Nike Structure 23 Review

Our good friend Noble gives us the inside scoop on the Nike Strucure 23 in this video. 

Although it is out in many markets, the Nike Structure 23 still has quite a bit of mystery surrounding it, as Nike has provided few details on the actual features of the shoe.

As we go through this review, we will provide as many confirmed features as possible, but also use some educated guesses to fill in the blanks. With all of that out of the way let’s get going!

UPPER - Materials and Lockdown

For all of the stripped-down uppers from Nike lately, it is surprising to see such plush material building up the Nike Structure 23. At first, it may seem a bit extra and bulky, but overall the positives seem to outweigh any possible cons from all of the extra fluff.

The tongue and heel collar are rolling with some extreme padding, which for most should feel quite nice across the top of your foot and ankle.

The heel collar felt extra nice, but the padding on the tongue just felt like too much, maybe just having half of the amount they placed would serve its purpose.

The lacing system feels smooth enough, although the laces themselves seem a bit narrow and out of place compared to all of the padding around it.

It still serves its purpose and I have had little to no issues with laces coming untied (which was an issue in the Structure 22).

Finally, the toe box feels a bit wider than Nike’s usual build, which will be a welcome sight for most. However, the upper mesh covering the top of the toe box feels pretty restricting, and it leads to some rubbing over the top of my toes.

I have not found a solution to this yet, so it's something to note when considering your purchase.

The midsole brings quite a bit of mystery along with it due to Nike’s choice to hold off on the specific details, but overall it feels softer than past iterations of the Structure and delivers a slightly more dynamic support system.

Although the Nike Structure has been Nike’s premier “stability” trainer for years now, this model has no mention of “support” or “stability” anywhere (except for in its name of course).

Funnily enough, The Nike Structure 23 definitely feels softer than previous models, which I think has to do with the apparent react midsole foam. There is no confirmation of the actual foam Nike is using in this shoe, but it feels soft and energetic like the react foam.

There is also a nice air zoom unit in the forefoot to offer an extra snap in the toe-off throughout your gait cycle. Speaking of the gait cycle, there is a strategic crash rail to offer a smooth transition from heel to toe-off.

These are pretty much the only confirmable facts about the midsole.

Finally, there is definitely a dual-density midsole component here aiding in the stability feature here. The denser foam is placed under the heel area and tapers down as it moves closer to the forefoot.

The support system feels similar to the previous version, but it feels a little less “in your face” than the last couple of models.

OUTSOLE - Standard and Durable Rubber

Although Nike once again says very little about the outsole, it seems to be a standard blown rubber that is pretty much comprehensive across the bottom of the shoe (excluding the crash rail in the heel area).