Nike Structure 26 Review
By Matthew Klein
Nike Structure 26Price: $144.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 11.3 oz, 320 g (men's size 10), 9.2 oz, 261 g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 38 mm heel / 28 mm forefoot
Drop: 10 mm
Shoe Purpose: Moderate Stability Daily Training Shoe
Pros: Comfortable Cushioning, Good Medial Heel and Midfoot Support, Secure Fit
Cons: Small Heel Bevel Makes Rearfoot Clunky, Heavy, Overly Padded Heel Collar
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Nike Structure 26 is a moderate stability shoe for those who want good midfoot and heel support for daily miles. The full length ReactX midsole gives it a softer ride and the removal of the forefoot zoom air bag makes for a surprisingly smooth and moderately flexible forefoot. The midfoot support system provides moderate heel and midfoot stability that integrates well. A thicker engineered mesh upper provides a comfortable and padded fit that will work best for those with normal to narrow width feet. A rare 10 mm drop is paired with a higher weight that makes this shoe best for easy runs and walking. A softer ride and streamlined upper of the Structure 26 this a solid upgrade from the firmer Structure 25.
SIMILAR SHOES: Brooks Adrenaline 24
PAST MODEL: Nike Structure 25
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Matt: The Nike Structure 26 fits me true to size in my normal men's US size 10. The upper is a full engineered mesh that is on the thicker side, especially in the heel. The fit is normal in volume with some stretch to the upper and the width is normal to slightly snug. The toe box is slightly tapered but the flexible toe guard allows a little room. The forefoot is normal to slightly snug with the same mild stretch mentioned earlier. The overlays provide surprisingly good security up front, although the medial one has cause mild rubbing at times (this has not blistered, but I was aware of it the first few miles). The midfoot also fits slightly snug thanks to a thick gusseted tongue. Tightening the lace is not required given the snug fit but the thick tongue easily protects the top of your foot if you need more security. The tongue does slide slightly, but has mostly stayed strayed. The instep is normal in height. The heel fits snug thanks to the large amount of heel collar padding. There is moderately stiff heel counter that I could not feel thanks to the extra padding. The padding is mostly up high and really pushes on my Achilles insertion. Those with a Haglund deformity or irritable insertional Achilles tendinopathy may not do well here, but those wanting a ton of padding in the rearfoot will. While most of the inner liner of the upper is comfortable, the bottom of the tongue is weirdly scratchy. I had some abrasion on the top of my foot from that after only a mile, so sockless running is not advised.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Matt well: On Cloudboom Strike, Asics Gel-Nimbus 27, Xero HFS, Topo Cyclone 3, Adidas Adizero Evo SL
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Brooks Launch 11, Diadora Mythos Vigore 3
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2, Adidas Agravic Speed Ultra
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Moderately Flexible
How Flexible is the Shoe: Heel/Midfoot Not Flexible
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Somewhat
Recommended for Haglunds: No
Is This Shoe Orthotic Friendly: Yes, but not advisable
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Above Average
PERFORMANCE
Matt: The Nike Structure 26 is a daily training shoe. The full length ReactX midsole is slightly softer throughout the length of the shoe. The ZoomX forefoot pod has been removed from the previous generation, making the forefoot feel softer. The weight is somewhat noticeable and is on the heavier end even among standard stability.
Fortunately, the ReactX midsole offsets this somewhat, but is not great for anything other than easy or long miles. There is a 10mm heel drop listed and that is what this feels like. There is a posterolateral heel bevel which somewhat smooths out heel transitions. However, it is combined with a small posterior heel flare which still makes heel transitions slightly clunky. The midfoot is quite stable due to its width, although along with the heel feels a little clunky until the shoe breaks in. The forefoot is smooth with mild to moderate flexibility. It is no longer snappy like version 25 and instead transitions easily. This is helped by an early forefoot rocker and there is little-to-no toe spring to get in the way. Those who need a stiff forefoot for toe mobility issues or problems will not find enough stiffness here.
As mentioned above, the midsole is slightly softer and well cushioned but is only good for easy miles. Attempting to pick up the pace makes the slightly clunky but stable heel more present and the heavier weight makes easy miles feel more natural. There is enough cushioning for longer runs, although the ReactX can feel a little dead during runs over 12-14 miles.
Traction-wise, this shoe is best for road and smooth surfaces. The small lugs seen in prior versions are one and larger outsole rubber pieces have replaced them. This makes traction on most dry surfaces fine and wet pavement traction is average. However, this is not a shoe for technical trails. The outsole is fairly durable and I have not seem much wear after 30 miles. The heel features thick outsole rubber that I have not been able to dent or wear at all. I am seeing a little bit more wear on the forefoot outsole pieces but overall the durability seems to be above average both at the midsole and outsole for a stability daily trainer.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
Matt: The Nike Structure 26 is a moderate stability daily training shoe. It features both newer and more traditional stability elements, including what is essentially a medial sidewall (and what feels like a well integrated medial post), a lateral heel sidewall and a wider sole especially in the midfoot. The large midfoot sidewall is paired with more outsole rubber on the medial side of the midfoot, a wider midfoot sole and an internal midfoot guidance system that Nike does not provide much information on. On foot, it feels like a well-integrated medial post that supports the medial side of the foot without being too obtrusive. It is especially comfortable during longer walking and standing, able to hold up for long periods. The lateral heel sidewall does help prevent my foot from being pushed too far lateral, but does contribute to the lateral heel feeling somewhat clunky on landings. The quick push inward and catch by the medial midfoot initially caused my fibular muscles (lateral side of the ankle/lower leg) to tighten up, but they have gotten used to this.
