Nike Shox TL review

You shouldn't sleep on the Nike Shox TL if you're looking for:

• A comfortable and stable shoe to run your daily errands in style.
• Great breathability that doesn't sacrifice durability.
• A pair of trainers with the trendiest retro-futuristic look.

The Nike Shox TL can feel a little bit too much for many people in different ways. For a start, its aesthetics follow the "love it or hate it" patterns, which means there are not many "in-between" opinions. The thing here is that we're not talking about a cheap pair, as its £180 price tag doesn't make it precisely affordable. But don't worry, we have many other low-priced trainers with a more plain vibe.

Then, this shoe can also be a little bit too much for your feet. It's pretty heavy, and even though you might not notice it at the beginning, your legs will most likely feel the strain at the end of the day. If you're looking for a more lightweight pair to seize the day, we've got you covered.

When Nike announced this reworked version of the 2003 iconic Shox, it mentioned that its full-length technology offered better impact protection. Our feet did feel safe and sound during our wear tests walking around town, but our machine at the lab has the last word.

At 93 SA, we can confirm this result is higher than average. But... it's nothing otherworldly, really. We have tested many other trainers with higher impact protection properties.

Following its retro-futuristic aesthetics, we did feel the bounciness of this Nike pair. With a fun score of 57.3%, the Shox TL helped us in every step, propelling us back up every time we compressed the columns of its technology.

As a 3 people job, the insole, the narrowest midsole, and the Shox technology work together to raise the TL's heel stack all the way up to 40.8 mm. This generous platform muted every single obstacle we stepped on, protecting our feet and making us feel confident every time we decided to go out and brag about these cuties.

Just like Nike stated, the Shox technology features a full-length design, which means it goes all the way up to the forefoot. This explains why our calliper returned another higher-than-average score when we measured its forefoot stack. At 25.3 mm, we can see the Shox TL putting comfort before ground feel.

Even though both the heel and forefoot stack heights of this shoe surpass the average, the rearfoot is still gigantic in comparison to... pretty much any other. Consequently, we've measured a drop of 15.5 mm.

It's undoubtedly higher than average, which is neither good nor bad (if you want to learn more about the drop, don't hesitate to check our guide). What we can tell you is that an elevated heel like this one reduces the pressure on the Achilles and other foot tendons, making the shoe friendlier and more supportive for longer walks.

Before we say anything else, please don't forget that a taller midsole does not equal and plusher ride. In fact, the Shox TL is a great example! After cutting it in half and having access to its thinnest midsole, we pressed our calliper against it and it returned 37.0 HA.

Even though this result is higher than average, which should mean the shoe is on the firmer side, it didn't feel like it. During our wear tests, this Nike pair felt way softer thanks to the Shox technology.

The secondary foam, which is closer to the midfoot, is slightly firmer. Our calliper returned 38.0 HA, but the difference is so minimal that it's pretty much impossible to notice.

To measure this shoe's fit, we created a mould in our lab using our special gel. To our surprise, our calliper returned a higher-than-average score. You know, after all, we're talking about a Nike shoe!

At 96.5 mm, our standard-sized feet enjoyed plenty of space. Even though we walked for miles and miles and our feet got all swollen, we didn't feel the Shox TL lacked space.

Luckily, it also doesn't taper like crazy towards the tip. We can't say this Nike pair has a rounder design, yet our feet didn't feel squeezed into the shoe. At 71.8 mm, our big toe and pinkie didn't have a hard time, especially in comparison to other Swoosh trainers!

The toebox doesn't sit too low on the toes either, which is wonderful! We measured its height at 28.5 mm.

Our lab and wear tests seem to agree: the Shox TL is not the grippiest shoe out there, yet we can't say it felt uncomfortably slippery either. Imitating a walking person's gait, our machine pressed the heel of these trainers against wet concrete.

With an average friction score of 0.44, we enjoyed its consistent grip on dry pavement. Wet surfaces are not this Nike's expertise, but we didn't feel unsafe either. Just keep an eye on the ones that are wet and smooth!

According to Nike, the Shox TL features a modified waffle-patterned outsole. As you can see in the image below, the forefoot is divided into 3 different sections with the same "lugs". Then, at the heel, there's a round cut-out that acts like a suction cup and improves traction levels.

Just as expected from its massive bottom, the Shox TL is not the most flexible shoe out there. When we took it to our lab, we saw it needed a whole 22.7N to bend all the way up to 30 degrees. Even if this doesn't sound like a lot, it's a result way higher than average.

