The original Talaria was from Roman mythology, the winged sandals of the messenger of the gods, Mercury. The Nike Talaria, was another story; one about performance running. The upper was a combination of soft sueded textile which draped over the foot like a security blanket, but with the structure needed to contain the foot effectively at performance speeds. The midsole was a healthy chunk of EVA foam cushioning, augmented by Zoom Air encapsulated for a lasting experience, in both cases. The outersole was a crystal urethane treatment of the classic Nike Waffle sole, which made the shoe more versatile on road or a trail of your choosing. Overall, a really well done – road, track, trail, go where you please kind of a running shoe.