structure

Not so long ago, I declared Nike’s LunarEclipse my running shoe of choice. That didn’t last long. After a painful stint with Nike LunarGlide 4 and seeing parallels with the latest LunarEclipse 4, I went with the Zoom Structure 17.

Here’s the longer story…

The Zoom Structures, LunarEclipses, and LunarGlides are part of Nike’s stability series of running shoes. I’ve had a few Structure models over the years, the 12, the 14, and the 15. On the 16th revision, I had heard Nike abandoned the stabilizing foot bridge and instead started using different densities of Lunarlon foam. Scanning reviews of the Structure 16, runners were upset at this change. About this time, I picked up a pair of discounted Nike LunarGlide 4 and hated them. Running in them started off okay, but then the soreness came and got worse fast. The pain in my upper foot and ankle made running almost unbearable. Often times, I stopped mid-run and also wore an ankle brace for protection. I finally abandoned the LunarGlide for the LunarEclipse 3, and the pain quickly subsided.

So why go back to the Zoom Structure line instead of sticking with the LunarEclipse? From the product pictures alone, the sole of the new LunarEclipe 4 reminds me of the sole of the painful LunarGlides.

Nike LunarGlide 4 sole.

Nike LunarEclipse 2 (bottom) and 3 (top) soles.

I didn’t want to risk the pain again, so instead I took a chance with the foot bridge-less Zoom Structure 17. Runner’s World reviews the Structure 17 favorably so I’m hopeful.

Oddly enough, I just realized that three of the four Structures I’ve owned are black. Here’s my latest Nike Zoom Structure 17.