The Nike Structure 26 is a stability trainer with multiple elements designed to compensate for inefficient foot strike patterns. The shoe's support system is closer to older iterations of the Structure than its immediate predecessor (the Nike Structure 25), with a lateral heel guiderail and medial midfoot support to counter over- and under-pronation. Unsurprisingly then, the resulting ride feels like a classic stability shoe: smooth and steady but without much bounce or propulsion. The Structure 26 is the only shoe in Nike's current trainer lineup with a midsole composed entirely of ReactX foam, the injection-molded material used in combination with other compounds in the Nike Pegasus 41 and Nike Vomero 18. Although it's a stability shoe, the Structure 26 is accommodating for neutral strike runners as well, as evidenced by the fact that Nike's poster boy for the Structure 26 is 1500-meter Olympic gold medalist Cole Hocker.
Our Verdict
The Nike Structure 26 isn't a great choice for a marathon racing shoe. With its considerable weight and poor energy return, it'll weigh you down over long distances without giving much back.
Shoe is rather heavy.
Poor energy return.
The Nike Structure 26 is by no means a speedy shoe, and trying to run a fast race in these might feel something like trying to reach top speed on a bike with training wheels. The heavy construction and low energy return will make it difficult to pick up the pace.
Shoe is rather heavy.
Poor energy return.
The Nike Structure 26 doesn't return energy well. The ReactX foam is lacking in bounce, and the design is more geared toward lateral stability than forward propulsion.
Poor energy return.
Overall, the cushioning in the Nike Structure 26 is not bad, although the heel is much better cushioned than the forefoot. The shoe feels soft when you step in, but this is due more to the padded upper than the midsole, which isn't the most absorbent.
Impact absorption is lacking.
The Nike Structure 26 is built to provide stability, and this is where it impresses. Guiderails on both sides keep the foot from rolling inward or outward, but they don't feel overly intrusive. The stiff, wide platform creates a very solid base for landing and push-off, ensuring that the foot keeps moving forward, instead of side-to-side.
Lateral heel guiderail corrects over-pronation.
Medial midfoot support corrects under-pronation.
Wide outsole platform.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Nov 20, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 0.9, which adds a Forefoot Long Run Cushioning test to our performance section. Read more in our changelog.
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Updated Oct 21, 2025:
We've adjusted this review's writing to align with the new test bench, including updates to all usage scores and test boxes for Cushioning, Firmness, and Energy Return.
- Updated Oct 20, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 0.8.2, which updates our methodology for the impact force range used in our compression tests to improve their accuracy. This also affects all usage and performance usage boxes using those compression tests as score components.
- Updated Sep 09, 2025: Review published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We bought and tested the Nike Structure 26 in men's US size 9, as noted on the label for our pair. The pair we purchased is the White/Bright Crimson/Photon Dust/Black. This shoe is available in a variety of other colorways, depending on the region, including Black/Cool Grey/Metallic Silver/White for both men and women, and Hyper Pink/Pink Spell/White/Black | Particle Pink/Taupe Grey/Silt Red/Metallic Rose Gold | White/Barely Green/Mint Foam/Black, and White/Pure Platinum/Black for women. The men's version is available in Total Orange/Total Crimson/Chalk/Black | Light Armory Blue/Ashen Slate/Football Grey/Diffused Blue | White/Pure Platinum/Barely Volt/Black | Black/Iron Grey/Black, and Summit White/Vast Grey/College Grey/Black.
The Structure 26 is available for women in regular width (B) and extra wide (2E), and for men in regular width (D) and extra wide (2E).
The design section applies only to the exact model we tested, but we expect other sizes and gender variants to perform similarly.
Popular Running Shoe Comparisons
The Nike Structure 26 is a stability shoe built for runners who need support and guidance through every foot strike on daily runs. Its support system relies on two guide rails: a lateral guide rail closer to the heel, which prevents the foot from rolling outward upon landing, and a medial rail closer to the midfoot to prevent the foot from rolling too far inward during transitions. This is essentially the same system used by the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 25 and the Saucony Hurricane 25, two other stability shoes that combine a wide base with sidewalls to keep the foot from over-or under-pronating. The ASICS GEL-KAYANO 32 has similar features, but also adds a pod of bouncy foam to the medial side to pop over-pronators back into a more neutral position.
