Nike React Miler 2
The Nike React Miler 2 is one of those shoes where you take one look at it and pray to the shoe gods that it performs as well as it looks. Luckily, the shoe gods will answer your prayers.
For a neutral daily trainer, this design is insanely cushioned from the upper to the outsole, boasts insanely grippy treads, and the weatherized coating is built for more than just sunny days.
Where to Buy
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Pros & Cons
Pros
Incredibly responsive and lightweight React foam midsole
Very grippy rubber outsole
The all-weather upper is designed for hot and cold weather conditions
A nice and roomy toe box allows your toes to naturally splay inside of the shoe
The highly cushioned heel collar and tongue boost comfort and lockdown
Outsole lasts between 300-400 miles
Runs true to size
Reasonable price point
Cons
Heavier weight is not ideal for speed
Some runners find it to be a little bulky
Key Features
Key Features
MIDSOLE
Nike hit a home run when they rolled out their React foam cushioning. This style of foam isn’t your standard foam cushioning. Instead of utilizing EVA (which we see in most running shoes), it is composed of a TPE base that is far more durable than your average foam cushioning.
Underfoot, this foam feels insanely lightweight and bouncy, and it gets runners excited to lace up their running shoes to go for a ride.
It’s also important to note that this midsole ages like fine wine. Many runners report that this midsole material only gets better with time. Classic EVA foam has a reputation of squishing down into a pancake around the 100-mile mark, and before you know it the out-of-the-box magic is gone.
The React foam, on the other hand, holds its shape and bouncy performance for hundreds of miles. You are likely to wear out the outsole of this shoe before the midsole starts to falter.
OUTSOLE
The Storm-Tread outsole of the Nike React Miler 2 is built for just about anything. It’s inspired by all-weather tires to give runners superior grip no matter where your daily runs take you.
The style of this insanely grippy outsole sticks to muddy trails or slick sidewalks like you are Spiderman. It achieves its superior grip by utilizing micro-grooves built into the rubber as well as multi-directional lugs.
What I also love about the design of this outsole is that it is built to last. It is composed of a blend of durable rubber in high-wear areas of the foot and exposed midsole foam for heightened flexibility. With this level of exposed foam underfoot, I was skeptical at how long these shoes would last, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Many runners found that this shoe is built to last around the 300-400 mile market, which is pretty impressive given the affordable price point.
UPPER
The upper of this running shoe is designed to tackle just about any weather condition. It is composed of a knit upper that is treated with a weather-proof coating to keep your feet warm and dry as you run.
Nike designed this shoe as something that runners can reach for 12 months out of the year, even for runners that live in pretty cold climates. It may boast a good deal of insulating features, but the breathable knit design helps circulate air to prevent your feet from overheating.
With the original React Miler, Nike learned the hard way that you can have too much padding on top of your foot. The original design had a highly cushioned tongue and heel collar that was insanely comfortable, but really limited your full range of motion.
Nike dialed the cushioning back just enough to provide a super comfortable ride without hindering your full range of motion too much. The React Miler 2 found that sweet spot between premium cushioning and movement.
PERFORMANCE
Overall, the Nike React Miler 2 is a neutral daily training running shoe that is built to tackle long miles or nice and easy tempo runs. It’s important to note that the slightly stiff nature of this shoe and heavier frame (just over 10 ounces) means that it’s not exactly built for high speeds.
I would recommend this running shoe for runners that like to tackle long distances at a nice and even pace. This shoe is insanely comfortable, durable, and the responsive midsole will get you excited to get out there for a run.
It’s also important to note that this shoe is built for most climates. If you love to go on runs in cooler weather but find most running shoes are only built to keep your feet cool when the heat is on, this design is a great choice. Nike built the upper of the React Miler 2 to be able to face any weather condition whether it’s hot, rainy, snowy, or downright cold.
The upper works like an all-season water-repellent jacket that helps regulate the temperature of your feet while circulating air to prevent your feet from becoming a hot and sweaty mess.
FIT
There are no complaints when it comes to the fit of this shoe! I combed through dozens of user reviews and found that everyone was quite pleased with the overall fit of this shoe. It runs true to size, which means that there will be no surprises in the sizing department.
