of walking and standing. It showed a standard width of 68.4 mm near the big toe.

Toe pressing is also unlikely in the Nike P-6000 thanks to its above-average toebox height of 29.7 mm. 

You can expect dependable traction from the P-6000 as its outsole scored a solid coefficient of friction (0.40) in our lab test. This Nike shoe demonstrated a good bite on wet concrete as we mimicked a heel landing with our machine a dozen times.

In other words, it ensures a great grip on dry city streets but also lends a good bite on wet and slippery sidewalks.

The P-6000 inherits the old Air Pegasus 2006's outsole with the brand's typical waffle pattern (square lugs) and many flex grooves to promote flexibility and smooth ride.

It may not look that way but the P-6000 is in fact a very flexible shoe. Our lab test showed that its forefoot needed only 9.3N of force to bend by 30 degrees! This is significantly less compared to the category average.

This pliability makes the ride quite soft and forgiving as the shoe moves along with the foot quite effortlessly.

In our wear tests, our feet felt incredibly happy with this shoe. And trust us, it's not just because of its wonderful breathability, but also thanks to how lightweight it felt!

Walking around town was a breeze, and we enjoyed every single step of the way. Its featherlike nature made the P-6000 even more comfortable. And that is A LOT. For real, this shoe is just every foot's dream.

When we took this Nike to our lab (and yeah, we were pretty sad we had to take it off!) our scale showed 10.3 oz/292.0g. In other words, this shoe is an incredible 38% lighter than the other models in its category.

We absolutely loved it, and so did our feet! This stylish sneaker mixes 3 incredible key points that are very rarely seen working together: breathability, durability, and lightness. The best part of it all? It comes in a trendy Y2K design!

And we can't get enough of it.

The very first moment we saw this shoe, we knew it would be breathable. Just by looking at its upper, we could clearly see a big mesh layer, and that's gotta let the air go in and out!

But we're in the lab to perform tests, right? Not just to hypothesize. Alright, smoke machine, it's your time to shine.

Wow, wow, wow! Look at that! All the smoke comes out so easily through the P-6000's toebox. No obstacles, no complicated overlays, no limitations... nothing! Just a shoe that breaths in and out easily. Consequently, it has earned an incredible 5/5 in our breathability test. Unlike the Nike Blazer Mid 77, which has a full-leather upper that won't let your feet get some fresh air, the P-6000 has proved it's a wonderful companion for summer adventures!

You can see in the video how easy it is for the light to shine through this shoe's upper, showing once again its breathability levels remain unmatched.

We wanted to know more about the materials, so we grabbed our microscope and started analyzing these Nikes' toebox. Apart from the red tail of the Swoosh, we can see a mix of leather (silver) and mesh (white). In the latter, there are multiple ventilation holes with a thin layer underneath.

The top white overlayer has thicker thread patterns, yet the ones after those seem to be thinner. This promises great breathability, but also nice durability. Let's check it out!

As a former running shoe, the P-6000 proudly showed us its sporty past in our lateral stability test.

Its durable materials and ribcage structure held our ankles and feet in place when we walked around town. So, apart from being comfortable, this Nike's upper is also well-structured.

We just can't believe this shoe is that cheap yet that... crazy? Comfy, stylish, and also stable!

Even though we did feel safe when we walked around town in this shoe, its structure and materials were not too rigid.

Wait, let us explain. When you get a shoe like the Nike Air Force 1 07, which scored a 5/5 in our torsional rigidity test, it will most likely require a break-in period. Why? Well, because its upper materials need to give it a little bit before the shoe can give you its maximum comfort levels.

Here we have the AF 1 07 and its 5/5 in our torsional rigidity test

And there, the P-6000 and its 3/5 in the same torsional rigidity test

As you can see, our fingers struggled way less in this second case. That's another reason why we found this shoe so comfortable right out of the box!

Tracking back once again to the P-6000's running past, its heel counter is quite stiff, making sure our feet stayed right where they should.

It's clearly designed to hold your heel in place, and we couldn't get enough of it. The best part is that it scored a 4/5 on our heel counter stiffness test, which means it gave us all the support without a rough start. So, yeah, no blisters and no hot spots!

PS: Can you see the tiny Swoosh at the very back of the shoe and the P-6000 in red? We are big fans of the minimalistic yet stylish branding of the P-6000!

Another average measure: our caliper indicated the midsole width in the forefoot is neither too wide, nor too narrow!

