Nike makes a variety of running/fitness shirts to suit different needs. The Sphere Distance top ($45) is a unique design incorporating a key pocket, a variety of materials and reflective patches.

We are testing a number of training tops from Nike right now. Each has a unique set of properties and fits a specific nitch. The Sphere Distance is a long sleeve top made with Nike’s Sphere Dry material. Sphere Dry is a mesh waffle pattern fabric that has a rough feel (the namesake spheres) on the inside and a smooth feel on the outside. The design encourages moisture wicking. Nike claims that the spheres create a small airspace to reduce cling. Our experience backs this up.

The Distance part of the name relates to its intended usage. The top is designed with a small key pocket at the shoulder. It is just large enough to hold a single house key, hotel card key/credit card or a few dollars. Anything heavier would be bothersome.

The long sleeves allow for a change in body/air temperature over the course of a workout. The sleeves have tapered cuffs that allow airflow out the sleeves and accommodate a watch or pulse monitor. The cuffs can be pushed up to the elbow. They stay put at the elbow without binding. Without a ribbed cuff, they will not stay in the middle of the arm. The sleeves also worked well when wiping sweat from the face.

The garment is assembled of many panels. This includes the mesh like Sphere Dry fabric; Scotchlite reflective material and elastic panels. All of these components result in more seams than are necessary. The seams are noticeable when putting on/taking off the shirt and when walking around, but not when running.

The Sphere Distance is designed to fit close to the body. This makes the shirt feel small, so players who prefer more room will want to go up a size. For over all design, we gave the top 6 out of 10. The pocket is a nice feature and the reflective tape add to visibility, but the abundant seams may be a distraction. The color combinations (Royal/Gray; Gray/Yellow; Black/Black) didn’t garner much enthusiasm. The garment is well constructed, but we have doubts about the pockets and cuffs if they are repeatedly stretched. We also noticed that the panels on our Royal/Gray version varied slightly in color. This may be due to different densities in the fabric, but they looked unmatched. We don’t think anyone would notice if they were not looking very closely.