Nike Lunareclipse 4

Color: Black/Reflective silver-Platinum-Anthracite

Intended use: All surfaces except trail. Works well for conditioning, long distance runs.

Surfaces tested on: Road, synthetic track 21° C/70° F

Upper: Spacer mesh, welded rubber panels, molded plastic heel clip, Flywire cord based lacing system.

Midsole: Dual density in a wedge setup. Softer Lunarlon foam on the outside, firmer foam on the inner area.

Outsole: Carbon rubber in heel and forefoot.

Weight: 348 gms/12.27 Oz for a half pair of US11.

US Retail: $ 135                      

The Lunareclipse showed up in Spring 2011, close on heels of the original Lunarglide launch in Fall 2010. Both shoes heralded the start of a brand new product direction for Nike, and approached minimizing foot pronation (inward roll) in a different way from the shoes back then. The traditional way used a combination of a hard foam wedge on the inner side and a softer outer foam to help arrest foot roll. The Glide and Eclipse used midsoles which stacked two densities of beveled foam together at an angle; this allowed for a more gradual roll of foot instead of being abruptly stopped by the traditional foam wedge. This construction also widened the shoe’s appeal, extending it to mild-over pronators and neutral runners.

The mid-foot cinching is improved. The asymetrical lacing area carries over, but there are changes to the way how Flywire cords are configured. In the last year’s version, Flywire strings and the eyelet holes were separate components, with the cords stretching upwards, forming a loop which aligned with the eyelet holes. In the 2014 Lunareclipse, the medial eyelet section which rests on top of the foot integrates the Flywire with the main upper (like the Lunarglide 5), so the top down pressure is reduced, and also makes lacing more effective. Rest of the upper is top-notch too. The forefoot does aways with overlays and integrates an internal (and invisible) toe bumper while using the engineered mesh which is open structured in some areas (ventilation), while closed in key areas for support. The sleeve like build of the upper fits well and eliminates any fear of tongue slide, and the padded tongue spacer mesh sits soft on the foot. The collar area continues to be a two-fabric construction, with changed materials. The Lunareclipse 3 featured a terry kind of mesh on the collar which felt like a pair of traditional sports socks wrapped around. The mesh used in the Eclipse 4 is smoother and more business-like. The Fitsole 4 sockliner is something. It’s an impressive cushy sandwich of two foam layers topped off with a soft fabric, and the rear half of the underside has a molded support structure. The Lunareclipse has always been a step behind the Lunarglide when it came to adopting the latest design direction. The new shoe is touted as lighter by Nike, but those kind of claims are always followed by taking lots of rubber off the outsole. The 2014 Lunareclipse sees a massive reduction in outsole tread, and it affects the shoe in a few major ways. Durability takes an obvious hit, so forget about the hundreds of miles you might have got with the 2013 Lunareclipse 3. The new set-up is similar to the Flyknit Lunar 2, and the upcoming Lunarglide 6. Less rubber in the back, with the new ‘pressure mapped’ design in the forefoot.

The smoothness of the heel-to-toe transition also diminishes in the Eclipse 4, caused by the missing chunks of underfoot rubber. Contrast this to the near-unbroken periphery of outsole rubber shod on the Eclipse 3. This absence of rubber also translates into poorer traction on the 2014 model, with the earlier version feeling decidedly grippier. Forefoot cushioning behavior undergoes a change too, and also scales back on ground feedback. The 2013 Lunareclipse had smaller rubber lugs glued on underside the forefoot midsole foam, which Nike called the ‘bottomless foam carrier’. This led to a rich and well spread out forefoot cushioning, along with confidence inspiring ‘feel’ or feedback during take-offs.

 The Lunareclipse 4 moves to an arrangement which has these concentric rings underfoot, which kind of centres the cushioning sensation right under forefoot. And since there’s less exposed midsole foam in the forefoot, flexibility is scaled down, making the Lunareclipse 4 stiffer than last year Eclipse 3.