The Structure 26 is the flagship stability trainer within Nike's lineup, and the brand's only shoe with dedicated support features for over- or under-pronators. The brand's daily trainer lineup is in the midst of a reorganization, with the Structure sitting alongside the Pegasus series, which is their legacy lineup, and the Vomero series, which is the softer, more cushioned category. All three series are expected to follow a tiered model structure moving forward: a standard version (the Structure 26, Nike Pegasus 41, and Nike Vomero 18), a Plus version featuring a full-length ZoomX midsole (only the Nike Pegasus Plus and Nike Vomero Plus have been released), and a Premium version built around a larger, wraparound Air Zoom unit (Nike Pegasus Premium and Nike Vomero Premium). Release dates for the Plus and Premium versions of the Structure models are currently unknown.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best running shoes, as well as the best running shoes for men and the best running shoes for women.
The Nike Pegasus 41 and Nike Structure 26 are contemporary iterations of two of the swoosh's most long-running shoe series. Both have undergone numerous updates over the decades without changing their respective identities: the Pegasus a daily workhorse, and the Structure a dedicated stability trainer. Neither is built for speed, but rather for reliably plodding through miles upon miles. For runners with a neutral stride, looking for a no-fuss trainer that can endure the daily grind, the Pegasus 41 is a solid option. For runners whose form breaks down easily or who have known pronation issues, the Structure 26 is a safe choice.
The ASICS GEL-KAYANO 32 and Nike Structure 26 are both stability shoes that use built-up sidewalls to keep runners' feet from under- or over-pronating. The GEL-KAYANO 32 has several extra features specifically targeting over-pronation, including a cut out in the bottom of the shoe meant to shift the weight of the shoe outward, and a pod of bouncier foam on the medial side designed to spring the foot back into neutral position faster. For the small percentage of runners who under-pronate, the Structure 26 would be a better choice, while over-pronators will get more support from the GEL-KAYANO 32.
The Nike Structure 26 and ASICS GEL-KAYANO 31 are two classic stability shoes that are among their respective brands' oldest series. The GEL-KAYANO 31 has more stability-focused design elements, including a harder block of foam in the midfoot for arch support, and a softer pod of foam on the lateral side, designed to spring over-pronators back into a more neutral position; the Structure 26 meanwhile mostly relies on guide rails on both sides of the shoe to stabilise the foot. The ASICS shoe is heavier and higher stacked than the Nike shoe, with much worse energy return.
The Saucony Hurricane 25 and Nike Structure 26 are both stability trainers that rely on a classic combination of a wide outsole and guide rails along the footbed to correct over- or under-pronation. But the Hurricane 25 has several more modern innovations designed to correct over-pronation, including a dual-density arrangement of foam under the heel with a higher concentration of denser foam on the medial side to prevent inward rotation. A cutout on the lateral side of the Hurricane 25 acts as a corrective measure for over-pronation, but also makes the ride much more fluid. With its softer cushioning, the Saucony shoe feels like a modern trainer that provides support for over-pronators, while the Structure 26 feels like a classic stability shoe.
We've recently started buying and testing running shoes with a very data-oriented approach. While we're just getting started, our methodology already has dozens of tests to help you make the right purchasing decision for your needs. Not only do we use high-end equipment to gather objective data, but we also order multiple sizes of the same shoes for team members to be able to log in miles. This real-world testing is done at various paces and conditions, and with different types of workouts, to cover all the bases. This allows us to verify our results and ensure they align with what you might feel with a specific pair.
Test Results
The Nike Structure 26 is a heavy shoe, as the wide platform and dual guide rails necessitate extra materials.
The heel to toe drop in our model was significantly less than the advertised drop.
The heel of the Nike Structure 26 is an energy sink, so don't expect much bounce in the back of the shoe.
Although it's better than the heel, the energy return in the forefoot is still quite poor. The ride is smooth but certainly not springy.
The heel cushioning is alright. The ReactX foam does a reasonable job of absorbing impact, but it's by no means plush.
The forefoot cushioning isn't very absorbent, and overall, this shoe doesn't seem to be designed for forefoot landings.
The heel of the Nike Structure 26 is rather firm, which, combined with the guide rails, facilitates very stable landings for heel strikers.
The forefoot of the Nike Structure 26 is remarkably firm, contributing to the overall stiff ride of the shoe. This, combined with the wide platform in the forefoot, helps create a solid foundation that reduces the need to recruit stabilizer muscles in the lower leg.