Nike React Miler – 200 Mile Review

200 miles later, the Nike React Miler remains a rock-solid everyday trainer.

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Earlier this year, I reviewed the Nike React Miler after one run. After 35 runs and 202 miles, here’s my thoughts on this shoe.

I used this shoe for my easy runs and recovery runs, to take advantage of the stability and cushion when speed was not the main goal.

Pros of the Nike React Miler

Comfort is the name of the game. This was a great fit for my runs when I needed something to protect my sore feet from the pavement. There’s a lot of material between the road and your feet, and the upper locks in nicely around your foot to provide lots of stability.

This is a also a very durable shoe. Like I mentioned in my initial review, this shoe is built like a tank, with tons of cushion and a very durable upper. After runs on concrete, dirt, asphalt and grass, the upper shows almost no signs of wear.

Nike React Miler

The outsole held up very nicely as well. Since I used this shoe on my slower runs, my heelstrike was magnified, and I have begun to wear down the heel and forefoot rubber. However, I don’t feel like the shoe is comprimised at this point, and has a lot of life left. I only noticed a few areas where the react foam had creased, which is a big contrast to other Nikes that tend to crease and eventually crumble at those stress points.

Initial signs of wear from my heelstrike

Cons of the Nike React Miler

In order to remain durable, the shoe is pretty heavy. If you’re looking for a trainer to set a PR or run speed workouts, maybe look for something with a little less mass. The materials on the upper are also not super breathable, which can result in some sweaty feet on hot days.

It’s not the lightest shoe in the world.

Verdict

I’m a huge fan of this shoe. It didn’t recive the typical Nike marketing push, but I found the Miler to be a rock-solid shoe for tackling long, easy and recovery runs. It’s a little on the heavier side, which might actually be an advantage if you rotate in a faster shoe for faster runs. Almost like baseball players taking practice swings with a donut weight on their bat before swinging the lighter, weight-free bat in the game.

The durability of the shoe makes it agreat investment. I have no doubt that I will be able to get 400+ miles out of the shoe before I need to retire it. It’s just a solid shoe. And since it’s has been out for a while now, you can find some fantastic deals.

Overall, if you’re looking for a comfortable, stable shoe and you’re not concerned as much about speed, I highly recommend the Nike React Miler.