Nike Men's Odyssey React 2 S Street Running Shoes

Product Information

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. And if I pull them tightly the remainder of the laces are a bit too long. It also makes it impossible to lace them any other way, which seems to be a trend in running shoes lately, because I’ve got several pairs that have that same problem. There are no extra eyelets you can use and if you wanted to put other laces in, you’d have to cut the toggle system. 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. See my review of Odyssey React for a full comparison of React midsole with adidas Boost, Saucony EVERUN(TM), Nike’s Lunarlon, and the older Brooks DNA. (In 2019 there’s DNA Loft, which is more plush than before, and than React—but heavier).

A friend in my running group fondly remembers a Nike Odyssey of old that had a completely straight last—quite different than today’s hourglass Odyssey React, which also bears no resemblance to the Air Zoom Odyssey mentioned. It feels a bit tighter and narrower in the forefoot. But I wore my regular running shoe size and that was fine.

Shielding Your Feet

BUT, the Lunarlon foam compresses so fast that any shoe with React has an advantage toward longevity. What is Nike React foam similar to? Really it feels the most like their Lunarlon and kinda like an adidas Boost layer. The biggest problem with the new upper design is the thin tongue. A careful balance must be found between a secure hold and laces digging into the top of my foot.

That said, it’s NOT YOUR TYPICAL STABILITY SHOE, which means that it’ll meet the needs of some while making others question my sanity, with the high ranking. This may be my favorite shoe from Nike so far (no, I have not run in the Epic React) with its synchronicity of low weight, (very) light stability, reasonable price, and cushion that hits a balance between comfort and responsiveness and excels in durability, similar to Boost. The Nike Epic React 2 and the Odyssey React Shield are quite similar shoes. They have the same forefoot height of 18 mm, the same heel height of 28mm and thus also the same 10 mm drop.

Nike Odyssey React Price Comparison

The Nike React midsole offers “soft” heel cushioning and “moderate” energy return, according to RW Lab Test data. Trevor Raab All the Stats You Need! Men’s 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. As an all-around trainer, the newer Odyssey version wins hands down. The stability offered is similar, with the Odyssey 2 slightly more stable (which I did not find all that stable in the first place). The Odyssey React feels more like a neutral shoe. The flat neoprene “tongue” of this shoe is thin but soft and comfortable, and extends down to wrap the entire midfoot like a booty, similar in style to Epic’s knit tongue/bootie/sleeve yet more protective of the upper foot.

I like it on the run, can get uncomfortable during casual use; I’m guessing a flat arch well not prefer this shoe. This isn’t a shoe that will ever have you thinking about how you feel, either in a very positive or very negative way. You put the shoes on, start running, and don’t even have to think about it again. I ran in Odyssey React Shield 2 after a 20-mile marathon training run and actually felt pretty supported. It’s nice to put a pair of shoes on and not have to question if they’ll be up for the task ahead. But I’m not sure why they didn’t change that with the Odyssey React Shield. They already stitched an overlay on top of the tongue, so they might as well put the label on the inside like most shoe companies. Or just print it onto the inside rather than using a label. 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. Storm Tread material is strategically placed on the outsole to improve durability and help provide additional traction. Trevor Raab

Recently Viewed

These shoes definitely have higher arches than any other stability shoe I have run in and work best for a medium-high arch.