Pros

Cons

• Ride is dull regardless of foot strike.

• Holding pace is tiring due to lack of rebound making you work harder.

The forefoot of this shoe has terrible energy return. Even other budget shoes like the Nike Winflo 12 are much livelier.

The heel of the Nike Quest 7 has awful energy return, so landings feel flat. It's nowhere near as energetic as other budget shoes like the adidas Zenboost.

Pros

• Superbly firm platform makes ride very reliable.

• Generous outsole provides a very planted base.

• Gusseted tongue helps achieve a secure lockdown.

Cons

• Arch could be a touch wider for even more security.

The heel of this shoe is remarkably firm across all force levels. This makes heel landings secure but also very harsh.

The forefoot of this shoe is even firmer than the heel, providing a stable base for toe-off, but much like the heel, it's a very harsh one, too.

The fully-guessted tongue helps to achieve a very secure lockdown in this shoe, and the lack of a plate keeps it accessible for lifestyle wear and gym work, as well as short runs.

Pros

Cons

• Heel offers inadequate protection from the road.

• Forefoot is even worse than heel, absorbing a poor amount of shock.

• Cushioning performs badly on longer efforts.

The heel provides acceptable impact protection for lighter runners at easier paces, but cushioning is poor overall.

The forefoot of this shoe is poorly cushioned, so landings feel harsh and lack the shock absorption found in more cushioned budget shoes like the adidas Questar 4.

The Nike Quest 7 isn't designed for long runs, providing poor protection from road impact from the first 10K. Runners looking for a budget shoe for long runs should consider the Nike Winflo 12 or adidas Questar 4 instead.

Pros

Cons

• Very shallow compression produces minimal bounce.

• Poor rebound leaves the ride flat.

The heel of this shoe doesn't compress enough to produce much spring.

The forefoot has very shallow compression, so it lacks the trampoline-like feel of bouncier budget shoes like the Nike Winflo 12.

Pros

Cons

• Forefoot lacks the stiffness needed for an aggressive snap.

• Forefoot rocker is too gentle for a propulsive push-off.

The forefoot returns a terrible amount of the energy stored when it unbends, making the ride very inefficient.

Though the forefoot takes a reasonable amount of force to bend and provides some leverage, it's not stiff enough to deliver much snap.

The forefoot rocker of the Nike Quest 7 provides a sub-par amount of assistance through push-off.

Pros

• Heel rocker does a great job of moving you into midstance.

Cons

• Forefoot rocker is too gentle to provide much assistance through toe-off.

The rocker is fairly stiff, holding its shape through stride and providing a bit of assistance through push-off.

The Nike Quest 7 has a moderate heel stack and traditional drop. Its relatively low-profile platform suits lifestyle wear and gym work particularly well.

The heel rocker of this shoe does a great job of transitioning heel strikers to midstance.

Pros

• Length is spot on.

• Forefoot and arch have ample room.

Cons

• Forefoot height may cause some chafing for taller toes.

Pros

Cons

• Feet will be sweaty in warm weather or on long runs.

• Takes too long to dry to be used for back-to-back days.

The Nike Quest 7 has mediocre breathability. It's adequate for short runs or lifestyle wear, though your feet will get warm on longer efforts or in hot weather. It's nowhere near as breathable as more premium trainers like the ASICS NOVABLAST 6.

This shoe takes over a day to fully dry, so if you want to use it again the next day after getting it soaked, we advise putting it in front of a fan or using a shoe dryer to speed things up.

The Nike Quest 7 does a fair job resisting water absorption, taking on less than half its dry weight during testing. It still becomes noticeably heavier once soaked, though.

The Nike Quest 7 is on the lighter side of average for a daily trainer. It weighs less than budget shoes like the Nike Winflo 12, but more than shoes like the adidas Zenboost.

The Nike Quest 7 uses "Cushlon 3.0" foam, which is the same compound found in the Nike Winflo 12. However, unlike that shoe, it doesn't provide the same impact absorption or energy return, pointing to a much more basic tuning.

This shoe uses standard flat laces with low stretch. They kept lockdown very secure during testing without needing to overtighten or retie the shoe.

The Nike Winflo 12 is a better running shoe than the Nike Quest 7. It provides much better cushioning and a far livelier ride, making it better for regular training and longer runs. However, it's much taller and heavier, so the Quest 7 is the better option if you mainly want a low-profile shoe for gym work and only plan to run occasionally.

The adidas Questar 4 is a better running shoe than the Nike Quest 7. It's much heavier, but it provides far better cushioning and is much better suited to long runs or regular weekly mileage. The Quest 7 is more stable and much lighter, so if you're just looking for a shoe for gym work or occasional short runs, then it's the pick.