Nike React Escape Run review

Nike React Escape Run review

This is an excellent daily trainer that offers enough cushioning for longer efforts and enough pep to get you through the tempo runs.

The comfort and bounciness that I felt running in this shoe made it seem like I was running in the now-discontinued Nike Odyssey React, a shoe that cost 20% more when it came out on the market. This shoe is also similar to Nike React Miler. 

Who the shoe is (not) for

Great for runners looking for a: 

• versatile daily trainer, 
• budget-friendly running shoe, 
• a lot of energy return (thanks to React midsole).

Look away if you: 

• have narrow feet (in this case look at narrow Nike running shoes), 
• want to use your running shoes for HIIT. 

React Escape Run fits true to size

I normally wear a women’s 9 in Nike shoes and this shoe fit perfectly. Actually, most women’s shoes tend to run really narrow in the midfoot and I didn’t have any issues like that with the React Escape Run. 

The shoe fits true to size with enough room in the midfoot and toe box area to not crowd your foot and allow your feet to swell during your runs. 

Surprisingly wide for a woman’s shoe

If anything, there might have been too much room and material in the upper since I had to lace them so much that the eyelets on both sides were almost touching. 

The tongue is padded enough so even if you have cinched your laces with a torque wrench, you won’t feel the laces pushing against the top of your foot.  

Trampoline-like ride

Did I mention that these were a joy to run in?

The React midsole is comfortable and springy. I even felt like I was on a mini trampoline as I was running.  Definitely kept the pep in my step throughout all of my runs. 

I felt like the springiness helped keep my cadence high without extra effort. Even though this has decent cushioning, you don’t feel like you sink into the shoe. 

Nike React Escape Run has stability issues

The midsole doesn’t have a lot (or any) stability built in so if you are against running in a neutral shoe, or need that extra support, this shoe is not for you. 

It also doesn’t fair too well if you are doing circuit training since I felt my foot sliding around laterally when I took turns too fast. 

Not for trail running

Usually, road running shoes can be used on hard-packed easy trails. Not the case with Nike React Escape Run. This is a comfortable shoe/ride, best suited for the roads and not trail running due to lateral instability that would happen on sharp turns. 

Escape Run doesn’t weigh you down 

This is not an ultralight racing shoe like the Nike Vaporfly, but it didn’t feel heavy as I ran in it. It felt light enough that I didn’t feel weighed down on longer runs. 

Even with all of the cushioning that the React Escape Run offers, it doesn’t feel like a brick laced to the bottom of your foot.  

Really durable outsole

The outsole has a lot of rubber to protect the shoe and give you plenty of grip on a variety of surfaces (pavement, grass, dirt roads, some sand). 

Unlike other Nike React shoes, the React Escape run does not limit the outsole to only the high wear areas. This should help keep the midsole fresh for a long time. 

Even after the testing, the outsole is going strong. I have done 20 training runs and I am only seeing minimal wear on the outsole.  

Pep fades away quickly on Nike React Escape Run

There is one thing I noticed that could impact long-term durability and that is the breakdown of the midsole over time. While still bouncy and cushioned, there is less “pep” after breaking it in than when I first started running in it. 

This could be attributed to the fact that I took this shoe on my runs on consecutive days, but something to watch out for if you plan on hanging on to this shoe for more than 400 miles. I just don’t think you would get that much wear out of them based on my experience so far.

Breathable, except under the tongue

The upper is a mesh-type material that breathes really well. The toe box didn’t get too hot on my runs, even though it was hot and sunny outside. 

There are too many overlays that would cause breathability concerns, but the biggest impact on breathability was actually the tongue of the shoe. The tongue is not terribly thick, but the dense material felt really hot when it started to heat up outside. 

Bad foot lockdown in Nike React Escape Run

I had to tie the laces really tight to feel secure while I was running. The absence of an extra eyelet for the runner’s knot means that the only option for securing the shoe is to just tie it tighter. 

Because there was no more room for me to tie it tighter, I did notice my heel slipped a little and I also slid around in the shoe when taking it around tight corners.

This shoe could really benefit from reducing some of the material around the upper and adding an extra eyelet to accommodate different foot types.

Conclusion

While this shoe has its flaws, I really enjoyed running in it.

I felt excited to go out on my runs because I felt great when I was running in it and for $100 retail, you can’t really go wrong.