Nike Zoom Terra Kiger

When Nike first released trail running shoes I was a little sceptical. They had such a good history of making road shoes, spikes and apparel, but this was a whole new world for them. So with much excitement I opened the box to reveal what looked like a typically stylish pair of Nikes. The Kiger sure does look the goods with its grippy and aggressive sole and flywire and mesh upper. It’s certainly a more minimalist approach to trail shoes than many other brands, which to me is much more preferable. But rest assured, while they might not have the chunky sole of a traditional ultra shoe, they are so comfy and supportive they’ll be more than ample for a 100km trail run.

As expected there’s loads of technology to support the style. It’s about function as well as form with these puppies! But I’m not going down the nerd line with this review. I’m keeping it simple and focusing on the feel of the ride, which by the way is sensational.

The fit is like a glove. Soft, supportive, and fitted to your foot. It’s a secure feeling and despite the appearance is very supportive. On the most technical and cambered of tracks, they performed beautifully with lots of lateral support. What’s also striking is that the sole might not have lots of huge lugs and be thick like a Hoka, but they’re super grippy on all surfaces (Other than wet tar!) and provide protection from rocks poking through the bottom. The lack of a stone guard at the front didn’t seem to have any impact on the shoes capacity to stop rocks busting my toes.

The Kiger is flexible, lightweight and made for speed. They’re a shoe suited to just about any trail runner, even those at the heavier end of the scale who would typically go for a more chunky shoe. In terms of durability, they’ll serve you well for in excess of 600km worth of running. What’s more, they look cool!

Cost around $180-$220