NIKE TERRA KIGER 2

If you follow my reviews, you’ll know that I was pretty blown away with Nike’s new foray into the trail shoe game. For years, Nike let me down in the running shoe department and I could never find a pair that made me happy. That is until I tried both the Wildhorse and Terra Kiger. These two shoes opened my eyes and proved that the Nike trail team is on point. Now that Nike has released their follow-up versions to their two very popular trail shoes, I had to get my hands on pairs and put them through the test to see if they have made a good thing great.

In my version 1 review, I mentioned that the Kiger was a great shoe, but I would side with the Wildhorse when it came to long training runs and races. Well, that’s been flipped this go around. Some of the changes to the Nike Kiger 2.0 include a revamped upper & toebox with new overlays, the inclusion of ReGrind, some stiffening of the midsole (I dunno about that) and a new adjusted heel counter and collar.

That last update is what really took this shoe to the next level. The original version was awesome and super slipper-like, but it didn’t feel like it gripped my foot quite as well as the Wildhorse. However, this version gives me that sensation and I find myself bombing down rocky terrain without as much hesitation as in the original. Is it perfect? Not quite, but it’s getting there.

LIKED:

  • Fast/Responsive
  • Comfortable Upper
  • Light (8.5oz)
  • Same Kiger
  • Grip
  • Buritto Upper
  • Heel Counter

DISLIKED:

  • Outsole Wear
  • Thin Toebox

QUALITY: 4/5
COMFORT: 4/5
PRICE: 4/5
LOOKS: 4/5

TOTAL: 16/20

These shoes were provided by Nike for review. All opinions are my own.

 

NIKE TERRA WILDHORSE 2

If you follow my reviews, you’ll know that I was pretty blown away with Nike’s new foray into the trail shoe game. For years, Nike let me down in the running shoe department and I could never find a pair that made me happy. That is until I tried both the Wildhorse and Terra Kiger. These two shoes opened my eyes and proved that the Nike trail team is on point. Now that Nike has released their follow-up versions to their two very popular trail shoes, I had to get my hands on pairs and put them through the test to see if they have made a good thing great.

The original Wildhorse remains one of my favorite trail shoes. Despite prematurely breaking down and wearing thin, it’s a solid running experience that I would recommend for anyone to try for solid trail running. With the second version, Nike has changed some minimal things, but one of those changes has set the shoe back a bit in my opinion.

Having put a lot of miles, many in race-form, in the Nike Wildhorse 2.0, I have found that my toes do not like the removal of the toe guard in this shoe. By replacing the guard with a non-pliable welded overlay, my toenails (despite being trimmed and proper) press pretty significantly up against the overlay material which recently caused pain and a full black toenail which I am currently waiting to fall off. It wasn’t a pleasurable experience, but one that all trail runners are familiar with at some point. The problem is that I never had such an occurance in the first version. Bummer.

REGARDLESS, the shoe still provides a solid running experience, though with these second generations, i would prefer to jump into the newly revised Kiger 2. I hope in the third version of the Wildhorse, Nike is able to incorporate a thin, light rock guard and maybe add a few more millimeters of cushioning to not only give the runner a better long distance experience, but to also help differentiate the Wildhorse from the Kiger. Boom.

LIKED:

  • Comfortable
  • Seamless Upper
  • Grip
  • Light (9+oz)
  • Looks

DISLIKED:

  • New toebox (no guard!)
  • No rock plate
  • Outsole/Upper wear
  • Sizing
  • Laces length

QUALITY: 4/5
COMFORT: 4/5
PRICE: 4/5
LOOKS: 4/5

TOTAL: 16/20

These shoes were provided by Nike for review. All opinions are my own.

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