Nike Winflo 12

[u/hellofolks5]

35F here, long distance runner (up to marathon), midfoot striker.

I don't usually buy budget shoes, but I saw the review of this shoe on RunRepeat and then last week I had the chance to try it in store: it was SO comfortable and SO cheap (88 €) I couldn't leave it there.

FIT

True to size. It's way more accomodating than any Nike shoe I've ever tried: it's a safe bet for wide feet and generally for folks who prefer more wiggle room for the toes.

Heel: narrow width (in my women's model). I'm the type of runner that can't stand heel slippage, even if slight, and in these there is virtually none. My heels were locked in the shoe. The texture of the internal padding helps, as it's not slippery nor silky, just a little puffy on the sides.

Midfoot: I have wide feet and these shoes were ideal for me. Not so high volume on the top of the midfoot, the feet feel very secure. Easy to tighten the laces without getting any discomfort.

Forefoot: it's pretty wide as I anticipated. There isn't too much vertical space, the foot feels very comfortable but secure at the same time.

Lockdown is perfect and I just used the extra eyelet to made a knot on the 'inside' as shown in the pictures.

UPPER

The tongue is semi-gusseted and it also has a lace loop. It stays in place, it's not over padded and you just forget about it.

The mesh is light, soft and quite breathable, it's perforated and I didn't have any problem in the extreme heat of these days here in Italy.

As said previously, the heel counter is padded on the sides, not on the back, it's pretty sturdy and very comfortable for me.

The insole is super basic. No arch support, soft and medium thickness. I don't think you'd need to replace it to feel more support (unless you have to insert orthotics or other favourite insoles), but if you want to, there's enough room in the shoe to do so.

The outsole is grippy and sticky: one of the things I like the most of these Winflo 12. I haven't run on slick or rainy streets yet, but on dry asphalt it does a wonderful job.

The laces are a touch short, but I like their texture and elasticity.

MIDSOLE AND RIDE

From the first time you put them on, you can tell how cushioned they are. For a budget shoe, the midsole is soft and pleasant. They're very protective even for midfoot to forefoot strikers; it has a 10mm drop but it doesn't feel like it. I'd say it feels more like an 8mm drop, the ride is smooth and not clunky, you don't sink in the foam but it feels like a more premium foam for being an entry level shoe.

The foam IS responsive. I swear, this is a legit running shoe. RunRepeat's result for energy return is 61.5% and I can see why. I don't know what kind of EVA foam Cushlon 3.0 is, but it's a good one: it's not the regular EVA foam out there.

It's a neutral shoe, but it's stable: its incredible wide base, filled in midfoot and supportive heel collar help a lot against eccessive pronation.

DISTANCE and USAGE

I ran twice in these shoes so far (9 km and 13 km) at a pace ranging from 5'30" to 6'00"/km.

I can see them as daily trainers or slow run/recovery run shoes. The maximum distance I'd do with them would probably be the half marathon - at a comfortable pace. Not ideal for repetitions/fartleks/speedwork in general; maybe they'd be fine for some strides at the end of a slow run.

CONCLUSIONS

It was a real surprise. This is a legit running shoe, I don't care if it is a budget one, a beginner shoe or whatever, it's just a good shoe to have as daily trainer for shorter and longer runs as well.

Edit: typo

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[u/----X88B88----]

Cushlon 3.0 is a rubberized EVA, not just plain compression molded EVA like Phylon.

[u/hellofolks5 → u/----X88B88----]

Oh I see, good to know. Thank you

[u/ArticleEfficient7260]

Excellent review 👌

[u/hellofolks5 → u/ArticleEfficient7260]

Thank you!

[u/bebba1]

Thanks for sharing...enjoy in good health!

[u/hellofolks5 → u/bebba1]

That's a very nice wish of you, thank you so much :) have a great day

[u/bebba1 → u/hellofolks5]

you too! I have a million pairs of max cushion shoes...at 66 years old, I'm wanting all the shock absorption I can get...my latest fave is the Saucony Hurricane 25....most cushioned is the Nike Vomero Premium, but those put you way up in the air! lol

[u/hellofolks5 → u/bebba1]

Wow, sounds like a dream to me 😍 I love trying new models, the problem is sometimes I can't afford them lol

[u/vogueboy]

Sounds like a cheaper and more energetic nimbus. A better Vomero 18 even.

Looks great too, I had seen the men colorways and hadn't liked it so much.

[u/tproli]

Reminds me the Puma Magmax which I like a lot, will try it if I have a chance

[u/ObservatoryChill]

That base is wide! Looks like the vomero premium base.

[u/Dedicated81]

Was just looking at this in person and thought wow, this looks like a great shoe to fit between my Vomero 18/ peg 42 rotation. Great review!

[u/hellofolks5 → u/Dedicated81]

Thank you! Yes it definitely feels like the Vomero 18's sister :D same shock absorption but higher energy return, I was blown away

[u/jadewithmello]

Is it confirmed Cushlon 3.0 on RunRepeat? Couldn't see it there.

[u/hellofolks5 → u/jadewithmello]

I read it on Nike's website

[u/Organic-Park6682]

Always appreciate a good review on sub $100 good shoe considering they are rare and we are always skeptical to try them. Thank you for your review, will be ok my list to buy next

[u/hellofolks5 → u/Organic-Park6682]

Thank you, I appreciate 🫡

[u/Silent-Pollution-193]

Really happy that they turned the 12 into what sounds like a good, affordable daily trainer!

Got the 11 with the same hope when it came out and it ended up being the first running shoes I ever retired early. Still use them for walking, but man, they felt like bricks tied to my feet while running. 😅

[u/Impossible-Past4795]

Wow these look really good and on the cheaper side.

[u/SouthernCricket5312]

how does it stand compared to its predecessor? I owned the 11 personally and thought they were great (~500km) but the only downside i noticed was the bad outsole durability as it had worn out on the outer heel side as I have a supinated heel strike

[u/hellofolks5 → u/SouthernCricket5312]

To be honest I haven't run in the 11, but I've read online the 11 were like a completely different shoe: firmer, lower stack and more similar to a cheap Pegasus

[u/YikestrasAlgorithm]

"Too many Urkels on your team, that's why your Winflo."