If you are a size 9 in other Nike training shoes, the same can be said for the Nike React Miler 2. If you are new to Nike, be sure to take good measurements of your feet and compare those numbers to their sizing chart.
Whether your feet run a little wide or narrow, the upper of this shoe is designed to accommodate most feet. It boasts a nice and roomy toe box that allows your toes to naturally splay inside of the shoe as you run. With plenty of padding throughout the heel collar and tongue, runners can craft a contoured fit to their feet utilizing the accommodating lacing system.
PRICE
With so many advanced features thrown into this all-weather shoe, I was expecting a pretty steep price point. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this daily trainer runs par for the course. It’s not exactly a budget-friendly running shoe, but it is slightly more affordable than other high-end daily training shoes out there on the market.
When you take into consideration the accommodating fit, all-weather design of the upper, and insanely durable outsole, the Nike React Miler 2 checks in at an incredibly great value! It may not be considered a budget-friendly shoe, but it provides runners a pretty big bang for their buck!
Nike hit a home run when they rolled out their React foam cushioning. This style of foam isn’t your standard foam cushioning. Instead of utilizing EVA (which we see in most running shoes), it is composed of a TPE base that is far more durable than your average foam cushioning.
Underfoot, this foam feels insanely lightweight and bouncy, and it gets runners excited to lace up their running shoes to go for a ride.
It’s also important to note that this midsole ages like fine wine. Many runners report that this midsole material only gets better with time. Classic EVA foam has a reputation of squishing down into a pancake around the 100-mile mark, and before you know it the out-of-the-box magic is gone.
The React foam, on the other hand, holds its shape and bouncy performance for hundreds of miles. You are likely to wear out the outsole of this shoe before the midsole starts to falter.
OUTSOLE
The Storm-Tread outsole of the Nike React Miler 2 is built for just about anything. It’s inspired by all-weather tires to give runners superior grip no matter where your daily runs take you.
The style of this insanely grippy outsole sticks to muddy trails or slick sidewalks like you are Spiderman. It achieves its superior grip by utilizing micro-grooves built into the rubber as well as multi-directional lugs.
What I also love about the design of this outsole is that it is built to last. It is composed of a blend of durable rubber in high-wear areas of the foot and exposed midsole foam for heightened flexibility. With this level of exposed foam underfoot, I was skeptical at how long these shoes would last, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Many runners found that this shoe is built to last around the 300-400 mile market, which is pretty impressive given the affordable price point.
UPPER
The upper of this running shoe is designed to tackle just about any weather condition. It is composed of a knit upper that is treated with a weather-proof coating to keep your feet warm and dry as you run.
Nike designed this shoe as something that runners can reach for 12 months out of the year, even for runners that live in pretty cold climates. It may boast a good deal of insulating features, but the breathable knit design helps circulate air to prevent your feet from overheating.
With the original React Miler, Nike learned the hard way that you can have too much padding on top of your foot. The original design had a highly cushioned tongue and heel collar that was insanely comfortable, but really limited your full range of motion.
Nike dialed the cushioning back just enough to provide a super comfortable ride without hindering your full range of motion too much. The React Miler 2 found that sweet spot between premium cushioning and movement.
PERFORMANCE
Overall, the Nike React Miler 2 is a neutral daily training running shoe that is built to tackle long miles or nice and easy tempo runs. It’s important to note that the slightly stiff nature of this shoe and heavier frame (just over 10 ounces) means that it’s not exactly built for high speeds.
I would recommend this running shoe for runners that like to tackle long distances at a nice and even pace. This shoe is insanely comfortable, durable, and the responsive midsole will get you excited to get out there for a run.
It’s also important to note that this shoe is built for most climates. If you love to go on runs in cooler weather but find most running shoes are only built to keep your feet cool when the heat is on, this design is a great choice. Nike built the upper of the React Miler 2 to be able to face any weather condition whether it’s hot, rainy, snowy, or downright cold.
The upper works like an all-season water-repellent jacket that helps regulate the temperature of your feet while circulating air to prevent your feet from becoming a hot and sweaty mess.
FIT
There are no complaints when it comes to the fit of this shoe! I combed through dozens of user reviews and found that everyone was quite pleased with the overall fit of this shoe. It runs true to size, which means that there will be no surprises in the sizing department.