This makes the shoe a bit more guidance-based, although the amount of medial midfoot stability still makes this more of a stability than guidance shoe. The wider sole, slight sole flare and the size of the midfoot guidance system also provides plenty of heel support for those who need. The forefoot is the most neutral part of the shoe as it does not feature sidewalls, does not widen that much from the midfoot and is more flexible than the rest of the shoe. Those who do not want forefoot stability but need more in the heel and especially midfoot will do best in this shoe.
Thoughts as a DPT: Balancing Heel Stiffness and Transitions in Stability Shoes
By Matthew Klein
While I used to criticize every shoe to didn't have a massive heel bevel, this has been tempered as I have learned more about the subtitles of balancing all the components that go into footwear. Particularly in stability shoes, this can get challenging. The point of a heel bevel is to imitate the naturally curved calcaneus (heel bone) that upon heel strike improves gait efficiency by rolling the foot forward. This is called the heel rocker of the foot and a heel bevel must implemented in higher stack height shoes to compensate for the increased material. Stability shoes use stiffness to guide motion. A more stiff surface is more stable (to a point) while a more flexible surface is generally less stable. Stability shoes use a combination of these factors to facilitate motion. Stiffer components are usually used on the medial and lateral sides of the shoe as the human body will generally move away from stiffness and go toward more flexible areas, ie moving through the path of least resistance. The heel and midfoot are the most common places you will see stability mechanisms as the footwear industry generally focuses there (and forgets bout the forefoot). When you add stiffness to an area, it slows down motion in all directions.
While a company may hope the stiffness reduces excessive medial or lateral motion, it can also slow down motion forward. As more companies have learned to balance out their stability, ie create more of a centered, guidance based approach by also having stability mechanisms on the lateral side of the heel, this can making landing at the lateral heel (the most common place to land) feel a bit stiff. This is good because it may prevents the transition of the ankle from being over-corrected laterally and may be helpful for those with lateral instabilities. However, it my be bad as it makes the heel transition feel stiff. The same occurs at the midfoot. As midfoot width widen and with the addition of stiffening agents, this can feel too stiff for certain people.
This is why using the comfort filter, understanding what you need and getting the shoe on your feet to see how it feels as an individual is so important to determining optimal footwear. Something that feels too stiff for someone may feel great to another person. The Nike Structure 26 has a good lateral heel bevel, but the rearfoot transition feels a bit stiff due to extra stability mechanisms on the lateral side to keep the foot centered. This does break in with time, but may not work for everyone. Different shoes will work differently for different people.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Matt: The full ReactX midsole, removal of the zoom air pod in the forefoot and streamlined upper have made the Structure 26 far softer and comfortable than the previous version. The midfoot support system is more prominent and the upper is more comfortable. This is a good update, however it still feels like somethings are missing. For having the stack height increase, I would expect a slightly large heel bevel or to decrease the slight posterior heel flare. I would also like to see the heel aspect of the upper refined. The heel padding is too thick and places a large amount of pressure on the heel. I would love to see this toned down and the heel counter modified to provide stability on the medial and lateral sides of the foot without pressure on the posterior heel. Finally, as with our request with version 25, I would like to see this shoe lighten up. Per my measurements in my size 10, version 26 is slightly heavier than version 25. Slightly thinning out the upper and reducing the small posterior flare may help with this. It doesn't need to be super light, but getting closer to 10.5-10.7 oz for men's size 10 (~10 oz men's size 9) would help give a tiny bit more versatility. Although maybe that is what the Structure Plus will be (I hope way it is way lighter).
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Matt: The Nike Structure 26 is a daily training shoe for those who need moderate stability, especially at the medial midfoot, for daily running and walking miles. The midsole will work best for those who want a slightly softer, but not mushy underfoot feel. The geometry will work best for those who are running slower, walking or who land a little farther forward. The fit should serve those with normal to narrow width feet best, especially those who do not mind a thicker tongue and tons of heel collar padding. The Structure 26 will fit solely as a daily mileage shoe but has versatility into a variety of activities from running to walking.
It is good to see Nike still working on their stability shoes and it is even more exciting to know (hope) that they are expanding the stability line up. With this in mind, it makes sense the Structure 26 is a little basic, although effective, to create contrast with the other two upcoming Structure shoes. The cost is of $145 is still solid as an entry level stability shoe, with most coming in at $140 to $145 now. I still want the weight to drop as it is on the heavier end of this part of the stability section, but the increased comfort will likely make this version more popular than the series has been for a while. Now we just need to see what is happening with the rest of the Structure series (can you tell I'm excited?).
GRADES
Matt
Fit: B+ (Comfortable fit for those with normal to narrow width feet. Thicker heel padding is a bit too much and upper on the warm side)
Performance: B+ (ReactX midsole comfortable, slightly softer with moderate forefoot flexibility for an easy transition. Ride is still heavier and heel slightly clunky despite posterolateral heel bevel, although it does break in)
Stability: A- [Moderate Stability] (Solid medial midfoot support system provides good medial heel and mdifoot stability that is balanced with a lateral sidewall in the heel. Good, well integrated, all day stability)
Value: A- (Good outsole durability with a solid price. Not super different from other offerings but maintains a good price)
Personal: B+ (Comfortable, but heavier and slightly clunky heel. Wish there was a bit more versatility and excessive heel padding a bit much for my rearfoot)
Overall Design: B+
SHOP | SUPPORT DORNike Structure 26Price: $144.95 at Running Warehouse
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