Both versions felt exactly the same. Same cushioning, upper, fit, and shape. If you’re looking for an exact upgrade of your Downshifter 10, this is what this shoe delivers. Given that you’re getting the same high level of performance from the shoe, that’s fantastic news. The Vaporfly pairs Nike’s soft and springy ZoomX foam with a carbon plate to produce a remarkably fast and efficient ride that’s helped runners of all levels set PBs at races of all distances in recent years. There’s no better option for 5Ks and 10Ks, and there’s only one shoe we rate as better than the Vaporfly for long distance races, and that’s Nike’s other carbon racer, below. When I first tried on the Downshifter 11, the fit is quite snug for a Nike, coming in a little shorter and narrower than other Nike running shoes, so you may want to consider going half a size up, or if they’re your first pair of running shoes, at least a whole size up from your regular shoe. If the shoe feels even slightly tight on first wear, size up here.

Nike Downshifter 12 Review (2023) | RunRepeat Cut in half: Nike Downshifter 12 Review (2023) | RunRepeat

If you’re hitting the trails, you’ll need a dedicated shoe with extra grip and some protective elements on the upper to protect your feet from rogue roots and stones. In contrast, if you’re expecting to use the shoe mostly on the treadmill you don’t need to worry so much about grip. Key specs – Terrain: Road; Arch support: Neutral; Best Used for: Fast training; Weight: 277g (UK 9); Heel-to-toe offset: 10mm Any road running shoe will work fine on the treadmill, but you might want to consider one of Nike’s gym shoes if you plan to also hit the weights room. These shoes will have sufficient cushioning for short strings on the treadmill while also being better-suited to lifting than normal running shoes. Are you looking for a trainer, a racer, or a shoe to do it all? There are no reflective elements on the Downshifter 11 so be sure to be careful after dark in these if you are out running on busy roads. If you’ve had gait analysis and have been told you overpronate – roll your foot excessively inwards when landing – then you may well need a stability shoe to provide extra support. Nike has a few great options here. If you don’t overpronate, then a neutral shoe is the best option for you. How much do you need to spend?The shoe is low cost, so I can’t really determine if it will last a long time, but the outsole is super hard at 88.5HC (average outsoles are just 80.5HC) so it should wear slowly, but where this may break down is in the upper if it’s manufactured poorly.

Nike Downshifter 11 Review | Running Shoes Guru

Key specs – Terrain: Road; Arch support: Neutral; Best Used for: Training; Weight: 310g (UK 9); Heel-to-toe offset: 10mm As for the grip, the outsole has mini 1.7mm lugs, which is great on a road shoe since they normally don’t have this much texture. It should be fine on gravel trails and dirt paths and had no issues on our road tests. What’s more, considering that this is a budget model, it’s great that they decided to make it more environmentally friendly.

I’d recommend the Downshifter 11 for anyone looking to run their first 5km, 10km, or even half marathon. If you’re new to training and want to use this in the gym too it’s a great shoe for that. In the next version I’d love to see a few more features on the upper to improve breathability, and perhaps some longer laces. But if you are planning to take the shoe out in the cold, be prepared that it is going to stiffen up. In our freezer test, the Downshifter 12 got 30.8% firmer compared to its room temperature state. The second edition of the shoe improves on the first by adding more padding and support around the heel while also adding more structure to certain areas of the upper. This means you get a more secure fit around the heel in particular, and the Flywire section around the laces holds the midfoot firmly in place on the run. Usually, with Nike, we see a big change of design every two versions, so perhaps the 12 will be a little more interesting, but for a low-cost running shoe, designed with a big variety of runners in mind, you can’t go too wrong with this shoe. All that adds up to quite a bulky and odd-feeling shoe, but it’s also an undeniably fast one, despite the weight. React foam is used at the heel to provide a cushioned landing while also increasing the durability of the shoe, then the bouncy ZoomX foam used in the Alphafly and Vaporfly is used in the midfoot before you hit the plate and the responsive Air Zoom pods in the forefoot. It all adds up to a springy and speedy ride that only feels better the faster you run in the shoe, but the slightly strange sensation produced by the different foams, the plate and the pods might not suit every runner.

Nike running shoes 2023: Top picks for every kind of Best Nike running shoes 2023: Top picks for every kind of

It’s very expensive, not exactly good-looking, and feels huge when you first pull it on, but there’s no other shoe we’d rather have on our feet when it comes to racing the marathon than the Alphafly. It takes the best attributes of the Vaporfly – the ZoomX foam and the carbon plate – and adds Nike’s Air Zoom pods under the forefoot for a poppier toe-off that only adds to the speed of the shoe. Nike made a few tweaks to upgrade the Downshifter from its previous version. The shoe's upper has been slightly updated and some subtle tweaks are done on the outsole. Key specs – Terrain: Trail; Arch support: Neutral; Best Used for: Training; Weight: 321g; Heel-to-toe offset: 9.5mmThe Structure 24 has a crash pad under the heel that moves you through your footstrike in an efficient and stable manner, and both the midsole foam and outsole are built to last, making the shoe a great workhorse trainer for your base training. Key specs – Terrain: Road; Arch support: Neutral; Best Used for: Racing; Weight: 232g (UK 9); Heel-to-toe offset: 4mm The best Nike running shoes you can buy in 2023 1. Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38: The best all-rounder running shoes The other thing I don’t like about Nike’s lower-budget shoes is they cram the heel with foam for a high-drop experience. The Downshifter 11 has a 11.6mm drop which is just too much. Their other budget shoe, the Quest 4 has an amazing 13.7mm drop in our tests… Nike, even beginners don’t need this much heel! Surprisingly nice weight on the Downshifter 11 Key specs – Terrain: Road; Arch support: Neutral; Best Used for: Racing; Weight: 206g (UK 9); Heel-to-toe offset: 8mm