Nike Wildhorse 7 Review

The Wildhorse 7 was recommended to me at Independence Run & Hike in Carbondale, CO, in 2019 along with the La Sportiva Lycan, based on a gait analysis determining that I needed a shoe for a mostly neutral foot strike, sometimes a forefoot strike, a high arch, narrow foot, and the desire to spread my toes wide and wiggle them while running, requiring a shoe with a roomy toe box. I bought the Lycan, and in 2022, finally purchased the Wildhorse. 

Right off the bat, I loved how the shoe hugged my foot like a sock, with a sleek profile and not as much extra bulk and foam, which my Nike Pegasus Trail 3 has, but still a pretty bulky heel. The sole has aggressive traction, and the protective rubber around the heels and toes is key to preventing the rocks and roots of the Pennsylvania trails from tearing apart the fabric of the shoe. It has an 8 mm drop.

They are not as stable as the Lycan or the many models of Saucony Peregrines I ran in for a few years. They curve inward at the soles just slightly, requiring the ankles to do extra work in supporting you across technical terrain. I don't mind this characteristic, but for those who may have problems with tripping and stability on trails, I hesitate to recommend them. 

I save these for shorter trail runs and have run no more than six or seven miles at a time in these. They work well on snow-packed dirt roads, non-technical trails, and technical trails, if you don't mind being 100 percent keenly aware of every root and rock or the extra work required of the stabilizers around the ankles and lower legs. 

My favorite feature is the soft, stretchy, elastic material around the ankle bones and heels (the collar). Sometimes my ski boots give me heel blisters, and I can't wear any other running shoe. Now that I have the Wildhorse in my rotation, which doesn't put hard pressure against that area of the heel, I can easily run the day after a ski session.

Overall, the Wildhorse is comfortable with a plump heel. 

So far, I've been running in them for about four months and have done no more than seven miles at a time in them, saving them for short, easy runs. I'm not sure I would choose them for a trail 50k - I'd probably stick with a La Sportiva, but these are an OK model to have in the running shoe quiver.