So, you have big feet. Pontoons. Clodhoppers. Whatever you want to call them, your feet are huge. Welcome to the club my friend, it is sometimes an uncomfortable place to be. For me it’s not the length of my foot, but the width required to support my frame. My size 13’s are easy to fine, but EEE width, not so much. On a daily basis it means you your feet are jammed into tight shoes which can have detrimental effects on your performance. What do you do? In Canada you have to hit a specialty store like the Running Room. In the US, you can go just about anywhere… For this test, I visited Nike Chicago.
The Big Nike – Size and Fit
Right out of the gate you can feel the difference. My foot isn’t bulging the shoe material out over the top of the tread. Think of a mushroom top shaped bulge in other shoes. With these, everything looks like I’m sure the designers intended. The mesh weave provides enough support without feeling too soft or too restrictive. The toe box doesn’t constrict the toes and provides room for the foot to flatten and flex normally. If you have been squeezing your feet into the standard D width shoes these shoes will be a game changer for you. They are like a warm hug.
Drop: 10mm (Height difference from heel to toe)
Type: Neutral (No stabilizing features, foot can flex naturally)
Performance
Now fit without performance doesn’t do us any favors. I’ve been using these Nike’s as my primary shoe for inside and outside running since the end of August and there is some adjustment. This is more a testament to the shoe being Neutral vs my previous stability shoes. The arch support is pretty solid and combined with the nice bounce from the sole the shoes are lively. I’ve logged just under 100KMs so far and the only concern that I have is the creasing on the side of the sole. This could be from the natural compression of the shoe during normal use, but I will monitor as I continue normal use. I don’t expect it to be a serious issue as the shoes are only 15% into their expected lifespan.
**Remember you should be changing your running shoes between 300-500 miles (480-800 kilometers).
Overall
Now as someone who is EXTREMELY tough on shoes, I feel that I can provide a unique perspective. I’ve had them all, Reebok, Asics, New Balance and a host of others over the years and this is the first shoe in a long time that has felt like a second skin. Once I got used to that little ‘extra’ bounce and support it’s been smooth sailing. Now you aren’t getting the carbon fiber insert that helped Eliud Kipchoge run a sub two hour marathon, but they feel great. It’s too bad that more retailers don’t over wide sizes and really too bad that Nike doesn’t make them easier to access in Canada. Whether you have wide feet or not, these are a solid shoe in any size and I give them 4.5 out of 5 stars!
Beez
