Latest revision as of 17:56, 8 December 2017

The Nike RN Distance 2 is not a bad shoe, and I expected to like it, but it had too many flaws. I dislike the booty style upper, the midsole that picks up stones like it's hungry for them, and a general lack of balance that leaves the shoe feeling dead underfoot. I rated it "Worth Considering", though I nearly ended up rating it "not recommended." (I use The Science of Running Shoes as the basis of how I test running shoes and what you should look for in a running shoe.)

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  Nike RN Distance 2 top

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  Nike RN Distance 2 outside

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  Nike RN Distance 2 bottom

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  Nike RN Distance 2 inside

1 Characteristics

• Cushioning . The RN Distance is reasonably well cushioned, with a good cushioning-to-weight ratio. The cushioning is not remarkable, but it's better than most shoes. It doesn't have the bounce of shoes with TPU foam, and by comparison it feels a little dead underfoot. I found the structure of the midsole (see below) did leave me feeling like in the cushioning was a little uneven. Worse, as the sole picks up small stones, the effective cushioning gets degraded quite badly.
• Drop. The 4mm of drop is slightly more than I think is ideal, and I seemed to notice the drop more than I'd have expected. It never caused me a problem and is close enough to zero drop for me, but I'd have preferred it to be slightly flatter.
• Structure. The RN Distance doesn't have multiple densities of foam, but the medial (inside) side of the heel is quite built-up, acting as something of a medial post. I found this intrusive and annoying, and it was made worse by the tendency for bigger stones to get caught just under that area.
• Flexibility. The RN Distance is nicely flexible, though perhaps not quite as flexible as you might expect given the various deep cuts into the midsole foam. The RN Distance flexes naturally, unlike some shoes that tend to want to bend at a specific point.
• Outsole. There is no hard rubber outsole at all, just exposed midsole foam. This seems to hold up reasonably well, but I found it offered very little grip in some situations. It seemed to do okay on asphalt, even when it's wet, but other conditions, such as damp wooden boards on my local bridges were a little scary in the RN Distance.
• Shape. The shoe is does not match the shape of the human foot, so it's worth considering cutting open the toe box for comfort. (I recommend cutting open the toe box of virtually all running shoes, with the exception of a few shoes like some Altra shoes. When you have some worn out shoes, you should try cutting open the toe box. I've found that it's a big improvement, allowing my toes to move naturally and engage for toe off, as well as reducing the possibility of blisters.)
• Upper. The upper is a nearly seamless booty, with just one seem unobtrusively near the heel. There is an overlay to support the laces, and provide some rigidity. I'm not a big fan of this approach to running shoes, as they are a little harder to get on and off, and seem to offer no real advantages. One noteworthy problem is that the cut away for your ankle bone is rather high, and I found it rubbed very slightly. It can cause any blisters, but I could see it causing some runners problems. The upper is reasonably padded throughout, and quite flexible in the forefoot. There's a moderate amount of padding around the ankle opening.
• Tongue. The RN Distance has a booty upper, so there's no traditional tongue. The area below the laces is reasonably well padded.
• Lacing. The round laces worked better than I expected, and they never came undone on me.
• Heel Counter. There is no Heel Counter, and the upper is just stiff enough to keep its shape when not being worn.

Please support this site This review was made possible by readers like you buying products via my links. I buy all the products I review through normal retail channels, which allows me to create unbiased reviews free from the influence of reciprocity, or the need to keep vendors happy. It also ensures I don't get "reviewer specials" that are better than the retail versions. Buy Nike RN Distance 2 at Zappos Buy Nike RN Distance 2 at Road Runner Sports Buy Nike RN Distance 2 at Kelly's Running Warehouse Buy Nike RN Distance 2 at Charlotte Ultra Running Company

2 Update After 100 Miles

Normally I wouldn't give an update until at least 200 miles, but I've really had enough of the shoe after just 100 miles. There's multiple factors behind my decision to give up on this shoe. I'm finding that as it picks up stones, the stones stretch the holes in the midsole, making it more and more likely to pick up future stones. Getting the stones out of the shoe is much tougher than any other shoe I've had, and you really need a screwdriver to pry them out. The raised midsole that forms a medial post is also annoying to me, and contributes to the sense that the shoe is a little dead underfoot. There is a surprisingly little in the way of signs of wear on the exposed midsole, and the upper looks new (except where I've cut the toe box open of course.)

The buildup of stones after a long run. You can see some slight signs of wear in the midsole as well.

3 A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes

If you're looking for "the best of the best" running shoe, here are my top picks. Of course, the answer will depend a little on what you're looking for, so I have recommendations for various categories. Best All Round Shoe. The Altra Escalante is my current all-round favorite. It has plenty of cushioning for its weight, it has a very springy midsole, it lasts well, and it has a shape that's closer to the shape of a human foot than most shoes. It's a great shoe for any runner, including those Starting to run. It's also a fairly easy shoe to find due to its popularity. Best Maximalist Shoe: If you want something massively cushioned, then I'd recommend the Saucony Kinvara 8. It's remarkably light and remarkably cushioned, beating Hoka at their own game. Best Optimal Shoe: For those looking to trade cushioning for speed, the Nike Zoom Streak LT 3 was my top pick, but the latest version (LT 4) falls short of it's predecessor. There are lots of great optimal running shoes, which provide just enough cushioning with light weight and minimal frills, but all have their weak spots. Probably the best option at the moment is the Altra Vanish-R, which offers great cushioning for just over 5oz/150g. Fastest Shoe: If you really want speed, then check out the Nike Vaporfly 4%. It's light, massively cushioned, and has a carbon fiber plate. Nothing comes close, not even the now defunct New Balance RC5000‏‎ or New Balance RC5000v2‏‎. There are a number of caveats; it's really expensive, it's really hard to find, and there's a significant injury risk. Best Minimalist Shoe: Merrell Trail Glove. I recommend the trail glove for road running in spite of the 'trail' moniker. It's not a fast shoe by any means, but it's comfortable and will last well. All Terrain Shoe. For trail running, I've become a fan of Altra, and I think their best shoe is the the Altra Timp, though the Altra Lone Peak is really close. Honorable Mention: It's not really a running shoe, but the Vivobarefoot Ra is comfortable, minimalist and can more or less pass as a dress shoe. I've worn mine to weddings with a suit and they've not looked out of place. You can run in the Ra, but the leather means it doesn't breathe well.

For a more detailed on running shoes see the Recommendations for Best Running Shoes. This table lists the key attributes of What to Look for in Running Shoes. For more detailed information, on the shoes see detailed shoe comparison.

It's not a running shoe, but I love the Hoka Tor Ultra hiking boot and I've tested the Altra Lone Peak Boot, the Hoka Tor Speed 2, and the Inov-8 Roclite 325 hiking boots
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