NIKE REVIEW

NIKE REVIEW

   April 06, 2017       HTreviewclothes

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NIKE LUNAREPIC REVIEW

Nike’s marketing pitch: Seamless comfort. Targeted support.

Upper: Single piece, elastic knit upper with a  bootie construction. Flywire cord based lacing.

Midsole: Softer Lunarlon core within an EVA midsole. 10 mm heel to toe gradient.

Outsole: EVA foam pods under the forefoot and heel.

Weight: 249 gms/ 8.8 Oz for a half pair of Men's US 10/UK 9/EUR 44/CM 27.1

Widths available: Single, D - regular (reviewed).

INTRODUCTION

The first edition of the Lunarepic Flyknit was the high-ankle model. ‘A flawed genius,’ is the term we used to describe it back then. While there were plenty of good things to say about the shoe, the thick seam inside the elastic ankle band produced blisters.

Thankfully, the low version of the Lunarepic soon followed. Using the same midsole as the Hi model, the upper was built using a conventional heel and a separate tongue.

With the inner seam gone, the low version became a comfortable shoe to run in. The Lunarlon fused midsole with its laser-cut sidewall grooves delivered supportive cushioning, and the consistent use of Lunarlon + EVA stacking from heel to toe made the transitions smooth.

The last year’s Lunarepic Flyknit Low (V1) was an unofficial replacement for the Flyknit Lunar 3. The Lunarepic adopted the same core design aspects of the Flyknit Lunar 3, like the combination of a minimal Flyknit upper with a Lunarlon embedded midsole.

The first Lunarepic Low’s $160 pricing was a close match with the Lunar 3’s $150 price, and so was the higher heel-to-toe drop of 10 mm. And yes, both weigh nearly the same too. The current model of the Lunarepic Flyknit Low weighs 249 grams/8.8 Oz, which is pretty close to the Lunar 3’s weight.

So the Lunarepic does the same thing which the Flyknit Lunar 3 did. It is a generously cushioned trainer meant for daily training and races of greater mileages.

There is some confusion about the Lunarepic Low Flyknit 2’s retail price. A few retailers sell it at $160, while Nike’s website lists the LE2 at $140. Since Nike’s website is the last word on the official pricing, the LE2’s pricing (elsewhere) should correct itself to $140.

A $140 price means that the Low Lunarepic 2 is $20 cheaper than the last year’s edition.

As a product, not a lot has changed since the Lunarepic 1. The 2017 Lunarepic Low Flyknit 2 features a brand new upper design with a closed bootie construction – meaning that the tongue and heel are now integrated. Below, the midsole unit is carried over without any updates.

DESIGN AND MATERIALS

Both the Lunarepic Low 1 and 2 share a knit upper, but not without their design differences. The LE2’s forefoot has more stretch in it, and the knit structure is denser than the 2016 model. As a result, the LE2’s forefoot fits narrower than the outgoing model.

The lacing relies on Flywire cords embedded inside the knit upper. Flat laces pass through the thin loops created by Flywire snaking their way up the midfoot; this is also the right time to point out that the Lunarepic 2 has a one less eyelet row than the LE1.

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The reason for the reduced eyelet count is the LE2’s new bootie sleeve design. The Lunarepic 1’s tongue was modeled on the Flyknit Lunar 3; the tongue was an unpadded and flat piece of textile which was not connected via a sleeve.

That changes on the Lunarepic Low 2. The tongue and heel are now joined in a sock-like opening, and this eliminates the last heel-lock eyelet seen on the LE1. Also, there’s another change in the heel design.

If you compare the side profiles of the LE1 and LE2, you’ll see that the collar height is significantly lower (7-10 mm) on the 2017 Lunarepic. This is over the sides of your ankle, where the LE2’s heel swoops down lower than the LE1.

This is one of the reasons why the heel fit of the LE2 doesn’t feel as secure as the LE1. The second reason is the tongue lip extends upwards rather towards the ankle, a design aspect which eases off lacing pressure over the foot. Do note that you will not be able to further dial up the heel fit because of the now-missing heel-lock eyelet.

Otherwise, the heel fit is comfortable. The fabric used is soft, there are no seams, and there’s plenty of padding to go around. We couldn’t help but notice that the Lunarepic Low Flyknit 2’s heel design bears a striking resemblance to the adidas Ultra Boost’s construction. Or even the Alphabounce.

There’s no hard counter inside the heel, which was the case on the LE1 too. That said, the 2017 LE2 uses a fused laminate over the outer heel which gives that area a little more structure than the LE1.

The thin strip running up on the heel center has a reflective strip as it was on the LE1. That’s all the reflectivity you get on the Lunarepic; the side Swoosh logos are fused but not reflective.

Another thing about the Lunarepic’s knit upper is that it isn’t as breathable as it looks. It runs warmer than shoes with an engineered mesh upper, so that’s something to keep in mind.

The midsole you get on the Lunarepic Low 2 made its debut on the high-ankle version of the Lunarepic. The midsole and outsole design made the headlines for various reasons, one of which was the laser-cut grooving over the midsole sides.

These grooves extend longer on the outer midsole sidewalls, making that side easier to compress than the inner midsole which has a shorter set of grooves. Inside the midsole, there’s a softer Lunarlon foam core, and you can get a glimpse of it if you pry the grooves open.

There’s no rubber used on the outsole. Instead, the Lunarepic uses raised foam pods with concentric grooves cut into them. This design makes the outsole grip excellent on dry surfaces, but there a couple of downsides.

The deep grooves are a pebble magnet, trapping all kinds of small debris during a run. The second is that foam parts will experience faster wear and tear than their rubber counterparts. Also, the grip isn’t great on wet or smooth surfaces.

Above the midsole is a dual stack of an Ortholite insole and foam lasting, both of which provide instant cushioning even during low-impact activities such as walking.

SIMILAR NEUTRAL CUSHIONED

The Lunarepic Low 2 is a premium neutral cushioned trainer with a high heel-to-toe offset, so there’s plenty of other shoes to choose from.

Most of the other models on this chart are based on a more conventional design. Unlike the Lunarepic’s all-foam midsole and outsole, shoes listed here use a combination of foam and rubber to craft their bottom parts.

The Asics Nimbus 19 is the Japanese brand’s flagship neutral cushioned shoe. Though the shoe has evolved by much over the last few editions, it is a well-cushioned shoe and works well for daily runs. See our detailed reviews list for most of the shoes mentioned in this section, and more.

If a bouncy and cushioned ride is what you want, then the adidas Glide 9 (aka the Supernova M) is the shoe to get. A full-length Boost midsole ensures a responsive ride, and the Continental rubber outsole is very durable.

The Brooks Glycerin 14 isn’t groundbreaking in any way. It just happens to be a smooth riding cushioned trainer with premium materials used all around. The New Balance 1080 V7 offers a fuss-free ride thanks to its single-density midsole, and the Nike Vomero 12 provides increased cushioning and responsiveness over the Lunarepic Low.

The Saucony Triumph ISO 3 has a rearfoot-biased cushioning due to the chunky Everun foam insert, while the rest of the midsole has a firm feel to it.

This review is made possible by crowdsourcing multiple reviews from the solereview community. Improve it by submitting a review here. Learn more about how our reviews are designed.