If you are a size 9 in other Nike training shoes, the same can be said for the Nike React Miler 2. If you are new to Nike, be sure to take good measurements of your feet and compare those numbers to their sizing chart.
Whether your feet run a little wide or narrow, the upper of this shoe is designed to accommodate most feet. It boasts a nice and roomy toe box that allows your toes to naturally splay inside of the shoe as you run. With plenty of padding throughout the heel collar and tongue, runners can craft a contoured fit to their feet utilizing the accommodating lacing system.
PRICE
With so many advanced features thrown into this all-weather shoe, I was expecting a pretty steep price point. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this daily trainer runs par for the course. It’s not exactly a budget-friendly running shoe, but it is slightly more affordable than other high-end daily training shoes out there on the market.
When you take into consideration the accommodating fit, all-weather design of the upper, and insanely durable outsole, the Nike React Miler 2 checks in at an incredibly great value! It may not be considered a budget-friendly shoe, but it provides runners a pretty big bang for their buck!
Comparisons to Previous Versions
When the OG React Miler hit the scene, runners either loved it or hated it. To be fair to all of the haters, there were some elements of this shoe that just didn’t work. As a neutral running shoe, it was an odd choice to add a medial stability post inside of the midsole that made this shoe stiffer than it needed to be.
This design was in an attempt to please everyone, and it turned some runners off of this shoe completely. With the rollout of the React Miler 2, Nike ditched the medial post and transformed this shoe into something that is built for everyone.
What I also love about the updates made to the React Miler 2 is that the upper has undergone an extreme makeover. Instead of utilizing stiff, hot, and scratchy materials that were hot and uncomfortable, Nike opted for thick knit material that boasts a weatherized treatment to keep your feet nice and dry on those rainy day runs.
Aside from the midding medial post and redesigned upper, many of the performance features remain the same between the older and newer version of this shoe. Runners can still expect the same grippy ground contact from the outsole, and the bouncy pep to your step from the React midsole.
This design was in an attempt to please everyone, and it turned some runners off of this shoe completely. With the rollout of the React Miler 2, Nike ditched the medial post and transformed this shoe into something that is built for everyone.
What I also love about the updates made to the React Miler 2 is that the upper has undergone an extreme makeover. Instead of utilizing stiff, hot, and scratchy materials that were hot and uncomfortable, Nike opted for thick knit material that boasts a weatherized treatment to keep your feet nice and dry on those rainy day runs.
Aside from the midding medial post and redesigned upper, many of the performance features remain the same between the older and newer version of this shoe. Runners can still expect the same grippy ground contact from the outsole, and the bouncy pep to your step from the React midsole.
Verdict
If you are on the hunt for a great daily trainer, the Nike React Miler 2 is a shoe that is worth checking out. What I love most about this shoe is that it is built to tackle just about any type of terrain or weather condition, as long as your speed isn’t your number one goal.
The grippy outsole is perfect for plowing through wet leaves, mud, or slick sidewalks, and the all-weather upper works to keep your feet comfortable in hot or cold weather conditions. It’s insanely comfortable from upper to outsole, and the price tag won’t drain your bank account.
The previous version of the React Miler was good, but it certainly had its problems. Nike listened to the complaints runners had with the OG React Miler and implemented these changes into the React Miler 2.
At the end of the day, this shoe is a great choice for a wide variety of neutral runners that need a daily training shoe that is built to conquer all types of challenging terrain in less than ideal weather conditions.
If you feel that your daily runs need a little jolt of energy, the Nike React Miler 2 is a great choice!
The grippy outsole is perfect for plowing through wet leaves, mud, or slick sidewalks, and the all-weather upper works to keep your feet comfortable in hot or cold weather conditions. It’s insanely comfortable from upper to outsole, and the price tag won’t drain your bank account.
The previous version of the React Miler was good, but it certainly had its problems. Nike listened to the complaints runners had with the OG React Miler and implemented these changes into the React Miler 2.
At the end of the day, this shoe is a great choice for a wide variety of neutral runners that need a daily training shoe that is built to conquer all types of challenging terrain in less than ideal weather conditions.
If you feel that your daily runs need a little jolt of energy, the Nike React Miler 2 is a great choice!
Where to Buy
See Deal