But we don't think this was only because of its height. This Nike pair also features a TPU upper cage that makes it harder to bend!

Don't let its Y2K futuristic vibe fool you: the Shox TL is a heavy shoe! We felt it in our feet after walking for hours, and even though this didn't make it any less comfortable, it made us not quite love it to all-day wear. When we took it to our lab, our scale agreed with our experience, as it returned 15.2 oz/430g. Which is way higher than average!

Yes, we know: the TL looks like a puffy shoe that won't let your feet breathe. But you know what? After all the testing we've made it go through, we can say again how important it is not to rely solely on visual impressions.

For a start, our light test showed all the ventilation holes this pair has at the forefoot. During our walks, we could feel the air come in and out easily, which was further confirmed thanks to our smoke test.

The VEJA Volley paled in comparison, as it didn't let a single breath of smoke come out of its solid structure. On the other hand, this newest Shox proved you can wear it all year round with its almost perfect 4/5 score on breathability. Just look at those white clouds coming out of its toebox!

But in RunRepeat we always want to know more! So we grabbed our microscope and got ready for a couple of close-ups. As you can see, this Nike pair features a breathable mesh full of ventilation holes. That's why it was so easy for both the light and the smoke to make their way out!

Even though skyrocketing stacks like this shoe's are usually an indicator of instability, the Shox TL felt like the exception to the rule. In our lateral stability test, our feet felt safe and well-planted even when we constantly shifted our weight from left to right.

As expected from a pair of trainers that feature a massive bottom and a TPU upper cage, twisting the Shox TL was pretty hard. Nevertheless, as there's a small gap in the middle of the Shox technology, this Nike pair didn't get the highest score on our torsional rigidity test, earning a 4/5.

A softer 3/5 on our heel counter stiffness test shows that the Shox TL cares about your Achilles. We didn't have to deal with any pain or break-in period in this area, which is always great news!

With a wonderful score of 118.4 mm when we measured this Nike's midsole width at the forefoot, our calliper agreed with our experience: this shoe felt incredibly stable! Our feet found their much-needed balance in a matter of seconds, as this platform was wide enough for them to land comfortably.

Even though the heel is not as crazy wide as the forefoot, it also surpassed the average with a solid 85.4 mm according to our calliper. Consequently, our heel also had plenty of space.

We were pleasantly surprised with the Shox TL's score in our toebox durability test. You know, usually breathable shoes don't last much against our Dremel, but this one earned a solid 3/5 on our durability test! Which is not bad at all.

With a solid 4/5 on our Dremel test, this Nike's heel padding showed wonderful durability. It's not just that it surpassed the average, but also that its softer nature has proved to be wear-resistant.

But the durability train had one last stop: the outsole. Just one more time, the TL proved its ready to last losing only 0.9 mm of rubber after our Dremel test. This is less material than the average sneaker gives up, which adds points to the overall great longevity of this Nike pair.

When we measured this shoe's outsole thickness, our calliper returned 5.5 mm. This result is pretty much average, yet taking into account the solid durability of the material used, we believe Nike could have... cut corners quite literally. After all, the Shox TL is pretty heavy, and a thinner outsole wouldn't have jeopardised its lifespan.

At 3.6 mm, we believe this insole has the perfect size for this shoe. Even though it's way thinner than average, it reduces the overall weight of the trainers (which is already pretty high) and it doesn't make the shoe lose comfort. Why? Well, because the Shox technology takes over, making sure our feet enjoy every step.

If you're not as happy as we are with this shoe's insole or if you just need to change it, you'll be happy to hear the Shox TL features a removable piece that you can take out easily.

In our lab, we saw the Shox TL features reflective elements that add a very cool touch to its already futuristic aura.

We've already mentioned many times that this Nike pair feels very comfortable underfoot. But its upper is just as friendly! As you can see, it's padded in the right areas, making sure our feet feel comfortable.

In fact, the Shox TL might be even a bit too padded. When we cut it in half in the lab and got access to its tongue, our calliper returned a crazy reading of 14.0 mm. This is way higher than average and, for a pair of trainers, it feels a little bit too much. We wouldn't have any problems with this if the TL  was a lightweight shoe, but... it's not the case.

As expected from a blast from the past with really trendy aesthetics, the Shox TL is definitely not a cheap pair. After thoroughly analysing its design, we can see why Nike went for a higher price here.

These trainers don't have any kind of heel tab, and we can understand why, as it would interfere with their lovely reflective materials. And that's a no!