Our verdict
Pros
- Insanely cheap
- Doubles as a casual sneaker
- Lightweight
- Breathes well
- Snug fit
- Very flexible
- Reliable grip
- Looks great
Cons
- Not for wide feet
- Not the most durable
Audience verdict
Comparison
The most similar training shoes compared
+ + Add a shoe | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audience score | 83 Good! | 82 Good! | 74 Bad! | 87 Great! | |
| Price | $60 | $130 | $65 | $90 | |
| Use | WorkoutCross-trainingGymHIIT | CrossfitWorkoutCross-trainingGymHIITJumping rope | WorkoutGymHIITJumping rope | WorkoutCross-trainingGymHIIT | |
| Drop lab | 5.1 mm | 4.8 mm | 4.5 mm | 13.4 mm | |
| Heel stack lab | 25.4 mm | 22.3 mm | 24.2 mm | 30.2 mm | |
| Forefoot | 20.3 mm | 17.5 mm | 19.7 mm | 16.8 mm | |
| Weight lab | 8.8 oz / 250g | 12.3 oz / 350g | 8.8 oz / 249g | 8.9 oz / 252g | |
| Lightweight | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Breathability | Moderate | Moderate | Breathable | Moderate | |
| Toebox width at the widest part | Medium | Medium | Wide | Narrow | |
| Toebox width at the big toe | - | Medium | Wide | Narrow | |
| Midsole softness | Firm | Balanced | Balanced | Balanced | |
| Stiffness | Moderate | Moderate | Flexible | Flexible | |
| Torsional rigidity | Flexible | Stiff | Flexible | Stiff | |
| Heel counter stiffness | Flexible | Moderate | Flexible | Flexible | |
| Toebox durability | - | Good | Decent | Decent | |
| Heel padding durability | - | Bad | Bad | Good | |
| Outsole durability | - | Decent | - | Decent | |
| Midsole width in the forefoot | Average | Average | Average | Very narrow | |
| Midsole width in the heel | Average | Average | Average | Narrow | |
| Widths available | Normal | Normal | Normal | Normal | |
| Insole thickness | Thick | Average | Average | Average | |
| Outsole thickness | Average | Average | Average | Average | |
| Outsole hardness | Average | Average | Average | Hard | |
| Heel tab | None | Finger loop | None | Finger loop | |
| Tongue: gusset type | None | None | None | Sock like | |
| Tongue padding | Average | Average | Average | Average | |
| Ranking | #31 Bottom 26% | #23 Bottom 25% | #30 Bottom 3% | #15 Top 49% | |
| Popularity | #15 Top 36% | #24 Bottom 22% | #19 Bottom 38% | #14 Top 46% |
Who should buy the Nike Legend Essential 2
Consider the Legend Essential 2 from Nike if you:
- want a very basic Nike trainer
- prefer to stay light on the budget
- are happy with having just one shoe for both gym and casual use
Who should NOT buy the trainer
If you are looking for better quality and durability in your pair of trainers, we suggest considering the Nano X3. For a high-quality trainer that shines when it comes to versatility, we think that the Nike Free Metcon 5 is worth checking out.
Price is the Legend Essential 2’s best asset
With the average price of Nike training shoes hovering around $100 and the premium Nike Metcons reaching $130, the Nike Legend Essential 2 comes with a dirty cheap $60 price tag.
However, despite its lower price point, we are still happy with the material quality. Because of its price, the shoe turned out to be a huge deal.
Efficient all around
We are ecstatic that this Nike shoe can handle multiple activities, be it a gym session, a long day at work, or athleisure.
It won’t get you through a tough WOD or heavy weightlifting. But you can surely do some jumps, squats, light treadmill runs, and other moderate exercises in it.
The trainer breathes
With its mesh upper, the trainer keeps the foot nicely ventilated. So, there is no worry about smelly feet when you grab the Nike Legend Essential 2 for some intensive activity.
You can see which parts of the upper are the most transparent, and hence breathable, in the video below.
No foot dragging with the Nike Legend Essential 2
We enjoy how light the Nike Legend Essential 2 feels on the foot. And in fact, it weighs 9 oz (255 grams) given that Nike training shoes on average come at 11.5 oz (325 grams).
Holds the foot well but not good for wide feet
Testers among us with average-to-narrow foot sizes enjoyed a nice foothold from the shoe. However, with the Essential 2’s narrower toebox design, we confirmed that it won’t be very accommodating for wider feet.
The toebox of the Legend Essential 2 is narrower than most training shoes. In its widest part, the forefoot is 97.8 mm, whereas the average is 100.1 mm. For reference, an advanced CrossFit shoe like Nike Metcon is 106.8 mm wide in the toebox.
No slipping in the gym
We also commend the rubber and treading on the outsole for giving us adequate grip.
The shoe flexes along with the foot
Similar to the Nike Flex Control 4, the Legend Essential is a very flexible Nike trainer. It moves together with the foot, bending in all the right places.
Based on our measurements, the shoe is 31% more flexible than the average for training shoes.
Bending and twisting the shoe in our hands, we assessed it as 2 out of 5 in both longitudinal and torsional flexibility.
Legend Essential 2 is not the best bet for weightlifting
Where the shoe's flexibility comes in handy for jumps, lunges, and agility, it falls short in the lifting department. We discerned that the problem is that the sole bends too easily to keep you steady and rooted on the floor. Your feet are going to experience too much shifting as you grab onto heavier weight.
It is stylish. Enough said.
The Legend Essential 2 looks simple and clean yet sharp and attractive.
Due to that, we are certain that there is no problem transitioning from the gym to the street with this Nike trainer.
