Tried and tested: Women's Nike Flex Experience Run 10 sneakers review (size 9 UK / 11.5 US)

Heads up: this review is based on wearing these sneakers for walking and everyday casual wear. While I walk a lot, I can't run to save my life! If you want to know what these are like as running shoes, I'd suggest reading the women's flex experience run 10 customer reviews on Nike's website.

How comfy are they to wear?

These sneakers are nice and soft. There is no breaking in needed. That's unusual for my overly sensitive feet.

They feel lovely and lightweight to wear too. My size 9 UK women's flex experience run 10 shoe weighs 240g.

The soles are really flexible. There are 11 wavy groove lines vertically down the sole so it can move with your foot. You can easily bend the toe up with your hand.

The top is all knit material so there is no rigid structure. The fabric is light knit over the front of your foot, more cushioned over the mid sides and tongue and most cushioned at the back third all around the opening and heel.

How cushioned do they feel?

Surprisingly these shoes don't have the springy feeling underfoot you normally get with new runners. Once I went outside, they felt like old runners under the balls of my feet.

I was immediately concerned, because I'm prone to muscle niggles underfoot. That's how I tell when I need new shoes.

My feet still seem to be well supported though, because I have had no foot pain since wearing these runners. I also had a tiny splinter like cut under one ball and was able to walk comfortably in these runners without feeling it.

I missed a cushioning insole at first. It felt really odd on day 1 when I was expecting that walking on clouds feeling I usually get from other lightweight trainers like Skechers. In fact, I was quite aware of my underfoot being in contact with the pavement. It was a strange sensation.

I wondered was it a sign the shoes were optimised for running rather than walking. However, after the first few wears, that oddness went away. Now they just feel light and comfortable on my feet.

In contrast to the lack of cushioning underfoot, the shoe collar feels extra cushioned. The back heel is fully cushioned without any hard internal form. This cushioning continues right round the shoe opening. The top lace is quite high so you get this lovely soft support all around your ankle. The cushioning does reduce somewhat with wear, but still feels nice.

How do they look?

I love the look of these sneakers, especially in this magenta colorway. Nike calls it Fireberry.

They look better in real life than on the website. The color and finish is more subtle in reality. Most of the runner is a marled mix of pinky magenta and a dark charcoal grey. This gives a tweed effect which is striking in a sophisticated way.

These are quite smart looking for trainers and they also look very neat on. The textured knit and plain black sections break up your foot well. Mixing colours and textures is one of the top tips for picking shoes that flatter big feet.

Branding wise, the famous swoosh graces both sides in the accent magenta color. There is also a nike logo at the top of the tongue surrounded by a prominent 3 triangle motif (3.5 cm square approx). But because the laces are tied high up on the tongue, this large logo isn't fully visible in wear, especially if you tie your laces the standard way with the bow visible.

Finer Details

There is a pull loop at the back to help you get the runners on. It's not just for decoration here. Since the back of the heel is all super soft material and not reinforced with a hard insert (heel counter), it's handy to put your finger in this loop to pull the back of the shoe up fully.

Because the backs of these runners are soft and the laces tie high up the shoes, you can't easily slip them on and off without untying the laces. I'm lazy so I miss this, but it may help them last a bit longer.

Speaking of laces, I really like them. They have a premium feel. They are not the standard flat wide cotton laces. Instead the lace is more oval shaped, edged on each side with a subtle ribbed finish. I assumed that was just a style choice, but I have found these laces always stay tied just with a single knot.

With other trainers, I often change the lace color to give them a more stylish or feminine look, but these laces are perfect as is.

Real World Wear Test (1 year on)

September 2022 update: My Nike Flex Experience run 10s sneakers lasted about 16 months in total. I got 8 months' heavy wear out of them. After that they were only suitable for short walks as they no longer had the same support. The sole also gets slippy as it wears down, so watch yourself on wet leaves etc!

I wore these runners most days for 5 months from March-July 2021, walking 30-45 km a week in them. I continued to wear them regularly for a further 5 months & then wore them only occasionally for short walks. They finally wore out in August 2022. They still looked well, but the sole was worn out & no longer comfy for me to walk in.

Original review after 6 months' wear:

I find them very comfortable & they are my go-to shoes for long walks. My feet still feel fine at the end of 8km walks in these. I'm not sporty, so I like a sit down midway, but that's not because of the shoes. 😊 After similar walks in others trainers, I could be itching to get them off me and put my feet up, but not with these.

I've also worn them out in a few rain showers and my feet have stayed dry. Given the knit upper, I wouldn't expect them to be waterproof in heavy rain though.

Aside from wiping around the sides of the white sole, they still look like new on top too. I can't see any marks on the fabric but the 2 colour marled fabric effect would likely help disguise them. Here's a photo of what my runners and the sole look like after 6 months' frequent wear:

Are Flex Experience Run 10 true to size?

I'm shoe size 9 UK and usually wear size 9 in Nike sneakers. These women's flex experience run 10s are true to size and fit me perfectly.

My feet are on the wide side of normal fit and the width feels right to me too. My feet never feel restricted or any pressure from the edges.

These running shoes are marked with sizes 9 UK, 11.5 US, 44 EU and 28.5 cm on the inside of the tongue.

Shoe size guides can be misleading for sports brands, including Nike. For most shoe styles your foot length in centimetres can be the best guide, but that does not work well for sports shoes in my experience. Going by Nike's women's shoe size guide, I would be size 8.5 UK at most, but I always need a 9 UK.

So stick with your usual Nike size here. If you are new to the brand, I'd suggest trying your regular casual shoe size.

Where to buy Nike flex experience runners in large sizes

I prefer to buy direct from Nike, because you can return shoes even after wearing them for 30 days (60 days in the US) if they don't work out. Plus they have the widest choice of styles in large sizes and you get free delivery and returns.

As of 8 April 2022, my magenta Fireberry color is no longer on the Nike website unfortunately. But Nike USA has women's flex experience run 10s from $45 - $65 depending on colorway. Nike UK still has a pretty pale pink/rose gold combo or classic black for £59.

Nike's women's shoes go up to size 12 us/9.5 uk/44.5 eu. If you need a larger size the men's/unisex go up to size 14 UK / 48.5 EU. That's men's size 15 US which should cater for women up to size 16.5 US. There is a large choice of men's/unisex colors from Nike USA and an extra wide fit version is also available.

If you like a bargain, Nike regularly reduce styles and have flash discount codes. You can keep an eye on the womens' large size walking shoes sale section or join their mailing list for offers.

In my experience the larger women's sizes often go out of stock though, so if you really love a pair it could be risky to wait & hope for it to be reduced.

Other Retailers

Aside from Nike, it's mainly online stores that stock women's Nikes in size 8.5-9.5 UK.

Here's a few other retailers I've found that sell women's Nike flex experience runners in sizes larger than 10 us (8 uk).

• Kohl's USA has women's colours up to size 12 US.
• JD Sports USA have a good selection of large sizes in both women's and men's.JD Sports UK have women's women's sizes 8.5, 9 and 9.5 UK available depending on the colourway.

Older versions of Flex Experience Run shoes (7, 8, 9 etc) can still be found online & some discount sport stores. These could be quite similar and a bit cheaper.

Final Verdict

If you are looking for comfy sneakers that are light to wear, these Nike flex experience run 10s could be ideal. They look stylish & are flattering for big feet. The only surprise is the lack of a cushioned insole, but they still feel good on.

Overall, these runners wore very well & lasted me over a year. I feel they were good value for money because I got many months of heavy wear & lovely long walks out of them. I'm currently on the eye out for my next pair of Nikes. 👀