Revision as of 16:34, 29 May 2015

The Nike LunarSpider (R5) is a good, but not great lightweight shoe. It's reasonably comfortable and offers good cushioning for its weight, but it's pricy and the forefoot plastic shank makes the cushioning a little uneven. The LunarSpider is marketed as a 'racing flat' but I use it as an everyday training shoe, as it provides everything I need with none of the typical excesses of a modern running shoe. The LunarSpider is also not a minimalist shoe, as it has enough cushioning for long distances and the plastic plate further reduces ground feel. (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.)

Nike LunarSpider R5 top	Nike LunarSpider R5 bottom
Nike LunarSpider R5 inside	Nike LunarSpider R5 outside

1 Characteristics

A slice through the forefoot, showing the black plastic shank. The foam cushioning is slightly thinner under the shank, and I could feel the difference when running.

• Why you’d buy it. The LunarSpider is a good shoe, and while it's more expensive and less effective than its competition, it's still worth considering.
• Cushioning . The LunarSpider‏‎ is not quite as soft or well cushioned in the forefoot as the better shoes like the Asics Gel Hyper Speed. I think this is partly due to the hard plastic plate that runs under the forefoot. This plate also makes the forefoot cushioning a little uneven as the foam under the plate is not quite as thick as the foam on its own. The rear cushioning is as good as the Nike Streak, but not the Hyper Speed, and it's heavier than either. That makes the LunarSpider good, but not great.
• Drop. The LunarSpider only has 3mm of drop when loaded, which is pretty good for a mainstream shoe.
• Structure. The LunarSpider uses Nike's "Lunarlon", which is two types of foam; a soft foam under the rear and midfoot and the other acting as a cradle for the rear, and extending under the forefoot. This is an interesting idea, but as far as I can tell, the two types of foam are pretty much identical except for their color. This is not a problem, but it does add cost to the production of the shoe without producing much benefit.
• Flexibility. The LunarSpider‏‎ has a springy plastic shank that extends from the rear of the shoe to very close to the tip. The shank can be seen in the underside pictures as black "Y" shaped plastic, but the actual shank is much wider under the surface. Under the forefoot it's about 2 inches/50mm wide. This shank reduces flexibility, something I normally dislike. However, unlike foam that simply resists bending, the plastic shank acts as a bit of a spring, helping toe off. I only noticed the difference at slightly faster paces, as my stride lengthens and there's more toe off emphasis, but I came to rather like it. One downside to the shank noted above is that the cushioning is uneven under the forefoot.
• Outsole. The LunarSpider‏‎ has firmer outsole under the heel, but it has an aggressive plastic outsole in the forefoot that provides great grip on road surfaces. I appreciated the extra grip when running faster on wet asphalt, and it gives extra confidence on sharp turns.
• Shape. The LunarSpider‏‎ is not designed to fit a human foot, so I cut open the toe box so my toes would not get squashed in.
• Upper. The upper is inflexible and only has a seam where the green and blue upper meets in the pictures. The upper is fairly standard and quite breathable, but for some reason Nike has added strings from the midsole to the eye holes for reinforcement. (You can see these as black lines on the pictures.) While these did not cause any problems, they do seem a little pointless. There is a tiny bit of padding around the rear of the foot, plus a bit more padding around the ankle opening. It's not the most comfortable upper, but it's not bad either.
• Tongue. The LunarSpider‏‎ has a traditional tongue that is has a tab to attach it to the laces. The tongue has only a tiny bit of padding.
• Lacing. The LunarSpider‏‎ has flat laces that worked well and I never had them come undone.
• Heel Counter. The LunarSpider‏‎ has rigid heal counter which reduces the rear comfort a little bit.

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 LunarSpider at Zappos Buy Nike LunarSpider at Road Runner Sports Buy Nike LunarSpider at Kelly's Running Warehouse Buy Nike LunarSpider at Charlotte Ultra Running Company

2 Cushioning and Shoes

It's intuitively obvious that the cushioning in a shoe will reduce the impact on your body when running. However, The Science of Running Shoes indicates that the reality is rather more complex. While slight cushioning may reduce the effort needed to run by improving your Running Economy, most scientific research indicates that more cushioning does further improve Running Economy. In addition, cushioning does not generally reduce impact and may actually increase it. This is counterintuitive, but is likely to be due to the way a runners mind and body adapts to softer cushioning. Unfortunately, the scientific evidence is far from complete and it's hard to give clear recommendations. I believe that some runners will prefer more cushioning, while others prefer less, and typically those running further have a fondness for greater cushioning. I also believe that a shoe should be as light as possible, and a shoe should justify its weight with the cushioning it provides. My advice is to decide what level of cushioning you're looking for, and then find the lightest shoes that also fit well and are comfortable.

3 Visualizing the Attributes of the Nike LunarSpider

How Nike LunarSpider compares showing rearfoot cushioning against the performance penalty of its weight. Upper right is better.	How Nike LunarSpider compares showing forefoot cushioning against the performance penalty of its weight. Upper right is better.
How Nike LunarSpider compares showing the price against the benefit (cushioning/performance penalty). Upper left is better.	How Nike LunarSpider compares showing the loaded drop against the benefit (cushioning/performance penalty). Upper left is better.

4 Comparisons

Here are some direct comparisons with its potential competition.

4.1 Nike LunarSpider‏‎ and Asics Gel Hyper Speed

The LunarSpider‏‎ is a reasonable shoe, but it doesn't have any advantages over the Asics Gel Hyper Speed. The LunarSpider‏‎ is heavier, but not as well cushioned as the Hyper Speed. It's also quite a bit more expensive.

Nike LunarSpider R5 top	Nike LunarSpider R5 bottom	Nike LunarSpider R5 inside	Nike LunarSpider R5 outside
Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 top	Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 bottom	Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 inside	Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 outside

4.2 Nike LunarSpider‏‎ and New Balance RC5000

The LunarSpider‏‎ is more than twice as heavy as the ultralight New Balance RC5000 while providing only slightly more cushioning.

Nike LunarSpider R5 top	Nike LunarSpider R5 bottom	Nike LunarSpider R5 inside	Nike LunarSpider R5 outside
New Balance MRC 5000 top	New Balance MRC 5000 bottom	New Balance MRC 5000 inside	New Balance MRC 5000 outside

4.3 Nike LunarSpider‏‎ and Asics GT 2000

I tend to compare shoes against my benchmark "normal running shoe", the Asics GT 2000. The GT 2000 is nearly twice the weight of the LunarSpider‏‎ but provides slightly less cushioning in the heel and not much more in the forefoot. There's a lot more padding in the GT 2000's upper, but I've not found there's a huge difference in comfort. Given the weight and inflexibility of the GT 2000, it feels like a clog compared with the LunarSpider.

Nike LunarSpider R5 top	Nike LunarSpider R5 bottom	Nike LunarSpider R5 inside	Nike LunarSpider R5 outside
Asics GT2000 top	Asics GT2000 bottom	Asics GT2000 inside	Asics GT2000 outside

5 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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