When we released our first shoe with Nike React foam in June 2017, we knew it was groundbreaking. But no one at Nike could have predicted how versatile React foam would prove. You can find it now in shoes that range from basketball and running to golf and training. It even adds more comfort to our most stylish sportswear shoes.

Responsive. Durable. Soft. Lightweight. “Historically, cushioning innovations might deliver big leaps in one or maybe two aspects of performance,” says Nike’s Ernest Kim, Advanced Director, Global Running Footwear. “But with Nike React, we see significant advancements in all dimensions of cushioning: impact attenuation, energy return, lightweight, and durability. That’s why we call it our most complete foam ever.”

A tricky thing about foam: It’s very rare that you get cushioning that’s soft and durable. It’s usually one or the other because those qualities are opposites. But Nike React technology is different. It stayed strong and soft after serious machine testing that mimicked the forces of longtime use.

We figured out a way for this foam to be soft, but not at the expense of being heavy. We combined polymers—Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) and Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA)—to achieve this truly special effect.

To see if the shoe could help reduce injury compared to our motion control shoe, we commissioned a study through the British Columbia Sports Medicine Research Foundation where runners followed a 12-week variable training program ending in a half marathon. Based on the results, we think we’re on the right track: In testing*, the Nike React Infinity Run showed a 52 percent lower injury rate compared to the Nike Structure 22, our leading motion control shoe. Watch Nike Sports Research Lab’s Matt Nurse explain the design and testing of this shoe.