Girls’s Nike Zegama 2 Assessment

Backside Line

The Nike Zegama 2 is the perfect shoe for path runners in search of a soft journey on quite a lot of trails. Designed with consolation in thoughts, the Zegama 2 is surprisingly responsive regardless of the utmost cushioning, albeit a tad on the heavy facet. In contrast to lots of max cushioned path trainers, these provide a minimal 4 mm drop and outstanding midfoot help.

Throughout our runs on the sandy trails of central Michigan, we famous that the Zegama 2s offered a powerful quantity of flotation. The built-in ankle gaiter labored wonders for retaining particles at bay, even the sand. 

The broader toe field and cushty midfoot make the Zegama 2 a cushty selection for all-day runs; nevertheless, they did really feel a bit clunky on extra technical trails within the Pacific Northwest. Moreover, we have been a bit pissed off with the lace size feeling a tad brief. See extra in our information to one of the best path trainers for girls.

Traction

The Zegama 2 supplies a stable grip throughout varied surfaces, making them a really perfect selection for a variety of trails. We examined them on an array of trails, from dry, sandy tracks and filth roads in central Michigan to crushed gravel bike paths and muddy singletrack within the Pacific Northwest. All through the course of testing we discovered them to grip dry filth and tougher surfaces higher than others_, with some diminished efficiency in moist and/or muddy circumstances.

Whereas the upgraded outsole does assist with traction, we discovered ourselves slipping and sliding greater than we have been snug with in muddy and moist circumstances. These footwear might be finest suited to dry circumstances and fewer technical terrain. Nonetheless, runners who deal with all kinds of trails might discover these to be worth as an all-around path shoe.

consolation

Most cushion underfoot and a built-in ankle gaiter make the Zegama 2 a really snug path shoe. Our testers didn’t really feel the roots and rocks underfoot on Galbraith Mountain in Washington state. We additionally didn’t discover lots of path particles inside our footwear after lengthy runs on sandy trails within the Midwest, which vastly improved our total consolation. 

Nike has designed this shoe with a wider toe field to accommodate foot swell throughout exercise, offering a extra snug expertise with no stress factors.

We additionally appreciated the snugness of the midfoot, though, after lengthy runs, it felt a bit restrictive. The ZoomX midsole is on the firmer facet, however not uncomfortably so. Our solely actual criticism was that the laces have been on the shorter facet, making it troublesome to double knot or use lace lock strategies to actually dial within the match.

Weight

The Zegama 2 is pretty light-weight contemplating the quantity of cushion. Nonetheless, it’s a bit on the heavier facet of the footwear we examined. This left us feeling a bit clunky and lifting our toes much less on the finish of lengthy runs.

Sturdiness

The strong single layer mesh uppers of the Zegma 2 characteristic strategic bolstered toe skins so as to add safety and enhance sturdiness. We have been impressed by their snag and abrasion resistance on roots and rocks all through our testing within the Chuckanut Mountains of Bellingham, Washington. 

General, the development of the uppers and considerate overlay placement point out that these footwear will possible maintain up for a very long time, though we wish barely extra reinforcement alongside the perimeters.

We have been additionally happy with the resiliency of the froth, even after some rocky runs. It’s price noting that we did discover some punctures within the uncovered foam portion of the only, which can result in a shorter total lifespan.

Breathability

The engineered mesh higher has rigorously positioned perforations that present optimized breathability. These perforations stored our toes cool and dry throughout runs of all speeds and durations. On hotter runs, we discovered that the Zegama 2 dispersed warmth and moisture nicely, avoiding points with chafing or blisters.

This nicely thought-out design is complemented by a vamp liner which promotes efficient shoe drainage. Regardless of splashing by way of the puddles throughout testing throughout the Pacific Northwest’s wet season, our toes by no means felt soggy. Our solely quibble is that the inside dried extra slowly than we might have hoped, due partially to the diminished floor space from the ankle gaiter.

Responsiveness

The redesigned Zegama 2 presents a brand new, full-length ZoomX midsole foam crafted to optimize power restoration and improve responsiveness whereas on the run. We discovered it to offer respectable bounce however missed the bottom really feel that comparable choices available on the market present. 

When taking over extra technical trails, particularly root-laden paths in Washington state, we discovered them to really feel much less agile than we might have preferred, which can be a deal-breaker for some runners. Nonetheless, the excessive cushion makes for an extremely responsive journey on extra even surfaces comparable to easy, well-maintained trails or gravel paths like those we ran within the Midwest. 

With fatigue lowering midsoles, these would make an important path racer on easy or blended programs in addition to a day by day coach. Though we discovered it to be much less responsive when in comparison with the Nike Pegasus 5 we nonetheless suppose these maintain their very own on all kinds of trails and can work for a lot of varieties of runners.

Ought to You Purchase the Nike Girls’s Zegama 2?

For runners looking for a shoe that provides most cushion paired with a minimal-drop design, the Zegama 2 is an efficient possibility. This shoe supplies respectable versatility, excelling on smoother and fewer technical terrain. Its plush cushion presents consolation whether or not you’re coaching or racing.

Whereas versatile in that regard, it struggles in additional demanding circumstances. Those that spend most of their time on impediment laden, technical trails or in sloppy circumstances might not discover the Zegama 2 to be one of the best worth. In the event you’re in search of a flexible shoe to do some little bit of every part, this will likely give you the results you want. 

In the event you’re in search of a cushty path operating shoe to put on on a buttery easy singletrack or by way of reasonably blended terrain, these are an important possibility.

What Different Girls’s Path Runners Ought to You Contemplate?

If the Nike Zegama 2 isn’t for you, try these path runners that mix most cushion with responsiveness.

Hoka Speedgoat 6 Assessment: In the event you’re in search of a good wider toe field and extra traction, try this former Editor’s Decide. These footwear are at dwelling on rugged trails and have probably the most room within the footbox of all of the footwear we examined. Select from two widths.

Brooks Catamount 4 Assessment: In the event you’re in search of a good sooner, lighter shoe, slip right into a pair of those. Equally at dwelling on path and hardpack, these path runners are designed to go quick.

New Stability Contemporary Foam Hierro x 8 Assessment: In search of a sticky Vibram grip? These footwear will take you from dry trails to moist pavement with ease.