Wear Test: Nike Lunarglide+

So, I’ve been tooling around in these Lunarglides for a little bit now. Now, you’re probably thinking: what does someone with tons of shoes need ANOTHER pair of running shoes for? Well, up until now, I’ve been strictly focusing on style over substance, rocking kicks that aren’t really built for my stride.

For those that are interested, my feet roll outward when I run, which means that I supinate when I run. So, I need something that supports my foot as it rolls outward. After doing a little bit of research, I found that the Lunarglides tend to be the best for that.

Which is weird because the current pair that I used, the Zoom Moire, was a very neutral, light shoe.  I was kinda shocked that this would be the shoe that would work for me, but I decided to give it a chance anyway.

Got these suckers on sale on the Nikestore site, so I jumped on it.

Right out of the box, I felt how smooth and seamless the inside of the shoe was. I also felt how bouncy the cushioning was as well, which was great for walking around, but not so much when I’m running in stride.  I’ll get into that in a minute.

The shoe is incredibly light. The KOBE 5, which is touted as the lightest Nike basketball shoe out, is only a touch heavier than this shoe.  The outsole looks very high, but you have great street feel and never feel too high off the ground.

The seamless upper was easily noticed in the warm ups. A few squats, pushups, and leg lifts proved how flexible this shoe was. I could tell that I wouldn’t have to adjust stride to get this shoe to work with me.

I walked around a bit with these to get my feet acclimated to the cushioning, but it started to feel a bit supportive, but kinda mushy.  As I got into my test (I did intervals of brisk walking and jogging), I found that while walking, these were excellent. The first few running intervals felt kinda weird, maybe because I wasn’t used to the cushioning. Remember, the Moire is a very minimal shoe in general, so I was used to a lot of flexibility and a little cushioning.  Going to something that had a bit more was nice, yet awkward, at first.

After I got through the first few intervals, I was starting to have some doubts. But, after the third interval, the shoe started to tighten up, I guess. I don’t quite know how to explain it, but the shoe got firmer from a cushioning standpoint and I started to get some support. I could still feel my foot start to roll outward, but I can tell that it’s gnna be negated by the lunarfoam.

By the end of the run, I felt great. Shoes definitely performed as advertised.  I think one thing I would have done differently was break them in a bit longer. The lunarfoam is a bit squishy out of the box, but with a few days of wear before the first run would be recommended. The foot just needs to get acclimated to the cushioning set up.

But, I can easily say this is a high recommendation for your next shoe. This does also come with a Nike+ slot in the left shoe, so feel free to sync this up with your iPod.

I’ll probably wear these around for a few days before going on my next run.