In production · road · Daily / Long run · $120
Nike Free RN NN: 26 mm heel stack, 7 mm drop, 197 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Built for daily, long run, at a target pace of 7:30–10:00 /mi on road.
Nike tuned this midsole very firm (1/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 26 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A 7 mm drop is the mainstream middle — familiar to almost anyone coming from a standard trainer. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. The forefoot flexes easily, so the shoe adapts to slower, shorter strides. It is a neutral platform with no built-in correction.
The toe-box is wide, with space for the toes to spread late in long runs. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 300 miles from the outsole, about $0.40 per mile at $120.
For the foams and plates Nike uses across its line, read the Nike brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
197 g / 6.9 oz
78 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
26 mm
10 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
7 mm
1 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$120
40 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
1 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~300 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Nike line it is lighter than the brand's median (295 g / 10.4 oz) and sits lower than its median stack (36 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Hoka Solimar
241 g / 8.5 oz · 26 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $130
Hoka Solimar: 26 mm heel stack, 6 mm drop, 232 g — specs from independent lab testing.
On Cloud Waterproof
250 g / 8.8 oz · 24 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $180
On Cloud Waterproof: 24 mm heel stack, 6 mm drop, 272 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Saucony Kinvara 16
198 g / 7.0 oz · 29 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $140
Saucony Kinvara 16: 29 mm heel stack, 4 mm drop, 207 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Nike Rival Fly 4
235 g / 8.3 oz · 30 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $100
Firm, low and cheap — the no-frills speedwork trainer.