Nike 24.7 review

We believe that the Nike 24.7 is a strong match for people who:

• want recovery-shoe comfort in a lace-up lifestyle sneaker
• prioritise generous impact protection and a plush underfoot feel
• need a spacious toebox with enough room for their toes to spread
• appreciate hands-free entry

Because of its concerning lack of outsole durability, we wouldn’t choose the Nike 24.7 as a daily driver for rough pavement. If you want to invest in an equally cushioned yet much more durable Nike shoe, consider the Vomero Plus. And if you don't mind other brands, the New Balance Fresh Foam X More v6 is hard to beat for all-day wear.

We would also advise against the 24.7 for hot weather or feet that overheat easily. The New Balance Ellipse is a much airier alternative that still delivers generous cushioning for everyday wear.

With a stratospheric 169 SA in the heel, the Nike 24.7 offers mind-blowing, truly exceptional shock absorption for a lifestyle sneaker. In fact, its impact protection outperforms even some of the most max-cushioned running shoes in our catalogue, and we're talking about the Nike Vomero Premium here (173 SA)!

So plush and cloud-like, this Nike sneaker takes comfort to another level without exaggeration.

Although its bubble-like midsole resembles a bounce house, we found this Nike shoe's responsiveness merely average. Despite the brand's claims of 'springy foam,' the shoe registered a standard energy return of 50.6% in our lab test. It's not exactly dull but not particularly bouncy either.

A behemoth of a shoe, the Nike 24.7 towers above the vast majority of trainers in our lab with its staggering heel stack of 45.5 mm. This seemingly endless layer of foam offers a plush buffer from the ground, keeping the foot as cushioned as it can be.

The shoe's forefoot stack also sits well above the category average. At 33.0 mm, it is over a centimeter thicker than a typical lifestyle sneaker! 

The two stack heights create a heel-to-toe drop of 12.5 mm, placing the heel higher above the toes for walking comfort.

This offset also helps reduce strain on the Achilles tendons and calf muscles, keeping them from working too hard during prolonged periods of wear.

Although Nike doesn't specify the shoe's foam type in its specs, we found the word 'Revive' debossed on its midsole. A proprietary foam from Nike, Revive is an ultra-soft cushioning material created with recovery in mind.

Our durometer confirmed that it's one of the plushest foams we've seen in lifestyle trainers: at 30.3 AC, it is 40% softer than average!

However, the 24.7's midsole is split into segmented pods that compress individually on the go, preventing the shoe's platform from feeling like a mushy mess.

Described as 'bellowed compression geometry,' the shoe's midsole features a rather aggressive curvature in both the heel and the forefoot. This rocker shape helps compensate for the ridiculously tall stack height, keeping heel-to-toe transitions smooth.

Nike really took rest and recovery seriously with the 24.7 sneaker, as the shoe's fit proved pleasantly spacious.

To compare its internal dimensions with those of other trainers, we created a gel cast of the shoe's interior. We then used a calliper to measure the widest part of the cast (the ball-of-foot area) and recorded a width of 95.4 mm. This is notably wider than the category average and is likely to feel accommodating even for wide footers.

We also found the toebox shape of this Nike kick to be rather wide, measuring 76.5 mm at the big toe area. This is one of the most relaxed toeboxes among lifestyle trainers, even roomier than the New Balance 574 (74.1 mm).

The shoe's generous vertical space further contributes to the Nike 24.7's comfort.

With a toebox height of 29.1 mm, it is unlikely to create any pressure points on the toes, helping the foot rest and relax inside the sneaker.

The absence of a traditional rubber outsole on the Nike 24.7 seems questionable at first, but our traction test results restored our confidence.

Measuring the shoe's friction coefficient at 0.58, we found it nice and grippy for a casual sneaker, offering a surefooted experience on smooth and wet surfaces like post-rain sidewalks.

While we can't complain about the shoe's outsole grip on city streets, we are still uncertain about the actual material used for its outsole. The product description states 'durable foam outsole,' whereas one of the pods has 'Duralon' debossed on it, and the latter is the brand's proprietary blown rubber material.

The bottom of the Nike 24.7 continues the segmented design, featuring large, individual pods that help the shoe remain flexible despite its towering stack height.

Additionally, each large pod features several smaller bumps that create even more underfoot compression. This setup reminded us of the brand's experimental Nike Mind design, where the nodules are intended to 'stimulate brain activity.'

