Nike Structure Plus

The Nike Structure Plus is a brand new max cushioned model designed for support and bounce. Priced at $170, it competes with shoes like the Puma MagMax 2 ($180) and Asics Gel-Kayano 32 ($160). It is the second installment in the Structure line, Nike’s stable and protective silo of shoes. The construction is a top layer of ZoomX foam with a bottom layer of firmer, ReactX foam. It has a very classic Nike look with the 10mm drop and an aggressive taper to the front, with more ground feel and a classic trainer feel. It has tons of padding in the heel and tongue with great lock-down and guidance through the midfoot and rear, making the step-in feel very structured, firm, and stable. Out on the run we found it to be a strange shoe. It has one of the best implementations of ZoomX foam—delivering a soft and bouncy sensation once you get it going—and the ReactX is very protective. On the one hand, the 10mm drop makes the chunky heel feel awkward, clunky and bulky, but it also makes the shoe feel stable and supportive with more ground feel. The regular Structure 26 is a much more relaxed, normal feeling shoe that is easier to run in. The Structure Plus is a heavy stability shoe that feels most optimal (bouncy with some good energy return) when running fast. It is definitely not optimal as a relaxed or recovery shoe. If you are looking for a bouncy, peppy stability shoe, this shoe would work well, especially as a one-shoe rotation or if you are coming back from an injury or are a serious over-pronator; however, if you don’t need a stability shoe, this is not a shoe you should get—instead we would recommend the Vomero Plus.