Nike Structure Plus

Nike Structure Plus Review: The Art of Staying Upright 

Specs

Price

$239

Weight

309 grams (men’s US 9)

Pronation Control

Neutral 

Stack Height/Drop

42 mm heel, 32 mm forefoot/10 mm drop

Introduction 

It's believed that roughly 60%-80% of runners overpronate, which makes sense why “stability shoes” is such a big category. Even some neutral runners enjoy using stability trainers when they're tired because they assist in maintaining good running form. 

For a long time, the Structure has been the only stability trainer in Nike's performance running lineup; however, the Structure series has now been expanded into 3 different tiers. 

The Structure 26 is the base model, the Structure Plus is the middle of the range model and the Structure Premium (coming later this year) is the top of the range trainer in the series. 

From a design perspective, the Structure Plus looks very similar to the Structure 26 but the midsole of the Structure 26 is only ReactX. In the Structure Plus, you get a combination of ReactX and ZoomX, Nike's most energetic midsole foam. 

The Structure Plus competes with other premium stability trainers such as the popular ASICS Kayano, Saucony Hurricane and New Balance Vongo. 

The Good

The Structure Plus has a top layer of ZoomX in its midsole and it provides a nice, plush step in feel. The ZoomX makes it feel more comfortable and more luxurious than your average stability trainer. It also gives the ride more pop and spring during toe offs. 

It can handle all your daily training needs, from easy/recovery runs, to steady runs, to long runs. There's no plate in it and it's also not the lightest trainer so there are better options for speed workouts.

The raised midsole sidewalls give your feet plenty of guidance and support during transitions. If you overpronate or supinate, you can feel the sidewalls keeping you upright instead of your ankles rolling inwards or outwards. 

The Structure Plus upper is fantastic. Foot lockdown is great and it has enough padding in the tongue and collar to prevent any friction. The toe box also has ventilation holes so breathability is good- your feet won't over heat in the Structure Plus. 

The high abrasion rubber on the outsole that protects the rearfoot and midfoot is extremely durable so you can put tons of mileage on the Structure Plus without worrying about wearing it down. There's softer, sticky rubber in the forefoot to help with traction and improve ground feel. 

The Not So Good

If you have flat feet or sensitive arches, you won't appreciate the prominent feel of the sidewalls against the medial sides of your feet. It doesn't poke into your feet like some other stability trainers but it's definitely noticeable if you aren't used to it. 

The tongue of the Structure Plus isn't gusseted so there is some sideways tongue slide during runs; however, it doesn't affect performance because the tongue has enough padding to prevent any unwanted lace bite. 

Conclusion 

The Nike Structure Plus is a reliable, well-built daily trainer with a supportive ride. It's a nice upgrade to the basic model, the Structure 26 because it has a plusher ride with more energy return and it comes in at an affordable price. 

The Structure Plus fills an important role that was missing in the Nike running lineup- the role of a premium, stability trainer with a top-notch midsole foam.

Compared to other stability trainers like the ASICS Kayano and the Saucony Hurricane, the Structure Plus feels like it strikes a good balance between a staunch support trainer and a comfortable daily trainer. It's a little bit softer than the Kayano and a bit more stable than the Hurricane. 

In a Nike rotation, the Structure Plus fills the role of the daily trainer for the bulk of your zone 1 and zone 2 mileage. There's no stability speed trainer or racer in the Nike lineup so you can use the Zoom Fly 6 for speed workouts and the Alphafly 3 for races.

Reviewed by Brandon Law

Check out Nike Structure Plus here