It's hard to imagine a chunky sneaker bending so freely at the forefoot, yet the Nike 24.7 had no problem with that thanks to its segmented sole design.

We were surprised to find that it took an equally moderate force of 13.3N to bend this Nike kick to a 30-degree angle, as it normally takes a casual sneaker.

And the absence of undesirable rigidity further contributes to the 24.7's recovery-level comfort.

But this Nike sneaker has yet another surprise up its sleeve, which became apparent when we placed it on our scale.

At only 12.0 oz (340g) in a men's US size 9, we just couldn't believe the exceptional cushioning-to-weight ratio offered by the 24.7! Notably lighter than the average lifestyle sneaker, it turned out to be just as light on the foot as the adidas Samba OG!

If you expect to enjoy the comfort of this Nike sneaker in summertime, you might be disappointed.

The few small perforations Nike put on the 24.7's toebox didn't help improve its ventilation one bit. As you can see from our smoke-pumping test above, not a tiny hint of smoke passed through its toebox.

As dense as it gets, the shoe's suede upper leaves little breathing room for proper ventilation. That lowers the shoe's breathability score to the minimum of 1 out of 5.

With such a massive stack of plush foam underfoot, it's only natural to question how stable this Nike sneaker really is.

Fortunately, our stability tests showed reassuring results, but people with overpronation, heavier weight, or balance issues may still lack proper support for their needs.

We believe that walkers with neutral pronation (when there is no collapse of the arch or excessive inward rolling of the foot) will find a welcome touch of lateral support in the 24.7's firm carrier foam, which extends upward to form high walls on both sides of the foot.

This foam cradle contributes to the shoe's torsional rigidity, making it more structured and resistant to twisting. At 16.3 Nm, we found that it takes a solid torque to twist it by 10 degrees in both directions.

As part of Nike's proprietary EasyOn technology, a thick plastic rod is embedded in the back of the 24.7. Aside from helping with hands-free entry, this structural element adds significant rigidity to the rearfoot, earning the shoe a maximum heel counter stiffness score of 5 out of 5 in our manual test.

Naturally, a shoe as tall as the Nike 24.7 needs a broad base to compensate for its towering stack height and maintain a stable ride. Thus, we weren't surprised to measure this kick's forefoot width at an above-average 117.8 mm.

The same logic applies to the shoe's midsole dimensions at the heel. Over a centimetre wider than average, it prevents the 24.7 from feeling tippy at 94.8 mm.

True to the brand's claim, the Nike 24.7 uses real suede for its upper, creating a pleasantly soft, premium feel on the foot.

In addition to its high-grade looks, the suede upper on the 24.7 proved amazingly hard-wearing. Withstanding the abrasive sanding of our Dremel, it showed merely cosmetic damage and earned the highest toebox durability score of 5 out of 5.

The shoe's brushed knit lining also earned a perfect durability score of 5 out of 5, emerging from our Dremel test practically unscathed.

But when it comes to the shoe's outsole durability, we have serious concerns about its ability to last over the long term.

As soon as we applied our Dremel to the bottom of the Nike 24.7, the tool tore through the material like a hot knife through butter! Leaving behind a massive 3.8 mm cavity, it exposed the sneaker's alarming lack of abrasion resistance.

And even the fact that the shoe packs a generous 7.8 mm of outsole material doesn't ease our worries, considering how easy it is to wear off.

As if a 40-mm slab of foam weren't enough, Nike topped it off with another 5.0 mm of insole padding to make the underfoot experience even more plush.

The shoe's stock insole can be swapped for a custom orthotic if needed, but we aren't sure whether an alternative insert will feel at home atop the 24.7's platformy base.

Our dark-room test didn't reveal any reflective elements on the Nike 24.7.

The Nike 24.7 wraps the foot in 360-degree comfort with its generously padded tongue (9.2 mm thick) and even more substantial collar cushioning. Adding to this plush experience is the shoe's soft, seamless brushed lining.

A fully-gusseted tongue ensures secure foot lockdown with no bunching or sliding.

There is no pull tab on the Nike 24.7 because the entire shoe is designed to be hands-free. Its sturdy heel counter features the brand's proprietary EasyOn tech, which collapses and acts like a shoehorn to help the foot slide right inside the shoe.

The Nike 24.7 is priced above the category average, but its unconventional design and standout features, i.e., luxurious shock absorption and a real suede upper, help justify the cost. However, the shoe's serious lack of outsole durability and questionable stability make it a risky investment, especially for those seeking a reliable everyday sneaker.