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The RW Takeaway: Soft, bouncy cushioning and a secure, cozy upper make the Invincible Run one of the most comfortable daily trainers we’ve tested for long runs.
- Some studies suggest that choosing a running shoe based on comfort alone can help reduce the risk of injuries.
- Widened toe box provides a more accommodating fit than Nike’s typical offerings.
- Rubber outsole grips well and supplements durability of the ZoomX midsole foam.
Price: $180
Type: Road
Weight: 10.1 oz (M), 7.6 oz (W)
Drop: 9 mm (M), 8.4 mm (W)
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The link between running shoes and injury is one of the most hotly debated subjects among biomechanists and footwear experts—not to mention barefoot enthusiasts and maximalist runners. So leave it to Nike to design a shoe aimed at injury prevention and dub it “Invincible Run.” Nike’s testing of the shoe included a commissioned three-month study with North Star Sports Medicine Research in 2020, which used the same protocols and running-focused training program as during an earlier study that compared the Infinity Run and the Zoom Structure in 2019. This time, Nike swapped in the Invincible for the Infinity, but the results remained consistent: Runners training in the Invincible reported 52 percent fewer injuries (defined as “missing three or more consecutive runs due to running-related pain”) than runners who trained in the Structure 22.
Pros
- Very soft, responsive heel and forefoot cushioning
- Generous, comfortable tongue and collar padding
- Fully-gusseted tongue locks in midfoot
Cons
- Expensive
- Less stability for overpronators
A Shoe Still Can’t Make You Invincible
While Nike doesn’t claim that this shoe will cut your injury risk in half, the drop in injuries among the study’s 226 runners was significant—and also makes sense when viewed alongside the highly regarded work out of the University of Calgary’s Human Performance Lab. UCalgary’s research suggests that choosing a shoe simply based on comfort may be one of the best ways to mitigate the risk of injury. If that’s ever proven, the Invincible Run is supremely well equipped for the job. Every tester on our team gave the shoe a score of either 6 or 7 (out of 7) in the comfort category, with one tester deeming it the “most comfortable shoe” he’s ever worn.
Superior Energy Return
Most of that comfort comes from the ZoomX midsole made from Nike’s top-tier Pebax-based foam. It’s among the lightest, plushest, and most responsive around, and has the capacity to return about 70 percent of energy with each footstrike, the most of any material we’ve tested at the RW Shoe Lab. ZoomX delivers exceptional bounce and bottomless softness, without packing out or feeling overly mushy, and the Infinite Run has more of it underfoot than any other daily trainer in Swoosh’s lineup.
Soft, But Less Stable
To keep the Invincible Run riding smoothly atop all that foam, the sole uses a slightly curved rocker while a horseshoe-shaped heel counter holds the back of your foot steady on touchdown. Nike also widened the forefoot and flared the foam around the heel to further stabilize landings. Still, testers said the shoe felt a bit wobbly on tight corners and crowned roads or buckled sidewalks. That said, the expanded forefoot did have one very noticeable benefit—the fit felt more accommodating to runners who had experienced cramped toes in the narrower Peg 38.
Words From Our Testers
Derek Call, 35, tester since 2015
Arch: Medium | Gait: Neutral | Footstrike: Heel
Typical Weekly Mileage: 40
Other Shoes Derek Likes: Reebok Floatride Energy, Saucony Triumph, Hoka One One Rincon
“With most of the new foams, you feel the difference underfoot in the first few steps. I felt my feet sink into the Invincible’s ZoomX foam as I was standing up from tying the laces. But the foam felt just as comfortable on the 13th mile; there was no ‘60-minute hardening’ that I’ve experienced in other shoes. The cushioning-to-energy-return ratio in the forefoot is solid—allowing me to take on hills with steep, gnarly grades. And while the shoe is a bit bulky in design, at no point did I ever feel anything underfoot but a cushy bounce. Because of the aforementioned zip, I found it hard to have a full recovery day in these shoes; even my easiest runs turned out to be five to 10 seconds faster per mile than I’d anticipated. I wore these for a month, and every run had at least one mile where I did a double-take on my pace or checked my watch settings to make sure my GPS sync was up-to-date.”