At 109.0 mm, our feet felt pretty comfortable, and it's not like we felt we lacked space to land. In other words, the P-6000 base is wide enough for our ride to be full of confidence.

The heel is also pretty much average, and we had no complaints!

Our caliper reading at 84.4 mm and this shoe's snug structure in the heel are a perfect combo. Our standard-sized feet felt comfortable and safe. Ready for any adventures the tomorrow would bring!

When a shoe gets a high score in breathability, it usually underperforms in durability, especially in the toebox. Nevertheless, our microscope showed us that the P-6000 might be ready to break that rule.

We aimed our Dremel directly at the mesh, and when we saw the results we couldn't keep our mouths closed. Like, we did expect this Nike's upper to do great, but... this great? It's a budget shoe!

With the smallest of scratches, the P-6000 proudly showed it's made to last! If you look at the picture, you might not even believe we used our Dremel at 5K RPM and 3.2N during 4 seconds.

Well, this is what a clean 5/5 in durability looks like. Nike, you've got our utmost respect!

Before we start with this section, there are two things that we want you to know. First, the heel is usually the weakest point of a sneaker; second, the upper and the heel padding durability might not get the same score.

Don't get fooled by thinking the shoe's structure and materials are all the same!

Another great victory, we would say! The Dremel has been defeated twice in a row, and trust us, that's not something very common.

We can see in the picture that the heel's material is slightly messed up. But just enough for the P-6000 to get a 4/5 in our heel padding durability test. Another great and better-than-average score!

Once we turned this shoe upside down, we were welcomed by a heavily running-inspired outsole. And we loved it!

At 84.8 HC, our durometer knows it well: this shoe's outsole is just as hard as the average. This usually means a wonderful mix of traction and durability. Stay tuned and check with us if it's actually true!

After two strepitous losses, our Dremel had one last chance to regain its honor as our main shoe destroyer.

At 10K RPM and with 3.2N of force, our tool attacked the P-6000's outsole during 22 seconds.

It went all in for that specific lug you can see in the picture, yet the damage wasn't big. We measured the dent with our gauge, which returned barely 0.6 mm! This is a whole 40% less than average.

In other words, this shoe is made to last from head (or... collar?) to toe!

After checking how durable the P-6000's outsole is, we were curious to see Nike's approach regarding its thickness. Would the brand go for a thick rubber piece to make it even more durable? Or would it opt for a thinner layer to reduce the shoe's overall weight?

At 3.5 mm, our caliper indicated that this shoe's outsole is way thinner than average. Honestly, we believe this is a very smart move from Nike. That is, the P-6000's outsole is already durable and hard, so why would the brand use more material? This would just increase the overall weight, and we definitely don't want that!

In order to keep such a low weight, Nike went for a pretty thin insole.

At 3.2 mm, our caliper indicated there's nothing special here. Just a thinner-than-average insole that can easily be changed for your own orthotics (oops, spoiler alert!).

Matching this colorway's details, the P-6000 features a red removable insole!

Another wonderful detail from the brand. Not only in terms of practicality, as a removable insole means you can use your own orthotics, but also regarding style!

Yeah, we know it's hard to believe this is a budget shoe! But it doesn't include any of the special reflective elements that some more expensive pairs might feature.

Nevertheless, Nike indicates that this shoe does have reflective materials. Well, as you can see in the picture above, we'll have to disagree regarding this colorway!

Our caliper is not used to measuring tongues THIS thick! It had to open wide to let us see an incredible score of 16.9 mm. Only the Vans Half Cab (20.4 mm), the Adidas Campus 00S (23.0 mm), and the Vans Knu Skool (38.4 mm) have tongues that are more padded according to our lab results.

A 4th position in a ranking where loads and loads participate is pretty impressive, if you ask us. All this padding leveled up the shoe's comfort, and it made us forget that lace bite or any kind of hotspots existed!

It also has the coolest detail in the tongue, look.

There's a lace which, apart from keeping the laces in place, also shows everyone the surname of one of Nike's co-founders: Bowerman. William Jay Bowerman was an American track and field coach who founded Nike, previously called Blue Ribbon Sports, with his athlete and friend Phil Knight.

We absolutely loved this detail and hint to one of the company's fathers. If you want to know more about Nike and/or you're a little bit of a number geek (just like us), don't forget to check this article out!

Neither the Air Pegasus 2006 nor the Air Pegasus 25 feature a heel tab, and the P-6000 follows their example!

Even though heel tabs are always helpful, it's not like we missed it in this shoe. It was pretty easy to put on and off, so no complaints here!