I didn’t want to like these shoes.

Usually, when there’s a huge hype about a pair of trainers, they’re overrated.

Plus they aren’t conventional looking?

So I tentatively put them on before a run the other day, then wore them again at parkrun in Cardiff, and again, and again…

And I didn’t hate them. In fact, I really liked them. My first thoughts were that they were so light, I could barely feel them on my feet, and that despite not being shoes designed for people that pronate, they were almost pushing my feet out a little and stabilising them. The FlyKnit technology, that we’ve all come to know and love from Nike, creates a one-piece upper with enough tension to keep your foot secure without feeling too tight.

The sole of the shoe is unlike others I’ve worn before, the double layer of foam creates a very bouncy ride, whilst the circular mounds on the under-sole that provide shock absorption while the slashes in the mounds improve traction across different surfaces. When walking I felt that these created an uneven surface but when you’re running the extra force just leaves you with a cushioned landing pad.

New shoes always give me blisters, but not these – the sock (as ridiculous as it might look) actually prevents it from rubbing. I’m not sure whether you’re supposed to wear socks with these shoes, and have tried both with and without; personally I prefer them with socks to prevent rubbing, and my feet from smelling! The ‘collar’ isn’t too tight, but does feel like it gives a little extra ankle support – I’m not sure how much of that is psychological but might be good for those prone to rolling their ankles.

But the main problem…

What do you wear with the Nike LunarEpic Flyknit? 

Full length leggings?

Crop leggings?

Shorts?

The capri leggings I think look worse, with that strange amount of skin between my ankle and knee, so I’ve been wearing them with full length leggings and shorts (wishful thinking in the UK right now).

So, the big question, would I buy them?

And the truth is, if I could only buy one pair of running trainers, these would not be it. However for those that are Nike or running fanatics with a large cash pot to spend on their obsession, then definitely get these.

If nothing else they’re a talking point at parkrun.