Nike Men's Odyssey React 2 S Street Running Shoes

Product Information

I don’t think the Odyssey React Shield 2 was ever marketed to be a long-run or speed work shoe, but they don’t perform as such. I think the cushion is plenty for daily running, but anything entering double-digit mileage in a single run would lead to some aching feet. We’ve written at length about Nike’s React foam, but the material still deserves to be mentioned for how it affects this shoe’s performance. After all, an upper that protects your feet from winter rain, wind, and snow is little without a midsole that you’ll enjoy running on. If you appreciate ample cushioning and a moderately responsive ride, instead of favoring an extreme amount of either foam or responsiveness, then this might well be a material that you’ll enjoy running on. Walking around in the long-awaited Odyssey 2, I first noted slight movement in the heel, which happens for me when I have to go up in size. In my own testing of the shoe, I appreciated the React foam’s light weight and how it softened the surface below, even when running on concrete, without seeming to dissipate the energy I’d occasionally put out at tempo-level efforts. When asked about this shoe’s cushioning, one of our wear testers also stated that the React foam was great for a range of intensities, even after sustained testing.

React foam is very similar in feel and performance to its biggest competitor, Boost, except it’s lighter. Odyssey 2’s foam is more firm and has a 2mm higher drop. I prefer the feel of Odyssey 2 for speedwork, but the lighter weight of Odyssey React balances out this benefit. Structure is a more stable shoe all around, but it’s heavier, the foam slightly more firm, and the heel a bit more loose.Nike launched their React midsole in 2018 with Epic React Flyknit and Odyssey React (no Flyknit upper) as the stability version. Second time around, we have the latest upper added to the breakthrough midsole, in Odyssey React Flyknit 2. React midsole was designed to compete heavily against adidas Boost foam, and the internet is bursting with comparisons of the two. The upper is made out of two smooth materials, one that makes up most of the midfoot of the upper and another a bit more stretchy material that makes up the toe box, tongue and heel counter of this shoe. It is not a one-piece upper, like the Epic React, but it has a semi-detached tongue. The Nike Odyssey React Shield 2 is nicely cushioned and supportive, gives good energy return or “bounce” when running, and is versatile. They fit true to size and are plenty comfortable for runs of any type or even other types of workouts, but I wouldn’t recommend these for true speedwork sessions. And like always with Nike shoes, your feet will look pretty stylish. Who should buy it

I prefer a thin layer of Boost foam, such as in adidas Adizero Tempo 9 for long distance racing, but Odyssey is a favorite for training runs.I don’t list the mid-grade heel counter as a “con” because the med-high arch makes up for it to counter my over-pronation caused by the loose ligaments in my feet (similar to the benefit from my custom inserts from Dr. Paul Coffin). For two years now, rating Odyssey so highly was battle against presuppositions because many things flag as UN-stability: squishy heel midsole, mediocre heel counter, relatively unstructured upper (compared to standard “stability” shoes). After my first run in the shoe, I told a friend that I thought I’d be ranking it pretty high, mainly because I love the change to the forefoot upper. I don’t feel any discomfort on the top of my foot from snug laces but feel a slight lateral pinch if tying normally. The Odyssey is also more durable with increased rubber coverage on the outsole, but it’s less breathable.